Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. New Living Translation Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. English Standard Version (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) Berean Standard Bible Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. Berean Literal Bible once useless to you, but now useful both to you and to me, King James Bible Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: New King James Version who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. New American Standard Bible who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. NASB 1995 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. NASB 1977 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. Legacy Standard Bible who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. Amplified Bible Once he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you as well as to me. Christian Standard Bible Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. Holman Christian Standard Bible Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. American Standard Version who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me: Contemporary English Version Before this, he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. English Revised Version who was aforetime unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me: GOD'S WORD® Translation Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful to both of us. Good News Translation At one time he was of no use to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me. International Standard Version Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful both to you and to me. Majority Standard Bible Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. NET Bible who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me. New Heart English Bible who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me. Webster's Bible Translation Who in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me: Weymouth New Testament Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me. World English Bible who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me. Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionwho once was to you unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to you, Berean Literal Bible once useless to you, but now useful both to you and to me, Young's Literal Translation who once was to thee unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to thee, Smith's Literal Translation Once unprofitable to thee, but now more profitable to thee and to me: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleWho hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable both to me and thee, Catholic Public Domain Version In times past, he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to me and to you. New American Bible who was once useless to you but is now useful to [both] you and me. New Revised Standard Version Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBut of whom in the past you could not make use, but now he is very useful both to you and to me. Aramaic Bible in Plain English He who was not useful to you at times, but now also is very useful to you and to me, NT Translations Anderson New Testamentwho, for some time, has been unprofitable to you, but now is very profitable to you and to me: Godbey New Testament him at one time unprofitable to you, but now profitable both to you and to me: whom I have sent back to you, Haweis New Testament who in time past hath been an unprofitable servant to thee, but now very profitable to thee and to me: Mace New Testament 'tis true he was formerly useless to you, but now he will be useful to us both: Weymouth New Testament Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me. Worrell New Testament who at one time was unprofitable to you, but now profitable to you and to me; Worsley New Testament who was formerly unprofitable to thee, but now profitable both to thee and to me; whom I have sent back to thee: Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Paul's Appeal for Onesimus…10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. 12I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.… Cross References 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come! Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Ephesians 4:22-24 to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; / to be renewed in the spirit of your minds; / and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, / gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, / nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. / And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. Titus 3:3-7 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. / But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, / He saved us, not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. ... Matthew 5:13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. Luke 15:11-32 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. / The younger son said to him, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. / After a few days, the younger son got everything together and journeyed to a distant country, where he squandered his wealth in wild living. ... 1 Peter 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. John 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. 2 Timothy 2:21 So if anyone cleanses himself of what is unfit, he will be a vessel for honor: sanctified, useful to the Master, and prepared for every good work. Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will become like wool. Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. / And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances. Treasury of Scripture Which in time past was to you unprofitable, but now profitable to you and to me: unprofitable. Job 30:1,2 But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock… Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. profitable. Luke 15:24,32 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry… 2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. Jump to Previous Formerly Great Indeed Once Past Profit Profitable Serviceable Time True. Unprofitable Use Useful UselessJump to Next Formerly Great Indeed Once Past Profit Profitable Serviceable Time True. Unprofitable Use Useful UselessPhilemon 1 1. Paul rejoices to hear of the faith and love of Philemon, 8. whom he desires to forgive his servant Onesimus, and lovingly to receive him again. Formerly he was useless to you This phrase refers to Onesimus, a slave who belonged to Philemon. In the cultural context of the Roman Empire, slaves were considered property and their value was often tied to their productivity and loyalty. Onesimus, whose name means "useful" or "profitable," ironically had not lived up to his name in his previous relationship with Philemon. His "uselessness" could have been due to his escape, which would have been seen as a breach of trust and a loss of labor for Philemon. This situation highlights the transformative power of the gospel, as Paul is about to explain how Onesimus's status has changed. but now he has become useful both to you and to me Persons / Places / Events 1. PhilemonA Christian leader in Colossae, likely a wealthy man who hosted a house church. Paul addresses him as a beloved friend and fellow worker. 2. Onesimus A slave who belonged to Philemon. He ran away and met Paul, through whom he became a Christian. His name means "useful" or "profitable." 3. Paul The apostle who wrote this letter while imprisoned. He is advocating for Onesimus, whom he has grown to love as a son in the faith. 4. Colossae The city where Philemon lived. It was a significant center for early Christianity and the location of the church to which Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians. 5. Imprisonment of Paul The context in which Paul writes this letter, highlighting his ongoing ministry despite his physical constraints. Teaching Points Transformation in ChristOnesimus's account is a powerful example of how Christ transforms lives. No matter one's past, in Christ, there is potential for a new beginning and purpose. Reconciliation and Forgiveness Paul’s appeal to Philemon to accept Onesimus back as a brother in Christ emphasizes the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness within the Christian community. The Value of Every Individual Onesimus, once considered "useless," becomes valuable in the service of the Gospel. This teaches us to see the potential in every person, regardless of their past. Intercession and Advocacy Paul’s role as an advocate for Onesimus highlights the importance of standing in the gap for others, especially those who are vulnerable or marginalized.(11) In time past . . . unprofitable, but now profitable.--The name Onesimus means "useful," or "profitable," though derived from a different root from the words here used. It is hardly possible not to see in this passage a play on words, though (curiously enough) this is not noticed by the old Greek commentators. St. Paul seems to say, "He belied his name in days past; he will more than deserve it now." To thee and to me.--St. Paul says "to thee," for he was sending back Onesimus. He adds "to me," in affectionate notice of his kindly ministrations already rendered to his spiritual father. Verse 11. - Who was aforetime unprofitable ... to me. The play upon words seems unmistakable, and is peculiarly Pauline. Onesimus means "useful," or "profitable;" ἄχρηστος, "unprofitable," and εὔχρηστος is emphatic, "very profitable." "Useful he is named, but in time past he was (I confess it) not useful, but useless; in future, however, he will be of great use to us both." Compare with this the corresponding passage of Pliny's 'Letter to Sabinianus,' given in the Introduction. "Unprofitable" is a figure of speech, a euphemism, for "useless and even injurious." St. Paul makes the best of Onesimus's fault that it will in justice allow. But an old commentator says bluntly that Onesimus was "damnosus fuga et furto." How could he have been, in his unconverted state, otherwise than "unprofitable" to his master? "Olim paganus," says a Lapide, "jam Christianus; olim fur, jam fidelis servus; olim profugus, jam redux."Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Formerlyποτέ (pote) Particle Strong's 4218: At one time or other, at some time, formerly. From the base of pou and te; indefinite adverb, at some time, ever. [he was] useless ἄχρηστον (achrēston) Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 890: Unprofitable, useless, detrimental. Inefficient, i.e. detrimental. to you, σοι (soi) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. but δὲ (de) Conjunction Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc. now νυνὶ (nyni) Adverb Strong's 3570: A prolonged form of nun for emphasis; just now. [he has become] useful εὔχρηστον (euchrēston) Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular Strong's 2173: Useful, serviceable, very profitable. From eu and chrestos; easily used, i.e. Useful. both καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. to you σοὶ (soi) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Singular Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. and καὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. to me. ἐμοὶ (emoi) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. Links Philemon 1:11 NIVPhilemon 1:11 NLT Philemon 1:11 ESV Philemon 1:11 NASB Philemon 1:11 KJV Philemon 1:11 BibleApps.com Philemon 1:11 Biblia Paralela Philemon 1:11 Chinese Bible Philemon 1:11 French Bible Philemon 1:11 Catholic Bible NT Letters: Philemon 1:11 Who once was useless to you (Phm Phl) |
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