Philemon 1:23 (LSB)

Passage

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

Nearby Context

Philemon 1:21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

Philemon 1:22 And at the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

Philemon 1:23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

Philemon 1:24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

Philemon 1:25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "epaphras", "fellow", "prisoner", "christ", "jesus", and "greets". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "epaphras" and "fellow", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And at the same time also prepare..." into verse 24's "as do Mark Aristarchus Demas Luke my...", so "epaphras" and "fellow" 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 "epaphras" and "fellow" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.