AD PHILEMONEM EPISTULA SANCTI PAULI APOSTOLI – LETTER TO PHILEMON

AD PHILEMONEM EPISTULA SANCTI PAULI APOSTOLI 

1 Paulus vinctus Christi Iesu et Timotheus frater Philemoni dilecto et adiutori nostro 
2 et Apphiae sorori et Archippo commilitoni nostro et ecclesiae, quae in domo tua est:
3 gratia vobis et pax a Deo Patre nostro et Domino Iesu Christo.

(…)

LETTER TO PHILEMON

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¹ Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved and our co-worker,

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to Apphia our sister, ² to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house.

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Grace to you and peace ³ from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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⁴ I give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers,

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as I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones, ⁵

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so that your partnership in the faith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in us ⁶ that leads to Christ.

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For I have experienced much joy and encouragement ⁷ from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother.

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Therefore, although I have the full right ⁸ in Christ to order you to do what is proper,

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I rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man, ⁹ and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus.

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I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment,

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who was once useless to you but is now useful ¹⁰ to (both) you and me.

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I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you.

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I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve ¹¹ me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel,

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but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary.

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Perhaps this is why he was away from ¹² you for a while, that you might have him back forever,

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no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man ¹³ and in the Lord.

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So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me.

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¹⁴ And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me.

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I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay. May I not tell you that you owe me your very self.

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Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

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With trust in your compliance I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

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At the same time prepare a guest room for me, for I hope to be granted to you through your prayers.

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Epaphras, ¹⁵ my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

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as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.

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The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

 

1 [1] Prisoner: as often elsewhere (cf Romans, 1 Cor, Gal especially), the second word in Greek enunciates the theme and sets the tone of the letter. Here it is the prisoner appealing rather than the apostle commanding.

2 [2] Apphia our sister: sister is here used (like brother) to indicate a fellow Christian. The church at your house: your here is singular. It more likely refers to Philemon than to the last one named, Archippus; Philemon is then the owner of the slave Onesimus (⇒ Philippians 1:10). An alternate view is that the actual master of the slave is Archippus and that the one to whom the letter is addressed, Philemon, is the most prominent Christian there; see the note on ⇒ Col 4:17.

3 [3] Grace . . . and peace: for this greeting, which may be a combination of Greek and Aramaic epistolary formulae, see the note on ⇒ Romans 1:1-7.

4 [4] In my prayers: literally, “at the time of my prayers.”

5 [5] Holy ones: a common term for members of the Christian community (so also ⇒ Philippians 1:7).

6 [6] In us: some good ancient manuscripts have in you (plural). That leads to Christ: leads to translates the Greek preposition eis, indicating direction or purpose.

7 [7] Encouragement: the Greek word paraklesis is cognate with the verb translated “urge” in ⇒ Philippians 1:9, ⇒ 10, and serves as an introduction to Paul’s plea. Hearts: literally, “bowels,” expressing in Semitic fashion the seat of the emotions, one’s “inmost self.” The same Greek word is used in ⇒ Philippians 1:12 and again in ⇒ Philippians 1:20, where it forms a literary inclusion marking off the body of the letter.

8 [8] Full right: often translated “boldness,” the Greek word parresia connotes the full franchise of speech, as the right of a citizen to speak before the body politic, claimed by the Athenians as their privilege (Euripides).

9 [9] Old man: some editors conjecture that Paul here used a similar Greek word meaning “ambassador” (cf ⇒ Eph 6:20). This conjecture heightens the contrast with “prisoner” but is totally without manuscript support.

10 [11] Useless . . . useful: here Paul plays on the name Onesimus, which means “useful” or “beneficial.” The verb translated “profit” in ⇒ Philippians 1:20 is cognate.

11 [13] Serve: the Greek diakoneo could connote a ministry.

12 [15] Was away from: literally, “was separated from,” but the same verb means simply “left” in ⇒ Acts 18:1. It is a euphemism for his running away.

13 [16] As a man: literally, “in the flesh.” With this and the following phrase, Paul describes the natural and spiritual orders.

14 [18-19] Charge it to me . . . I will pay: technical legal and commercial terms in account keeping and acknowledgment of indebtedness.

15 [23-24] Epaphras: a Colossian who founded the church there (⇒ Col 1:7) and perhaps also in Laodicea and Hierapolis (⇒ Col 2:1; ⇒ 4:12-13). Aristarchus: a native of Thessalonica and fellow worker of Paul (⇒ Acts 19:29; ⇒ 20:4; ⇒ 27:2). For Mark, Demas, and Luke, see ⇒ 2 Tim 4:9-13 and the note there.

NOVA VULGATA

AD PHILEMONEM EPISTULA SANCTI PAULI APOSTOLI 

1 Paulus vinctus Christi Iesu et Timotheus frater Philemoni dilecto et adiutori nostro 
2 et Apphiae sorori et Archippo commilitoni nostro et ecclesiae, quae in domo tua est:
3 gratia vobis et pax a Deo Patre nostro et Domino Iesu Christo.
4 Gratias ago Deo meo semper memoriam tui faciens in orationibus meis,
5 audiens caritatem tuam et fidem, quam habes in Dominum Iesum et in omnes sanctos,
6 ut communio fidei tuae evidens fiat in agnitione omnis boni, quod est in nobis in Christum;
7 gaudium enim magnum habui et consolationem in caritate tua, quia viscera sanctorum requieverunt per te, frater.
8 Propter quod multam fiduciam habens in Christo imperandi tibi, quod ad rem pertinet,
9 propter caritatem magis obsecro, cum sim talis ut Paulus senex, nunc autem et vinctus Christi Iesu;
10 obsecro te de meo filio, quem genui in vinculis, Onesimo,
11 qui tibi aliquando inutilis fuit, nunc autem et tibi et mihi utilis,
12 quem remisi tibi: eum, hoc est viscera mea;
13 quem ego volueram mecum detinere, ut pro te mihi ministraret in vinculis evangelii.
14 Sine consilio autem tuo nihil volui facere, uti ne velut ex necessitate bonum tuum esset sed voluntarium.
15 Forsitan enim ideo discessit ad horam, ut aeternum illum reciperes,
16 iam non ut servum sed plus servo, carissimum fratrem, maxime mihi, quanto autem magis tibi et in carne et in Domino.
17 Si ergo habes me socium, suscipe illum sicut me.
18 Si autem aliquid nocuit tibi aut debet, hoc mihi imputa.
19 Ego Paulus scripsi mea manu, ego reddam; ut non dicam tibi quod et teipsum mihi debes.
20 Ita, frater! Ego te fruar in Domino; refice viscera mea in Christo!
21 Confidens oboedientia tua scripsi tibi, sciens quoniam et super id, quod dico, facies.
22 Simul autem et para mihi hospitium, nam spero per orationes vestras donari me vobis.
23 Salutat te Epaphras, concaptivus meus in Christo Iesu,
24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, adiutores mei.
25 Gratia Domini Iesu Christi cum spiritu vestro.