St. Paul's Letter to Philemon 1:1-25

PAUL, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To
Philemon our beloved fellow worker, and Apphia our sister and Archippos
our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God
always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love
and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the
saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may promote the
knowledge of all the good that is ours in Christ. For I have derived much
joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the
saints have been refreshed through you. Accordingly, though I am bold
enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's
sake I prefer to appeal to you - I, Paul, an ambassador and now a
prisoner also for Christ Jesus - I appeal to you for my child, Onesimos,
whose father I have become in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless
to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending
him back to you, sending my very heart. 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; 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. Perhaps this is why he was parted from
you for a while, that you might have him back for ever, 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. So
if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive
me. If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that
to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own hand, I will repay it
- to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother,
I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in
Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you
will do even more than I say. At the same time, prepare a guest room
for me, for I am hoping through your prayers to be granted to you.
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and
so do Mark, Aristarchos, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.