Philemon 1:25
What does Philemon 1:25 mean?
A plain-English look at Philemon 1:25 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Philemon 1:25 means
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” Paul ends where he began: with grace. He prays that the Lord’s favor and power would rest upon the inner life—the spirit—of the recipients, enabling what human resolve alone cannot. The path he has outlined—receiving a former runaway as a beloved brother, bearing costs, acting freely in love—requires Christ’s grace. By naming “our Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul centers the entire reconciliation in the Savior who makes believers one. This benediction frames the response as an act of worship sustained by grace from start to finish.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
KJV
King James Version · 1611The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Written from Rome to Philemon, by Onesimus a servant.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. So be it.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ <FI>is<Fi> with your spirit! Amen.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit.
Context
The letter closes with a succinct benediction that mirrors the opening greeting of grace and peace. After greetings from co-laborers, this final prayer appropriately directs Philemon and his church to the only sufficient source for the actions Paul has requested: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. With that, the personal plea regarding Onesimus ends, leaving Philemon to respond in the presence of God and among the fellowship named throughout the letter.
v.24and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workers.
v.25This passage
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Romans 16:20
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- Romans 16:23
Gaius my host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the treasurer of the city saluteth you, and Quartus the brother.
- Galatians 6:18
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
- 2 Timothy 4:22
The Lord be with thy spirit. Grace be with you.