10a

I appeal to you: Paul was asking Philemon to do something. See verse 9a notes. But Paul did not yet tell Philemon what he wanted him to do.

for: Paul was asking Philemon to do something “in regard to” Onesimus, or “on behalf of” Onesimus.

my child: Onesimus was not Paul’s physical child. But he was like a son to Paul because, while Paul was in prison, he had helped Onesimus to believe in Christ. Just as a father helps give physical life to his son, Paul had helped give spiritual life to Onesimus.

Onesimus: The name Onesimus is a Greek word which means “useful, profitable, helpful” (see note on “useless” in verse 11). Many masters named their slaves Onesimus.

10b

chains: The Greek word desmois here means “bonds” or “chains.” At the time Paul wrote this letter, the Romans often locked important prisoners in chains while they were in prison. Paul used chains as figurative language for being in prison.

Paul was in prison because he had been preaching the Gospel. But this does not mean that Onesimus was also in prison. He was probably only visiting Paul. If Onesimus, too, had been a prisoner, Paul could not have sent him back to Philemon (verse 12).

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

9a

I prefer: The phrase I prefer indicates that Paul wanted to appeal to Philemon on the basis of love instead of ordering him what to do.

to appeal: Paul was asking Philemon to do something. This was not the same as telling him to do it. And he was not asking a question.

on the basis of love: Rather than ordering Philemon to obey a command, Paul wanted Philemon to help Onesimus because of love. But it is not clear who loved whom. There are three interpretations:

(1) Philemon should do what Paul wanted simply because he loved Paul.

(2) Philemon should do what he ought to do, not because of a command, but because he loved all of God’s people.

(3) Paul did not use his authority to tell Philemon what to do. The reason was: Paul loved Philemon. Good News Translation follows this third interpretation.

All three interpretations are possible, and perhaps Paul was thinking about all these meanings when he wrote this passage. But the first interpretation seems most likely because of the following words in 9b. Verse part 9b implies that Philemon should show that he was thankful to Paul, an old man in prison. And he also should be thankful for Paul helping him to trust in Christ.

9b

I, Paul: Paul was giving reasons why Philemon should agree to do what Paul asked him to do. For example:

• He was Philemon’s friend, Paul.

• He was an old man.

• He was suffering because he trusted in Christ.

am now aged: The Greek word presbutēs has two possible meanings in this verse:

(1) “old man” (Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Jerusalem Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Living Translation (2004), King James Version)

(2) “ambassador,” a man who speaks for important people (Good News Translation, New English Bible, Revised Standard Version)

The phrase am now aged probably represents the right meaning in this verse because Paul had just said that he was not giving an order to Philemon, as a man of authority (verse 8) would do. Paul, as an aged man in prison for Christ (verse 9), was appealing to Philemon.

a prisoner: See notes on verse 1a.

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Section 8–21

Paul asks Philemon to accept back Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave

This is the main part of the letter. Paul stated clearly in verse 17 what he was asking Philemon to do. He said, “Welcome Onesimus back just as you would welcome me.” But before Paul asked Philemon to do this, he told Philemon several reasons why he should welcome Onesimus back. In verses 8–11, he told Philemon that he wanted him to do something to help Onesimus because Onesimus had become a Christian and would be useful to Philemon. Paul told Philemon that another reason why he should help Onesimus was because Philemon loved Paul and his other Christian brothers. In verses 12–14, Paul said that he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon, even though he wanted to keep Onesimus with him. In verses 15–16, Paul told Philemon why God may have allowed these things to happen, and that he (Paul) loved Onesimus very much. Then in verses 17–21, Paul finally said clearly that he wanted Philemon to welcome Onesimus. Paul offered to pay for anything Onesimus owed to Philemon. He also reminded Philemon that in the past he had helped Philemon become a Christian. This was another reason why Paul expected that Philemon would do what he asked.

In this Section (verses 8–21) Paul, as a Christian brother, asked Philemon to help Onesimus, but did not command him to do it.

Read verses 8–21 carefully in the Berean Standard Bible and the Good News Translation.

Paragraph 8–11 Paul appeals to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus

Read verses 8–11 again, then read the following notes before you translate.

8

So: “For this reason” (Good News Translation). This means that the words in verse 7 are the reason for what Paul said in 8–9a. He was thinking like this: Therefore (since Philemon loves his Christian brothers,) he should also love Onesimus. But Paul did not yet make all of this meaning explicit.

in Christ: There are two ways of understanding the meaning of the phrase in Christ :

(1) As an apostle of Christ, Paul had authority from Christ to command Philemon to do this.

(2) As a Christian brother, Paul had a close relationship with Philemon that freed him to tell Philemon to do this. Good News Translation follows this interpretation by translating this “as your brother in Christ.”

