In place of the noun phrase My prayer, one may often more conveniently use a verb expression “I pray that…”
As Moule says, “this is notoriously the most obscure verse in this letter.” Paul here gives the content of his petition. The first phrase in Greek is literally “that the fellowship of your faith,” and it is variously understood: (1) New English Bible “your fellowship with us in our common faith” (also Barclay and C. H. Dodd); (2) New American Bible “your sharing of the faith with others”; (3) Bible en français courant “the fellowship binds you to us by means of the faith”; (4) Barclay “the Christian fellowship that binds you to us”; (5) Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “the faith in which you share” (also Lohse). Good News Translation takes koinōnia to be the fellowship which is based on faith; but other interpretations are just as possible, as demonstrated by the wide variety exhibited. Lightfoot takes koinōnia here to have the sense it sometimes has of “kindly deeds of charity, which spring from your faith” (see Phil 1.5 for this meaning of the word).
The Good News Translation rendering our fellowship with you as believers may be rendered as “how as believers we are one with you” or “how we are joined together with you as believers” or “… as those who trust in Christ.” The New English Bible rendering “your fellowship with us in our common faith” may be rendered as “how you join with us in the trust which we all have in Christ.” If “faith” is to be understood as the means of such fellowship as in the Bible en français courant, then one may say “the way in which you are bound to us because of our common trust in Christ” or “the way in which you become one together with us because of the way in which we all trust Christ.”
Will bring about a deeper understanding: it is not clear in whom this deeper understanding is to be effected, whether it is Philemon in particular, or Philemon and all others who are involved, including Paul and his companions. For the latter, Translator’s New Testament has “we may all” and Barclay “us”; for the former, Bible de Jérusalem Jerusalem Bible Twentieth Century New Testament Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch New International Version have “you.” It may be that Paul has Philemon particularly in mind, but does not want to say so explicitly.
This expression may be rendered as a causative, for example, “will cause us all to understand better” or “… understand more fully.” If those who are to have a more adequate understanding is to be expressed in somewhat more general terms, it is, of course, possible to say “will cause all believers to understand better.”
Bring about translates energēs genētai “may become effective, productive.”
For deeper understanding, a translation of epignōsis, see Col 1.9.
Every blessing (Good News Translation) or “all the good” (Revised Standard Version) are both possible ways of translating the Greek. In any case, Paul is not thinking of material “good things,” but of spiritual benefits. Every blessing must often be expressed as a clause, “all that God has done” or “all the good that comes from God.”
“Ours” (Revised Standard Version) is the reading preferred by modern commentators and translators, but the variant reading “yours” has wide and excellent support (see King James Version). We have in our life includes all Christians and is not restricted to Paul and his group.
In our life in union with Christ (similarly Translator’s New Testament New English Bible Phillips Bible en français courant Barclay) translates the Greek “into (eis) Christ.” There are other ways of translating this, depending on how the phrase is made to relate to the preceding words. Bible de Jérusalem Traduction œcuménique de la Bible Jerusalem Bible “the good things we are able to do for Christ”; New English Bible mg “all the blessings that bring us to Christ”; Barclay “and so may lead us nearer and nearer to Christ”; Lohse (also Vincent) “for the glory of Christ”; Lightfoot “leading to Christ.” It must be recognized that eis Christon is an unusual phrase and probably should not be taken as simply the equivalent of en Christō, “(our life) in union with Christ.” The preposition eis generally denotes movement, progress, direction; so something like “leading to Christ” may well be the most defensible rendering of this admittedly obscure phrase.
If one follows the rendering of the Good News Translation, every blessing which we have in our life in union with Christ, it is possible to translate as “every blessing which we have received (from God) as a result of our union with Christ,” or “all that is good which we have as we live joined with Christ,” or “… in close fellowship with Christ.” Note, however, the other possible interpretations, for example, as in Bible de Jérusalem Traduction œcuménique de la Bible Jerusalem Bible, “all the good that we are able to do in order to serve Christ.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .