Philemon 1:8 (DBY)

Passage

Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting,

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:6 in such sort that thy participation in the faith should become operative in the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us towards Christ [Jesus].

Philemon 1:7 For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

Philemon 1:8 Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting,

Philemon 1:9 for love's sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ.

Philemon 1:10 I exhort thee for *my* child, whom I have begotten in [my] bonds, Onesimus,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wherefore", "having", "much", "boldness", "christ", "enjoin", "thee", and "fitting". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wherefore" and "having", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "For we have great thankfulness and encouragement..." into verse 9's "for love's sake I rather exhort being...", so "wherefore" and "having" 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 "wherefore" and "having" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.