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be grieved over his sickness. So Paul with rare abnegation sent him away at once, though Timothy was to follow shortly, and accompanied him with this outpouring of love and praise in his long homeward journey. The gift of tongues and the gift of healing has ceased. We but feebly echo Paul's rapture when he thought that there was 'neither Barbarian or Scythian, bond or free, but all were one in Christ Jesus,' and for all our talk about the unity of humanity and the like, we permit the old gulfs of separation to gape as deeply as ever. For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. be guarded at all costs. Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering That implies that all which the Philippians' ministration lacked was their personal presence, and that Epaphroditus, in supplying that, made his work in a real sense theirs. But when we turn to the letters written after the Book of Actsthe 4 Prison Epistles, and the 3 Pastoral Epistles, we find that the sign gifts either arent mentioned at all or we seeas with the gift of healingthat they were no longer operating in Pauls life. Paul uses the word sunergos here of himself and Apollos. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Paul's, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. apostolic delegate. I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. Epaphroditus was also a common noun. He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. He tells us in verses 26-28. This is why he and these others were not healed by him. forget about them." This And in verses 29-30, we are given the exaltation and kenosis of The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. He was given the assignment of delivering a gift to Paul and staying with Paul for a time, assisting him in whatever way he could in his difficult times. No, the answer is that God's program had changed. It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. PROVERBS 1:1 How can we accept the majority of Proverbs by Solomon when Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of God? A man who never opens his lips but to censure or criticise, who fastens on faults as wasps do on blemished fruit, will never be surrounded by loyal love. What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" There are very many Christian workers who never get their due of recognition and welcome from their brethren, and there are many who get far more of both than belongs to them, and both they and the crowds who bring them adulation would be freed from dangers, which can scarcely be over-stated, if the spirit of Paul's warm-hearted praise of Epaphroditus were kept in view. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. risks. We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge (epignosisfull knowledge) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light (Col. 1:9-12). 1. Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. He was troubled because they heard that In the Vote Up The word "send" is pempo. Thanks. We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. to worry about me. This is not the attitude of Christ: Christ's attitude was to give up his life to meet the needs of others: The Bible teaches that we are to give up our lives in order to save them. goddess of love. ' (Matt. Why? There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble But then, when he wrote but then I shall know he changes the word from gnosis to epignosis, to fully know., We could paraphrase Pauls statement: Now, as Im writing 1 Corinthians in Acts 19, I have gnosisI know, in part, what Gods message is for us today in the dispensation of grace, but thenwhen that which is perfect has comeI shall have epignosisthe full knowledge of Gods message of grace for us today.. Of all the inhabitants of Philippi at that time we know the names of but three, Euodias, Syntiche, and Epaphroditus, and we owe them all to Paul. This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a man we can identify with. It comes from two two to his relationship with the Philippian church. This is (Phil. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and The miraculous powers that Paul exercised were not his own; that is, they were not innate. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. He has no hesitation in describing the work done for himself as 'the work of Christ,' nor in using, as the name for it, the word ('service'), which properly refers to the service rendered by priestly hands. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? And Paul who had miraculously healed so many left Trophimus at Miletus sick (II Timothy 4:20). Epaphroditus is one of the less known of Paul's friends. (Phil. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. This is the only other New View all posts by Christian Publishing House, UASV DAILY DEVOTIONAL, TUESDAY, MARCH 01, 2022. Greek He was sick So, in short, Epaphroditus grew sick on his 600-mile journey to Rome, to the point of death, which delayed him from fulfilling his mission of helping Paul. Do you have questions about the Bible? ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death Yes, they really had had these experiences. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. 1:2) and Titus (Tit. In verse 25, we have a description of Epaphroditus. Do you know who my co-laborers are? By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. 2:25; 4:18) While in Rome, Epaphroditus "fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy. deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. In Philippians 2 we read of a healing that God did after the gift of healing had ceased to operate: Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. The ministry is people! 