(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Greeting
- Paul – a prisoner of Jesus the Anointed – and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved brother and fellow worker;
- and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house.
- Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Anointed Lord Jesus.
- I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
- hearing of your ^love and the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus, and for all the saints,
- praying so that the partnership of your faith might become effective in the knowledge of every good thing in us for the Anointed.
- For I had great joy and encouragement on account of your ^love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you brother.
Concerning Onesimus
- Therefore, having much boldness in the Anointed to order you to do what is fitting,
- but for the sake of ^love, I would rather implore you – being such a man as Paul, an old man – and now also a prisoner of Jesus the Anointed.
- I implore you concerning my own child Onesimus whom I fathered in my chains,
- (he was once useless to you, but now is useful to both me and you)
- whom I sent back to you himself (who is my own heart)
- whom I was strongly desiring to keep with myself so he might minister to me on your behalf in my chains for the gospel.
- But I wanted to do nothing without your consent, so your good deed might not be like it’s from compulsion, but from a voluntary choice.
- For perhaps he was separated from you for a while because of this, so you might have him for an age.
- And no longer as a slave, but more than a slave; a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
- Therefore, if you have me as a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
- But if he wronged you somehow, or he owes you, charge this to my account:
- I Paul wrote this with my own hand and I will repay it, so I don’t have to mention to you that you yourself are also indebted to me.
- Yes brother; may I benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in the Anointed.
- I wrote to you being *confident of your obedience, *knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.
- And at the same time, also prepare a lodging for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given freely to you.
- Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Jesus the Anointed, greets you,
- as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke; my fellow workers.
- The grace of the Anointed Lord Jesus be with your spirit. [Amen]
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