Book 57 Philemon
001:001 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother:
To Philemon our dearly-loved fellow labourer--
001:002 and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--
as well as to the Church in your house.
001:003 May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ.
001:004 I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you,
my brother, in my prayers,
001:005 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you
have towards the Lord Jesus and which you manifest towards
all God's people;
001:006 praying as I do, that their participation in your faith may
result in others fully recognizing all the right affection
that is in us toward Christ.
001:007 For I have found great joy and comfort in your love,
because the hearts of God's people have been, and are,
refreshed through you, my brother.
001:008 Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak
very freely and order you to do what is fitting,
001:009 it is for love's sake that--instead of that--although I am
none other than Paul the aged, and am now also a prisoner
for Christ Jesus,
001:010 I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have
become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.
001:011 Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--
he is of great use to you and to me.
001:012 I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send
part of myself.
001:013 It was my wish to keep him at my side for him to attend