Philemon 1

Greetings from Paul and Timothyⓘ

Greeting to Philemon and the house church¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker, ²to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your^a house:

³Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemonʼs Faith and Loveⓘ

Thanksgiving for Philemon's faith and love⁴I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers, ⁵because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. ⁶I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ. ⁷I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

Paulʼs Appeal for Onesimusⓘ

Paul appeals on the basis of love⁸So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper, ⁹I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.

¹⁰I appeal to you for my child Onesimus,^b whose father I became while I was in chains. ¹¹Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. Sending Onesimus back, by free choice¹²I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.

¹³I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel. ¹⁴But 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. Receive him as a beloved brother¹⁵For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good— ¹⁶no 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.

¹⁷So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. Paul offers to repay any debt¹⁸But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. ¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

²⁰Yes, brother, let me have some benefit^c from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

Confidence, a guest room, and closing greetings²¹Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²²In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

Additional Greetingsⓘ

²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings, ²⁴as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.^d