Colossians & Philemon
Paul wrote these two letters at the same time and to brethren in the same gathering. We can see that his thoughts in both are following the same paths. For that reason, although it is good to study Philemon in its own right, still, there is something to be gained by regarding Philemon almost as a fifth "chapter" of Colossians. God is speaking something special through these two letters together.
JSV - Colossians-Philemon
1:1 Paul, an apostle, that is, one sent of Christ Jesus through the desire of God, along with brother Timothy, 2 to the holy ones in Colossae and the faithful brothers and sisters inside of Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3 We give thanks to the God and Father or our Lord, Jesus Christ, in praying always for you, 4 having heard of your faith inside of Christ Jesus and the love that you have into all the holy ones, 5 through the hope being stored up for you inside the heavens, which you heard of before inside the word of truth, the gospel, 6 which is present in you. Just as in all the world the gospel is bearing fruit and increasing, so it is doing the same in you, from the day you heard and acknowledged the grace of God inside of truth. 7 You learned the same gospel from Epaphras the beloved, our fellow bond-servant, who is faithful on our behalf, a servant of Christ, the one who also declared to us your love inside of Spirit.
9 Because of this we also, from the day we heard, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the acknowledgement of His desire inside of all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 to walk worthily of the Lord into all desire to please in every good work, bringing forth fruit and increasing in the acknowledgement of God, 11 being empowered with all power according to His glorious might of completion, into all perseverance and longsuffering with joy, 12 giving thanks and speaking good grace to the Father, the One having made you sufficient into the portion of the inheritance of the holy ones inside of the light. 13 He has rescued us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, inside of whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He, the Son, is the image, that is, the appearance to creation of the invisible God and the firstborn of all creation, 16 because inside of Him all things were created, both inside of the heavens and upon the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or primaries or authorities; all things have been created through Him and into Him. 17 And He is before as the source of all things, and inside of Him all things are connected together. 18 And He is the head of the Body, the Church, as well as the source, the firstborn out from the dead, so that inside of all, He might hold preeminence.
19 For inside of Him all the fulness [of Father] was pleased to dwell, 20 and through Him to reconcile all completely into Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him, whether things upon the earth or things inside of the heavens. 21 And you, once being alienated and hostile in mind inside of evil deeds, now, however, He has completely reconciled you 22 inside of the body of His flesh through death, placing you beside Himself holy and unblemished and blameless in His presence, 23 if indeed you continue in faith, established and firm, and not being moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard; the gospel which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
24 Now, I rejoice in sufferings for your sake, and I am filling up that which is lacking of the travailing pressures of Christ in my flesh for the sake of His Body, which is the Church, 25 of which I became a servant, according to the stewardship of God having been given me into you, to make the Word of God full and complete. 26 The mystery which has been hidden and concealed from the ages and from the generations, has now, however, been made clear and visible to His holy ones, 27 to whom God desires to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the ethnic peoples, which is Christ inside of you, the hope of glory. 28 We preach Christ, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, so that we may present every man perfect and complete inside of Christ. 29 Into this also I labor, contending according to His energeia energeoing in power inside of me.
2:1 I want you to be aware how great is the great agony I am having for your sake, and those in Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together already inside of love, and into all the wealth of the full carrying of understanding into the acknowledgement, that is, the personal and stated knowledge of the mystery of God, which is Christ, 3 inside of whom are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I say this so that no one might misguide you in persuasive argument. 5 For if I am absent in the flesh, yet I am together with you in spirit, rejoicing and seeing your good order and the firmness of your faith into Christ Jesus. 6 Therefore, just as you have aggressively received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk inside of Him, 7 having been rooted and constructed together inside of Him and standing firmly in the faith just as you were taught, abounding inside of it in speaking good grace and giving thanks.
8 Watch, lest anyone of you should be taken captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the fundamentals of the world and not according to Christ. 9 For inside of Him dwells all the fullness of a Personal God bodily, 10 and inside of Him, you are made full, fulfilled, and complete, who is the head over all influence and authority.
a The curse of the law – the soul that sins shall die.
b The Roman celebration of a victory already won in the display of all the defeated foes, now in chains.
16 Let no one, therefore, judge you in food or in drink or in one’s portion of a feast or the first of the month, or [the keeping of] Sabbaths, 17 which are an outline of the things about to happen; the body or substance, however, is of Christ. 18 Let no one call an offense against you, one who desires in [false and outward] humility of mind and the worship of angels, which he has intruded into to spy out, being arrogant without purpose or reason by the mind of his flesh, 19 and does not seize hold of the Head, that is, the One who connects. Out from that Head, the entire body, through the joints that bind together, being lavishly supplied and knit together, increases with the increase of God.
20 If you have died together with Christ away from the fundamentals of the world, why do you subject yourself to rules as if living in the world? 21 You shall not handle! You shall not taste! You shall not touch! 22 These things decay with the use, according to the religious injunctions and teachings of men, 23 which indeed contain a word having wisdom in religious self-desires and [false] humility and harsh treatment of the body, but these things are not of any honor or value towards the filling up or satisfaction of the flesh.
