Philemon 1:1 (DBY)

Passage

Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman,

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:1 Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman,

Philemon 1:2 and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which [is] in thine house.

Philemon 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "paul", "prisoner", "christ", "jesus", "timotheus", "brother", "philemon", and "beloved". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "paul" and "prisoner", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "and to the sister Apphia and to...", so "paul" and "prisoner" should be read forward into that movement. In Philemon context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

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