Apostle Onesimus of the Seventy; Our Venerable Father Dalmatius of Siberia (1697); Our Venerable Father Anthimos of Chios (1960)

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker, ²to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your house: ³Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers, ⁵hearing of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us in Christ Jesus. ⁷For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

⁸Therefore though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate, ⁹yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul, the aged, but also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have become the father of in my chains, ¹¹who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me. ¹²I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, ¹³whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News. ¹⁴But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will. ¹⁵For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while that you would have him forever, ¹⁶no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me. ¹⁸But if he has wronged you at all or owes you anything, put that to my account. ¹⁹I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides). ²⁰Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.

²¹Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.

²²Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, ²⁴as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came—and with him a multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. ⁴⁴Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I will kiss, that is he. Seize him, and lead him away safely.” ⁴⁵When he had come, immediately he came to him and said, “Rabbi! Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁴⁶They laid their hands on him and seized him. ⁴⁷But a certain one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸Jesus answered them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to seize me? ⁴⁹I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you didn’t arrest me. But this is so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled.”

⁵⁰They all left him, and fled. ⁵¹A certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth thrown around himself over his naked body. The young men grabbed him, ⁵²but he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. ⁵³They led Jesus away to the high priest. All the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes came together with him.

⁵⁴Peter had followed him from a distance, until he came into the court of the high priest. He was sitting with the officers, and warming himself in the light of the fire. ⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the whole council sought witnesses against Jesus to put him to death, and found none. ⁵⁶For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony didn’t agree with each other. ⁵⁷Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ⁵⁸“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.’” ⁵⁹Even so, their testimony didn’t agree.

⁶⁰The high priest stood up in the middle, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it which these testify against you?” ⁶¹But he stayed quiet, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

⁶²Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of the sky.”

⁶³The high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need have we of witnesses? ⁶⁴You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” They all condemned him to be worthy of death. ⁶⁵Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands.

⁶⁶As Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the maids of the high priest came, ⁶⁷and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You were also with the Nazarene, Jesus!”

⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” He went out on the porch, and the rooster crowed.

⁶⁹The maid saw him and began again to tell those who stood by, “This is one of them.” ⁷⁰But he again denied it. After a little while again those who stood by said to Peter, “You truly are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.” ⁷¹But he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know this man of whom you speak!”

⁷²The rooster crowed the second time. Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” When he thought about that, he wept.

¹Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders, scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, bound Jesus, carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.