Refresh My Heart in Christ
Philemon 1–21 (NRSV)
Paul, a prisoner of Christ
Jesus, and Timothy our brother, *
To Philemon our dear friend
and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, *
to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When I remember you *
in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love
for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord Jesus. I pray that
the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all
the good that we * may do for Christ.
I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love,
because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you,
my brother.
For this reason, though
I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would
rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as
an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. *
I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I
have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you,
but now he is indeed useful * both
to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to
you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service
to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred
to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might
be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason
he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him
back for ever, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved
brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh
and in the Lord.
So if you consider me
your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged
you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I,
Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing
about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have
this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident
of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even
more than I say.
