Philemon 1:3; Philemon 1:4; Philemon 1:5; Philemon 1:6; Philemon 1:7; Philemon 1:8; Philemon 1:9; Philemon 1:10; Philemon 1:11; Philemon 1:12; Philemon 1:13; Philemon 1:14; Philemon 1:15; Philemon 1:16; Philemon 1:17; Philemon 1:18; Philemon 1:19; Philemon 1:20; Philemon 1:21; Philemon 1:22; Philemon 1:23; Philemon 1:24

Philemon 1:3

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

Philemon 1:4

4 When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God

Philemon 1:5

5 because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus.

Philemon 1:6

6 I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ.

Philemon 1:7

7 I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.

Philemon 1:8

8 For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty,

Philemon 1:9

9 yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus.

Philemon 1:10

10 I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.

Philemon 1:11

11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me.

Philemon 1:12

12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.

Philemon 1:13

13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel;

Philemon 1:14

14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced.

Philemon 1:15

15 Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever,

Philemon 1:16

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

Philemon 1:17

17 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.

Philemon 1:18

18 If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.

Philemon 1:19

19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self.

Philemon 1:20

20 Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ.

Philemon 1:21

21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Philemon 1:22

22 One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you.

Philemon 1:23

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,

Philemon 1:24

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