Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Philemon 1:23 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 23. 23There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Epaphras greets Philemon as Paul's fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, reconnecting the appeal to Paul's network.
Read It With
- Philemon 1:23–25
Read Philemon 1:23–25 as a complete movement. Verses 23–24 locate the appeal in a network of named greetings, while verse 25 closes with grace for the plural audience.
Why This Verse Appears Here
After the appeal closes, Epaphras's greeting reconnects the exchange to Paul's wider network of coworkers and witnesses.
Read Philemon 1:23–25 together
Why these verses belong together: The named greetings and plural grace benediction form the complete letter closing.
Verse 23. 23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
Verse 24. 24 Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.
Verse 25. 25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
What Remains True
Epaphras's greeting shows that the appeal belongs within a network of costly companionship in Christ.
How It Can Shape Life
- Value trustworthy companions who sustain difficult communication, while refusing to infer more about their circumstances than the evidence supplies.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Philemon 1:23–25 — Coworkers Greet the Church and Grace Closes the LetterSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The exact KJV wording and immediate English context for Philemon 1:23–25.
Exact location: eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Philemon 1:23–25; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the library policy.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording, pronoun number, connective structure, and relevant lexical forms.
Exact location: Official SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Phlm.txt, Phlm 1:23–25.
Open the Philemon Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Philemon with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Material translation choices, difficult syntax, and textual variants checked at the cited verses.
Exact location: NET Bible, Philemon 1, translator, study, and textual notes attached to verses 23–25.
Open NET Philemon 1 ↗modern annotated new testament
Philemon introduction and annotations in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, second edition
Barbara Geller; edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler
Oxford University Press, 2017
Supports: Modern historical and verse-level checks on authorship, setting, slavery, rhetoric, reconstruction limits, and interpretive alternatives.
Exact location: Barbara Geller, Philemon introduction and annotations in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, 2nd ed., print p. 405.
Open source ↗