1:1 PAUL, A prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus (the Messiah), and our brother Timothy, to Philemon our dearly beloved sharer with us in our work, |
1:2 And to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier [in the Christian warfare], and to the church [assembly that meets] in your house: |
1:3 Grace (spiritual blessing and favor) be to all of you and [heart] peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). |
1:4 I give thanks to my God for you always when I mention you in my prayers, |
1:5 Because I continue to hear of your love and of your loyal faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and [which you show] toward all the saints (God's consecrated people). |
1:6 [And I pray] that the participation in {and} sharing of your faith may produce {and} promote full recognition {and} appreciation {and} understanding {and} precise knowledge of every good [thing] that is ours in [our identification with] Christ {Jesus} [and unto His glory]. |
1:7 For I have derived great joy and comfort {and} encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints [who are your fellow Christians] have been cheered {and} refreshed through you, [my] brother. |
1:8 Therefore, though I have abundant boldness in Christ to charge you to do what is fitting {and} required {and} your duty to do, |
1:9 Yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you just for what I am--I, Paul, an ambassador [of Christ Jesus] {and} an old man and now a prisoner for His sake also-- |
1:10 I appeal to you for my [own spiritual] child, Onesimus [meaning profitable], whom I have begotten [in the faith] while a captive in these chains. |
1:11 Once he was unprofitable to you, but now he is indeed profitable to you as well as to me. |
1:12 I am sending him back to you in his own person, [and it is like sending] my very heart. |
1:13 I would have chosen to keep him with me, in order that he might minister to my needs in your stead during my imprisonment for the Gospel's sake. |
1:14 But it has been my wish to do nothing about it without first consulting you {and} getting your consent, in order that your benevolence might not seem to be the result of compulsion {or} of pressure but might be voluntary [on your part]. |
1:15 Perhaps it was for this reason that he was separated [from you] for a while, that you might have him back as yours forever, |
1:16 Not as a slave any longer but as [something] more than a slave, as a brother [Christian], especially dear to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh [as a servant] and in the Lord [as a fellow believer]. |
1:17 If then you consider me a partner {and} a comrade in fellowship, welcome {and} receive him as you would [welcome and receive] me. |
1:18 And if he has done you any wrong in any way or owes anything [to you], charge that to my account. |
1:19 I, Paul, write it with my own hand, I promise to repay it [in full]--and that is to say nothing [of the fact] that you owe me your very self! |
1:20 Yes, brother, let me have some profit from you in the Lord. Cheer {and} refresh my heart in Christ. |
1:21 I write to you [perfectly] confident of your obedient compliance, knowing that you will do even more than I ask. |
1:22 At the same time prepare a guest room [in expectation of extending your hospitality] to me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted [the gracious privilege of coming] to you. |
1:23 Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in [the cause of] Christ Jesus (the Messiah), |
1:24 And [from] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. |
1:25 The grace (blessing and favor) of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with your spirit. {Amen (so be it).} |