Philemon 8-16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
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 fathered[c](D) him 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 as a part of myself.[d][e] 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 even more to you, both in the flesh(E) and in the Lord.[f](F)
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Philemon 1:9 Or an ambassador
- Philemon 1:10 In Gk, Onesimus means useful.
- Philemon 1:10 Referring to the fact that Paul led him to Christ; 1Co 4:15
- Philemon 1:12 Other mss read him back. Receive him as a part of myself.
- Philemon 1:12 Lit you—that is, my inward parts
- Philemon 1:16 Both physically and spiritually
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