20 So brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: give new life to my heart in Christ.
For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother.
For if I give you sorrow, who then will make me glad, but he who is made sad by me?
My words to you are without fear, I am full of pride on account of you: I have great comfort and joy in all our troubles. For even when we had come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; there were fightings outside and fears inside. But God who gives comfort to the poor in spirit gave us comfort by the coming of Titus; And not by his coming only, but by the comfort which he had in you, while he gave us word of your desire, your sorrow, your care for me; so that I was still more glad.
So we have been comforted: and we had the greater joy in our comfort because of the joy of Titus, for his spirit had been made glad by you all.
For God is my witness, how my love goes out to you all in the loving mercies of Christ Jesus.
So my brothers, well loved and very dear to me, my joy and crown, be strong in the Lord, my loved ones.
For what is our hope or joy or crown of glory? Are not even you, before our Lord Jesus, at his coming? For you are our glory and our joy.
For this cause, brothers, in all our trouble and grief we were comforted about you because of your faith; For it is life to us if you keep your faith in the Lord unchanged. For how great is the praise which we give to God for you, and how great the joy with which we are glad because of you before our God;
Whom I have sent back to you, him who is my very heart:
Give ear to those who are rulers over you, and do as they say: for they keep watch over your souls, ready to give an account of them; let them be able to do this with joy and not with grief, because that would be of no profit to you.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Philemon 1
Commentary on Philemon 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 1
In this epistle we have,
Phm 1:1-7
Phm 1:8-25
We have here,
Amen is added, not only for strong and affectionate summing up the prayer and wish, so let it be; but as an expression of faith that it will be heard, so shall it be. And what need we more to make us happy than to have the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with our spirit? This is the usual benediction, but it may be taken here to have some special respect also to the occasion; the grace of Christ with their spirits, Philemon's especially, would sweeten and mollify them, take off too deep and keen resentments of injuries, and dispose to forgive others as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us.