en
New Testament
Philemon was a wealthy Christian in Colossae, having been attracted to the Christian faith by Paul, as is evident from verse 19 of the letter, which is also addressed to Apphia, who appears to be Philemon's wife, and to Archippus, a fellow soldier, probably Philemon's son, who held an ecclesiastical office in the Church of Colossae. According to the Menaion, on November 22, "the memory of the holy Apostles Philemon, Archippus, Apphia, and Onesimus, disciples of the Apostle Paul" is celebrated.
The Onesimus mentioned in the letter was a slave of Philemon, who had escaped from his house and taken refuge in Rome, where he met Paul and was drawn by him to the faith. And the Apostle, wishing to keep Onesimus with him to be served by him, did not wish to do this without the consent of his master. Moreover, Onesimus, by his flight, if not by stealing something, had wronged his master and as a Christian he was obliged to hasten to redress the injustice that had occurred. So, on the occasion of Tychicus' departure from Rome for Colossae and Laodicea, Paul sent Onesimus to his master, and this letter of recommendation at the same time, according to which was also the letter to the Colossians, and in it he begs Philemon to accept kindly this unjust Onesimus.
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,
1 ΠΑΥΛΟΣ, δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφός, Φιλήμονι τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ συνεργῷ ἡμῶν
2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
2 καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀγαπητῇ καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ συστρατιώτῃ ἡμῶν καὶ τῇ κατ' οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησίᾳ·
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,
4 Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου πάντοτε μνείαν σου ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου,
5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
5 ἀκούων σου τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους,
6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
6 ὅπως ἡ κοινωνία τῆς πίστεώς σου ἐνεργὴς γένηται ἐν ἐπιγνώσει παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.
7 χάριν γὰρ ἔχομεν πολλὴν καὶ παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ σου, ὅτι τὰ σπλάγχνα τῶν ἁγίων ἀναπέπαυται διὰ σοῦ, ἀδελφέ.
8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,
8 Διό, πολλὴν ἐν Χριστῷ παρρησίαν ἔχων ἐπιτάσσειν σοι τὸ ἀνῆκον,
9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ—
9 διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην μᾶλλον παρακαλῶ· τοιοῦτος ὤν, ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης, νυνὶ δὲ καὶ δέσμιος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains,
10 παρακαλῶ σε περὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ τέκνου, ὃν ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς μου, Ὀνήσιμον,
11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.
11 τὸν ποτέ σοι ἄχρηστον, νυνὶ δὲ σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ εὔχρηστον, ὃν ἀνέπεμψα·
12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,
12 σὺ δὲ αὐτόν, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα, προσλαβοῦ·
13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
13 ὃν ἐγὼ ἐβουλόμην πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν κατέχειν, ἵνα ὑπὲρ σοῦ διακονῇ μοι ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου·
14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.
14 χωρὶς δὲ τῆς σῆς γνώμης οὐδὲν ἠθέλησα ποιῆσαι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην τὸ ἀγαθόν σου ᾖ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἑκούσιον.
15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever,
15 τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη πρὸς ὥραν, ἵνα αἰώνιον αὐτὸν ἀπέχῃς,
16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
16 οὐκέτι ὡς δοῦλον, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ δοῦλον, ἀδελφὸν ἀγαπητόν, μάλιστα ἐμοί, πόσῳ δὲ μᾶλλον σοὶ καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ἐν Κυρίῳ!
17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.
17 εἰ οὖν με ἔχεις κοινωνόν, προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ.
18 But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.
18 εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησέ σε ἢ ὀφείλει, τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ἐλλόγει·
19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.
19 ἐγὼ Παῦλος ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί, ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω· ἵνα μὴ λέγω σοι ὅτι καὶ σεαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις.
20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.
20 ναί, ἀδελφέ, ἐγώ σου ὀναίμην ἐν Κυρίῳ· ἀνάπαυσόν μου τὰ σπλάγχνα ἐν Κυρίῳ.
21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
21 Πεποιθὼς τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου ἔγραψά σοι, εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ ὃ λέγω ποιήσεις.
22 But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.
22 ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἑτοίμαζέ μοι ξενίαν· ἐλπίζω γὰρ ὅτι διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν.
23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
23 Ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἐπαφρᾶς ὁ συναιχμάλωτός μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.
24 Μᾶρκος, Ἀρίσταρχος, Δημᾶς, Λουκᾶς, οἱ συνεργοί μου.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
25 Ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν· ἀμήν.
1
NKJV translation