Philemon 1
1 [I], Paul, am a prisoner [who serves] Christ Jesus. [I am here] with Timothy, our fellow believer. [I am writing this letter] to [you], Philemon, our dear [friend] and fellow worker.
Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman,
2 [I am also writing] to [your wife], Apphia, and to Archippus, [who is like] [MET] our fellow soldier [because he serves Christ steadfastly together with us]. I am also [writing this] to the congregation [that meets/gathers] in your [(sg)] house.
and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which [is] in thine house.
3 [I pray that] God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to] act kindly toward you all and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I always thank my God when I pray for you [(sg)], because I hear [people say that] you love all God’s people [CHI]
I thank my God, always making mention of thee at my prayers,
5 and that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.
hearing of thy love and the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints,
6 I pray that as a result of your knowing all the good things [that God/Christ has done for] us, you may (be effective/influence many others) as you tell others what you believe, in order that [they may honor] Christ.
in such sort that thy participation in the faith should become operative in the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us towards Christ [Jesus].
7 I have rejoiced greatly and have been greatly encouraged because you, my dear friend, have acted lovingly toward God’s people by encouraging them [SYN].
For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.
8 So [I have a request/favor to ask of you]. I am completely confident [that I have authority] to command you [to do] what you ought to do, because [I am an apostle of] Christ.
Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting,
9 But because [I know that you] love [God’s people], I request this instead of [commanding you to do it]. It is I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner [because I serve] Christ Jesus, [who am requesting it].
for love's sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ.
10 I request that you [do something] for someone [who has become like] my own son [because I told him about Christ] [MET] while [I have been] a prisoner [MTY] [here. His name is] Onesimus.
I exhort thee for my child, whom I have begotten in [my] bonds, Onesimus,
11 Although [his name, as you know, means ‘useful’], formerly he was useless to you. But now he is useful both to you and to me!
once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:
12 Although (he is [as dear to me as/I love him as much as I love]) [MET] my own self [MTY], I am sending him back to you.
whom I have sent back to thee: [but do thou receive] him, that is, my bowels:
13 I would like to have kept him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf, while I am a prisoner [MTY] [because of my preaching] the message [about Christ].
whom I was desirous of keeping with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the glad tidings;
14 Nevertheless, because [I had not yet asked you and] you had not yet permitted me [to keep him here with me], I decided not to [keep him here. I decided that I should] not do anything without your permitting it. [I decided that you should help me only if you] really want to help me.
but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness:
15 Perhaps the reason that [God permitted] Onesimus to be separated from {to leave} you for a little while was that [he would believe in Christ, and as a result] you would have him (back/with you) forever! (aiōnios g166)
for perhaps for this reason he has been separated [from thee] for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever; (aiōnios g166)
16 [You will no longer have him only] as a slave. Instead, [you will have him] as [someone who is] more than a slave. [You will have him] as a fellow believer! He is especially dear to me, but he certainly will be more dear to you [than he is to me] (OR, I love him very much, but you will certainly love him more than I do), [because now he] not only belongs to you but he also belongs to the Lord.
not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in [the] flesh and in [the] Lord?
17 So, if you consider me to be your partner [in God’s work], receive him as you would receive me.
If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner [with thee], receive him as me;
18 If he has wronged you in any manner or if he owes you anything, (charge that to me/tell me so that I can pay you).
but if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything [to thee], put this to my account.
19 I, Paul, am now writing this in my own handwriting: I will repay you what he owes you, although I might mention to you that you owe me even more than Onesimus may owe you, because it was the result of my telling you about Christ that God saved you.
I Paul have written [it] with mine own hand; I will repay [it]: that I say not to thee that thou owest even thine own self also to me.
20 (Yes/I say it again), my dear friend, because you and I both have a relationship with the Lord, I want you to do this for me. Encourage me [SYN] [by receiving Onesimus kindly, just like you encourage others who believe] in Christ.
Yea, brother, I would have profit of thee in [the] Lord: refresh my bowels in Christ.
21 I have written [this letter] to you, confident that you will do what I am requesting you to [do]. [In fact], I know that you will do even more than what I am requesting [you to do].
Being confident of thine obedience, I have written to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even more than I say.
22 Also, keep a guest room ready for me [to stay in], because I confidently expect that as a result of your prayers [for me, I] will be released [from prison and will come] to you all.
But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I hope that I shall be granted to you through your prayers.
23 Epaphras, who is [suffering] with me in prison because of [his serving] Christ Jesus, (sends his greetings to you/wants you to know that he is thinking fondly about you).
Epaphras salutes thee, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;
24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who are my [other] fellow workers, also (send their greetings to you/want you to know that they are thinking fondly about you).
Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workmen.
25 [I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ [will] ([continue to] work kindly in all your lives/kindly keep accomplishing what he desires within you).
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit.
