Greeting
1Paul,a a prisonerb of Christ Jesus,c and Timothyd our brother:
To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, 2to Apphia our sister,e to Archippusf our fellow soldier,g and to the church that meets in your home.h
3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Love and Faith
4I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, 5because I hear of your lovei and faith towardj the Lord Jesus and for all the •saints. 6I pray that your participation in the faith may become effectivek through knowing every good thingl that is in usm for the glory of Christ. 7For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshedn through you, brother.
An Appeal for Onesimus
8For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, 9I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly mano and now also as a prisonerp of Christ Jesus, 10appeal to you for my son,q Onesimus.r, s I fatheredt, u him while I was in chains. 11Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending him back to you as a part of myself.v, w 13I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. 14But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will. 15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, 16no longer as a •slave, but more than a slave — as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the fleshx and in the Lord.y, z
17So if you consider me a partner, acceptaa him as you would me. 18And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.ab 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand:ac I will repay it — not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self. 20Yes, brother, may I have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
Final Greetings
23Epaphras,ad my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, and so do 24Mark,ae Aristarchus,af Demas, and Luke,ag my coworkers.
25The grace of the Lordah, ai Jesus Christ be with your spirit.aj
Footnotes:
a. 1 Ac 13:9
b. 1 2Tm 1:8; Heb 13:3
c. 1 Rm 1:1
d. 1 Ac 16:1; 1Tm 1:2
e. 2 Other mss read our beloved
f. 2 Col 4:17
g. 2 Php 2:25
h. 2 Ac 12:12; Rm 16:5
i. 5 Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37; Gl 5:6,22; Eph 6:23; 1Th 1:3; 3:6; 5:8; 1Tm 1:14; 1Jn 4:20
j. 5 Lit faith that you have toward
k. 6 Gl 5:6
l. 6 Gn 1:31; 18:18; 3Jn 11
m. 6 Other mss read in you
n. 7 Lk 12:19; 2Tm 1:16
o. 9 Or an ambassador
p. 9 2Tm 1:8; Heb 13:3
q. 10 1Th 2:11
r. 10 In Gk, Onesimus means useful.
s. 10 Col 4:9
t. 10 Referring to the fact that Paul led him to Christ; 1Co 4:15
u. 10 1Co 4:15
v. 12 Other mss read him back. Receive him as a part of myself.
w. 12 Lit you — that is, my inward parts
x. 16 Php 3:3
y. 16 Both physically and spiritually
z. 16 1Co 16:19; Rv 11:8
aa. 17 Rm 14:1
ab. 18 Rm 5:13
ac. 19 1Co 16:21
ad. 23 Col 1:7; 4:12
ae. 24 Ac 12:12,25; 15:37,39; Col 4:10; 2Tm 4:11; 1Pt 5:13
af. 24 Ac 19:29
ag. 24 Col 4:14; 2Tm 4:10-11
ah. 25 Other mss read our Lord
ai. 25 2Th 3:18; Rv 11:8
aj. 25 Ps 51:12
