Philemon 1:10
“I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul finally names his request: he pleads for Onesimus, whom he calls his own son, born to the faith during Paul's imprisonment.
What Does Philemon 1:10 Mean?
At last the name is spoken: Onesimus. He was Philemon's servant who had departed, but in prison he met Paul and came to faith in Christ. Paul calls him my son, whom I have begotten in my bonds, the language of spiritual fatherhood for one he has led to new life.
By naming Onesimus only after pages of warmth, Paul has prepared Philemon's heart to receive him differently. The runaway is now a brother, a son of the same gospel. Even chains could not stop new birth; Paul's imprisonment became the very place where a soul was won. The verse testifies that God brings forth life in the most unlikely of circumstances, turning a fugitive into a beloved child.