Philemon

Evangelical Heritage Version

Greeting

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon, our dear friend and coworker, ² to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house:

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

Philemon’s Love and Faith

⁴ I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, ⁵ because I hear about your love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints. ⁶ I pray that this fellowship of your faith may become active in understanding every good thing that belongs to us^[a] in Christ. ⁷ For I have received great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Appeal on Behalf of Onesimus

⁸ For that reason, even though I have plenty of boldness in Christ to order you to do what is proper, ⁹ I am appealing to you, instead, on the basis of love, just as I, Paul, am an old man and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I am appealing to you on behalf of my child Onesimus.^[b] I became his father while I was in chains. ¹¹ There was a time when he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. ¹² I have sent him (who is my very heart) back to you. Welcome him.^{[c] 13} I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might serve me in your place while I am in chains for the gospel. ¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your kindness would not be the result of compulsion, but of willingness. ¹⁵ Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while: so that you would have him back forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave, as a dear brother. He certainly is dear to me, but he is even more of a dear brother to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, have written this with my own hand: I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰ Yes, brother, I am asking for a favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²² Just one more thing: Prepare a guest room for me, because I am hoping to be given back to you in answer to your prayers.

Closing Words

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends his greetings to you, ²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my coworkers. ²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your^[d] spirit. Amen.