ISV - Philemon

Chapter 1

1:1  The Letter of Paul to PhilemonGreetings from PaulFromThe Gk. lacks From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dear friendOr our beloved Philemon and fellow worker,

1:2  to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.

1:3  May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be yours!Here yours is pl. in the Gk.

1:4  Paul's Prayer for PhilemonI always thank my God when I mention youFrom verse 4 through verse 21, you and your are singular. in my prayers,

1:5  because I keep hearing about your love and the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.

1:6  I prayThe Gk. lacks I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is oursOther mss. read yours (pl.) in Christ.

1:7  For I have received considerable joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed, brother, through you.

1:8  Paul's Plea for OnesimusFor this reason, although in Christ I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper,

1:9  I prefer to make my appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus,

1:10  appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.

1:11  Once he was useless to you, but now he is very usefulThe name “Onesimus” means “useful.” both to you and to me.

1:12  I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.

1:13  I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel.

1:14  Yet I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be something forced, but voluntary.

1:15  Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever,

1:16  no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother, especially to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a believer.Or both in the flesh and in the Lord

1:17  So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcomeThe Gk. lacks you would welcome me.

1:18  If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.

1:19  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. (I will not mention to you that you owe me your very life.)

1:20  Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ!

1:21  Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you because I know that you will do even more than I ask.

1:22  Meanwhile, prepare a guest room for me, too, for I am hoping through your prayers to be returned to you.

1:23  Greetings from Paul's Fellow WorkersEpaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends youHere you is singular in the Gk. greetings,

1:24  as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

1:25  May the grace of ourOther mss. read the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit! Amen.Other mss. lack Amen.