14a

What Paul meant in this verse was that he did not ask Onesimus to stay with him, since Philemon was not there to approve of it. If he had asked Onesimus to stay, this would have been like forcing Philemon to let Onesimus help Paul. Paul may have meant that he wanted Philemon to send Onesimus back later so he could help Paul while Paul was in prison. But Paul wanted Philemon to do this only if Philemon himself wanted to do it, not because Paul said he must do it.

anything: The word anything here means “anything (in this matter about Onesimus).” Paul would not keep Onesimus with him and would not ask Onesimus to come back (to Paul) unless Philemon approved.

without your consent: Other ways to express this are “unless you say OK” or “without you saying it is all right.” See Display for verse 14a.

14b

so that: This phrase introduces the reason why Paul said in 14a “I did not want to do anything without your consent.” The reason is in 14b: “if you agree to do what I ask, it will be because you yourself want to do it, not because I have said you must do it.”

your goodness: Another way to state this is “If you help me like this….”

goodness: Paul was referring here to something kind or helpful Philemon might do for him. See “ appeal” in verse 10.

not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will: If Philemon did a favor for Paul, Paul wanted it to be something Philemon himself decided to do, not something that Paul ordered him to do whether Philemon wanted to do it or not.

out of compulsion: When someone makes or compels you to do something, or forces you to some action.

by your own free will: This means “without someone telling you to do it.” To do it willingly because you want to do it.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 25 Good-bye

Read verse 25 again.

25

grace: See notes on verse 3. Paul said again that he wanted the Lord to help and bless Paul’s fellow Christians at Colosse, and he prayed for this. Verse 25 shows the way Paul ended many of his letters. (See 1 Corinthians 16:23, Colossians 4:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:28.)

be with your spirit: This does not refer to some spirit that was separate from the Christians Paul was writing to. He was talking about the people themselves. It is another way of saying “be with you.” The word your is plural and shows that Paul wanted this grace or blessing to be with all the Christians at Colosse. Also the word spirit is singular (meaning “one spirit”). Paul was writing to them as one group of God’s united people.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

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Section 4–7

Paul thanks God for Philemon and prays for him

After Paul greeted Philemon and his friends, Paul thanked God for him and prayed for him. This is the way he started most of his letters. For other examples, see Philippians 1:3–11 and Colossians 1:3–14. Before he asked Philemon to do something, Paul wanted to tell Philemon how much he loved and respected him. Paul thanked God because Philemon had faith in the Lord Jesus, and because he loved God’s people. This love gave Paul great joy. And Paul prayed that Philemon’s fellowship with other believers would increase and deepen because he (Philemon) knows the good things that God has given believers.

In this Section Paul wrote directly to Philemon. He used only “you (sing)” in verses 4–21, not “you (plur)” as he did in the beginning and end of the letter.

Read verses 4–7 carefully in the Berean Standard Bible and the Good News Translation, and then read the following notes before translating.

4

Verse 4 could have one of two meanings:

(1) Every time I pray for you I thank God (for you) (New International Version, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004)). This means that Paul did not thank God for Philemon every time he prayed.

(2) Every time I pray I thank God for you. (Good News Translation, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Jerusalem Bible). This means that Paul did thank God for Philemon every time he prayed.

The first meaning is probably what Paul intended.

my God: This means “The God I know and belong to and worship.” Paul related to God in a very personal way. But a literal translation of the phrase “my God” may imply a wrong meaning in some languages. Check carefully on this point.

remembering: Paul meant that when he prayed he “mentioned” Philemon to God, he “prayed for” him. Be careful not to use a word that would imply he had forgotten Philemon and then remembered him.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

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Paragraph 15–16 Onesimus is now a brother in Christ

In these verses Paul said that it could be a good thing that Onesimus ran away from Philemon. As a result, Onesimus became a Christian. As he went back to Philemon, he went back not only as a slave, but also as a Christian brother. If he had not run away, he might not have become a Christian.

Read verses 15–16 again.

15a-b

for a while…for good: (Good News Translation🙂 “short time…all time” The short time that Onesimus was away from Philemon—perhaps a few months—helped him to return and be with him for all time (on this earth and in heaven) as a fellow Christian. Another way to say this would be that Philemon lost a slave for a short time so he could get back a Christian brother for all time.

