Philemon
Names of God Bible
Greeting
1 From Paul, who is a prisoner for Christ Yeshua, and our brother Timothy.
To our dear coworker Philemon, 2 our sister Apphia, our fellow soldier Archippus, and the church that meets in your house.
3 Good will[a] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua Christ are yours!
Paul’s Prayer for Philemon
4 Philemon, I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers because 5 I hear about your faithfulness to the Lord Yeshua and your love for all of God’s people. 6 As you share the faith you have in common with others, I pray that you may come to have a complete knowledge of every blessing we have in Christ. 7 Your love for God’s people gives me a lot of joy and encouragement. You, brother, have comforted God’s people.
Paul’s Advice about Onesimus
8 Christ makes me bold enough to order you to do the right thing. 9 However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner for Christ Yeshua, 10 appeal to you for my child Onesimus [Useful]. I became his spiritual father here in prison. 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful to both of us.
12 I am sending him back to you. This is like sending you a part of myself. 13 I wanted to keep him here with me. Then he could have served me in your place while I am in prison for spreading the Good News. 14 Yet, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I want you to do this favor for me out of your own free will without feeling forced to do it.
15 Maybe Onesimus was gone for a while so that you could have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother. He is especially dear to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a Christian.
17 If you think of me as your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18 If he wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, promise to pay it back. I’m writing this with my own hand. I won’t even mention that you owe me your life. 20 So, because we’re brothers in the Lord, do something for me. Give me some comfort because of Christ. 21 I am confident as I write to you that you will do this. And I know that you will do even more than I ask.
22 One more thing—have a guest room ready for me. I hope that, because of your prayers, God will give me back to you.
Greetings from Paul’s Coworkers
23 Epaphras, who is a prisoner because of Christ Yeshua like I am, 24 and my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke send you greetings.
25 The good will of our Lord Yeshua Christ be yours.
Footnotes
- Philemon 1:3 Or “Grace.”
Philemon
English Standard Version
Greeting
1 Paul, (A)a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and (B)Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and (C)Archippus our (D)fellow soldier, and (E)the church in your house:
3 (F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philemon's Love and Faith
4 (G)I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I (H)hear of your love and (I)of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full (J)knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.[a] 7 For I have derived much joy and (K)comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints (L)have been refreshed through you.
Paul's Plea for Onesimus
8 Accordingly, (M)though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do (N)what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now (O)a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for (P)my child, (Q)Onesimus,[b] (R)whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me (S)on your behalf (T)during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be (U)by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why (V)he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 (W)no longer as a bondservant[c] but more than a bondservant, as (X)a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, (Y)both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So if you consider me (Z)your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 (AA)I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. (AB)Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 (AC)Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for (AD)I am hoping that (AE)through your prayers (AF)I will be graciously given to you.
Final Greetings
23 (AG)Epaphras, my (AH)fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do (AI)Mark, (AJ)Aristarchus, (AK)Demas, and (AL)Luke, my fellow workers.
25 (AM)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Footnotes
- Philemon 1:6 Or for Christ's service
- Philemon 1:10 Onesimus means useful (see verse 11) or beneficial (see verse 20)
- Philemon 1:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface; twice in this verse
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
