Philemon 10-14. Though Paul’s friend has been a great help to other Christians, Paul knows he could easily react badly to his ‘useless’ returning slave. So the apostle writes to impress upon his friend just how much Christ has changed
Trust and respect
Philemon 7-10. Paul’s prayer was for his friend’s love to be applied more widely. Now he turns to what that means in practice: welcoming back his slave not with harsh anger but as a Christian brother. However, Paul doesn’t command
Do good to all
Philemon 4-6. After his greeting, Paul next mentions his prayers for the recipient. In his words we hear indications of the way he will write in the rest of the letter. He thanks God for his friend’s faith and the