New American Standard Bible 2020

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, 5an 6old man, and now also 7a prisoner of 8Christ Jesus-- 10I 9appeal to you for my 10 11son 12 13Onesimus, whom I 14fathered in my 15imprisonment, 11who previously 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 wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my 16 17imprisonment for the gospel; 14but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would 18not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will. 15For perhaps it was 19for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, 16 20no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, 21a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both 22in 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 Or child ↩
11. Philemon 1:10 1 Cor 4:14f ↩
12. Philemon 1:10 I.e., useful ↩
13. Philemon 1:10 Col 4:9 ↩
14. Philemon 1:10 I.e., led to the Lord ↩
15. Philemon 1:10 Lit bonds ↩
16. Philemon 1:13 Lit bonds ↩
17. Philemon 1:13 Phil 1:7; Philem 10 ↩
18. Philemon 1:14 2 Cor 9:7; 1 Pet 5:2 ↩
19. Philemon 1:15 Gen 45:5, 8 ↩
20. Philemon 1:16 1 Cor 7:22 ↩
21. Philemon 1:16 Matt 23:8; 1 Tim 6:2 ↩
22. Philemon 1:16 Eph 6:5; Col 3:22 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Philemon 1