Philemon 1:11
Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
BSB
ASV
who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:
KJV
Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
Voices6
I must stand in awe of the apostle's greatness of soul here, as a man whose mind burns for Christ. He is held in prison, he is constrained by chains, in physical misery, separated from dear ones, plunged into prison darkness, yet he does not feel the injury, he is not crucified with sadness. Rather, he knows nothing else than to ponder the gospel of Christ.
Which in time past was to thee unprofitable,.... Yea, injurious and hurtful; one that was an eye servant, that loitered away his time, and set an ill example to fellow servants; and not only so, but embezzled his master's goods, and robbed him, and run away from him.
Now profitable - None should be expected to be a good servant before he is a good man. He manifestly alludes to his name, Onesimus, which signifies profitable.
This then is the argument here urged: "It will now be for thy advantage to receive him: thus changed, as he is, thou mayest expect him to be a dutiful and faithful servant, though in time past he was not so." Whereupon, 7 th Argument, He urges Philemon from the strong affection that he had to Onesimus.
Which in time past was to thee unprofitable - Either because he was indolent; because he had wronged him (compare the notes at Phm 1:18), or because he had run away from him. It is possible that there may be an allusion here to the meaning of the name “Onesimus,” which denotes “profitable” (from ὀνίνημι oninēmi, future ὀνήσω onēsō, to be useful, to be profitable, to help), and that Paul means to say that he had hitherto not well answered to the meaning of his own name, but that now he would be found to do so.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Which . . . was . . . unprofitable--belying his name Onesimus, which means "profitable." Not only was he "unprofitable," but positively injurious, having "wronged" his master.
The walk8
Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.
Through
Luke 15:32But it was fitting to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
leads to
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again! He was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
So the redeemed of the LORD will return and enter Zion with singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee.
Through
1 Peter 2:10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
leads to
And I will sow her as My own in the land, and I will have compassion on ‘No Compassion.’ I will say to those called ‘Not My People,’ ‘You are My people,’ and they…
And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God.
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
As He says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘My People’ who are not My people, and I will call her ‘My Beloved’ who is not My beloved,”
Through
Matthew 25:30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
leads to
But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The whole web at once: see the Arc.
