Philemon 1
1 Paul, a prisoner for Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy, to the beloved Philemon, our fellow worker,
From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a Brother.
2 and to the beloved Apphia and our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the congregation at your (sg) house:
To our dear friend and fellow-worker Philemon, to our sister Apphia, to our fellow-soldier Archippus; and to the Church that meets at Philemon’s house;
3 Grace to you (pl) and peace from God our Father and Sovereign Jesus Christ.
may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
4 I always thank my God as I make mention of you (sg) in my prayers,
I always mention you in my prayers and thank God for you,
5 hearing of your love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus, and for all the saints,
because I hear of the love and the faith which you show, not only to the Lord Jesus, but also to all his People;
6 so that the sharing of your (sg) faith may become powerful through a full understanding of every good thing that is among you (pl) who are in Christ Jesus;
and I pray that your participation in the Faith may result in action, as you come to a fuller realisation of everything that is good and Christlike in us.
7 yes, we have much thanksgiving and encouragement because of your (sg) love, in that the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
I have indeed found great joy and encouragement in your love, knowing, as I do, how the hearts of Christ’s People have been cheered, brother, by you.
8 Now then, though I have all boldness in Christ to order you (sg) to do what is right,
And so, though my union with Christ enables me, with all confidence, to dictate the course that you should adopt,
9 I—being none other than Paul the old man and now also a prisoner for Jesus Christ—would rather appeal to you, for love's sake.
yet the claims of love make me prefer to plead with you — yes, even me, Paul, though I am an ambassador for Christ Jesus and, now a prisoner for him as well.
10 I appeal to you on behalf of the son whom I begot while in my chains, Onesimus, whom I am sending back
I plead with you for this Child of mine, Onesimus, to whom, in my prison, I have become a Father.
11 —formerly he was unprofitable to you, but now he is profitable, both to you and to me.
Once he was of little service to you, but now he has become of great service, not only to you, but to me as well;
12 So receive him, who is my very heart
and I am sending him back to you with this letter — though it is like tearing out of my very heart.
13 —I would have liked to keep him with me, so that he might minister to me in your place, while I am in chains for the Gospel,
For my own sake I should like to keep him with me, so that, while I am in prison for the Good News, he might attend to my wants on your behalf.
14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your contribution might be voluntary, not as an imposition.
But I do not wish to do anything without your consent, because I want your generosity to be voluntary and not, as it were, compulsory.
15 Perhaps this is why he was removed for a while, so that you would have him forever (aiōnios g166)
It may be that he was separated from you for an hour, for this very reason, that you might have him back for ever, (aiōnios g166)
16 —no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, very much to me but even more to you, both in flesh and in the Lord.
no longer as a slave, but as something better — a dearly loved Brother, especially dear to me, and how much more so to you, not only as your fellow man, but as your fellow Christian!
17 So if you consider me a partner, receive him as if it were me.
If, then, you count me your friend, receive him as you would me.
18 If he wronged you or owes anything, charge it to me.
If he has caused you any loss, or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand, “I will repay” (rather than say to you that you actually owe me your very self!).
I, Paul, put my own hand to it — I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your very self.
20 Yes brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.
Yes, Brother, let me gain something from you because of your union with the Lord. Cheer my heart by your Christlike spirit.
21 Being confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you (sg) will do even more than I say.
Even as I write, I have such confidence in your compliance with my wishes, that I am sure that you will do even more than I am asking.
22 But meanwhile, do prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your (pl) prayers I will be graciously bestowed on you (pl).
Please also get a lodging ready for me, for I hope that I shall be given back to you all in answer to your prayers.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner for Christ Jesus, greets you (sg),
Epaphras, who is my fellow-prisoner for Christ Jesus, sends you his greeting;
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
and Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow-workers, send theirs.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus be with your (pl) spirit. Amen.
May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ rest on your souls.
