Philemon 1:1-16 ▼

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

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

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

4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

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

6 that the fellowship of your faith may become effective, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you in Christ.

7 For I have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8 Therefore, though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,

9 yet on the basis of love I rather appeal, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

10 I appeal to you for my child, whom I have become the father of in my chains, Onesimus,

11 who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.

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

13 whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News.

14 But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.

15 For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while, that you would have him forever,

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