13

I would have liked: “I would like” (Good News Translation). You could freely translate the first part of verse 13 as “If I did what I wanted, I would keep him here.” But Paul didn’t do what he wanted to do for himself. He let Philemon decide (verse 14).

keep him with me: Paul wanted Onesimus to stay near him in the town where Paul was in prison so that Onesimus could visit him and help him.

on your behalf he could minister to me: Paul knew that Philemon wanted to help Paul in any way he could. If he had lived near Paul, he would have come to the prison and helped him. Philemon’s slave Onesimus was there, and he could have helped Paul in Philemon’s place, or on his behalf.

on your behalf: This means “instead of you, in your name, for you.” Some other ways to translate it are: “what you would have done” (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English), “take your place” (New International Version), “as you would wish” (New English Bible).

in my chains: Another way to express the meaning of the phrase in my chains here, is “during the time I am in prison.” See notes on verse 10.

for the gospel: He was in prison because he preached the Good News about Jesus Christ (see verse 1).

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