aPaul, ba prisoner of cChrist Jesus, and dTimothy 1our brother,Lit thePhil 1:1Eph 3:1Gal 3:262 Cor 1:1; Col 1:1Phil 2:25; Philem 24
To Philemon our beloved brother and efellow worker, 2 and to Apphia 1aour sister, and to bArchippus our cfellow soldier, and to dthe church in your house:Lit theRom 16:1Col 4:17Phil 2:25; 2 Tim 2:3Rom 16:5 3 aGrace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Rom 1:7
4 aI thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,Rom 1:8f 5 because I ahear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the 1saints;Or holy onesEph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1 Thess 3:6 6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective 1through the aknowledge of every good thing which is in you 2for Christ’s sake.Or inLit toward ChristPhil 1:9; Col 1:9; 3:10 7 For I have come to have much ajoy and comfort in your love, because the 1hearts of the 2saints have been brefreshed through you, brother.Lit inward partsOr holy ones2 Cor 7:4, 131 Cor 16:18; Philem 20
8 Therefore, athough I have 1enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is bproper,Lit much2 Cor 3:12; 1 Thess 2:6Eph 5:4 9 yet for love’s sake I rather aappeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, 1the baged, and now also ca prisoner of dChrist Jesus—Or an ambassadorRom 12:1Titus 2:2Philem 1Gal 3:26; 1 Tim 1:12; Philem 23
10 I aappeal to you for my bchild 1cOnesimus, whom I have begotten in my 2imprisonment,I.e. usefulLit bondsRom 12:11 Cor 4:14fCol 4:9 11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my 1aimprisonment for the gospel;Lit bondsPhil 1:7; Philem 10 14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would anot be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.2 Cor 9:7; 1 Pet 5:2 15 For perhaps ahe was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,Gen 45:5, 8 16 ano longer as a slave, but more than a slave, ba beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both cin the flesh and in the Lord.1 Cor 7:22Matt 23:8; 1 Tim 6:2Eph 6:5; Col 3:22
17 If then you regard me a apartner, accept him as you would me.2 Cor 8:23 18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; 19 aI, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it b(not to 1mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).Lit say1 Cor 16:21; 2 Cor 10:1; Gal 5:22 Cor 9:4 20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; arefresh my heart in Christ.Philem 7
21 aHaving confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.2 Cor 2:3
22 At the same time also prepare me a alodging, for bI hope that through cyour prayers dI will be given to you.Acts 28:23Phil 1:25; 2:242 Cor 1:11Acts 27:24; Heb 13:19
23 aEpaphras, my bfellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,Col 1:7; 4:12Rom 16:7; Philem 1 24 as do aMark, bAristarchus, cDemas, dLuke, my efellow workers.Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37-39; Col 4:10Acts 19:29; 27:2; Col 4:10Col 4:14; 2 Tim 4:10fPhilem 1
25 aThe grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be bwith your spirit.1One early ms adds AmenGal 6:182 Tim 4:22