Philemon 1

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

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved friend and fellow worker,

2 [I am also writing] to [your wife], Apphia, and to Archippus, [who is like] [MET] our fellow soldier [because he serves Christ steadfastly together with us]. I am also [writing this] to the congregation [that meets/gathers] in your [(sg)] house.

and also to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in yoʋr house:

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

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

4 I always thank my God when I pray for you [(sg)], because I hear [people say that] you love all God’s people [CHI]

I give thanks to my God, always making mention of yoʋ in my prayers,

5 and that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.

because I hear of yoʋr love for all the saints and the faith that yoʋ have toward the Lord Jesus.

6 I pray that as a result of your knowing all the good things [that God/Christ has done for] us, you may (be effective/influence many others) as you tell others what you believe, in order that [they may honor] Christ.

I pray that yoʋr fellowship with us in the faith may be effective in deepening yoʋr understanding of every blessing that we have in Christ Jesus.

7 I have rejoiced greatly and have been greatly encouraged because you, my dear friend, have acted lovingly toward God’s people by encouraging them [SYN].

We are very thankful for the comfort we have received from yoʋr love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through yoʋ, brother.

8 So [I have a request/favor to ask of you]. I am completely confident [that I have authority] to command you [to do] what you ought to do, because [I am an apostle of] Christ.

Therefore, although I am bold enough in Christ to command yoʋ to do what is right,

9 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] Christ Jesus, [who am requesting it].

I would rather appeal to yoʋ on the basis of love. I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner for Jesus Christ,

10 I request that you [do something] for someone [who has become like] my own son [because I told him about Christ] [MET] while [I have been] a prisoner [MTY] [here. His name is] Onesimus.

appeal to yoʋ on behalf of my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.

11 Although [his name, as you know, means ‘useful’], formerly he was useless to you. But now he is useful both to you and to me!

Once he was useless to yoʋ, but now he is useful both to yoʋ and to me. I am sending him back,

12 Although (he is [as dear to me as/I love him as much as I love]) [MET] my own self [MTY], I am sending him back to you.

and I ask yoʋ to receive him, that is, my very own heart.

13 I would like to have kept him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf, while I am a prisoner [MTY] [because of my preaching] the message [about Christ].

I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in yoʋr place during my imprisonment for the gospel.

14 Nevertheless, 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 I should] not do anything without your permitting it. [I decided that you should help me only if you] really want to help me.

But I did not want to do anything without yoʋr consent, so that yoʋr good deed would not be done out of compulsion, but of yoʋr own free will.

15 Perhaps the reason that [God permitted] Onesimus to be separated from {to leave} you for a little while was that [he would believe in Christ, and as a result] you would have him (back/with you) forever! (aiōnios g166)

Perhaps the reason he was separated from yoʋ for an hour was so that yoʋ might have him back forever, (aiōnios g166)

16 [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 especially dear to me, but he certainly will be more dear to you [than he is to me] (OR, I love him very much, but you will certainly love him more than I do), [because now he] not only belongs to you but he also belongs to the Lord.

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a beloved brother, especially to me, but even more so to yoʋ, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So, if you consider me to be your partner [in God’s work], receive him as you would receive me.

So if yoʋ consider me to be a partner, receive him as yoʋ would receive me.

18 If he has wronged you in any manner or if he owes you anything, (charge that to me/tell me so that I can pay you).

If he has wronged yoʋ in any way or owes yoʋ anything, charge it to me.

19 I, Paul, am now writing this in my own handwriting: I will repay you what he owes you, although I might mention to you that you owe me even more than Onesimus may owe you, because it was the result of my telling you about Christ that God saved you.

I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention that yoʋ owe me yoʋr very own life).

20 (Yes/I say it again), my dear friend, because you and I both have a relationship with the Lord, I want you to do this for me. Encourage me [SYN] [by receiving Onesimus kindly, just like you encourage others who believe] in Christ.

Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from yoʋ in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.

21 I have written [this letter] to you, confident that you will do what I am requesting you to [do]. [In fact], I know that you will do even more than what I am requesting [you to do].

Trusting in yoʋr obedience, I write to yoʋ, knowing that yoʋ will do even more than I ask.

22 Also, keep 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.

At the same time, I want yoʋ to prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you soon.

23 Epaphras, who is [suffering] with me in prison because of [his serving] Christ Jesus, (sends his greetings to you/wants you to know that he is thinking fondly about you).

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus,

24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who are my [other] fellow workers, also (send their greetings to you/want you to know that they are thinking fondly about you).

and Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers, greet yoʋ.

25 [I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ [will] ([continue to] work kindly in all your lives/kindly keep accomplishing what he desires within you).

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