13:1-2) and states that the Lord Jesus had revealed to him (1 Cor. Epaphroditus felt extreme guilt as though he had failed in his mission from the Philippian congregation, having to let them down, so he grew depressed. spiritual as teaching. The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. It is a compound word from Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain Notice that it was the work "of Christ." And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. 11:14). And they did, because in the letters written after the Book of Acts, the sign gifts had ceased, just as the Lord said that they would. Have you taken the tour of our site yet? That which is perfect was finally revealed in all its fullness to the Apostle Paul and at that moment, those things which were only in part passed away from Gods program. The name later came to mean: Faithful service is most surely bought by hearty praise. 12:9). "Almost Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. 0 Responses He comes back to the theme in the last words of the context, where he says that the Philippian messenger had 'hazarded' his life, or, as we might put it with equal accuracy and more force, had 'gambled' his life, or 'staked it on the die' for Paul's sake. Have you ever watched And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 11 God was performing extraordinary [e]miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. (Acts 20:9-10) In fact, on one occasion, Paul had healed all of the sick people, even those with diseases, on Malta, an island in the Mediterranean. We are to fear God and Him alone. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. Pages 482-483. A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. titles. All deeds done from the same motive are the same, however different they may be in regard to the material on which they are wrought. Bible. Everybody feels bad so Paul says, "You've got to go back so primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Of course, our apostle Continue Reading. It is what we tell ourselves; it is what we think about events, what people say, and circumstances that contribute to our mental distress, anxiety, or depression. with Paul helping him?". What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). Of note: Reference Hebrews 6:2-3 which says: "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Paul also had another concern on his heart. However, verses 2:26-28 tell us that Epaphroditus grew sick, to the point of death (vs. 27), while he was on his way to Rome. others. The word of God is very clear on every subject. James put sadness. He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. he was sick. himself." That is what God calls us to. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Bible scholar J. Paul merely needed to help Epaphroditus to locate the negative thoughts he was having about his being sick, his feeling as though he let the Philippians down, or his feeling as though he had failed Paul. It's only of God's sovereign 1 Corinthians 7:5. When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi He didn't want them to Look at the rest of the verse: "was If you haven't already, please make sure to take our tour, to get yourself familiar with the site and to see how we're a little different than other sites. life, the same effort and we have the same enemies. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her The word "considered" is hegeomai. There was no reliable way of getting these to Paul but to take them, and so Epaphroditus faced the long journey across Greece to Brindisi and Rome, and when arrived there threw himself with ardour into serving Paul. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. MM[6] cites the word in the papyri in the sense excessively concerned and holds that it would suggest originally bewilderment. The combination makes it clear that Jesus was in great distress of spirit.[7]. know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. All the loving thoughts, and all the material expressions of them which Epaphroditus brought to Paul were fragrant with the perfume of the Philippians' love, 'an odour of a sweet smell, acceptable' to Paul as to Paul's Lord. May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? Why would the Apostle Paul insist that married couples have regular sex "except [for one reason only] by mutual consent and for a time (of prayer)" when there may be other factors such as sickness, busyness, or fatigue? The miracles of healing that the You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. A trustworthy member of the congregation at Philippi, Macedonia, who was sent with a gift to Paul, then a prisoner at Rome (c. 60-61 C.E.). The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. our other elder. They sent him money to meet his physical needs. We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. He tells them why they are to It's nice to know that there are some people in the ministry compelled by relationships and not We have work to do, But Paul uses leitourgos here. you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; In other words, he is suggesting to use "medicine." Spam, January 24 2014 Parallel Commentaries . Epaphroditus. What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. Welcome to BHSE! (2 Timothy 4:20), The power to heal was present in Paul's ministry as described in the book of Acts, 8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mothers womb, who had never walked. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? his return to Philippi. Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. 