When a fellow brother or sister in Christ wrongs you, what should you do? Many believers know forgiveness is the right path, but forgiveness in practice can be easier said than done.
In East Africa, Tesfaye and other evangelists traveled to a city to share the gospel. There, they met a young man named Kassa. Kassa was living on the streets and had multiple addictions; he was lost and broken. So when Tesfaye shared the gospel with him, Kassa joyfully accepted Jesus as his Savior.
But the addictions had taken a toll on Kassa’s body. As the local church began discipling and providing for him, Kassa developed tuberculosis. The church leadership took care of Kassa for three months, and the young man eventually recovered.
Then, Kassa’s old struggles took hold of him. He stole materials from the church and ran away to another town, hurting the ones who had cared deeply for him.
Paul’s Call for Forgiveness
Kassa’s story echoes one found in the shortest book in the New Testament. Paul penned a letter to a man named Philemon, a wealthy Christian in Colossae. Philemon opened his home for Christians to meet there regularly and supported Paul’s ministry.
Like many wealthy people in his day, Philemon had bondservants, including one named Onesimus. One day, Onesimus fled to Rome, possibly having stolen money from Philemon. He was a fugitive in one of the most populated cities in the Roman Empire, probably hoping to disappear in the crowd.
But in God’s providence, Onesimus met Paul. In spending time with Paul, Onesimus became a Christian and assisted Paul, who was imprisoned at the time.
After some time, Paul knew Onesimus needed to return to Colossae to address the wrong he had done to Philemon. So he sent Onesimus with a letter to Philemon, in which he asked Philemon to do something extraordinary—to accept Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother (Philemon 1:16a).” Paul also promised to pay back anything Onesimus owed to Philemon (Philemon 1:18–19).
In Roman society, Philemon had every right to have Onesimus severely punished or even put to death for his crime. Yet Paul was asking Philemon not only to forgive his bondservant’s debt but to embrace him as a brother in Christ.
In his letter, Paul used the Greek word koinonia, which carries various meanings, including generosity, partnership, and fellowship. Because God received people with generosity and fellowship, Paul wanted Philemon to do the same with Onesimus—not seeing Onesimus for who he was but for who he became in Christ.
Kassa’s Second Chance
Much like Onesimus, Kassa providentially encountered a fellow believer named Ifa in the town he had hoped to hide. Kassa stayed with Ifa for a year, learning and growing in Christ.
Eventually, Kassa returned to the city to face Tesfaye and the other believers he had wronged. Tesfaye and the church forgave Kassa and restored their fellowship with him, following Paul’s appeal to Philemon.
Even believers will struggle with sin and hurt one another. But God desires his children to forgive and have restored relationships with each other, displaying what He offers every person in the world.
Stories From the Field
God is moving among the unreached worldwide. Eyes are being opened to the love and grace that Jesus offers to everyone. Read stories of incredible life change, miracles, and softened hearts on the East-West blog.
