Philemon 1:5
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because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
Hearing--the ground of his thanksgiving. It is a delicate mark of authenticity, that he says "hearing" as to churches and persons whom he had not seen or then visited. Now Colosse, Philemon's place of residence, he had never yet seen. Yet Plm 1:19 here implies that Philemon was his convert. Philemon, doubtless, was converted at Ephesus, or in some other place where he met Paul. love and faith--The theological order is first faith then love, the fruit of faith. But he purposely puts Philemon's love in the first place, as it is to an act of love that he is exhorting him. toward . . . toward--different Greek words: "towards" . . . "unto." Towards implies simply direction; unto, to the advantage of.
Open source ↗In this epistle we have, I. The preface (Plm 1:1-7). II. The substance and body of it (Plm 1:8-21). And then the conclusion (Plm 1:22 to the end.)
Open source ↗1:5 It is by faith in Christ that we are saved, and it is by love for fellow Christians that we live out our salvation.
Open source ↗Cross-references
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because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia:
As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides.
Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.
I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.