Philemon 1:17
“If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul asks Philemon, on the strength of their partnership, to welcome Onesimus exactly as he would welcome Paul himself.
What Does Philemon 1:17 Mean?
Now Paul makes his boldest request, brief and direct. If Philemon counts Paul a partner, a sharer in the same faith and mission, then he should receive Onesimus as he would receive Paul himself. The runaway is to be welcomed with the honor due an apostle and friend.
This is a stunning act of identification. Paul places himself fully alongside Onesimus, so that to embrace the servant is to embrace Paul. It echoes the deeper truth of the gospel, in which One stood in the place of the guilty so they might be received as beloved. The verse calls every believer to extend to the lowly the same welcome they would give to the most honored, for in Christ they are joined as one.