Philemon 1:23

Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be courageous! Be strong!

Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.

The whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly,

Now I beg you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet them of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.

Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.

even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf,

yet for love’s sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

These accompanied him as far as Asia: Sopater of Beroea; Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians; Gaius of Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.

So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”

Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who were also in Christ before me.

Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

for which I also labor, striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord.

Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but endure hardship for the Good News according to the power of God,

Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake.

Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus,

Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.

Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”

We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing.

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I don’t know, or whether out of the body, I don’t know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven.

I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ,

Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

For this cause, we also, since the day we heard this, don’t cease praying and making requests for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

We proclaim him, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus;

Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving,

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,

Therefore he was obligated in all things to be made like his brothers, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

who was faithful to him who appointed him, as also Moses was in all his house.

For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

Say, ‘The king says, “Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.” ’ ”

For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t despise his captive people.

Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am restricted. I can’t go into Yahweh’s house.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season?

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Being in agony he prayed more earnestly. His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.

Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

When they were at Salamis, they proclaimed God’s word in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their attendant.

Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

that you receive her in the Lord, in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.

Now concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who has obtained mercy from the Lord to be trustworthy.

Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often.

Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ,

But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need,

Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds,

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”),

Even so, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you, not the Good News of God only, but also our own souls, because you had become very dear to us.

and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith,

May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The things which you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit the same things to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

in which I suffer hardship to the point of chains as a criminal. But God’s word isn’t chained.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.

Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son.