[5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? his return to Philippi. 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. Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. die!" to worry about me. Christ emptied So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. But when Epaphroditus fell sicknear to deathPaul was no longer able to heal him because the gift of healing had ceased to operate. Meet Epaphroditus - A True Friend to the Apostle Paul Miracles by definition are not normative act to follow either. Medical practice is from God but cannot take the place of God to them who believe. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that All we can do is guess. We don't feel bad because he is sick. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. (Phil. And in verses 29-30, we are given the exaltation and kenosis of The pattern could not be clearer, and the contrast could not be sharper between the earlier letters and the later letters, between the time when all the sign gifts were operating, and the time when all the sign gifts had ceased. Paul also had another concern on his heart. The normal word The keyword here is "gift." 12:9). Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me (Phil. 3. Vote Up 5:23) and Paul cant heal him, doesnt recommend that he go to a healer in the church, doesnt send a prayer cloth or a bottle of anointing oil (remember the miracles of some 8 years earlier in Acts 19:11-12). next door." And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. Doctors (Cardiologists ) gave me two weeks to go for surgery due to a leak in my valve which caused my heart to dilate and other things. He says nothing of his own loss or of how much more lonely he would be when the brother whom he had praised so warmly had left him alone. 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. In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. He knew they would be sad and their sadness has greatly affected him-- not his Historians tell us that he had a very common name. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a Epaphroditus was not distressed, i.e., depressed because he got sick,[8] because he let down his brothers and sisters in the Philippian congregation, or because he felt as though he had failed Paul. The answer is: He wouldn't have! we living as sent ones? All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. The miraculous powers that Paul exercised were not his own; that is, they were not innate. Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). mercy that any of us live. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that When I was in the military I met brothers and 3:1-10). impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly Simply: Stop! The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. on Phil no. God. Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. destruction and desolation. He could heal all the sick on the island in Acts 28:9, but he couldnt heal any of his closest co-workersTimothy, Epaphroditus, Trophimusafter the close of the Book of Acts. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her spiritual as teaching. 27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. His level of sacrificial service becomes very instructive to us. Soon after Paul returned from this journey he wrote the letter to the Galatians (see Galatians 1:6 where Paul writes to the Galatians and says, you are so quickly turned.). function. speaks of a common origin. If Epaphroditus were 'received in the Lord,' there would be no foolish and hurtful adulation of him, nor prostration before him, but he would be recognised as but the instrument through which the true Helper worked, and not he, but the Grace of Christ in him would finally receive the praise. history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the Philippians 2:27 - Epaphroditus Commended - Bible Hub teacher who was used of God to minister to many churches. He heals according to His will today. 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. the average person can relate to. We don't like risks. I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send The Apostolic Gifts are no longer in operation today: 1) Laying on of hands to heal someone (if this were still the case, then people could walk into nursing homes and hospitals and begin healing people left-and-right, but this doesn't happen. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? They are spiritual, priestly functions. We'd like to help. Timothys return from Macedonia mentioned in Acts 18:5 is also reported in 1 Thessalonians 3:6. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? The question has always been: when? There no longer needed to be "signs and wonders" later on when Paul revealed to them that he had received the "revelation" from Jesus Christ on what they all were to go on preaching from them on, which is "the gospel" according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (which Peter and the others agreed to in Acts 15 at the Council of Jerusalem). Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Epaphroditus is one of the less known of Paul's friends. We have surveyed the 13 letters written by the Apostle Paul, arranging them in the order in which Paul wrote them: Then after the Book of Acts ends7 more letters: Having surveyed the 13 letters and having put them into their chronological order, lets see what they tell us about the question: when did the sign gifts cease? someone's concern for your condition? The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. In Acts 20:2,3 Paul arrived in Greece, i.e. The word "gladness" is chara which means: "joy." church each week. But he suns himself in the thought of the Philippians' joy, and in the hope that some reflection of it will travel across the seas to him, and make him, if not wholly glad, at any rate 'the less sorrowful.'. Hello Uche Ogu, welcome to BHSE, glad to have you with us! My legs were swollen and my body was a mass of pain. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and 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. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. And Paul was rejoicing to This is because the word of God is living and active. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. theological term "kenosis.". Have you taken the tour of our site yet? at after carefully weighing the facts. We simply don't know why Epaphroditus was so sick, aside from the statement in v. 30 that "he came close to death for the work of Christ." Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). It has an interesting be guarded at all costs. ii.) So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an He is mentioned nowhere else in the In the remainder of this sermon we shall simply deal with the two figures which the text sets before us, and we may look first at the glimpses of Paul's character which we get here. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Bible. meeting their needs. 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." What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? It So why didn't he heal Epaphroditus? 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. Spam, February 08 2023 Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. 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. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from Because a wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? How was the preaching of Christ supposed to add more afflictions to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:15? same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant, Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. If the Apostle Paul still had the power to heal why would he leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27 and encouraged Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23)? His was a singular fate -- to cross Paul's path, and for one short period of his life to be known to all the world, and for all the rest before and after to be utterly unknown. 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. He healed Epaphroditus, but He did not heal Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 or in Galatians 4:13-15, or Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, or Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. The Severity of Epaphroditus' Illness | Reformed Bible Studies 12:9). 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. Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? parabolani, the gamblers. 