Knights of Columbus Beaver Valley Chapter Electronic Books

The New Jerusalem Bible with Apocrypha
The Letter to Philemon

A note from Paul carried back to his master by a runaway slave who has become a Christian and one of Paul's helpers. It is an affectionate expression of Christian fellowship and humanity.

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Chapter 1

Address

^1:1From Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus and from our brother Timothy; to our dear fellow worker Philemon, ²our sister Apphia, our fellow soldier Archippus and the church that meets in your house. ³Grace and the peace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and prayer

⁴I always thank my God, mentioning you in my prayers, ⁵because I hear of the love and the faith which you have for the Lord Jesus and for all God's holy people. ⁶I pray that your fellowship in faith may come to expression in full knowledge of all the good we can do for Christ. ⁷I have received much joy and encouragement by your love; you have set the hearts of God's holy people at rest.

The request about Onesimus

⁸Therefore, although in Christ I have no hesitations about telling you what your duty is, ⁹I am rather appealing to your love, being what I am, Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus. ¹⁰I am appealing to you for a child of mine, whose father I became while wearing these chains: I mean Onesimus. ^{*[A pun: Onesimus means 'useful'.] 11}He was of no use to you before, but now he is useful both to you and to me. ¹²I am sending him back to you-that is to say, sending you my own heart. ¹³I should have liked to keep him with me; he could have been a substitute for you, to help me while I am in the chains that the gospel has brought me. ¹⁴However, I did not want to do anything without your consent; it would have been forcing your act of kindness, which should be spontaneous. ¹⁵I suppose you have been deprived of Onesimus for a time, merely so that you could have him back for ever, ¹⁶no longer as a slave, but something much better than a slave, a dear brother; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, both on the natural plane and in the Lord. ¹⁷So if you grant me any fellowship with yourself, welcome him as you would me; ¹⁸if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, put it down to my account. ¹⁹I am writing this in my own hand: I, Paul, shall pay it back-I make no mention of a further debt, that you owe your very self to me! ²⁰Well then, brother, I am counting on you, in the Lord; set my heart at rest, in Christ. ²¹I am writing with complete confidence in your compliance, sure that you will do even more than I ask.

A personal request. Good wishes

²²There is another thing: will you get a place ready for me to stay in? I am hoping through your prayers to be restored to you. ²³Epaphras, a prisoner with me in Christ Jesus, sends his greetings; ²⁴so do my fellow-workers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke. ²⁵May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

The Beaver Valley Chapter of the Knights of Columbus graciously thanks Duquesne University and Father Sean Hogan, C.S.Sp. for sponsoring our Knights of Columbus Beaver Valley Chapter web page.