15a

perhaps: Paul was not certain that what he said in 15a–16a was God’s plan, but he thought that it was likely.

was separated from you: What this really means is that Onesimus ran away. But Paul said it in a way that made it seem like God allowed him to run away or even that God caused this to happen. This then helped Onesimus to meet Paul and become a Christian.

15b

have him back: This means that Philemon could have Onesimus with him again.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

5

Paul himself had led Philemon to believe in the Lord Jesus. So Paul was thanking God, apparently because people had told him that Philemon continued to trust in the Lord Jesus and that he loved all God’s people. The word “because” (Berean Standard Bible) shows that the reason Paul thanked God for Philemon (verse 4) was that Philemon trusted in Christ and loved Christ’s people (verse 5).

In the Revised Standard Version it is not clear how the words love, faith, Jesus, and saints go together. In the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version and Contemporary English Version the meaning is clear. For example:

…the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and the love you have for all God’s people.

your faith in the Lord Jesus: You could restate this as “You believe in the Lord Jesus.”

faith: The word faith means “belief” or “trust.” Paul was glad to hear that Philemon continued to believe that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah. And Philemon trusted the Lord Jesus to save him from the punishment for sinning and to give him power not to sin.

your love for all the saints: Using an active verb expresses this more clearly: “You love all the saints.”

love: The Greek word agapē here refers to one person loving another or others. Philemon truly loved God’s people.

saints: The Greek word hagious (literally “holy ones”) in this verse refers to Christians, those who belong to God. See “holy”, sense A3(a) in Key Biblical Terms.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

16a

no longer as a slave: This does not mean that Onesimus was not a slave any more. He was still Philemon’s slave. It means that Philemon should not think of him only as a slave, but also especially as his Christian brother. Good News Translation: “he is not just a slave.”

slave: Onesimus belonged to Philemon because he was Philemon’s slave. For more information on “slave”, see Introduction to Philemon.

16b

even more so to you: Paul was saying that Philemon had a reason to love Onesimus even more than Paul did. This was because Onesimus would now be a faithful slave and a Christian brother to Philemon.

16c

in person: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates person here probably means that Onesimus was still a slave. But Philemon would be able to love him now as a person who would obey him and not run away.

in the Lord: This refers to Onesimus as a “fellow Christian,” someone who was united to the Lord Jesus just as Philemon was.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

6

(Literal Greek translation:) that the sharing of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing in us in Christ: There are various ways to interpret this verse and, as a result, different English versions have translated it differently.

The interpretation of the first part of the verse depends on several interrelated questions:

How is the word koinōnia “fellowship, sharing” to be understood?

Who are the participants in each event? That is, with whom is Philemon sharing in believing? Is it with other Christians (later including Onesimus) or is it with Paul (and Timothy)?

What is the connection between “may become active” and “in/by knowledge”? Does the phrase “in the knowledge of every good thing” describe the means by which that fellowship or sharing becomes effectual, or is the knowledge of every good thing the result of that fellowship/sharing?

Here are three alternative interpretations that seem the most likely, out of several possibilities that commentators have suggested:

(1) That sharing (Greek: koinōnia) refers to sharing, or bonding, with others who believe the same truths. English Bible versions often translate koinōnia as “fellowship” when it has this sense. In this interpretation the meaning is that Paul was praying that Philemon would have active fellowship with other believers as he came to understand every good thing that God had done for (or in) God’s people. In this interpretation the words “in the knowledge of every good thing” refer to the means by which this fellowship or bonding would happen.

This fits well with the theme of the letter. Paul was about to appeal to Philemon to be merciful toward his runaway slave, Onesimus, because now they both believed in Christ. Although Paul had not yet mentioned his request to Philemon to forgive Onesimus, he was looking forward to the fellowship that Philemon would have with Onesimus. This would happen because they both now recognized God’s goodness to them.

(2) That Sharing means that Philemon shared his faith with others, that is, he told other people about the gospel message he believed. (New International Version and Contemporary English Version follow this interpretation.) So the phrase “in the knowledge of every good thing” could refer to the result of sharing his faith. There is more than one way to interpret what this result might be. New International Version interprets this to mean that Paul prayed that, as Philemon told others about what he believed, Philemon would gain “a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Contemporary English Version interprets this to mean that Paul prays that as Philemon tells others about what he believes, those people “will come to know all the blessing Christ has given believers.”

