Philemon 1:11
9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.
10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.
Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
13 I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
- KJV
- Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
- WEB
- who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.
- ASV
- who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:
- DARBY
- once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:
- BLB
- the one once useless to you, but now useful both to you and to me,
- ÅB
- Tidligere var han unyttig for deg, men nå er han nyttig både for deg og for meg. Han sender jeg tilbake til deg.
- OTB
- Han var tidligere ubrukelig for deg, men nå er han nyttig både for deg og for meg.
- B1930
- som fordum var unyttig for dig, men nu er nyttig for dig og for mig, han som jeg sender tilbake til dig.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
2 Timothy 4:11
Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is useful to me in the ministry.
Read in contextJob 30:1–2
“But now they mock me, men younger than I am, whose fathers I would have refused to entrust with my sheep dogs.
Read in context1 Peter 2:10
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Read in contextLuke 15:32
But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Read in contextRomans 3:12
All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Read in contextMatthew 25:30
And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Read in contextLuke 17:10
So you also, when you have done everything commanded of you, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Read in contextLuke 15:24
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
Read in context