Philemon 1 1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved and our co-worker, 基督耶稣的被囚者保禄,和弟茂德弟兄,致书给我们可爱的合作者费肋孟, 2 to Apphia our sister, 2 to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church at your house. 并给姊妺阿丕雅和我们的战友阿尔希颇,以及在你家中的教会。 3 Grace to you and peace 3 from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 愿恩宠与平安,由天主我们的父及主耶稣基督赐与你们! 4 4 I give thanks to my God always, remembering you in my prayers, 在我的祈祷中记念你时,我常感谢我的天主, 5 as I hear of the love and the faith you have in the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones, 5 因为听说你对主耶稣,和对众圣徒所表现的爱德与信德。 6 so that your partnership in the faith may become effective in recognizing every good there is in us 6 that leads to Christ. 我祈求天主,为使你因信德而怀有的慷慨发生功效,使你认清我们所能行的一切善事,都是为基督而行的。 7 For I have experienced much joy and encouragement 7 from your love, because the hearts of the holy ones have been refreshed by you, brother. 弟兄,我由于你的爱德,确实获得了极大的喜乐和安慰,因为借着你,圣徒们的心都舒畅了。 8 Therefore, although I have the full right 8 in Christ to order you to do what is proper, 为此,我虽然在基督内,能放心大胆地命你去作这件该作的事, 9 I rather urge you out of love, being as I am, Paul, an old man, 9 and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus. 可是,我这年老的保禄,如今且为基督耶稣作囚犯的,宁愿因着爱德求你, 10 I urge you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whose father I have become in my imprisonment, 就是为我在锁链中所生的儿子敖乃息摩来求你。 11 who was once useless to you but is now useful 10 to (both) you and me. 他曾一度为你是无用的,可是,如今为你为我都有用了; 12 I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. 我现今把他给你打发回去,【你收下】他,他是我的心肝。 13 I should have liked to retain him for myself, so that he might serve 11 me on your behalf in my imprisonment for the gospel, 我本来愿意将他留在我这里,叫他替你服侍我这为福音而被囚的人, 14 but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that the good you do might not be forced but voluntary. 可是没有你的同意,我什么也不愿意做,好叫你所行的善不是出于勉强,而是出于甘心。 15 Perhaps this is why he was away from 12 you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 也许他暂时离开了你,是为叫你永远收下他, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a brother, beloved especially to me, but even more so to you, as a man 13 and in the Lord. 不再当一个奴隶,而是超过奴隶,作可爱的弟兄:他为我特别可爱,但为你不拘是论肉身方面,或是论主方面,更加可爱。 17 So if you regard me as a partner, welcome him as you would me. 所以,若你以我为同志,就收留他当作收留我罢! 18 14 And if he has done you any injustice or owes you anything, charge it to me. 他若亏负了你或欠下你什么,就算在我的账上罢! 19 I, Paul, write this in my own hand: I will pay. May I not tell you that you owe me your very self. 我保禄亲手签字:“我必要偿还。”至于你,你所欠于我的,竟是你本身:这我就不必对你说了! 20 Yes, brother, may I profit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ. 弟兄!望你使我在主内得此恩惠,并在基督内使我的心舒畅! 21 With trust in your compliance I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. 我自信你必听从,才给你写了这信,我知道就是超过我所说的,你也必作。 22 At the same time prepare a guest room for me, for I hope to be granted to you through your prayers. 同时也请你给我准备一个住处,因为我希望因你们的祈祷,主必要把我赐与你们。 23 Epaphras, 15 my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 为基督耶稣与我一同被囚的厄帕夫辣、 24 as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers. 我的合作者马尔谷、阿黎斯塔苛、德玛斯、路加都问候你。 25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 愿主耶稣基督的恩宠,与你们的心灵同在!阿们。 Footnotes(注解) 1 [1] Prisoner: as often elsewhere (cf Romans, 1 Cor, Gal especially), the second word in Greek enunciates the theme and sets the tone of the letter. Here it is the prisoner appealing rather than the apostle commanding. 2 [2] Apphia our sister: sister is here used (like brother) to indicate a fellow Christian. The church at your house: your here is singular. It more likely refers to Philemon than to the last one named, Archippus; Philemon is then the owner of the slave Onesimus (Philippians 1:10). An alternate view is that the actual master of the slave is Archippus and that the one to whom the letter is addressed, Philemon, is the most prominent Christian there; see the note on Col 4:17. 3 [3] Grace . . . and peace: for this greeting, which may be a combination of Greek and Aramaic epistolary formulae, see the note on Romans 1:1-7. 4 [4] In my prayers: literally, "at the time of my prayers." 5 [5] Holy ones: a common term for members of the Christian community (so also Philippians 1:7). 6 [6] In us: some good ancient manuscripts have in you (plural). That leads to Christ: leads to translates the Greek preposition eis, indicating direction or purpose. 7 [7] Encouragement: the Greek word paraklesis is cognate with the verb translated "urge" in Philippians 1:9, 10, and serves as an introduction to Paul's plea. Hearts: literally, "bowels," expressing in Semitic fashion the seat of the emotions, one's "inmost self." The same Greek word is used in Philippians 1:12 and again in Philippians 1:20, where it forms a literary inclusion marking off the body of the letter. 8 [8] Full right: often translated "boldness," the Greek word parresia connotes the full franchise of speech, as the right of a citizen to speak before the body politic, claimed by the Athenians as their privilege (Euripides). 9 [9] Old man: some editors conjecture that Paul here used a similar Greek word meaning "ambassador" (cf Eph 6:20). This conjecture heightens the contrast with "prisoner" but is totally without manuscript support. 10 [11] Useless . . . useful: here Paul plays on the name Onesimus, which means "useful" or "beneficial." The verb translated "profit" in Philippians 1:20 is cognate. 11 [13] Serve: the Greek diakoneo could connote a ministry. 12 [15] Was away from: literally, "was separated from," but the same verb means simply "left" in Acts 18:1. It is a euphemism for his running away. 13 [16] As a man: literally, "in the flesh." With this and the following phrase, Paul describes the natural and spiritual orders. 14 [18-19] Charge it to me . . . I will pay: technical legal and commercial terms in account keeping and acknowledgment of indebtedness. 15 [23-24] Epaphras: a Colossian who founded the church there (Col 1:7) and perhaps also in |