1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker, 2to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house: 3Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5hearing of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, 6that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus. 7For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
8Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate, 9yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have become the father of in my chains, 11who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me. 12I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 13whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News. 14But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will. 15For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while that you would have him forever, 16no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
17If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18But if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, put that to my account. 19I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides). 20Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.
21Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.
22Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Paul now presses the appeal even further. “If you count me a partner in the gospel,” he says, “then receive Onesimus as you would receive me.” It’s a powerful statement. Paul is asking Philemon to welcome a former slave as though he were welcoming an apostle.
If Onesimus has wronged Philemon in any way, Paul says, “Put it on my account.” He offers to cover the loss himself. This is a clear echo of the gospel itself—Christ taking our debt upon himself so we can be reconciled. Paul is willing to assume the cost of Onesimus’s past so that reconciliation can happen freely and without resentment.
Then, with delicate frankness, Paul reminds Philemon: “You owe me your very self.” In other words, “You wouldn’t even know Christ if not for me.” It’s not manipulation—it’s a gracious reminder of their spiritual connection and of the grace Philemon himself received.
Paul ends this section with a tender appeal: “Let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart.” The language here echoes what Paul said earlier about Philemon’s kindness to others. Now, Paul is asking him to extend that same refreshing kindness to Onesimus—and, by extension, to Paul himself.
The message remains relevant: If we love Christ, we will not regard anyone as a slave but as a brother or sister. The worldly ethic is to use people and love things. The Christian ethic—the new commandment—is to love people and use things.