Philemon Chapter 1
Greeting
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
2 to Apphia our beloved sister, Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church that meets in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon's love and faith
4 I thank my God, always remembering you in my prayers,
5 because I hear of your love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints,
6 so that your sharing in the faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ Jesus.
7 For we have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
Paul intercedes for Onesimus
8 For this reason, although I have great freedom in Christ to command you what is proper,
9 I rather appeal to you on the basis of love—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus—
10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whose father I became while in chains.
11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him back to you, so that you may receive him as you would receive me.
13 I would have liked to keep him with me, so that he might serve me in my chains for the gospel in your place.
14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your help would not be forced but voluntary.
15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a while was that you might have him back forever—
16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially dear to me, but how much more to you, both as a fellow human being and as a brother in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.
20 Yes, brother, I hope that I may benefit from you in the Lord. Reinforce my heart in the Lord.
21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22 Prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be granted to you.
Greetings and final blessing
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 our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.