Philemon 1:1-16 ▼

1 Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy, to Philemon the beloved also our fellow-laborer,

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

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

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

5 hearing about your divine love, and the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and all the saints;

6 in order that the fellowship of your faith may be efficient in the perfect knowledge of every good thing which is in you toward Christ.

7 For I had much joy and consolation over your divine love, because the affections of the saints have been refreshed by you, O brother.

8 Therefore, having much boldness in Christ to command you to that which is appropriate,

9 on account of the divine love, I the more exhort you, being such as Paul the aged, and now also the prisoner of Jesus Christ.

10 I exhort you concerning my son, whom I begat in my bonds, Onesimus,

11 him at one time unprofitable to you, but now profitable both to you and to me: whom I have sent back to you,

12 him, that is my own heart.

13 Whom I did wish to have with me, in order that he might minister unto me in your stead in the bonds of the gospel:

14 but without your consent I did not wish to do anything; in order that your good might not be by constraint, but by the free will:

15 for on this account he suddenly departed from you for an hour, that you might have him back forever;

16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a brother beloved, especially to me, and much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord: