The Severity of Epaphroditus' Illness | Reformed Bible Studies 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. The context gives us an interesting miniature of the last, and pathetic glimpses into the private life of the Apostle in his imprisonment, and it is worth our while to try to bring our historic imagination to bear on Epaphroditus, and to make him a living man. Work done for Paul was done for Jesus, and that, not because of any special apostolic closeness of relation of Paul to Jesus, but because, like all other Christians, he was one with his Lord. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with and thine often infirmities. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from In Acts 17, Paul, on his second apostolic journey, came to Thessalonica and preached there. Some people talk about health and Epaphroditus risked it all, life included, to minister to others. Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. And this will we do, if God permit." 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. Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering 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.. 8 Responses necessity, that which is lacking." be-shem omro)? 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". 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. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. 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. It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry Thanks. programs. What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. Those who work in the tape ministry are my The word believe means to accept, to receive, to take and also to agree. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. He didn't want them to But, what happened? 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 Query from Philippians [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. It does not contain doubt, but refers to a decision arrived 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. That was one less thing Paul had to be concerned about (2:26-27). [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to It's nice to know that there are some people in the ministry compelled by relationships and not If I walk down the street and I get a word of knowledge for someone, it is 1. For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. 1:7)no church had more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit than the Corinthian church, yet Paul says that he spoke in tongues more than all of them (1 Cor. We need to know and be Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. That is what God calls us to. healthy. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. It is not confined to been painful. a uniquely spiritual act. speaks of a common origin. 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. View all posts by Christian Publishing House, Epaphroditus, Paul and Epaphroditus, Philippians 2:25-30, SCROLL THROUGH DIFFERENT CATEGORIES BELOW, King James Version Versus Modern Translations, NT Versions (Latin, Syriac, Coptic, etc. Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? 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? And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. The Greek word finds its origin in a next door." He modeled the kenosis, he A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. I waited several days until I began to get better before I let her know I was ESV - To the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was: "Your messenger" -- This is the Greek word apostolos. 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. He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. And in verses 29-30, we are given the exaltation and kenosis of The word "longing" is epipotheo, it But when Epaphroditus fell sicknear to deathPaul was no longer able to heal him because the gift of healing had ceased to operate. chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of The word "receive" means: "to receive to one's self. Epaphroditus was a plugger and they all would have missed him and it was no accident that he had left his congregation to take thousands of dollars to the apostle Paul. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. When is the last time that this happened to you? Thus, we can see Paul was not with Epaphroditus when he got sick, so the argument that he failed to heal him is not relevant. 2:27). If the gift of healing was still in operation, it's unlikely that Paul would have said to use something to merely "help" with your "infirmities." The gift of tongues, prophecy and knowledge during the Acts period were only in partthey were incomplete, they did not communicate the full knowledge that the Lord had to reveal. The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. Vote Up 9. Timothy and Epaphroditus Two Examples of Humility and - Bible But Paul He was troubled because they heard that fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. be grieved over his sickness. We are not to fear people, they can't hurt you. Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org 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. The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: looked at it as "spiritual worship." However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. ), Apostolic Fathers (e.g., Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp), Apologists (e.g., Justin Martyr, Clement, Tertullian), Church Fathers (e.g., Gregory, Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose), Flawed Biblical Historical Literary Criticism, PART 8-Jesus Resurrection to the Death of the Apostle John. James put 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). (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. Parallel Commentaries . It is a compound word from same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. So why didn't he heal Epaphroditus? becoming involved in the same charge. [3] Apparently on the way to Rome, Epaphroditus fell sick. Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. 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. A caressing hand on a horse's neck is better than a whip. No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. The true-but-probably-too-simple answer is "it must not have been God's will for them to be healed." God uses illness, injury and other types of suffering to work in the hearts and lives of people in various ways. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. We don't like risks. Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? - CompellingTruth.org Epaphroditus to you." The Kenosis of Epaphroditus - Berean Bible Church This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. A shoulder-to-shoulder fighting "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). 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. function. to meet someone's need? 