Philemon 1:1-24 ▼

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

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

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

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

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

6 so that the fellowship of your faith might become effective in the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us in Christ.

7 For I have much joy and encouragement on the basis of your love, because the inner parts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

8 Therefore, having much boldness in Christ to order you to do what is fitting,

9 because of love, rather, I exhort you, being such a one as Paul, now an elderly man and also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

10 I exhort you concerning my child whom I begot in chains, Onesimus,

11 the one once useless to you, but now useful both to you and to me,

12 whom I sent back to you himself—this one who is my inner parts—

13 whom I was wishing to keep with myself, so that on behalf of you he might minister to me in the chains of the gospel.

14 But apart from your consent I wanted to do nothing, so that your good may be not as according to necessity, but according to willingness.

15 For perhaps because of this he was separated for an hour, so that you might have him back eternally,

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

17 Therefore, if you hold me a partner, receive him as me.

18 But if in any way he wronged you or he owes you, impute this to me.

19 I, Paul, wrote with my own hand. I will repay it, that I may not say to you that you also owe to me even yourself.

20 Yes, brother, may I have profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my inner parts in Christ.

21 Being persuaded of your obedience, I wrote to you, knowing that you will do even above what I say.

22 Now at the same time, also prepare a lodging for me; for I hope that through your? prayers I will be graciously given to you?.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

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