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.
The New Testament mentions three Marks, namely, Mark the Evangelist, John Mark, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas, but traditionally these all refer to the same person. John Mark lived in Jerusalem with his mother Mary in a house that served as a gathering place for the church (Acts 12:12). Mark served as an assistant to Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4), but for an unknown reason he was unable to finish the journey and headed back to Jerusalem early (13:13). Later, when Paul and Barnabas decided to revisit the churches they had established, Barnabas wanted to take Mark along. Paul objected, and their disagreement was so serious that they parted ways. Mark accompanied Barnabas to Cyprus (Acts 15:39). Mark and Paul must have come to an agreement later, since he was with Paul when he wrote to the church at Colossae; Paul spoke of John Mark was a “comfort” (Col 4:11). Paul also calls Mark a “fellow laborer” in Philemon 24 and, sensing the end was near, requested that Timothy bring Mark to Rome, calling him “profitable” in ministry. Mark wrote the gospel bearing his name probably sometime between A.D. 65 and 70. It is widely held that Mark wrote down Peter’s recollections of the life of Jesus to form his Gospel. According to Egyptian church tradition, Mark came to Egypt and founded the church there.