Philemon 1:12
“Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul is sending Onesimus back to Philemon and asks him to welcome the man, whom Paul loves as his own heart.
What Does Philemon 1:12 Mean?
Paul now states the action he has taken: he is sending Onesimus back to his master, as was right. But he sends him with an extraordinary plea, asking Philemon to receive him, calling Onesimus mine own bowels, that is, my very heart.
This is costly love. Paul does not hide or keep the runaway; he returns him, but wrapped in the warmest possible appeal. To welcome Onesimus is now to welcome Paul's own heart. The verse shows how deeply one soul can come to love another in Christ, and it presses Philemon toward grace, for how could he reject a man so dear to the friend he honors?