Book of Common Prayer

He rejoices to hear of the faith and love of Philemon, whom he asks to forgive his servant Onesimus, and lovingly to receive him back.

¹ Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy.

To Philemon the beloved and our helper, ² and to the beloved Apphia, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the congregation of your house.

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

⁴ I thank my God, making mention always of you in my prayers, ⁵ when I hear of the love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints, ⁶ so that the fellowship that you have in the faith is fruitful through the knowledge of all good things, which are in you by Jesus Christ. ⁷ And we have great joy and consolation over your love. For by you, brother, the saints’ hearts are comforted.

⁸ Therefore, though I might be bold in Christ to enjoin that which behoves you, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather beseech you, though I be as I am, even Paul aged, and now in bonds for Jesus Christ’s sake. ¹⁰ I beseech you for my son Onesimus, whom I begat in my bonds – ¹¹ who in time past was unprofitable to you, but is now able to profit both you and also me, ¹² whom I have sent home again. Therefore receive him; that is to say, my own offspring, ¹³ whom I would gladly have retained with me so that on your behalf he could have ministered to me in the bonds of the gospel. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, without your consent I would do nothing, because the good that comes of you should not be, as it were, usurped through circumstance, but willing.

¹⁵ Perhaps he therefore departed for a season so that you would receive him forever, ¹⁶ not now as a servant, but above a servant; I mean a brother beloved, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and also in the Lord. ¹⁷ If you count me a fellow, receive him as myself. ¹⁸ If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, lay it to my charge. ¹⁹ I, Paul, have written it with my own hand. I will recompense it.

So I do not say to you that you owe to me even your own self. ²⁰ Even so, brother, let me enjoy this fruit from you in the Lord. Comfort my heart in the Lord.

²¹ Trusting in your willingness, I have written to you, knowing that you will do more than I say. ²² Moreover, prepare a room for me. For I trust that through the help of your prayers, I shall be given to you.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, ²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my helpers.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirits. Amen.

Sent from Rome by the hands
of Onesimus,
a servant.

³³ Either judge the tree good, and its fruit correspondingly good, or else judge the tree evil, and its fruit evil also. For the tree is known by its fruit.

³⁴ O offspring of vipers, how can you speak good things when you yourselves are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. ³⁵ A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things. And an evil man, out of his evil treasure, brings forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say to you that for every idle word that men speak, they will give account at the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

³⁸ Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Teacher, we would like to see a sign from you. ³⁹ He answered and said to them, The evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, but there shall be no sign given to them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The people of Ninevah will rise at the day of judgment with this nation and condemn it, for they reformed at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than Jonah is here. ⁴² The queen of the south will rise at the day of judgment with this generation and will condemn them, for she came from the furthermost parts of the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, one greater than Solomon is here.