(3) That Sharing means “fellowship” as in the first interpretation, but here in verse 6 it is the fellowship Paul and Timothy had with Philemon that is in focus. The words “in the knowledge of every good thing” refer to the results of Philemon’s fellowship with Paul and Timothy. Thus Good News Translation interprets the meaning of Paul’s prayer to be that, as Philemon had fellowship with Paul and Timothy, Philemon would understand more deeply all the blessings they had as they lived in union with Christ.

There are also other possible interpretations of this verse. However, the first interpretation seems to fit best with the purpose of the letter. Paul was preparing Philemon for something he was about to ask Philemon to do on behalf of their fellow believer, Onesimus. Paul was probably thinking about how Philemon could help Onesimus. He was preparing Philemon by asking him to think about the good things God had given all Christians and by urging him to act for Christ’s honor. Remembering these facts would cause Philemon to have closer fellowship with all Christians, including his slave, Onesimus, who had recently become a Christian.

There is yet another problem that you need to consider. Different versions translate the Greek phrase eis Christon at the end of the verse (among other ways) as “in Christ,” “for Christ,” or “to Christ.” There are two interpretations of how the word eis functions in this verse:

(1) The Greek word eis relates to the Greek verb that the literal English version above translates “become effective.” This would mean that the purpose for becoming effective is to honor Christ. If you agree with this interpretation, you might restate the phrase in Christ this way: “May this happen for the sake of Christ,” or “This will bring honor to Christ,” or “This will cause people to praise Christ.” Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible and the Amplified Bible follow this interpretation (1).

(2) The Greek word eis relates to the phrase “every good thing.” Thus the whole phrase would imply “all the good things that are ours because we are in union with Christ,” or “because we believe in Christ.” The Berean Standard Bible, New International Version and Good News Translation follow this interpretation (2).

There is also a textual problem in this verse. In place of en hēmin ‘in us,’ some ancient Greek manuscripts have en humin ‘in you.’ However the weight of the manuscript evidence seems to support en hēmin. Also the UBS Handbook Greek New Testament 4th edition rates this reading as a B (very probable) degree of certainty. Of the major English versions, only the King James Version and the New American Standard Bible follow the reading en humin.

The Display (first Meaning Line) for verse 6 shows a translation of verse 6 that follows interpretation (1) above:

I pray that the fellowship which you have with those who believe as you do may increase/deepen, ⌊through your ⌋ knowing all the good things ⌊that God has ⌋ given us (incl.). ⌊May this happen ⌋ for ⌊the glory of ⌋ Christ.

The notes on “fellowship”, sense A2 in Key Biblical Terms support this interpretation

Or, if you choose interpretation (2) above for verse 6, you could translate the whole verse as follows:

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will come to understand fully all the good things God has given us(incl.), and that this will result in people glorifying Christ.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 17–21 Paul asks Philemon to welcome Onesimus back

In this paragraph Paul finally stated clearly to Philemon what he wanted him to do. He wanted Philemon to welcome Onesimus back in the same way that Philemon would welcome Paul if Paul were visiting him. This is the main point of the whole letter.

Paul promised to repay Philemon for anything Onesimus may have taken from Philemon or for anything wrong he may have done against him. But Paul knew that Philemon probably would not ask him to repay him, because Paul had helped him to become a Christian. Christ surely changed the way Philemon thought about life and about money. In fact, Paul was sure that Philemon would do what he was asking him to do and even more.

Paul was also sending Onesimus back to Philemon because Onesimus needed to obey his master again and help him and show that he had changed. If Onesimus did this, he and Philemon could have peace with each other again.

Read verses 17–21 again.

17a

So: Instead of saying So, Paul could have said “On the basis of what I have just said.” (verses 8–16). This would mean the same thing. He could also have said, “Thinking of what I have just written to you.”

if: Another way of expressing what Paul means by the word the Berean Standard Bible translates as if is “since” or “because.” Paul often used the word if with this meaning. If you translated 17a as “I am not sure you consider me a partner,” this would be the wrong meaning. Paul knew that Philemon thought of him as his partner. So he was saying, “Since you think of me as your partner.”

partner: The Greek word koinōnos in this verse means “a friend who is a fellow Christian” (see verse 17 in Living Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English). It refers to someone who works together with someone else to serve the Lord. This is very similar to the meaning of the term that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “fellow worker” in verse 1.

17b

receive: To receive someone means to welcome him, to accept him gladly. Paul was asking Philemon to receive Onesimus back just as gladly as he would have received Paul.

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Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.