The gospel changes people and relationships.

福音改变了生命和人际关系。

He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. Philemon 1:16

[他]不再是奴仆，乃是高过奴仆，是亲爱的兄弟。在我实在是如此，何况在你呢！-腓利门书1章16节

I saw Mary every Tuesday when I visited “the House”—a home that helps former prisoners reintegrate into society. My life looked different from hers: fresh out of jail, fighting addictions, separated from her son. You might say she lived on the edge of society.

每个周二，我都会到“中途之家”探访玛丽，那是一所协助前囚犯重新融入社会的机构。玛丽的经历和我们截然不同，她刚出狱，正在戒瘾，与儿子分离。你或许会说，她是社会边缘人。

Like Mary, Onesimus knew what it meant to live on the edge of society. As a slave, Onesimus had apparently wronged his Christian master, Philemon, and was now in prison. While there, he met Paul and came to faith in Christ (v. 10). Though now a changed man, Onesimus was still a slave. Paul sent him back to Philemon with a letter urging him to receive Onesimus “no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother” (Philem. 1:16).

如同玛丽，阿尼西谋也同样饱尝社会边缘人的辛酸。阿尼西谋身为奴仆，显然触怒了他的基督徒主人腓利门，而被关在监狱里。他在那里遇见保罗，相信了耶稣基督（10节）。阿尼西谋已成为新造的人，但还是奴仆的身分。保罗打发他送信给腓利门，劝他接纳阿尼西谋的新身分：“不再是奴仆，乃是高过奴仆，是亲爱的兄弟。”（腓利门书1章16节）

Philemon had a choice to make: He could treat Onesimus as his slave or welcome him as a brother in Christ. I had a choice to make too. Would I see Mary as an ex-convict and a recovering addict—or as a woman whose life is being changed by the power of Christ? Mary was my sister in the Lord, and we were privileged to walk together in our journey of faith.

腓利门需要做出抉择：视阿尼西谋为奴仆或基督里亲爱的兄弟。我也需要做一个抉择：视玛丽为前囚犯、戒瘾者，或是正被基督大能更新生命的女人？我将玛丽视为主内的姐妹，我们是有幸偕行信仰之旅的伙伴。

It’s easy to allow the walls of socio-economic status, class, or cultural differences to separate us. The gospel of Christ removes those barriers, changing our lives and our relationships forever.

社会和经济地位、阶级或文化差异的高墙，阻隔人与人之间的关系。但是基督的福音可拆毁藩篱，更新我们的生命和人际关系，直到永远。

Dear God, thank You that the gospel of 

Jesus Christ changes lives and relationships. 

Thank You for removing the barriers between us 

and making us all members of Your family.

亲爱的上帝，

感谢祢让耶稣基督的福音更新生命
和人际关系，拆除我们之间的藩篱，
使我们能在基督里成为一家人。

Philemon 8-16New International Version (NIV)

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

Philemon 8-16New International Version (NIV)

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— 10 that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. 11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

12 I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. 13 I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

腓利门书 8-16Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) (CUVMPS)

为阿尼西慕求腓利门

8 我虽然靠着基督能放胆吩咐你合宜的事， 9 然而像我这有年纪的保罗，现在又是为基督耶稣被囚的，宁可凭着爱心求你， 10 就是为我在捆锁中所生的儿子阿尼西慕[a]求你。 11 他从前于你没有益处，但如今于你我都有益处。 12 我现在打发他亲自回你那里去，他是我心上的人。 13 我本来有意将他留下，在我为福音所受的捆锁中替你伺候我。 14 但不知道你的意思，我就不愿意这样行，叫你的善行不是出于勉强，乃是出于甘心。

当接纳如亲爱的弟兄

15 他暂时离开你，或者是叫你永远得着他， 16 不再是奴仆，乃是高过奴仆，是亲爱的兄弟。在我实在是如此，何况在你呢？这也不拘是按肉体说，是按主说。

整理：于姊妹