3:1 If you have already been raised together with Christ, then seek and enquire of the things above, where Christ is sitting inside of the right hand of God. 2 Think in your gut, in your own self-story and identity, the things above, and not the things upon the earth. 3 For you have already and fully died, and your life has been hidden together with Christ inside of God. 4 Whenever Christ your life may become visible and clear [to you], then you also will become visible, clearly with Him inside of glory.
5 Regard as already dead, therefore, the members which are upon the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil strong desire, and covetousness or desire for advantage, which is idolatry. 6 Through these things is coming the angry opposition of God on the sons of willful refusal and unbelief, 7 in which you also once walked when you were living in them.
8 Now, however, lay aside all these: anger, outburst of passion, malice, slander, and foul and abusive words out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie or mislead one another, for you have already completely stripped away the old man with his practices, 10 and have already fully put on and enclothed yourself with the New, which was made completely new into the acknowledgement of the finest details of the image of the One who created him. 11 Inside of this One there is no Greek and Judean, no circumcised and not circumcised, no barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all inside of all.
12 Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on, enclothe yourself with, sink into the inward parts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and longsuffering, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving each other, if anyone should have a complaint towards another. In exactly the same way that the Lord has forgiven you, so also you forgive. 14 Now, upon all these, put on love, which is the binding together of perfection and the completion of the end purpose. 15 And let the peace of Christ act as the umpire inside of your hearts, into which also you were called inside of one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell at home inside of you richly, inside of all wisdom, teaching and placing each other’s minds inside of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing inside of grace inside your hearts to God. 17 And everything which you might do in word or in deed, do all of it inside of the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks, speaking good grace to God the Father through Him.
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands to the extent that would be proper inside of the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh towards them. 20 Children, listen to your parents in all things; for this is well-pleasing inside of the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke or irritate your children, so that they do not become disheartened. 22 Slaves, listen to your masters according to the flesh in all things, not in eye-service as men-pleasers, but in sincerity and graciousness of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you might do, work out of the soul, as to the Lord and not to men, 19 being aware that from the Lord you will receive as due the reward of the inheritance. You serve the Lord Christ. 25 But the one doing wrong will receive back from what he has done wrong, for there is no partiality. 4:1 Masters, give that which is just and equal to your slaves, being aware that you also have a Master inside of heaven.
4:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, vigilantly watching inside of it and inside of thanksgiving and speaking good grace. 3 Pray at the same time also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, through which I also have been bound 4 so that I should make it clear, as it is necessary for me to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward those outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your words always be inside of grace, having been seasoned with salt, to be aware of the best way for you to answer or converse with each one.
7 The things concerning me, Tychicus will make all known to you, the beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave inside of the Lord, 8 whom I sent towards you for this purpose, that you might know the things concerning us, and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things here. 10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark the cousin [or nephew] of Barnabas, (concerning whom you have received instructions – if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and also Jesus called Justus, being out of the circumcision, these fellow workers into the kingdom of God have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, greets you, a servant of Christ Jesus, always contending for your sake in prayers, so that you may stand perfected and completed and fully assured, convinced, and completed inside of all the desire of God. 13 For I testify of him that he has great concern for you, for your sake, and those in the cities of Laodicea and Hiera. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, greets you, and also Demas. 15 Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and also Nympha and those assembling in her house.
16 And when this letter shall be read among you, cause also that it may be read in the church of the Laodiceans, and the one of Laodicea, that you also may read. 17 And say to Archippus, take heed to the service that you have received inside of the Lord, that you may fulfill it. 18 This greeting is in my own hand, Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Let it be so – it is so.
Philemon
1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker 2 and to Apphia our sister and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, 5 hearing of your love and the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the holy ones, 6 such that the fellowship and sharing of your faith might be energeoing inside of the acknowledgment of every good thing that is inside of us, inside of Christ. 7 For I have great joy and encouragement because of your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed through you, brother.
8 Therefore, possessing abundant bold speaking inside of Christ to direct you in what is suitable 9 for the sake of love, even more, as I am such a one as Paul the aged, now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus, I encourage you. 10 I encourage you for my child, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in chains. 11 He was once useless to you, now he is useful, however, both to you and to me. 12 I have sent him back to you in person – he who is my very heart – 13 whom I was wanting to keep with myself, so that he might serve me in the chains of the gospel on your behalf. 14 Apart from your consent, however, I wanted to do nothing, so that your good may be, not according to necessity, but according to willingness. 15 For perhaps because of this, he was separated from you for a time, so that you might possess him age-abiding, 16 no longer as a slave, but above a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, how much more, however, to you both inside the sphere of flesh and inside of the Lord.
17 If, therefore, you consider me a partner, receive him as me. 18 If he has wronged you in any way, however, or he owes you, charge it to me. 19 I, Paul, have written with my own hand. I will repay it. May I not say to you that you owe even yourself to me also? 20 Yes, brother, I would have benefit from you inside the Lord. Refresh my inward parts inside of Christ. 21 Since I am persuaded of your attentive hearing, I write to you, knowing that you will do even above what I say.
22 At the same time, prepare also a lodging for me. I hope that through your prayers I will be granted to you. 23 Epaphras greets you, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Let it be so – it is so.