Phile | ISV | STEP | These are the things you should say. Encourage and refute with full authority. Do not let anyone look down on you.

Philemon

These are the things you should say. Encourage and refute with full authority. Do not let anyone look down on you.1Tim 4:12; 2Tim 4:2

1 The Letter of Paul to PhilemonGreetings from PaulFrom ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks From} Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dear friend ^{▼▼Or our beloved Philemon} and fellow worker,Eph 3:1; 4:1; Phil 2:25; 2Tim 1:8 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.Rom 16:5; 1Cor 16:19; Phil 2:25; Col 4:17 3 May grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be yours! ^{▼▼Here yours is pl. in the Gk.}Eph 1:2

4 Paul's Prayer for PhilemonI always thank my God when I mention you ^{▼▼From verse 4 through verse 21, you and your are singular.} in my prayers,Eph 1:16; 1Thes 1:2; 2Thes 1:3 5 because I keep hearing about your love and the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints.Eph 1:15; Col 1:4 6 I pray ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks I pray} that the sharing of your faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every blessing that is ours ^{▼▼Other mss. read yours (pl.)} in Christ.Phil 1:9, 11 7 For I have received considerable joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed, brother, through you.2Cor 7:13; 2Tim 1:16

8 Paul's Plea for OnesimusFor this reason, although in Christ I have complete freedom to order you to do what is proper,1Thes 2:6 9 I prefer to make my appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus,Phlm 1:1 10 appeal to you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment.1Cor 4:15; Gal 4:19; Col 4:9 11 Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful ^{▼▼The name “Onesimus” means “useful.”} both to you and to me. 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 13 I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel.1Cor 16:17; Phil 2:30 14 Yet I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be something forced, but voluntary.2Cor 9:7 15 Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you could have him back forever,Gen 45:5, 8 16 no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother, especially to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a believer. ^{▼▼Or both in the flesh and in the Lord}Matt 23:8; Col 3:22; 1Tim 6:2

17 So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome ^{▼▼The Gk. lacks you would welcome} me.2Cor 8:23 18 If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. (I will not mention to you that you owe me your very life.) 20 Yes, brother, I desire this favor from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ!Phlm 1:7 21 Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you because I know that you will do even more than I ask.2Cor 7:16 22 Meanwhile, prepare a guest room for me, too, for I am hoping through your prayers to be returned to you.2Cor 1:11; Phil 1:25; 2:24

23 Greetings from Paul's Fellow WorkersEpaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you ^{▼▼Here you is singular in the Gk.} greetings,Col 1:7; 4:12 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.Acts 12:12, 25; 19:29; 27:2; Col 4:10, 14, 25; 2Tim 4:11 25 May the grace of our ^{▼▼Other mss. read the} Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit! Amen. ^{▼▼Other mss. lack Amen.}2Tim 4:22