Salutation

^1 (A)Paul, ^(B)a prisoner of ^(C)Christ Jesus, and ^(D)Timothy ^[a]our brother,

To Philemon our beloved brother and ^(E)fellow worker, ² and to Apphia ^[b](F)our sister, and to ^(G)Archippus our ^(H)fellow soldier, and to ^(I)the church in your house: ^3 (J)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon’s Love and Faith

^4 (K)I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, ⁵ because I ^(L)hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the ^[c]saints; ⁶ and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective ^[d]through the ^(M)knowledge of every good thing which is in you ^[e]for Christ’s sake. ⁷ For I have come to have much ^(N)joy and comfort in your love, because the ^[f]hearts of the ^[g]saints have been ^(O)refreshed through you, brother.

⁸ Therefore, ^(P)though I have ^[h]enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is ^(Q)proper, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather ^(R)appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, ^[i]the ^(S)aged, and now also ^(T)a prisoner of ^(U)Christ Jesus—

Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man

¹⁰ I ^(V)appeal to you for my ^(W)child ^[j](X)Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my ^[k]imprisonment, ¹¹ who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. ¹² I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, ¹³ whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my ^[l](Y)imprisonment for the gospel; ¹⁴ but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would ^(Z)not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. ¹⁵ For perhaps ^(AA)he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, ^16 (AB)no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, ^(AC)a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both ^(AD)in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷ If then you regard me a ^(AE)partner, accept him as you would me. ¹⁸ But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; ^19 (AF)I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (^(AG)not to ^[m]mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). ²⁰ Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; ^(AH)refresh my heart in Christ.

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

²² At the same time also prepare me a ^(AJ)lodging, for ^(AK)I hope that through ^(AL)your prayers ^(AM)I will be given to you.

^23 (AN)Epaphras, my ^(AO)fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, ²⁴ as do ^(AP)Mark, ^(AQ)Aristarchus, ^(AR)Demas, ^(AS)Luke, my ^(AT)fellow workers.

^25 (AU)The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be ^(AV)with your spirit.^[n]

Salutation

1 Paul, ^(A)a bond-servant of God and an ^(B)apostle of Jesus Christ, ^[a]for the faith of those ^(C)chosen of God and ^(D)the knowledge of the truth which is ^(E)according to godliness, ² in ^(F)the hope of eternal life, which God, ^(G)who cannot lie, ^(H)promised ^[b](I)long ages ago, ³ but ^(J)at the proper time manifested, even His word, in ^(K)the proclamation ^(L)with which I was entrusted ^(M)according to the commandment of ^(N)God our Savior,

⁴ To ^(O)Titus, ^(P)my true child ^[c]in a ^(Q)common faith: ^(R)Grace and peace from God the Father and ^(S)Christ Jesus our Savior.

Qualifications of Elders

⁵ For this reason I left you in ^(T)Crete, that you would set in order what remains and ^(U)appoint ^(V)elders in every city as I directed you, ⁶ namely, ^(W)if any man is above reproach, the ^(X)husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of ^(Y)dissipation or ^(Z)rebellion. ⁷ For the ^[d](AA)overseer must be above reproach as ^(AB)God’s steward, not ^(AC)self-willed, not quick-tempered, not ^(AD)addicted to wine, not pugnacious, ^(AE)not fond of sordid gain, ⁸ but ^(AF)hospitable, ^(AG)loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, ^9 (AH)holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in ^(AI)sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

^10 (AJ)For there are many ^(AK)rebellious men, ^(AL)empty talkers and deceivers, especially ^(AM)those of the circumcision, ¹¹ who must be silenced because they are upsetting ^(AN)whole families, teaching ^(AO)things they should not teach ^(AP)for the sake of sordid gain. ¹² One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “^(AQ)Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” ¹³ This testimony is true. For this reason ^(AR)reprove them ^(AS)severely so that they may be ^(AT)sound in the faith, ¹⁴ not paying attention to Jewish ^(AU)myths and ^(AV)commandments of men who ^(AW)turn away from the truth. ^15 (AX)To the pure, all things are pure; but ^(AY)to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their ^(AZ)mind and their conscience are defiled. ^16 (BA)They profess to know God, but by their deeds they ^(BB)deny Him, being ^(BC)detestable and ^(BD)disobedient and ^(BE)worthless ^(BF)for any good deed.

Duties of the Older and Younger

2 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for ^(BG)sound doctrine. ^2 (BH)Older men are to be ^(BI)temperate, dignified, sensible, ^(BJ)sound ^(BK)in faith, in love, in ^[e]perseverance.

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, ^(BL)not malicious gossips nor ^(BM)enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, ⁴ so that they may ^[f]encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, pure, ^(BN)workers at home, kind, being ^(BO)subject to their own husbands, ^(BP)so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

⁶ Likewise urge ^(BQ)the young men to be ^[g]sensible; ⁷ in all things show yourself to be ^(BR)an example of good deeds, with ^[h]purity in doctrine, dignified, ⁸ sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so ^(BS)that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

⁹ Urge ^(BT)bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not ^[i]argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of ^(BU)God our Savior in every respect.

¹¹ For the grace of God has ^(BV)appeared, ^[j](BW)bringing salvation to all men, ^12 [k]instructing us to deny ungodliness and ^(BX)worldly desires and ^(BY)to live sensibly, righteously and godly ^(BZ)in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the ^(CA)appearing of the glory of ^[l](CB)our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ who ^(CC)gave Himself for us ^(CD)to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to ^(CE)purify for Himself a ^(CF)people for His own possession, ^(CG)zealous for good deeds.

¹⁵ These things speak and ^(CH)exhort and ^(CI)reprove with all ^[m]authority. ^(CJ)Let no one disregard you.

Godly Living

3 ^(CK)Remind them ^(CL)to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ^(CM)ready for every good deed, ² to malign no one, ^(CN)to be peaceable, ^(CO)gentle, ^(CP)showing every consideration for all men. ^3 (CQ)For we also once were foolish ourselves, ^(CR)disobedient, ^(CS)deceived, ^(CT)enslaved to ^(CU)various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in ^(CV)malice and ^(CW)envy, hateful, hating one another. ⁴ But when the ^(CX)kindness of ^(CY)God our Savior and His love for mankind ^(CZ)appeared, ^5 (DA)He saved us, ^(DB)not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but ^(DC)according to His mercy, by the ^(DD)washing of regeneration and ^(DE)renewing by the Holy Spirit, ^6 (DF)whom He poured out upon us ^(DG)richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that being justified by His grace we would be made ^(DH)heirs ^[n]according to the hope of eternal life. ^8 (DI)This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I ^(DJ)want you to speak confidently, so that those who have ^(DK)believed God will be careful to ^(DL)engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. ⁹ But ^(DM)avoid ^(DN)foolish controversies and ^(DO)genealogies and strife and ^(DP)disputes about the Law, for they are ^(DQ)unprofitable and worthless. ^10 (DR)Reject a ^(DS)factious man ^(DT)after a first and second warning, ¹¹ knowing that such a man is ^(DU)perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

Personal Concerns

¹² When I send Artemas or ^(DV)Tychicus to you, ^(DW)make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to ^(DX)spend the winter there. ¹³ Diligently help Zenas the ^(DY)lawyer and ^(DZ)Apollos on their way so that nothing is lacking for them. ^14 (EA)Our people must also learn to ^(EB)engage in good ^[o]deeds to meet ^(EC)pressing needs, so that they will not be ^(ED)unfruitful.

^15 (EE)All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us ^(EF)in the faith.

^(EG)Grace be with you all.