OET-RV PHM book

This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

Introduction

Philemon was known to be a follower of Yeshua and he was a member of a group of believers in the city of Colossae. He was the owner of a slave named Onesimus. Onesimus had fled from his master and eventually met Paul the missionary in prison in Rome. It was there that Onesimus became a believer in Yeshua because of Paul’s sharing of the good message. Here in Paul’s letter to Philemon, Paul requests that the good relationship be restored between Philemon and his slave, Onesimus. Because Paul sent Onesimus back to Philemon, he wanted Philemon to take his slave back in, not just because he’d forgiven his slave, but also because his slave was now a fellow believer and hence his brother.

Main components of Paul’s letter

Introduction 1-3

Praising Philemon 4-7

Paul’s request to Philemon concerning Onesimus 8-22

Ending 23-25

This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

1:4 Paul’s prayer and gratefulness

4 Philemon, I’m always thanking my God and mentioning you in my prayers 5 after hearing your faith and about your love for the master Yeshua and for all the believers. 6 I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become active in the knowledge of every good thing in us toward the messiah. [WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???] 7 Because I was very happy and encouraged by your love, because the hearts of the believers have been refreshed by you, brother.

1:8 Paul’s request to Philemon concerning Onesimus

8 Therefore, with the help of the messiah, I would be brave enough to tell you what you need to do, 9 but because of love as Paul, an older man and now also a prisoner for Yeshua the messiah, I’m just going to encourage you to do it. 10 [ref]So I’m going to encourage you concerning Onesimus who became my spiritual ‘son’ since I’ve been imprisoned. 11 Before he was useless to you, but now he’s useful to both of us.

12 I sent him to you (even though in my heart 13 I wanted to keep him here) so that he might be serving me here due to the bonds of the good message 14 but I didn’t want to do anything without hearing your opinion, so that you’re not doing good because you have to, but rather because you want to.

15 It was possibly because of that that he was separated from you for a while, so that on the eternal scale you could fully accept him, 16 no longer as a slave but better than a slave—a dear brother to me most of you but preferably also to you—a brother in the body and in the master.

17 Therefore, if you consider me as your partner, accept him like you’d accept me, 18 but if he did anything wrong to you or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, wrote this bit in my own handwriting. I will pay back anything he owes you, then I won’t need to be reminding you that you pretty much owe yourself to me. 20 Yes, brother, with both of us being in the master, I might hopefully benefit from you—refresh my heart in the messiah.

21 I wrote to you because I was sure that you’d obey my request, in fact knowing that you’d do even more than what I ask.

1:22 Paul’s final greetings

22 Go ahead and prepare somewhere for me to stay because I’m hoping that I’ll be able to visit thanks to you all praying for me. 23 [ref]Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Yeshua the messiah, sends his greetings 24 [ref]as do my fellow-workers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.

25 May the grace of our master, Yeshua the messiah, be with the spirit of you all there. May it be so.