Philemon 1:4 (DRB)

Passage

I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my prayers.

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:2 And to Appia, our dearest sister, and to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church which is in thy house.

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

Philemon 1:4 I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my prayers.

Philemon 1:5 Hearing of thy charity and faith, which thou hast in the Lord Jesus and towards all the saints:

Philemon 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may be made evident in the acknowledgment of every good work that is in you in Christ Jesus.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "give", "thanks", "always", "making", "remembrance", "thee", and "prayers". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "give" and "thanks", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Grace to you and peace from God..." into verse 5's "Hearing of thy charity and faith which...", so "give" and "thanks" 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 "give" and "thanks" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.