Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY

Philemon 14

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
- 14 But I do not want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed may be done, not under compulsion, but of your own free will.+

Philemon 14

The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures
- 14 χωρὶς apart from δὲ but τῆς of the σῆς your γνώμης opinion οὐδὲν nothing ἠθέλησα I willed ποιῆσαι, to do, ἵνα in order that μὴ not ὡς as κατὰ according to ἀνάγκην necessity τὸ the ἀγαθόν good (thing) σου of you ᾖ may be ἀλλὰ but κατὰ according to ἑκούσιον. what is voluntary.

Philemon 14

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures—With References
- 14 But without your consent I do not want to do anything, so that your good act may be, not as under compulsion,* but of your own free will.*+

Philemon 14

The Bible in Living English
- 14 but I was not willing to do anything without word from you, in order that your goodness might not be in a sense compulsory but in a voluntary way.

Philemon 14

American Standard Version
- 14 but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will.

Philemon 14

The Emphasized Bible
- 14 But apart from thy mind I wished to do nothing, That not as by necessity thy goodness should be but by choice.

Philemon 14

King James Version
- 14 But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

Philemon Study Notes

New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition)
- 14
  
  of your own free will: Or “willingly; voluntarily.” Paul recognized that it was Philemon’s choice to handle the situation involving Onesimus as he saw fit. Thus Paul says: “I do not want to do anything without your consent.” Rather, he trusted that Philemon would make good use of his free will and would choose to act out of love. (2Co 9:7) The idea of exercising free will—that is, making personal choices about one’s course in life—is a vital Scriptural concept. (De 30:19, 20; Jos 24:15; Ga 5:13; 1Pe 2:16) The Greek word rendered “free will” in this verse is also used several times in the Septuagint to describe voluntary offerings. (Le 7:16; 23:38; Nu 15:3; 29:39) Jehovah neither demanded such offerings nor punished those who did not bring them to his house. They were to be expressions of love and appreciation, which can never be coerced.