Philemon

1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. Our brother Timothy joins me in writing.

Philemon, we are sending you this letter. You are our dear friend. You work together with us. 2We are also sending it to our sister Apphia and to Archippus. He is a soldier of Christ together with us. And we are sending it to the church that meets in your home.

3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Paul Prays and Gives Thanks

4I always thank my God when I remember you in my prayers. 5That’s because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus. I hear about your love for all of God’s people. 6I pray that you will be active in sharing what you believe. Then you will completely understand every good thing we have in Christ.

7Your love has given me great joy. It has cheered me up. My brother, you have renewed the hearts of God’s people.

Paul Makes an Appeal for Onesimus

8Because of the authority Christ has given me, I could be bold. I could order you to do what you should do anyway. 9But I make my appeal to you on the basis of our love for each other.

I, Paul, am an old man. I am now also a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. 10I make an appeal to you for my son Onesimus. He became a son to me while I was being held by chains. 11Before that, he was useless to you. But now he has become useful to you and to me.

12I’m sending Onesimus back to you. My very heart goes with him. 13I would have liked to keep him with me. Then he could have taken your place in helping me while I’m being held by chains because of the good news. 14But I didn’t want to do anything unless you agreed. Any favor you do must be done because you want to do it, not because you have to.

15Onesimus was separated from you for a little while. Maybe that was so you could have him back for good. 16You could have him back not as a slave. Instead, he would be better than a slave. He would be a dear brother. He is very dear to me. But he is even more dear to you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord.

17Do you think of me as a believer who works together with you? Then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. 18Has he done anything wrong to you? Does he owe you anything? Then charge it to me. 19I’ll pay it back. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I won’t even mention that you owe me your very life.

20My brother, I wish I could receive some benefit from you because we both belong to the Lord. Renew my heart. We know that Christ is the one who really renews it. 21I’m sure you will obey. So I’m writing to you. I know you will do even more than I ask.

22There is one more thing. Have a guest room ready for me. I hope I can return to all of you in answer to your prayers.

23Epaphras sends you greetings. Together with me, he is a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. 24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke work together with me. They also send you greetings.

25May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Hebrews

The Son Is Greater Than the Angels

1 In the past, God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke at many times. He spoke in different ways. 2But in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one whom God appointed to receive all things. God made everything through him. 3The Son is the gleaming brightness of God’s glory. He is the exact likeness of God’s being. He uses his powerful word to hold all things together. He provided the way for people to be made pure from sin. Then he sat down at the right hand of the King, the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became higher than the angels. The name he received is more excellent than theirs.

5God never said to any of the angels,

“You are my Son.

Today I have become your Father.” (Psalm 2:7)

Or,

“I will be his Father.

And he will be my Son.” (2 Samuel 7:14; 1 Chronicles 17:13)

6God’s first and only Son is over all things. When God brings him into the world, he says,

“Let all of God’s angels worship him.” (Deuteronomy 32:43)

7Here is something else God says about the angels.

“God makes his angels to be like winds.

He makes those who serve him to be like flashes of lightning.” (Psalm 104:4)

8But here is what he says about the Son.

“You are God. Your throne will last for ever and ever.

Your kingdom will be ruled by what is right.

9 You have loved what is right and hated what is evil.

So your God has placed you above your companions.

He has filled you with joy by pouring the sacred oil on your head.” (Psalm 45:6, 7)

10He also says,

“Lord, in the beginning you made the earth secure. You placed it on its foundations.

The heavens are the work of your hands.

11 They will pass away. But you remain.

They will all wear out like a piece of clothing.

12 You will roll them up like a robe.

They will be changed as a person changes clothes.

But you remain the same.

Your years will never end.” (Psalm 102:25–27)

13God never said to an angel,

“Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies

under your control.” (Psalm 110:1)

14All angels are spirits who serve. God sends them to serve those who will receive salvation.

A Warning to Pay Attention

2 So we must pay more careful attention to what we have heard. Then we will not drift away from it. 2Even the message God spoke through angels had to be obeyed. Every time people broke the Law, they were punished. Every time they didn’t obey, they were punished. 3Then how will we escape if we don’t pay attention to God’s great salvation?

The Lord first announced that salvation. Those who heard him gave us the message about it. 4God gave witness to it through signs and wonders. He gave witness through different kinds of miracles. He also gave witness through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He gave them out as it pleased him.

Jesus Was Made Like His Brothers

5God has not put angels in charge of the world that is going to come. We are talking about that world. 6There is a place where someone has given witness to it. He said,

“What is a human being that you think about him?

What is the son of man that you take care of him?

7 You made him a little lower than the angels.

You placed on him a crown of glory and honor.

8 You have put everything under his control.” (Psalm 8:4–6)

So God has put everything under him. Everything is under his control.

We do not now see everything under his control. 9But we do see Jesus already given a crown of glory and honor. He was made a little lower than the angels. He suffered death. By the grace of God, he tasted death for everyone. That is why he was given his crown.

10God has made everything. He has acted in exactly the right way. He is bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. To do so, he has made the One who saved them perfect because of his sufferings.

11The One who makes people holy and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12He says,

“I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters.

I will sing your praises among those who worship you.” (Psalm 22:22)

13Again he says,

“I will put my trust in him.” (Isaiah 8:17)

And again he says,

“Here I am. Here are the children God has given me.” (Isaiah 8:18)

14Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing that, he could destroy the one who rules over the kingdom of death. I’m talking about the devil. 15Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear.

16It is certainly Abraham’s children that he helps. He doesn’t help angels. 17So he had to be made like his brothers in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them.

18He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted.

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

3 Holy brothers and sisters, God chose you to be his people. So keep thinking about Jesus. He is our apostle. He is our high priest. We believe in him.

2Moses was faithful in everything he did in the house of God. In the same way, Jesus was faithful to the One who appointed him.

3The person who builds a house has greater honor than the house itself. In the same way, Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses. 4Every house is built by someone. But God is the builder of everything.

5Moses was faithful as one who serves in the house of God. He gave witness to what God would say in days to come. 6But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. We are his house if we continue to come boldly to God. We must also hold on to the hope we take pride in.

A Warning Against Unbelief

7The Holy Spirit says,

“Listen to his voice today.

8 If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.

You were stubborn when you opposed me.

You did that when you were put to the test in the desert.

9 There your people of long ago put me to the test.

For 40 years they saw what I did.

10 That is why I was angry with them.

I said, ‘Their hearts are always going down the wrong path.

They have not known my ways.’

11 So in my anger I took an oath.

I said, ‘They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them.’ ” (Psalm 95:7–11)

12Brothers and sisters, make sure that none of you has a sinful heart. Do not let an unbelieving heart turn you away from the living God. 13But build one another up every day. Do it as long as there is still time. Then none of you will become stubborn. You won’t be fooled by sin’s tricks.

14We belong to Christ if we hold firmly to the faith we had at first. But we must hold to it until the end. 15It has just been said,

“Listen to his voice today.

If you hear it, don’t be stubborn.

You were stubborn when you opposed me.” (Psalm 95:7, 8)

16Who were those who heard and refused to obey? Weren’t they all the people Moses led out of Egypt? 17Who was God angry with for 40 years? Wasn’t it with those who sinned? They died in the desert. 18What people did God promise with an oath that they would never enjoy the rest he planned for them? Wasn’t it those who didn’t obey?

19So we see that they weren’t able to enter. That’s because they didn’t believe.