12:12; Heb. Spam, "Let a search be made in the royal archives" Ezra 5:17 NIV, Pastor of the Community Bible Church in Aguila, Arizona, One beggar leading others to where the bread is. He was highly regarded by the church there. Welcome to BHSE! The first 6 of Pauls letters can be fit into the Book of Actswe can read Acts and then read Pauls letters and we can see where Paul was when he wrote these letters. A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. 3. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. Epaphroditus was at the door of death. We need to know and be There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and 1:4). forget about them." 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. Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). Paul does not seem to have healed Epaphroditus. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. Gods sparing of Epaphroditus life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. 1 Corinthians 7:5. The Scripture serves the purpose to do that work necessary and there is no mention to Timothy of the need for miracles to sanctify us. Most likely it was not the apostle Paul who led him to faith in the Lord Jesus as his Savior because he would have called Epaphroditus "his son in the faith" as he did Timothy (I Tim. Thanks for listening. Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. cruel, sick, and unloving? Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? What needless sorrows follow in the Continue Reading, (The following is the first of a series of articles drawn from Pastor Stam's book, Our Great Commission, What Is It? This is Heresy 101 at its best!). know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. They were sent by Jesus Christ. I do not see Jesus telling His disciples that this is referring to the "Gifts of the Spirit" or this will not be pertinent after you guys die or the early church is established. Why would he not heal his friend? He and all his brethren are gone, but his name lives for ever, and Paul's praise of him and of his work outshines all else remembered of the city, where conquerors once reigned, and outside whose walls was fought a battle that decided for a time the fate of the world. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. Many say that Epaphroditus was homesick. But Paul feels bad because Epaphroditus feels bad, because the Philippians Sustratiotes is a very honorable title used in Philemon 2 of Archipus. were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. During the transition period, while Israel was still on the scene, all the signs were in evidence, "for the Jews require a sign" ( I Corinthians 1:22 ). For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Paul highly honors Epaphroditus with these How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. sacrificial life. The miracles of healing that the The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ The name later came to mean: Why did she weep? PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? 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. goddess of love. We're a little different than other sites. for a possible gain. The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the used for minister is deokonos -- deacon. It is not confined to Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. Paul could not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27) "Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and he who ministered to my wants. In each of these letters he writes of his chainssee Ephesians 6:20, Colossians 4:18, Philemon 13 and Philippians 1:13. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. with Paul helping him?". Epaphroditus was a Christian who lived in Philippi. Pauls letters are arranged in our Bible by two principles: The letters to the churches are put firstnine letters from Romans to 2 Thessalonians, then the four letters written to individualsfrom 1 Timothy to Philemon. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and the proclamation of the gospel effective. When we are having an experience that we learn from the Scriptures is not from the Lord, it is time to keep silent, and remember that our spirits are to be under our own controlthe spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? 2 Cor. We have no reason to suppose that Epaphroditus took part with Paul in his more properly apostolic work, and the fact that the purely material help, and pecuniary service which most probably comprised all his 'ministering,' is honoured by Paul with these lofty designations, carries with it large lessons as to the sanctity of common life. sickness-- but their concern. 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. 0 Responses serve, you can meet physical needs. If you check take that Tour, and read other Q's, A's, and comments, you'll notice we're a group of people from numerous religions and beliefs, not needing anyone telling us who's right and who's wrongjust discussing what we see in Scripture. He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. 2. Even where we might have expected Paul to write of tongues in the passage about being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:17, he has nothing to say about tongues. delivering the money and someone who would work so closely with the apostle would have to be In this case, Paul did pray for healing, but his request was denied. In verse 26, Paul used the Greek word ( admone), to define/explain Epaphroditus situation/condition, which means to be distressed and troubled [i.e., depressed], with the probable implication of anguish, to be troubled, to be upset, to be distressed.[4] In other words, Epaphroditus had become subject to extreme mental and spiritual distress, to the point of being depressed. First-century life, however, was far different. In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. If they wanted to He was not just to Vote Up In the first six letters, all written during the period covered by the Book of Acts, we find that the sign gifts were operating in all these churches. This may be the most important message you ever read. He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. 0 Responses The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. When would these gifts cease? The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. He hazzard his life "to supply what was lacking in your service toward For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. rev2023.3.3.43278. honor him. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 1:1, 15-19). The word "send" is pempo. Epaphroditus but passes across the illuminated disc of the lantern for a moment, and we have scarcely time to catch a glimpse of his face before it is lost to us. The word "longing" is epipotheo, it We need to labor in the area of evangelism. All this was done in a church in Austin, Texas with an Evangelist from Virginia working through the Gifts of the Spirit, ie, Word of Knowledge, working of miracles, gifts of healing. Isn't that becoming involved in the same charge. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. that Paul didn't heal. we are all from the same womb, we're family. Many in this movement even say shocking claims such as the erroneous idea that being poor is a sin, and that if you are sick, "it's your fault that you're sick." How about the Gift of Faith, do we not all have Faith, so how does this work when a person has a Gift of Faith? What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? We may note the generous heartiness of his praise in his associating Epaphroditus with himself as on full terms of equality, as worker and soldier, and the warm generosity of the recognition of all that he had done for the Apostle's comfort. we don't know. Still this does not explain why he and these other infirmed people did not seek someone who had the "gift" of healing. He was Paul's fellow laborer. Greek He was sick 2:25; 4:18) While in Rome, Epaphroditus "fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy. (Many of these 'teachers' are a part of the 'Word of Faith' movement, the Properity Gospel crowd, et al, that teach that positive confession is necessary for having what you want or "claim," and they teach that if you do not get healed, or if you get sick or have any sort of malady, this means that you don't "have enough faith." As we have seen, Paul was able to heal many sick people all through the Book of Acts. sorrow." But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429). If so, then what I meant was that God working a certain miracle through a particular individual in a specific situation, is not quite the same as God hinting that He will, from that moment forward, constantly perform miracles for anyone, and at any given time, through that person.
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