The Epistle of Paul to Philemon
{1:1} Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, toPhilemon our beloved and fellow-worker, {1:2} and to Apphia our sister,and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in thy house:{1:3} Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord JesusChrist. {1:4} I thank my God always, making mention of thee in myprayers, {1:5} hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hasttoward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; {1:6} that thefellowship of thy faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of everygood thing which is in you, unto Christ. {1:7} For I had much joy andcomfort in thy love, because the hearts of the saints have beenrefreshed through thee, brother. {1:8} Wherefore, though I have allboldness in Christ to enjoin thee that which is befitting, {1:9} yetfor love’s sake I rather beseech, being such a one as Paul the aged,and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus: {1:10} I beseech thee for mychild, whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus, {1:11} who once wasunprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me: {1:12}whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my veryheart: {1:13} whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalfhe might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel: {1:14} butwithout thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be asof necessity, but of free will. {1:15} For perhaps he was thereforeparted [from thee] for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever;{1:16} no longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brotherbeloved, specially to me, but how much rather to thee, both in theflesh and in the Lord. {1:17} If then thou countest me a partner,receive him as myself. {1:18} But if he hath wronged the at all, oroweth [thee] aught, put that to mine account; {1:19} I Paul write itwith mine own hand, I will repay it: that I say not unto thee that thouowest to me even thine own self besides. {1:20} Yea, brother, let mehave joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in Christ. {1:21} Havingconfidence in thine obedience I write unto thee, knowing that thou wiltdo even beyond what I say. {1:22} But withal prepare me also a lodging:for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted unto you.{1:23} Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, saluteth thee;{1:24} [and so do] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workers.{1:25} The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
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