Philemon 1:14

¹² Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

¹³ Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

¹⁵ For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;

¹⁶ Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

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: But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.
KJV: But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.
WEB: But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.
ASV: but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will.
DARBY: but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness:
BLB: But apart from your consent I wanted to do nothing, so that your good may be not as according to necessity, but according to willingness.

ÅB: men jeg ville ikke gjøre det uten ditt samtykke, for at godheten din ikke skulle være av tvang, men av fri vilje.
OTB: Men jeg ville ikke gjøre noe uten ditt samtykke, så din godhet ikke ville være av tvang, men av din egen frie vilje.
B1930: men uten ditt samtykke vilde jeg intet gjøre, forat din godhet ikke skulde være som av tvang, men av fri vilje.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

2 Corinthians 9:7
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Read in context
1 Peter 5:2–3
Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
Read in context
1 Chronicles 29:17
I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
Read in context
1 Corinthians 9:17
For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
Read in context
2 Corinthians 8:12
For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
Read in context
2 Corinthians 9:5
Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
Read in context
Philemon 1:8–9
Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,
Read in context
Psalms 110:3
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Read in context