<p>1:17 <i>So if you consider me your partner- </i>Paul asks Philemon to prepare a room in his home because he was planning on visiting after his release from prison (:22). Paul is really saying that Philemon is to accept Onesimus as much as he would accept him; and if he didn't, then he was effectively separating himself from partnership with Paul.</p><p><i>Take him into your home- </i>'Receive him'. The point is made twice (Philemon 12,17). Paul had written to the Romans years before that they should receive one another, as God for Christ&rsquo;s sake has received us (Rom. 15:7 s.w.). It seems that the case of Onesimus gave Paul an opportunity to practically exemplify what he had meant- now that he was in Rome. Time and again, the theory of the Romans letter has to be lived out by Paul once in Rome himself. Paul says that if Philemon received Onesimus, then he received Paul. Paul was one with his new brother Onesimus (:12).</p><p><i>As you would receive me- </i>Paul parallels loving the Lord Jesus with loving &ldquo;all saints&rdquo; (Philemon 5). To receive Onesimus was to receive Paul (Philemon 12); and &ldquo;if thou count me therefore a partner Gk. <i>Koinonos</i>- &lsquo;one in fellowship&rsquo;, receive him as myself&rdquo; (Philemon 17 AV). Paul's mind or spirit was in Onesimus (:12). Paul is saying that if we receive any brother, then, we receive him. He clearly has in mind the Lord&rsquo;s teaching, that if we receive Him, then we are to receive His brethren. So if we receive any brother, we not only receive the Lord Jesus, but we receive all other brethren in Christ; for each brother represents the entire body of Christ. This shows the utter fallacy of division within the one body. It is an utter nonsense to accept one brother, but not the other brethren, e.g., of his ecclesia. According to the logic of Philemon 17, if we don&rsquo;t accept a true brother, then we are not treating our other brethren as being in fellowship. For Paul says that if Philemon considered <i>him</i> to be in fellowship, then Philemon ought to accept Onesimus. Likewise, he reasons that he saw in Onesimus the face of Philemon; for Onesimus ministered unto Paul &ldquo;in thy Philemon&rsquo;s stead&rdquo; (Philemon 13). The implications of this are far reaching. For by refusing fellowship with our brethren, we are effectively declaring ourselves outside of the body of Christ. And hence Paul&rsquo;s sober warnings in 1 Cor. 11, to discern / recognize the Lord&rsquo;s body; for if we refuse to break bread with our brethren, then, he says, we are eating and drinking damnation to ourselves, because we refuse to accept our part in the Lord&rsquo;s body.</p>