⁴I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers, ⁵because I hear of your love^h for all the saints and the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus. ⁶I pray that your participation in the faith may become effectiveⁱ through knowing every good thing^j that is in us^B for the glory of Christ. ⁷For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed^k through you, brother.

AN APPEAL FOR ONESIMUS

⁸For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, ⁹I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man^C and now also as a prisoner^l of Christ Jesus, ¹⁰appeal to you for my son,^m Onesimus.^Dⁿ I became his father^o while I was in chains. ¹¹Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

Read in Logos

Philemon 6: … I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

Footnotes

AOther read our beloved
BOther read in you
COr an ambassador
DIn , Onesimus means “useful”

Cross references

a Ac 13:9
b 2Tm 1:8; Heb 13:3
c Rm 1:1
d Ac 16:1; 1Tm 1:2
e Col 4:17
f Php 2:25
g Ac 12:12; Rm 16:5
h Dt 6:5; Mt 22:37; Gl 5:6,22; Eph 6:23; 1Th 1:3; 3:6; 5:8; 1Tm 1:14; 1Jn 4:20
i Gl 5:6
j Gn 1:31; 18:18; 3Jn 11
k Lk 12:19; 2Tm 1:16
l 2Tm 1:8; Heb 13:3
m 1Th 2:11
n Col 4:9
o 1Co 4:15