Titus 3 - Philemon

Common English Bible

3 ¹Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities. They should be obedient and ready to do every good thing. ²They shouldn’t speak disrespectfully about anyone, but they should be peaceful, kind, and show complete courtesy toward everyone. ³We were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, and slaves to our desires and various pleasures too. We were spending our lives in evil behavior and jealousy. We were disgusting, and we hated other people. ⁴But “when God our savior’s kindness and love appeared, ⁵he saved us because of his mercy, not because of righteous things we had done. He did it through the washing of new birth and the renewing by the Holy Spirit, ⁶which God poured out upon us generously through Jesus Christ our savior. ⁷So, since we have been made righteous by his grace, we can inherit the hope for eternal life.” ⁸This saying is reliable. And I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have come to believe in God might give careful attention to doing good. These things are good and useful for everyone.

Final instructions and greetings

⁹Avoid stupid controversies, genealogies, and fights about the Law, because they are useless and worthless. ¹⁰After a first and second warning, have nothing more to do with a person who causes conflict, ¹¹because you know that someone like this is twisted and sinful—so they condemn themselves.

¹²When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, try to come to me in Nicopolis, because I’ve decided to spend the winter there. ¹³Help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with enthusiasm so that they won’t need anything. ¹⁴But our people should also learn to devote themselves to doing good in order to meet pressing needs so they aren’t unproductive.

¹⁵Everyone with me greets you; greet those who love us faithfully.

Grace be with all of you.

Greeting

¹From Paul, who is a prisoner for the cause of Christ Jesus, and our brother Timothy.

To Philemon our dearly loved coworker, ²Apphia our sister, Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church that meets in your house.

³May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Paul’s prayer for Philemon

⁴Philemon, I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers ⁵because I’ve heard of your love and faithfulness, which you have both for the Lord Jesus and for all God’s people. ⁶I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ. ⁷I have great joy and encouragement because of your love, since the hearts of God’s people are refreshed by your actions, my brother.

Paul’s appeal for Onesimus

⁸Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to command you to do the right thing, ⁹I would rather appeal to you through love. I, Paul—an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus— ¹⁰appeal to you for my child Onesimus. I became his father in the faith during my time in prison. ¹¹He was useless to you before, but now he is useful to both of us. ¹²I’m sending him back to you, which is like sending you my own heart. ¹³I considered keeping him with me so that he might serve me in your place during my time in prison because of the gospel. ¹⁴However, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent so that your act of kindness would occur willingly and not under pressure. ¹⁵Maybe this is the reason that Onesimus was separated from you for a while so that you might have him back forever— ¹⁶no longer as a slave but more than a slave—that is, as a dearly loved brother. He is especially a dearly loved brother to me. How much more can he become a brother to you, personally and spiritually in the Lord!

¹⁷So, if you really consider me a partner, welcome Onesimus as if you were welcoming me. ¹⁸If he has harmed you in any way or owes you money, charge it to my account. ¹⁹I, Paul, will pay it back to you (I’m writing this with my own hand). Of course, I won’t mention that you owe me your life.

²⁰Yes, brother, I want this favor from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. ²¹I’m writing to you, confident of your obedience and knowing that you will do more than what I ask. ²²Also, one more thing—prepare a guest room for me. I hope that I will be released from prison to be with you because of your prayers.