Philemon 1
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,
2 and to our sister Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God whenever I remember you in my prayers.
5 For I hear of your love and the faith you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints.
6 I pray that your sharing in the faith may become effective through recognizing every good thing among us for Christ.
7 For I have had great joy and comfort because of your love, since the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
8 So, though I have full freedom in Christ to command you to do what is right,
9 I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love. I am who I am: Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
10 I appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whom I fathered while in prison.
11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending him back to you—he is my very heart.
13 I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might serve me on your behalf while I am in prison for the gospel.
14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed would not be forced, but voluntary.
15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while: so that you might have him back forever,
16 no longer as a slave, but as more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me, and all the more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17 So, if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
18 And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it. I will not mention that you owe me even your own self.
20 Yes, brother, let me have this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 I am writing to you, confident in your obedience, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me as well, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given back to you.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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