The Epistle of Paul to Philemon

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- Chapter 1 -

(Philippians 1:1–2; Colossians 1:1–2)

I, Paul, am a prisoner who serves Messiah Jesus. I am here with Timothy, our fellow believer. I am writing this letter to you, Philemon, our dear friend and fellow worker.

I am also writing to Apphia, our fellow believer, and to Archippus, who is like a soldier who serves along with us. And I am writing to the group of believers that meets in your house.

I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to act kindly toward you all. I pray that he will continue to cause you to have peace.

Philemon’s Faith and Love

When I pray for you, I always thank God,

because I keep hearing about how you trust in the Lord Jesus. I also hear about how you keep on loving and helping all the believers.

I pray that because you trust in Messiah the same as we do, you may be able to know every good thing that we have to give you regarding Messiah.

I have greatly rejoiced and have much courage because you, my dear friend, have been loving God’s people and helping them.

Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus

So I want to ask you to do something. I am completely confident that I have the authority to command you to do what you should do, because I am an apostle of Messiah.

But because I know that you love God’s people, I request this instead of commanding you to do it. It is I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner because I serve Messiah Jesus, who am requesting it.

I request that you do something for Onesimus. He is now like a son of mine because I told him about Messiah here in prison.

Although his name, as you know, means “useful,” he was useless to you in the past. But now he is useful both to you and to me!

Although he is very dear to me, I am sending him back to you.

I would like to have kept him with me, in order that he might serve me in your place. I need him because I am in prison because of my preaching the message about Messiah.

However, because I had not yet asked you and you had not yet permitted me to keep him here with me, I decided not to keep him here. I decided that you should help me only if you really want to help me.

Perhaps the reason that God permitted Onesimus to be separated from you was so you could have him back forever!

You will no longer have him only as a slave. Instead, you will have him as someone who is more than a slave. You will have him as a fellow believer! He is very dear to me, but he certainly will be even more dear to you. This is because now he not only belongs to you as a slave, but he also belongs to the Lord.

So if you believe that you and I are doing God’s work together, welcome him as you would welcome me.

If he has done you any kind of harm, or if he is in debt to you, let me take the responsibility for that.

I, Paul, am now writing this in my own handwriting: I will repay you what he owes you. I could say to you that you owe me even more than Onesimus owes you, because what I told you saved your own life.

Indeed, my brother, let me benefit from you because of the Lord. Since we are both joined to Messiah, make my heart glad.

I have written this letter to you, because I am sure that you will do what I am asking you to do. In fact, I know that you will do even more than what I am asking you to do.

Also, get a guest room ready for me to stay in, because I confidently expect that as a result of your prayers for me, I will be released from prison and will come to you all.

Additional Greetings

Epaphras, who is suffering with me in prison because he is joined to Messiah Jesus, sends his greetings to you.

Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who are my other fellow workers, also send their greetings to you.

I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to be kind to you.

(Philippians 1:1–2; Colossians 1:1–2)

Paul, a prisoner of Christ

(a)

Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,

to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house:

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

Philemon’s Faith and Love

I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

hearing of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus.

For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

Paul’s Appeal for Onesimus

Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,

yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have become the father of in my chains,(b)

who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.

I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News.

But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.

For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while that you would have him forever,

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.

But if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, put that to my account.

I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides).

Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.

Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.

Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

Additional Greetings

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:10 Onesimus means “useful”.