The following phrase in the Berean Standard Bible is: I am bold enough to order you . So the first interpretation fits better with this idea of giving an order in contrast to asking him to do something.

bold: The word bold means “not afraid.” Paul was not afraid to say whatever he should say.

order: To order someone means to command him. It means to tell someone to do something. As an apostle of Christ, Paul could have told Philemon to help Onesimus. But Paul decided it was better to ask him, as a friend and a fellow Christian.

to do what is proper: This refers to what Paul thought Philemon should do in order to act as a Christian should act. What Paul implied here was that he wanted Philemon to welcome Onesimus. But Paul did not say this openly until verse 17.

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

7a

Some translations use a connecting word at the beginning of this verse to show that verse 7 is another reason why Paul thanked God. See also verse 4. For example:

For (Revised Standard Version)

your love: Philemon was showing that he loved God’s people. This refers to the love that Paul thanked God for in verse 5.

encouragement: When Philemon showed that he loved God’s people, it helped to strengthen Paul’s ability to trust God and it helped to comfort him while he was in prison.

7b

because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints: Paul was very happy because Philemon had caused God’s people to be happy.

because: Paul was thinking about a specific way that Philemon had showed God’s people that he loved them when he mentioned Philemon’s love in 7a. Verse 7b explains what specific way of showing love Paul was thinking about in 7a.

brother: See the note on verse 1b.

refreshed: (Good News Translation🙂 “cheered.” This means when someone causes someone else to rest, to feel better, to be happy, to have new courage, to be encouraged.

the hearts of the saints: This refers to the way God’s people felt in their inner selves, in their souls.

General Comment on 1:7

Here are two different ways to translate verse 7:

My brother, you love God’s people and you have made them happy. This gives me great joy and comfort.

-or-

Brother, you love your fellow believers there and it causes me to feel great joy. It has also strengthened my faith because you have caused God’s people to be happy.

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

6

(Literal Greek translation:) that the sharing of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing in us in Christ: There are various ways to interpret this verse and, as a result, different English versions have translated it differently.

The interpretation of the first part of the verse depends on several interrelated questions:

How is the word koinōnia “fellowship, sharing” to be understood?

Who are the participants in each event? That is, with whom is Philemon sharing in believing? Is it with other Christians (later including Onesimus) or is it with Paul (and Timothy)?

What is the connection between “may become active” and “in/by knowledge”? Does the phrase “in the knowledge of every good thing” describe the means by which that fellowship or sharing becomes effectual, or is the knowledge of every good thing the result of that fellowship/sharing?

Here are three alternative interpretations that seem the most likely, out of several possibilities that commentators have suggested:

(1) That sharing (Greek: koinōnia) refers to sharing, or bonding, with others who believe the same truths. English Bible versions often translate koinōnia as “fellowship” when it has this sense. In this interpretation the meaning is that Paul was praying that Philemon would have active fellowship with other believers as he came to understand every good thing that God had done for (or in) God’s people. In this interpretation the words “in the knowledge of every good thing” refer to the means by which this fellowship or bonding would happen.

This fits well with the theme of the letter. Paul was about to appeal to Philemon to be merciful toward his runaway slave, Onesimus, because now they both believed in Christ. Although Paul had not yet mentioned his request to Philemon to forgive Onesimus, he was looking forward to the fellowship that Philemon would have with Onesimus. This would happen because they both now recognized God’s goodness to them.

(2) That Sharing means that Philemon shared his faith with others, that is, he told other people about the gospel message he believed. (New International Version and Contemporary English Version follow this interpretation.) So the phrase “in the knowledge of every good thing” could refer to the result of sharing his faith. There is more than one way to interpret what this result might be. New International Version interprets this to mean that Paul prayed that, as Philemon told others about what he believed, Philemon would gain “a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” Contemporary English Version interprets this to mean that Paul prays that as Philemon tells others about what he believes, those people “will come to know all the blessing Christ has given believers.”

(3) That Sharing means “fellowship” as in the first interpretation, but here in verse 6 it is the fellowship Paul and Timothy had with Philemon that is in focus. The words “in the knowledge of every good thing” refer to the results of Philemon’s fellowship with Paul and Timothy. Thus Good News Translation interprets the meaning of Paul’s prayer to be that, as Philemon had fellowship with Paul and Timothy, Philemon would understand more deeply all the blessings they had as they lived in union with Christ.

There are also other possible interpretations of this verse. However, the first interpretation seems to fit best with the purpose of the letter. Paul was preparing Philemon for something he was about to ask Philemon to do on behalf of their fellow believer, Onesimus. Paul was probably thinking about how Philemon could help Onesimus. He was preparing Philemon by asking him to think about the good things God had given all Christians and by urging him to act for Christ’s honor. Remembering these facts would cause Philemon to have closer fellowship with all Christians, including his slave, Onesimus, who had recently become a Christian.

