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. ¹⁵ For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved brother. He is especially so to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh^(E) and in the Lord.^(F)

¹⁷ So if you consider me a partner, welcome^(G) him as you would me. ¹⁸ And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.^{(H) 19} I, Paul, write this with my own hand:^(I) I will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me even your very self. ²⁰ Yes, brother, may I benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹ Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. ²² Meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, since I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

Final Greetings

²³ Epaphras,^(J) my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings, and so do ²⁴ Mark,^(K) Aristarchus,^(L) Demas, and Luke,^(M) my coworkers.

²⁵ The grace of the Lord^[e](N) Jesus Christ be with your spirit.^(O)

Joseph’s Kindness

¹⁵ When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said to one another, “If Joseph is holding a grudge against us, he will certainly repay us for all the suffering we caused him.”^(A)

¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before he died your father gave a command: ¹⁷ ‘Say this to Joseph: Please forgive your brothers’ transgression and their sin—the suffering they caused you.’ Therefore, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept^(B) when their message came to him. ¹⁸ His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”

¹⁹ But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?^{(C) 20} You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.^(D)

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹⁶ From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.^[a] Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,^[b] yet now we no longer know him in this way. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;^(A) the old has passed away, and see,^(B) the new has^[c] come!^(C)

²⁸ There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free,^(A) male and female;^(B) since you are all one^(C) in Christ Jesus.