An Appeal for Onesimus

⁸ For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right, ⁹ I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man^[a] and now also as a prisoner^(A) of Christ Jesus, ¹⁰ appeal to you for my son,^(B) Onesimus.^[b](C) I became his father^(D) while I was in chains. 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—I am sending my very own heart.^{[c][d] 13} I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place. ¹⁴ But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will.