because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
Parallel translations
- WEB hearing of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;
- KJV Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;
- NKJV hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
- NASB because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;
- NLT because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul gives thanks because he keeps hearing of Philemon's love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints. Philemon's reputation for godliness is well established.
Overview
Faith directed toward Christ and love shown to fellow believers are the twin marks of a true Christian, and Philemon is known for both. His love "toward all the saints" anticipates Paul's plea: will that love now embrace Onesimus, a saint by new birth? Authentic faith in Christ inevitably overflows into love for His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Col 1:4because we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all the saints—
- Eph 1:15For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
- 1 Jn 5:1–2Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him.
- 1 Cor 16:1Now about the collection for the saints, you are to do as I directed the churches of Galatia:
- Ps 16:3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides.
- Rom 15:25–26Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve the saints there.
- Rom 12:13Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.
- Phlm 1:7I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
- Gal 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love.
- 1 Jn 3:23And 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.
- Acts 9:39–41So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The plea to receive a runaway slave as a beloved brother, charging his debt to Paul's account, is a living picture of how Christ receives us and pays what we owe.
How Philemon 1:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.