> [[philemon-00|← Previous]] | [[philemon-00|TOC]] --- # Philemon, Chapter 1 ## The Letter to Philemon **Address and Greeting.** 1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved and our co-worker, ^philemon-01-1 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house. ^philemon-01-2 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ^philemon-01-3 **Thanksgiving.** 4 I give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers, ^philemon-01-4 5 as I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones, ^philemon-01-5 6 so that your partnership in the faith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in us that leads to Christ. ^philemon-01-6 **Plea for Onesimus.** 7 For I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother. ^philemon-01-7 8 Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ to order you to do what is proper, ^philemon-01-8 9 I rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus. ^philemon-01-9 10 I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, ^philemon-01-10 11 who was once useless to you but is now useful to \[both\] you and me. ^philemon-01-11 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. ^philemon-01-12 13 I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, ^philemon-01-13 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. ^philemon-01-14 15 Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, ^philemon-01-15 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man and in the Lord. ^philemon-01-16 17 So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. ^philemon-01-17 18 And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me. ^philemon-01-18 19 I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay. May I not tell you that you owe me your very self. ^philemon-01-19 20 Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. ^philemon-01-20 21 With trust in your compliance I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. ^philemon-01-21 22 At the same time prepare a guest room for me, for I hope to be granted to you through your prayers. ^philemon-01-22 **Final Greetings.** 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, ^philemon-01-23 24 as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. ^philemon-01-24 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. ^philemon-01-25 \* (1) Prisoner: as often elsewhere (cf. Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians especially), the second word in Greek enunciates the theme and sets the tone of the letter. Here it is the prisoner appealing rather than the apostle commanding. \* (2) Apphia our sister: sister is here used (like brother) to indicate a fellow Christian. The church at your house: your here is singular. It more likely refers to Philemon than to the last one named, Archippus; Philemon is then the owner of the slave Onesimus ([Phlm 10]). An alternate view is that the actual master of the slave is Archippus and that the one to whom the letter is addressed, Philemon, is the most prominent Christian there; see note on [Col 4:17]. \* (3) Grace…and peace: for this greeting, which may be a combination of Greek and Aramaic epistolary formulae, see note on ([[romans-01|Rom 1]]:1] – [7]. \* (4) In my prayers: literally, “at the time of my prayers.” \* (5) Holy ones: a common term for members of the Christian community (so also [Phlm 7]). \* (6) In us: some good ancient manuscripts have *in you* (plural). That leads to Christ: leads to translates the Greek preposition *eis*, indicating direction or purpose. \* (7) Encouragement: the Greek word *paraklēsis* is cognate with the verb translated “urge” in [Phlm 9], [10], and serves as an introduction to Paul’s plea. Hearts: literally, “bowels,” expressing in Semitic fashion the seat of the emotions, one’s “inmost self.” The same Greek word is used in [Phlm 12] and again in [Phlm 20], where it forms a literary inclusion marking off the body of the letter. \* (8) Full right: often translated “boldness,” the Greek word *parrēsia* connotes the full franchise of speech, as the right of a citizen to speak before the body politic, claimed by the Athenians as their privilege (Euripides). \* (9) Old man: some editors conjecture that Paul here used a similar Greek word meaning “ambassador” (cf. [Eph 6:20]). This conjecture heightens the contrast with “prisoner” but is totally without manuscript support. \* (11) Useless…useful: here Paul plays on the name Onesimus, which means “useful” or “beneficial.” The verb translated “profit” in [Phlm 20] is cognate. \* (13) Serve: the Greek *diakoneō* could connote a ministry. \* (15) Was away from: literally, “was separated from,” but the same verb means simply “left” in ([[acts-of-the-apostles-18|Acts 18]]:1]. It is a euphemism for his running away. \* (16) As a man: literally, “in the flesh.” With this and the following phrase, Paul describes the natural and spirituaLORDers. \* (18] – [19) Charge it to me…I will pay: technical legal and commercial terms in account keeping and acknowledgment of indebtedness. \* (23] – [24) Epaphras: a Colossian who founded the church there ([Col 1:7]) and perhaps also in Laodicea and Hierapolis ([Col 2:1]; [4:12] – [13]). Aristarchus: a native of Thessalonica and fellow worker of Paul ([.[[acts-of-the-apostles-19|Acts 19]]:29]; [20:4]; [27:2]). For Mark, Demas, and Luke, see [2 Tm 4:9] – [13] and the note there. a. (1) [9]; [Eph 3:1]; [4:1]; [Phil 1:7], [13]. b. (2) [Col 4:17]. c. (3) ([[romans-01|Rom 1]]:7]; [Gal 1:3]; [Phil 1:2]. d. (4] – [5) ([[romans-01|Rom 1]]:8] – [9]; [Eph 1:15] – [16]. e. (6) [Phil 1:9]; [Col 1:9]. f. (7) ([[2-corinthians-07|2 Cor 7]]:4]. g. (9) [1]; [Eph 3:1]; [4:1]; [Phil 1:7], [13]. h. (10) ([[1-corinthians-04|1 Cor 4]]:14] – [15]; [Gal 4:19]; [Col 4:9]. i. (13) [Phil 2:30]. j. (14) ([[2-corinthians-09|2 Cor 9]]:7]; [1 Pt 5:2]. k. (16) [1 Tm 6:2]. l. (19) [Gal 6:11]; [2 Thes 3:17]. m. (22) [Heb 13:19]. n. (23) [Col 1:7]; [4:12] – [13]. o. (25) ([[acts-of-the-apostles-12|Acts 12]]:12], [15]; [13:13]; [15:37] – [39]; [19:29]; [20:4]; [27:2]; [Col 4:10], [14]; [2 Tm 4:10] – [13]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[philemon-00|← Previous]] | [[philemon-00|TOC]]