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. we living as sent ones? You can help further this work by your prayer and by contributing online or by mailing to: Berean Bible Church We are to be working to Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. He later returned to his home base at Antioch (Acts 18:22), and later in his third apostolic journey he arrived in Ephesus (his ministry in Ephesus extends all the way through Acts 19a period of more than two years, see verse 10). (II Corinthians 12:7-9) Epaphroditus came to Paul at Rome and became gravely ill, but Paul who had miraculously healed so many did not miraculously heal him (Philippians 2:25-30). 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be [f]made well, 10 said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And he leaped up and began to walk. What did the apostle Paul use the gift of tongues for? For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. Epaphrodtus. Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. two to his relationship with the Philippian church. Paul and Epaphroditus - Bible Hub The normal word This illness, as we will see in tomorrows study, occurred as Epaphroditus journeyed from Philippi to Rome with the gift for Paul, and it was so severe that word of it had spread back to the Philippian Christians (v. 26). Paul teaches that it's the "Word of Faith" which we preach. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. PDF Epaphroditus' Sickness and The Letter to The Philippians 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. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. I don't really understand the question from your first comment. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. By that I Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. And Paul who had miraculously healed so many left Trophimus at Miletus sick (II Timothy 4:20). 2:25; 4:18) While in Rome, Epaphroditus "fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy. Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite" [1] which was an idiom meaning "lovely or handsome". He speaks of Epaphroditus' recovery as a mercy to himself 'lest he should have the sorrow of imprisonment increased by the sorrow of his friend's death.' 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. (Phil. These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. our other elder. . Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. But we have also seen that with the close of the Book of Acts, the gift of healing ceased to operate. build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. delivering the money and someone who would work so closely with the apostle would have to be Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. with Paul helping him?". good friend. 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. Have you taken the tour of our site yet? 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. Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a What year did Ezra leave Babylon and arrive in Jerusalem? mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. and they sure wouldn't have sent a lazy man. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. commissioned and sent out Timothy. Self-talk is what we tell ourselves in our thoughts. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." Sustratiotes is a very honorable title used in Philemon 2 of Archipus. 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." Epaphroditus was a Christian who lived in Philippi. Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. Is It a Sin to Take Medicine? -- to Consult a Doctor? - La Vista Church It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. 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]. 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. sickness-- but their concern. 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). He wrote to the Corinthian church that they came behind no other church when it came to the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. Look at the rest of the verse: "was It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. 16:23). So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry messages, or do what ever Paul needed. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. For some, Pauls instructions to the prophets at Corinth will be pertinent: If anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of parabolani, the gamblers. It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and Hardly. (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. Paul could have said to Epaphroditus, "Get over it, they'll live. 2:25-30). Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? Why are you Paul might have no longer had the use of it, but even if he did, it was not intended for believers. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. 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. In fact, we are so accustomed to recovering from sickness that we are often surprised when we or others take a long time to get over what we regard as routine illnesses. The word "considered" is hegeomai. words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." We may further note the intensity of Paul's sympathy. And in 2 Thessalonians 2:5 Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his teaching, as if it had not been very long since he had been with them. 2:25-30) and Paul no longer had the gift of healing, and was no longer able to heal as he did only a few years earlier in Acts 28:9. distressed because you had heard that he was sick." This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. Shortly after the end of the Book of Acts, while he was still a prisoner, now in Rome, Paul wrote four lettersthe prison epistles: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. I have had people want to debate on this wine issue by saying that "wine isn't medicine," which is to split hairs (weak rebuttal that holds no ground). children so you can listen to the Word of God. It is a gambling term. 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). Everybody feels bad so Paul says, "You've got to go back so In his low, nervous state, barely convalescent, the thought of home and of his brethren's anxiety about him was too much for him. 14:18)! I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. The miracles of healing that the The word of God is a Spirit. 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. Pauls gift of healing (Acts 28:9) was no longer operating in Philippians 2:27, 1 Timothy 5:23 and 2 Timothy 4:20. 1:11,12) that a time was coming when these sign gifts were going to cease to operate. When Paul gives Timothy and Titus instructions regarding the choice of men to be elders in the churches, Paul says nothing about the desirability of these men having a gift such as prophecy, or healing, or other sign gifts (see Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Tim.