New American Standard Bible 1995

Philemon 1:8-16

8Therefore, 1though I have 2enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is 3proper, 9yet for love’s sake I rather 4appeal to you--since I am such a person as Paul, 5the 6aged, and now also 7a prisoner of 8Christ Jesus-- 10I 9appeal to you for my 10child 11 12Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my 13imprisonment, 11who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. 12I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, 13whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my 14 15imprisonment for the gospel; 14but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would 16not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. 15For perhaps 17he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 18no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, 19a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both 20in the flesh and in the Lord.

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Notes

1. Philemon 1:8 2 Cor 3:12; 1 Thess 2:6 ↩
2. Philemon 1:8 Lit much ↩
3. Philemon 1:8 Eph 5:4 ↩
4. Philemon 1:9 Rom 12:1 ↩
5. Philemon 1:9 Or an ambassador ↩
6. Philemon 1:9 Titus 2:2 ↩
7. Philemon 1:9 Philem 1 ↩
8. Philemon 1:9 Gal 3:26; 1 Tim 1:12; Philem 23 ↩
9. Philemon 1:10 Rom 12:1 ↩
10. Philemon 1:10 1 Cor 4:14f ↩
11. Philemon 1:10 I.e. useful ↩
12. Philemon 1:10 Col 4:9 ↩
13. Philemon 1:10 Lit bonds ↩
14. Philemon 1:13 Lit bonds ↩
15. Philemon 1:13 Phil 1:7; Philem 10 ↩
16. Philemon 1:14 2 Cor 9:7; 1 Pet 5:2 ↩
17. Philemon 1:15 Gen 45:5, 8 ↩
18. Philemon 1:16 1 Cor 7:22 ↩
19. Philemon 1:16 Matt 23:8; 1 Tim 6:2 ↩
20. Philemon 1:16 Eph 6:5; Col 3:22 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Philemon 1