Philemon 1
Greetings from Paul and Timothy
(Philippians 1:1–2; Colossians 1:1–2)
¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
² to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your 1 house:
³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon’s Faith and Love
⁴ I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,
⁵ because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
⁶ I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.
⁷ I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus
⁸ So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,
⁹ I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.
¹⁰ I appeal to you for my child Onesimus,2 whose father I became while I was in chains.
¹¹ Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
¹² I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
¹³ I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.
¹⁵ For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good—
¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.
¹⁷ So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
¹⁸ But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
¹⁹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have some benefit 3 from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
²² In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
Additional Greetings
²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.4