Study Desk

^(C1)Paul, ^(C2)a prisoner of ^(C3)Christ Jesus, and ^(C4)Timothy ^(F1)our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and ^(C5)fellow worker,

Footnotes:  (F1) - Lit the;

Cross References:  (C1) - Philippians 1:1; (C2) - Ephesians 3:1; (C3) - Galatians 3:26; (C4) - 2 Corinthians 1:1; Colossians 1:1; (C5) - Philippians 2:25; Philemon 1:24;

and to Apphia ^(F1)(C1)our sister, and to ^(C2)Archippus our ^(C3)fellow soldier, and to ^(C4)the church in your house:

^(C1)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

^(C1)I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

because I ^(C1)hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the ^(F1)saints;

and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective ^(F1)through the ^(C1)knowledge of every good thing which is in you ^(F2)for the sake of Christ.

For I have had great ^(C1)joy and comfort in your love, because the ^(F1)hearts of the ^(F2)saints have been ^(C2)refreshed through you, brother.

Therefore, ^(C1)though I have ^(F1)enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is ^(C2)proper,

yet for love's sake I rather ^(C1)appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, ^(F1)an ^(C2)old man, and now also ^(C3)a prisoner of ^(C4)Christ Jesus—

I ^(C1)appeal to you for my ^(F1)(C2)son ^(F2)(C3)Onesimus, whom I ^(F3)fathered in my ^(F4)imprisonment,

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

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

whom I wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my ^(F1)(C1)imprisonment for the gospel;

but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would ^(C1)not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will.

For perhaps it was ^(C1)for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,

^(C1)no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, ^(C2)a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both ^(C3)in the flesh and in the Lord.

If then you regard me as a ^(C1)partner, accept him as you would me.

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

^(C1)I, Paul, have written this with my own hand, I will repay it (^(C2)not to ^(F1)mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; ^(C1)refresh my heart in Christ.

^(C1)Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

At the same time also prepare me a ^(C1)guest room, for ^(C2)I hope that through ^(C3)your prayers ^(C4)I will be given to you.

^(C1)Epaphras, my ^(C2)fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

as do ^(C1)Mark, ^(C2)Aristarchus, ^(C3)Demas, and ^(C3)Luke, my ^(C4)fellow workers.

^(C1)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be ^(C2)with your spirit.^(F1)