Did Paul have a son while in prison?

Was just reading through Philemon and noticed Paul said something about having begotten a son while in prison. From what I can tell, it seems like this is referring to biological offspring. Maybe someone else knows for sure. Thanks!

Philemon 1:10
10I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

I would think this is referring to having been used to convert him to the Lord, Jesus Yeshua.

Paul also referred to Timothy as his son. 2 Timothy 1:2 ~

New International Version
To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

New Living Translation
I am writing to Timothy, my dear son. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

English Standard Version
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Berean Standard Bible
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Berean Literal Bible
To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

King James Bible
To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
* * *
1 Corinthians 4:17
That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord.
* * *
And also Titus ~
Titus 1:4
To Titus, my true child in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Makes sense. I was thrown off by the word begotten in Philemon 1:10. Seems like Onesimus has a pretty interesting story though.

Compare this to what Paul said here, and I think that you'll have your answer:

"For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel." (I Corinthians 4:15)

Spiritual son in Christ. Paul led him to the Lord.

it's no different than between the Father and the Son:
Hebrews 5:5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.


neither Philemon 1:10 nor Hebrews 5:5 = husband to wife, begotten means child birth through reproduction.

he’s speaking spiritually like with Timothy

“yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:”
‭‭Philemon‬ ‭1:9-10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Onesimus was an escaped slave who has met Paul and been converted to Christianity Paul’s referring to his birth in Christ

It’s sort of the same notion as this

“unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:2‬ ‭KJV‬

Paul isn’t claiming to be the father or anything , but if you notice in Paul’s writings how deeply he felt and believed the gospel and the people he was preaching the church is meant to be a family having bonds as such

“For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭3:35‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul had deep affections for his folks in Christ particularly this run away slave and even more so Timothy who Paul trained to continue his ministry after his impending death

He spent so much time on Timothy and Timothy’s doctrine because Paul eas about to be put to death and wanted his ministry left in capable and prepared hands

so for instance the two letters from Paul to Timothy this bekng on of the last sections we have from The apostle Paul

“I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:1-9, 11, 13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

you see how important stocking to the doctrine was to Paul handing his ministration to Timothy as he was facing his second appearance before Nero just before his execution in rome

it’s interesting but many don’t consider how many of Paul’s epistles were written from prison on Rome after his plea to Caesar which saved him from flogging and ended up being the vehicle by which he would end up in rome

He’s talking about his spiritual youngers that he had cultivated and converted to Christ he felt as a father to them he was responsible for converting

"A good tree produces good fruit."

An outline only:

The words "father" and "son" are dependent upon one another. You cannot have a "father" without a "son", and visa versa. Now, when you're talking about sons of God...

"26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

A "son of God" bears the likeness of the Father: in spirit and in character. The son is not a reflection of any flesh, because God is Spirit. So, a "son of God" is neither male nor female.

Paul was the father of Timothy's, Titus', and Onesimus' faith (among others). So he was their spiritual father and they were his spiritual sons. With good evidence, Paul cared for his sons and raised them in the purposes of their faith and their unique callings in the Lord. He would also "give an account" to God (Hebrews 13:17) for the conditions of their maturity.

This language (father and son) is also found in Peter's and John's writings. The apostles, like Paul, learned how to raise up sons in admonition and strength in the Lord. This is how disciples are matured: within the father and son relationship.

This is a continuation of the grace that was seen among Elijah and Elisha: two people, not related in the flesh, related as father and son. John the Baptist was the herald of the restoration of this grace and Jesus came to restore it as the "Everlasting father".

Some may ask, "But what of the verse that says "Call no man on earth your father'" (Matthew 23:9)? The meaning of that word "father" is "progenitor": from where one originates. Jesus was saying "Do not say you originated from any earthly man. You originated from God your Father".

Lastly, it is also important to note "father" is not an office like the Romans make it out. A father/son relationship is agreed upon by both parties not assigned by a church.

I have lived this way for 20 years and have many sons in the Lord. They also have many sons. This is how God builds His house: the mature raising up the immature.

In what other sense could Paul have meant this than a spiritual son? Are we now saying Paul may have fathered a child while in prison?

well its seems Jesus had mothers other than Mary...lol

He just said anyone who hears the word of God and does it is his sister, brother, mother

so yea

I guess you just have to get used to people calling you brother, and being part of Gods family. I get called aunty/mother by my school children so...they are like my sons and daughters I look after them just the same.

Paul referred to Onesimus as his begotten son. In other cases where Paul refers to someone as his son or child he didn’t say they’re begotten. The word begotten refers to offspring such as is the case with Jesus being God’s begotten Son.

So that’s why I’m asking this question about if Paul had a biological son or not. So, to be clear, Onesimus is not Paul’s begotten son?

Jesus Yeshua is the begotten of the Father by the Holy Spirit. All who are begotten of the Holy Spirit are His children also. Reflect on these truths, and You will understand being begotten of the Holy Spirit, of God.

Jesus was "begotten" on the day in which he was raised from the dead.

I could easily prove this by taking you (or anybody else) through every reference to Jesus being "begotten" in scripture.

Another facet of understanding from our Savior speaking to Nicodemus, He says we must be born again in order to enter into the Kingdom.
Now in order to be forn we must be begotten. We are begotten of the Holy Spirit.

Begotten refers to offspring such as in the case of Jesus being God’s only begotten Son. Think back to God’s Holy Spirit causing Mary to become pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. Jesus identified Himself as such prior to His resurrection in John 3:16.

If I understand you correctly, you’re going to prove that Jesus was instead begotten on the day of His resurrection? That’s a new one to me. Yes please show where the Bible says that.

The word "begotten", as it pertains to Jesus Christ, is NEVER used in scripture in relation to his birth. Instead, it is ALWAYS used in relation to his resurrection from the dead.

Rather than derail this thread, I'll probably just start a blog on this topic where I can thoroughly prove my assertion from rightly-divided scripture.

In the interim, I'll give you the following to at least consider:

Acts chapter 13

[26] Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
[27] For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
[28] And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.
[29] And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.
[30] But God raised him from the dead:
[31] And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.
[32] And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,
[33] God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

Okay thats fine.

I have a reply that, but since you’re going to make a new thread I’ll just wait until I see it and I’ll respond there.

That's correct.