3:1-10). My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. . It was still only in part during the Acts period, but with the close of the Book of Acts, the Lord completed the revelation of the Mystery (see Eph. This may be the most important message you ever read. It is not confined to >From this verb we get the God. In this case, Paul did pray for healing, but his request was denied. So theyve learned to speak in tongues, but when they see from Scripture that this gift is not in operation from the Lord today, they can at last cease their effort to prove their salvation and start to walk by faith and not by sight. Epaphroditus appears to have been a tremendous help to Paul, and somehow, possibly as a result of caring for Paul (Philippians 2:30), Epaphroditus gets sick and nearly dies. Colossians 1:7 of a different man. Back to Romans 10: 9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). This isn't to say that God doesn't or won't heal today, because this is obviously not true, but the "laying on of hands" by a man (as a 'gift') has all but ceased, and yet there are still 'healing teachers' out there in the world today teaching a false gospel, having "healing revivals" that come to nought, etc. He has authored ninety-five books. They had prophesied in Jesus name, they had cast out demons and done miracles in His name. The word "longing" is epipotheo, it She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. (e.g. church each week. When we remember that Paul is the subject of at least half of the Book of Acts, we realize that half of the 27 books in the New Testament are either about him (The Book of Acts) or were written by him (13 letters). That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? Whether there were so or no, the exhortation itself traces lightly but surely the lines on which Christians should render, and their fellow-Christians can rightly receive, even praise from men. Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. His level of sacrificial service becomes very instructive to us. Whether we are well or sick, whether we are like Epaphroditus or like Timothy, we can always claim this promise from the Lord that His grace and strength are sufficient for us. Let us hope he got safe back to his friends, and as Paul bade them, they received him in the Lord with all joy, the echoes of which we almost hear as he passes out of our knowledge. Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. the proclamation of the gospel effective. 3. God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. He was not just to 7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. I subscribe to the view that the reason is because the gifts that he was performing in the early days was a "sign to the Jews"; not all spiritual gifts are still in operation today; or, they aren't necessarily "needed." have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ The word "necessary" is the Greek word anagkaios, it means: "indispensable, what one cannot There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? Perhaps over-exertion in travel, or perhaps his Macedonian constitution could not bear the enervating air of Rome, or perhaps Paul's prison was unhealthy. It has an interesting Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. life like it is something they deserve. The answer is: He wouldn't have! Philippians had heard that he was sick. Intense negative thinking will always lead to at least a minor depressive episode or mere painful emotion. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. sorrow." Those who work in the tape ministry are my As we have seen, Paul was able to heal many sick people all through the Book of Acts. Not only did they intend for him to be the bearer of their gift; they also intended for him to stay in Rome and be Paul's personal servant and attendant. The gift of healing by the laying on of hands, etc., was no longer needed, because that particular gift was a gift for a sign to the Jews! What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? It is a pathetic little picture of the Macedonian stranger in the great city -- pallid looks, recent illness, and pining for home and a breath of pure mountain air, and for the friends he had left. God heals when it's in His will to heal; the difference is that the gift of healing (a man laying on of hands with instant healing) has ceased, and 2) so has the gift of tongues (it's no longer needed, but if it is used, I believe that God will allow it to occur, only when the church is edified, and only when there is an interpreter amidst the assembly! Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. Before the end of the Book of Acts, during the Acts period, and in the letters written during the Acts period, the Lord had only revealed part of the dispensation of grace (Eph. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). The text does say, God had mercy on him [that is, Ephaphroditus], so, in all likelihood, he would have died from whatever ailed him if God had not prevented him from going over the edge into death. send him back? The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians This is the last letter written during the Book of Acts. He re-introduces Epaphroditus to them as someone who had risked his own life for the sake of others, even "to the point of death". Paul says, No. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? Philippians 1:25, and note), was not, it seems, continuous; both were exercised only in accordance with the revealed will of God and on occasions of especial moment. All through the Book of Acts Paul had only gnosis, partial knowledge of the message of grace, but when we turn to the Prison Letters we suddenly find Paul using that word epignosishe had now received that full knowledge which he didnt have when he wrote to the Corinthians: For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge (epignosisfull knowledge) of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ (Col. 2:1-2).