微读圣经

Salutation

1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy Lit theour brother,

To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,

2and to Apphia Lit theour sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon’s Love and Faith

4I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

5because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s peoplesaints;

6and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective Or inthrough the knowledge of every good thing which is in you Lit toward Christfor the sake of Christ.

7For I have had great joy and comfort in your love, because the Lit inward partshearts of the See note v 5saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8Therefore, though I have Lit muchenough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,

9yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, Or an ambassadoran old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus—

Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man

10I appeal to you for my Or childson I.e., usefulOnesimus, whom I I.e., led to the Lordfathered in my Lit bondsimprisonment,

11who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

12I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,

13whom I wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my Lit bondsimprisonment for the gospel;

14but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will.

15For perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,

16no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17If then you regard me as a partner, accept him as you would me.

18But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;

19I, Paul, have written this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to Lit saymention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

20Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

21Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

22At the same time also prepare me a guest room, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.

23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.One early ms adds Amen