Philemon 1:13 (ASV)

Passage

whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:11 who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:

Philemon 1:12 whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my very heart:

Philemon 1:13 whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

Philemon 1:14 but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will.

Philemon 1:15 For perhaps he was therefore parted [from thee] for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "fain", "kept", "behalf", "might", "minister", "bonds", and "gospel". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "fain" and "kept", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "whom I have sent back to thee..." into verse 14's "but without thy mind I would do...", so "fain" and "kept" belong inside that flow. In Philemon context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "fain" and "kept" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.