Philemon 1:1-13 ▼

1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,

2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:

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

4 I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,

5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

6 I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.

7 I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

8 So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,

9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.

10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.

11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.

13 I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.