There is yet another problem that you need to consider. Different versions translate the Greek phrase eis Christon at the end of the verse (among other ways) as “in Christ,” “for Christ,” or “to Christ.” There are two interpretations of how the word eis functions in this verse:

(1) The Greek word eis relates to the Greek verb that the literal English version above translates “become effective.” This would mean that the purpose for becoming effective is to honor Christ. If you agree with this interpretation, you might restate the phrase in Christ this way: “May this happen for the sake of Christ,” or “This will bring honor to Christ,” or “This will cause people to praise Christ.” Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible and the Amplified Bible follow this interpretation (1).

(2) The Greek word eis relates to the phrase “every good thing.” Thus the whole phrase would imply “all the good things that are ours because we are in union with Christ,” or “because we believe in Christ.” The Berean Standard Bible, New International Version and Good News Translation follow this interpretation (2).

There is also a textual problem in this verse. In place of en hēmin ‘in us,’ some ancient Greek manuscripts have en humin ‘in you.’ However the weight of the manuscript evidence seems to support en hēmin. Also the UBS Handbook Greek New Testament 4th edition rates this reading as a B (very probable) degree of certainty. Of the major English versions, only the King James Version and the New American Standard Bible follow the reading en humin.

The Display (first Meaning Line) for verse 6 shows a translation of verse 6 that follows interpretation (1) above:

I pray that the fellowship which you have with those who believe as you do may increase/deepen, ⌊through your ⌋ knowing all the good things ⌊that God has ⌋ given us (incl.). ⌊May this happen ⌋ for ⌊the glory of ⌋ Christ.

The notes on “fellowship”, sense A2 in Key Biblical Terms support this interpretation

Or, if you choose interpretation (2) above for verse 6, you could translate the whole verse as follows:

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will come to understand fully all the good things God has given us(incl.), and that this will result in people glorifying Christ.

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

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.

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Section 4–7

Paul thanks God for Philemon and prays for him

After Paul greeted Philemon and his friends, Paul thanked God for him and prayed for him. This is the way he started most of his letters. For other examples, see Philippians 1:3–11 and Colossians 1:3–14. Before he asked Philemon to do something, Paul wanted to tell Philemon how much he loved and respected him. Paul thanked God because Philemon had faith in the Lord Jesus, and because he loved God’s people. This love gave Paul great joy. And Paul prayed that Philemon’s fellowship with other believers would increase and deepen because he (Philemon) knows the good things that God has given believers.

In this Section Paul wrote directly to Philemon. He used only “you (sing)” in verses 4–21, not “you (plur)” as he did in the beginning and end of the letter.

Read verses 4–7 carefully in the Berean Standard Bible and the Good News Translation, and then read the following notes before translating.

4

Verse 4 could have one of two meanings:

(1) Every time I pray for you I thank God (for you) (New International Version, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004)). This means that Paul did not thank God for Philemon every time he prayed.

(2) Every time I pray I thank God for you. (Good News Translation, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Jerusalem Bible). This means that Paul did thank God for Philemon every time he prayed.

The first meaning is probably what Paul intended.

my God: This means “The God I know and belong to and worship.” Paul related to God in a very personal way. But a literal translation of the phrase “my God” may imply a wrong meaning in some languages. Check carefully on this point.

remembering: Paul meant that when he prayed he “mentioned” Philemon to God, he “prayed for” him. Be careful not to use a word that would imply he had forgotten Philemon and then remembered him.

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

3

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Many Christians greeted one another in this way (verse 3) in the early days of Christianity. It is as if Paul was saying a prayer, asking God to bless those he was writing to.

Grace and peace: This was a greeting and blessing Paul often used in his letters. (For example, 1 Corinthians 1:3, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2).

Grace: The word Grace in this context means “kindness, favor, good will, or blessing.” Paul was asking God to be kind to those to whom he was writing. He wanted God to favor them. Try to think of ways in your language for asking God to bless someone. The term Grace is an important term in the New Testament. See “grace”, sense A2(b) in Key Biblical Terms.

peace: Paul meant “peace of heart” here. This results from a person having peace with God. The term peace also implies “peace with one another.” People who have peace of heart normally live in peace with one another.

to you: The word you is plural here and thus includes all the people whom Paul addressed in the first two verses.

God our Father: For Christians, God is like a father, one who loves us and cares for us.

Lord: The word Lord here in verse 3 means “master” or “leader.” Jesus Christ is our spiritual leader. We who are Christians should obey him as a servant obeys his master. See “Christ”, sense 4 in Key Biblical Terms .

© 1996, 2020 by SIL International®

Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.

All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.

BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.