Philemon 4–21

⁴⸤Philemon,⸥ I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers because ⁵I hear about your faithfulness to the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. ⁶As you share the faith you have in common with others, I pray that you may come to have a complete knowledge of every blessing we have in Christ. ⁷Your love ⸤for God’s people⸥ gives me a lot of joy and encouragement. You, brother, have comforted God’s people. 

Paul’s Advice about Onesimus

⁸Christ makes me bold enough to order you to do the right thing. ⁹However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, ¹⁰appeal to you for my child Onesimus ^[Useful^[. I became his spiritual father here in prison. ¹¹Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful to both of us. 

¹²I am sending him back to you. This is like sending you a part of myself. ¹³I wanted to keep him here with me. Then he could have served me in your place while I am in prison for spreading the Good News. ¹⁴Yet, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I want you to do this favor for me out of your own free will without feeling forced to do it. 

¹⁵Maybe Onesimus was gone for a while so that you could have him back forever—¹⁶no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother. He is especially dear to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a Christian. 

¹⁷If you think of me as your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸If he wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹I, Paul, promise to pay it back. I’m writing this with my own hand. I won’t even mention that you owe me your life. ²⁰So, because we’re brothers in the Lord, do something for me. Give me some comfort because of Christ. ²¹I am confident as I write to you that you will do this. And I know that you will do even more than I ask.