Philemon 1–3 (ESV)
Greeting
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and
Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul begins with a short (compared to his other Letters) and yet personal greeting. His greeting begins and ends with Jesus Christ, the focus
of Paul’s life. Focus on Jesus should be present in our own friendships and greetings, both with other Christians and with those who do not yet know the Lord. We have opportunities to introduce people to our Lord and Savior. The Lord’s grace and
peace will strengthen our faith and equip us for all good service.
I pray: Lord, I thank You for my friends, and I pray for an opportunity to share Christ with those
who have yet to meet You. Amen.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 2096.