Philemon 1:17 (LSB)

Passage

If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would accept me.

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:15 For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,

Philemon 1:16 no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Philemon 1:17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would accept me.

Philemon 1:18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account.

Philemon 1:19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "regard", "partner", and "accept". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "regard" and "partner", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "no longer as a slave but more..." into verse 18's "But if he has wronged you in...", so "regard" and "partner" 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 "regard" and "partner" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.