Philemon 4–21

Philemon’s Love and Faith

^4gI thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, ⁵because I ^hhear of your love and ⁱof the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, ⁶and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full ^jknowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.^{1 7}For I have derived much joy and ^kcomfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints ^lhave been refreshed through you.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

⁸Accordingly, ^mthough I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do ⁿwhat is required, ⁹yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now ^oa prisoner also for Christ Jesus— ¹⁰I appeal to you for ^pmy child, ^qOnesimus,^{2 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.) ¹²I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. ¹³I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me ^son your behalf ^tduring my imprisonment for the gospel, ¹⁴but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be ^uby compulsion but of your own accord. ¹⁵For this perhaps is why ^vhe was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, ^16wno longer as a bondservant³ but more than a bondservant, as ^xa beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, ^yboth in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷So if you consider me ^zyour partner, receive him as you would receive me. ¹⁸If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. ^19aI, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. ²⁰Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. ^bRefresh my heart in Christ.

^21cConfident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.