1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon · our dear friend and fellow worker,
1:2 · to Apphia our sister, · to Archippus · our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house:
1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:4 I always thank · my God when I remember you in · my prayers,
1:5 because I hear of your · love for all the saints and your faith in the Lord Jesus. ·
1:6 And I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing that belongs to us in Christ.
1:7 For I have derived much joy and encouragement from · your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you.
1:8 So, although in Christ I have sufficient freedom to order you to do what you ought,
1:9 yet for · love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus—
1:10 I appeal to you for · my child, Onesimus, whose father I became while in prison.
1:11 · Formerly he was of no use to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
1:12 I am sending him back to you, that is, the one who is · my own heart.
1:13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he could minister to me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel,
1:14 but I did not want to do anything without · your consent, so that your helpfulness might not be by compulsion · but by your own free will.
1:15 Perhaps he was separated from you for a while for this reason, that you might have him back forever,
1:16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
1:17 So then if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.
1:18 If · he has wronged you or owes you anything, charge that to my account—
1:19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand—I will pay it back. I could also mention that you owe me your very self!
1:20 Yes, brother, I do wish that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my · heart in Christ.
1:21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
1:22 At the same time, · · prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through · your prayers I will be graciously given to you.
1:23 Epaphras, · my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
1:24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, · my fellow workers.
1:25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with · your spirit.
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