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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