1 PAUL, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

PAUL'S EXPRESSION OF THANKSGIVING
4 I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,
5 Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

ONESIMUS
8 Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
9 Yet for love’s sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
10 I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:
11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
12 Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:
13 Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:
14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
15 For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;
16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?
17 If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.
18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;
19 I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.
20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.
21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.
22 But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.
23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

1Paul a prisoner of Iesus Christ, & Timothie our brother vnto Philemon our dearely beloued, and fellow labourer,

2And to our beloued Apphia, and Archippus our fellow Souldier, and to the Church in thy house.

3Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Iesus Christ.

4I thanke my God, making mention of thee alwayes in my prayers,

5Hearing of thy loue, and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Iesus, and toward all Saints:

6That the communication of thy faith may become effectuall by the acknowledging of euery good thing, which is in you in Christ Iesus.

7For wee haue great ioy and consolation in thy loue, because the bowels of the Saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

8Wherefore, though I might bee much bolde in Christ to enioyne thee that which is conuenient;

9Yet for loues sake I rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Iesus Christ.

10I beseech thee for my sonne Onesimus, whome I haue begotten in my bonds,

11Which in time past was to thee vnprofitable: but now profitable to thee and to me:

12Whom I haue sent againe: thou therfore receiue him, that is mine owne bowels.

13Whome I would haue reteined with mee, that in thy stead hee might haue ministred vnto me in the bonds of the Gospel.

14But without thy minde would I doe nothing, that thy benefite should not bee as it were of necessitie, but willingly.

15For perhaps hee therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receiue him for euer:

16Not now as a seruant, but aboue a seruant, a brother beloued, specially to mee, but how much more vnto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

17If thou count mee therefore a partner, receiue him as my selfe.

18If hee hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account.

19I Paul haue written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I doe not say to thee how thou owest vnto me, euen thine owne selfe besides:

20Yea, brother, let mee haue ioy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowles in the Lord.

21Hauing confidence in thy obedience, I wrote vnto thee, knowing that thou wilt also doe more then I say.

22But withall prepare mee also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be giuen vnto you.

23There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Iesus:

24Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow labourers.

25The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.Written from Rome to Philemon, by Onesimus a seruant.

I == Phil 2:25 ; 2nd Tim 1:8 ; Phile 1:9

II == Rom 16:5 ; Phil 2:25 ; Col 4:17

 

 

 

 

V == Eph 1:15 ; Col 1:4

 

VI == Phil 1:9 , 11

 

VII == 2nd Cor 7:13 ; 2nd Tim 1:16

 

 

VIII == 1st Thess 2:6

 

XIII == 1st Cor 16:17 ; Phil 2:30

XIV == 2nd Cor 9:7

XV == Gen 45:5 , 8

XVI == 1st Tim 6:2

XXI == 2nd Cor 7:16

XXII == 2nd Cor 1:11 ; Phil 1:25 ; 2:24

XXIII == Col 1:7 ; 4:12

XXIV == Acts 12:12 , 25 ; 19:29 ; 27:2 ; Col 4:10 , 14 ; 2nd Tim 4:11

XXV == 2nd Tim 4:22

1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved and our co-worker, 2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers, 5 as I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones, 6 so that your partnership in the faith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in us that leads to Christ. 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. 8 Therefore, although I have the full right in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 9 I rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus. 10 I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, 11 who was once useless to you but is now useful to (both) you and me. 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 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, 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. 15 Perhaps this is why he was away from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 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. 17 So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. 18 And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay. May I not tell you that you owe me your very self. 20 Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 21 With trust in your compliance I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 22 At the same time prepare a guest room for me, for I hope to be granted to you through your prayers. 23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.  

v 1. Paul sent this letter to Philemon at the same time he sent the letter to the Colossian church. In several of Paul’s epistles from Rome he refers to himself as a prisoner of Christ or of the Lord.  Usually he stated that he was an Apostle, but here he called himself a fellow laborer. He did not want to use Apostolic authority to demand Philemon to take back Onesimus, but the persuasion of a fellow believer. Sometimes pastors forget they are to be a shepherd who leads the flock, and try to force their own will on others by smugly quoting Heb. 13:17 “Obey them that have the rule over you”. My friends in another part of the country had a pastor who carried this to the point of a cult. He expelled any who questioned him, calling them “heretics”.
While Paul used tact and prudence throughout this letter, in no way was he buttering up or using psychology on Philemon. He simply stated matters in such a way that Christian responsibility was evident.
Philemon was a well to do citizen of Colosse. Paul may not have known face to face, but there is some indication Paul led him to the Lord, possibly at Ephesus. Onesimus, whose name means “profitable”, had run away and had become unprofitable to his master Philemon, probably even stealing from him. Onesimus was saved under Paul and is being sent back to Philemon. Tychicus no doubt carried the accompanying letter along with the letter to the Colossian church. Onesimus was returning with some danger because he could face death for his actions, but he had been taught by Paul to submit to his master, Col. 3:22-25.

v 2. Some think Apphia was Philemon’s wife and Archippus his son. At least Archippus seems to have been the pastor of the church at Colosse which met in Philemon’s large house (maybe took Epaphras place when he went to Rome).

v 3. This salutation was typical of Paul  with the undeserved favor and peace which can only come from God.

v 4. Philemon was another on Paul’s daily or continuing prayer list.

v 5. Philemon was living out 1 Jn. 4:21, And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God loveth his brother also. This was also true of the brethren in Eph. 1:15; Col. 1:4; 1Thess. 1:3 and 2 Thess. 1:3. 

v 6. The prayer was that the more faith and understanding Philemon had, the more he would share it with others.

v 7. Apparently it had been reported to Paul that already other believers were being refreshed by Philemon as he had been by Christ.

v 8,9. Paul could have used pressure as an apostle, but makes his appeal on love, and the compassionate fact that he was old and in prison.

v 10. He intercedes for Onesimus as a son, having led him to the Lord while himself was in prison. Not known why Onesimus was at the prison.

v 11. Onesimus was a common name for slaves, meaning useful. Paul uses the play on words to point out he had become useless, perhaps even had stolen from Philemon, but as a believer he is useful to both men.

v 12. This type of touching persuasion would be hard to reject.

v 13,14. Onesimus would have been a help to Paul in Rome, but Paul could not legally detain him, and would have deprived Philemon of choice.

v 15,16. Onesimus might have escaped permanently, but now he not only returns, but is a brother in the Lord, a joy to both Paul and Philemon.

v 17. Intense persuasion to welcome Onesimus back as he would Paul.

v 18,19. Though difficult from prison, Paul vows to personally pay any debt Onesimus may have incurred, writing it with his own hand so it is a legal document, but he drops the reminder that Philemon owes him his very self, for leading him to the Lord.

v 20. Onesimus had refreshed the heart of other saints, v 7, now was his opportunity to refresh the heart of Paul.

v 21. Paul was not only confident Philemon would comply with his request, he expected that he would go beyond that and give Onesimus his freedom, or return him back as a helper to Paul.

v 22. Paul requests Philemon to prepare a guest room for him and pray for his release. That is like taking an umbrella along when you go to pray for rain. If he was praying for Paul, he would also be more inclined to fulfill his request.

v 23,24. Epaphras was not a prisoner of Rome, but another bond servant of Christ. Mark had matured since he left Paul on the first missionary journey, and is now profitable to Paul, 2 Tim. 4:11. Other coworkers are listed too.

v 25. This gracious benediction is similar to Paul’s other epistles.