Philemon 1:17 (GNV)

Passage

If therefore thou count our thinges common, receiue him as my selfe.

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:15 It may be that he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receiue him for euer,

Philemon 1:16 Not now as a seruant, but aboue a seruant, euen as a brother beloued, specially to me: howe much more then vnto thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord?

Philemon 1:17 If therefore thou count our thinges common, receiue him as my selfe.

Philemon 1:18 If he hath hurt thee, or oweth thee ought, that put on mine accounts.

Philemon 1:19 I Paul haue written this with mine owne hande: I will recompense it, albeit I doe not say to thee, that thou owest moreouer vnto me euen thine owne selfe.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "therefore", "thou", "count", "thinges", "common", "receiue", and "selfe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "therefore" and "thou", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "Not now as a seruant but aboue..." into verse 18's "If he hath hurt thee or oweth...", so "therefore" and "thou" 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 "therefore" and "thou" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.