~c"Phlm"y1
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
@ To Phile'mon our beloved fellow worker
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and Ap'phia our sister and Archip'pus our fellow soldier, and the
church in your house:
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@ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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@ I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
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because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the
Lord Jesus and all the saints,
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and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the knowledge of
all the good that is ours in Christ.
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For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother,
because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
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@ Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do
what is required,
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yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you--I, Paul, an ambassador
and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus--
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I appeal to you for my child, Ones'imus, whose father I have become in
my imprisonment.
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(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and
to me.)
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I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart.
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I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might
serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel;
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but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your
goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own free will.
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@ Perhaps this is why he was parted from you for a while, that you
might have him back for ever,
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no longer as a slave but more than a slave, as a beloved brother,
especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the
Lord.
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So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.
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If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my
account.
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I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it--to say nothing
of your owing me even your own self.
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Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my
heart in Christ.
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@ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do
even more than I say.
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At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping through
your prayers to be granted to you.
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@ Ep'aphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,
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and so do Mark, Aristar'chus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
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@ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.