5. because I hear of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
6. I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ.
7. I have had great joy and encouragement because of your love, for the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
8. So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper,
9. I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love – I, Paul, an old man and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus –
10. I am appealing to you concerning my child, whose spiritual father I have become during my imprisonment, that is, Onesimus,
11. who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me.
12. I have sent him (who is my very heart) back to you.
13. I wanted to keep him so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel.