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. Paul was quick to send Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear! ), 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. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. During this time he wrote the three letters known as the Pastoral Epistles, because these letters were written to Pauls co-workersPastor Timothy and Titus. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was 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." When would these gifts cease? Why? The word "send" is pempo. Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org 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.' Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. And Paul who had miraculously healed so many left Trophimus at Miletus sick (II Timothy 4:20). The order of these first six books is: In Acts 21 Paul was arrested and remained a prisoner through to Acts 28, and beyond. Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. While at Rome It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. It's nice to know that there are some people in the ministry compelled by relationships and not fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. It is not confined to John 1:12 ). 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. Vote Up In each of these letters he writes of his chainssee Ephesians 6:20, Colossians 4:18, Philemon 13 and Philippians 1:13. Paul James (Gal. Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? 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. We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. We are 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. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). we living as sent ones? Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. Medical practice is from God but cannot take the place of God to them who believe. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. of the church. 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. Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. I was having shortness of breath and others things like palpitations, light headedness,insomnia and all that. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. risks. How this happened or what his sickness was 0 Responses Some people talk about health and (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. 1. with this letter. were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. 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? man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of jesus also was moved with compassion many times.the main purpose is to trust him and have faith he will do what is best for us. Then the report found its way back to Rome, and Epaphroditus got home-sick and was restless, uneasy, 'sore troubled,' as the Apostle says, because they had heard he had been sick. In Acts 17, Paul, on his second apostolic journey, came to Thessalonica and preached there. Colossians 1:7 of a different man. I have hid them in my heart. for a possible gain. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? - CompellingTruth.org the proclamation of the gospel effective. Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . So, Paul says, "I'm sending him to you." 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. 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. involved in. The miracles of healing that the 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. 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. 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. We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. Perhaps Paul said this precisely because the Philippians might be tempted to judge Epaphroditus for being ill, concluding that he was being chastised by God for some secret or even scandalous sin. The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want 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. 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)? means: "to abase, naturalize, to make of none effect, of no reputation." commissioned and sent out Timothy. Paul says, No. In the 3 Pastoral Epistles, as in the prison epistles, we do not read of tongues or the gift of healing operating at this time. "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life Ministering to others' physical needs is a spiritual priestly at after carefully weighing the facts. Weak in the faith is another use. I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send We are to follow the example of Christ who "emptied We are co-laborers. 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. Paul teaches that it's the "Word of Faith" which we preach. 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). If they wanted to here with us can get a tape and those who were here but slept can go home and listen to the ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. mercy that any of us live. Epaphroditus - Grace Bible Church Fort Worth This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? sacrificial. Epaphroditus to you." What Is the Difference Between 'Man' And 'Son of Man' in Num 23:19? 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. Epaphroditus becomes ill and almost dies. Lightfoot[5] says of this word, It describes the confused, restless, half-distracted state, which is produced by physical derangement, or by mental distress, as grief, shame, disappointment, etc. (Saint Pauls Epistle to the Philippians [London, 1908], p. 123). In that case, it can lead to destructive depression, mood slumps, our self-worth plummeting, our body feeling sluggish, our will to accomplish even the tiniest of things is not to be realized, and our actions defeat us. 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. 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. We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. 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. Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering Paul commends Epaphroditus very highly for his faithfulness even unto death. 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. 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." He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, 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. It has an interesting Paul would He heals according to His will today. our other elder. 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. But we have also seen that with the close of the Book of Acts, the gift of healing ceased to operate. impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly 0 Responses We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. We need to meet people's needs were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. 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. Amen. 3:1-10). Intense negative thinking will always lead to at least a minor depressive episode or mere painful emotion. he was sick. Historians tell us that he had a very common name. be grieved over his sickness. Why Did the Philippians Send Paul a Gift? | Zondervan Academic On the contrary, Paul considered him his "brother," "fellow-worker," "fellow-soldier," and "their apostle and servant" (2:25). ministry. It ' (Matt. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. 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.). In his letter thanking the Philippians, Paul makes a point of telling the church that Epaphroditus recovered (Philippians 2:27), and that he would return to them soon. 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. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with She's the And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and Paul and Epaphroditus - Bible Hub We must not leave unnoticed the beautiful self-abnegation which sends off Epaphroditus as soon as he was well enough to travel, as a gift of the Apostle's love, in order to repay them for what they had done for him. The answer is: He wouldn't have! Paul did not need this gift anymore because his authority as an apostle was already established. Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. James put 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.'. You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. When God spared his Emotional He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the He provides a pattern that Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 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. 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. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians Are 29 Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext Proverbs 4:20-23. He was an apostolic delegate. others. Literally this is "wave after wave of grief.". 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! We as Berean Bible Church need to work at When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda In fact, in 1 Timothy 5:23, look what Paul recommended: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake It is clear that the gift of healing has ceased because, as in Philippians, Paul was no longer able to heal, even his co-workers. we don't know. That which is perfect had come and so the sign gifts had passed away. 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). A caressing hand on a horse's neck is better than a whip. 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. We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. 8 Responses In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. emptied himself. (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). He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. used for minister is deokonos -- deacon. hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30-Some Bible scholars have asked the question, 'why No matter where you go you can find God's family. Today God no longer gives the gift of healing, and there are no healers. But we should not think that God Himself no longer heals! In the 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. But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. 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. 4 Life Lessons from Epaphroditus | Josh Daffern - New Wineskins However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. 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. Introduction to Paul's Letter to the Philippians - BJUtoday 1000 Chattanooga Street All references have been taken from the New King James Version. sadness. He wasn't an incredibly gifted man but he was committed totally to No one was more charismatic than Paul, yet the Lord revealed to him that those sign gifts were going to cease: whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away (1 Cor. Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. They were to receive him "in the Lord." This is Heresy 101 at its best!). I equally agree that it's always according to God's will. 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. His level of sacrificial service becomes very instructive to us. Berean Bible Church provides this material free of charge for the edification of the Body of Christ. In verse 25, we have a description of Epaphroditus. (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. Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a would have been sorrow upon sorrow. Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. 2:25-30). 1:4). 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. church each week. parabolani, the gamblers. And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. Philippians 2:27 Commentaries: For indeed he was sick to the point of The miraculous powers that Paul exercised were not his own; that is, they were not innate. But when Epaphroditus fell sicknear to deathPaul was no longer able to heal him because the gift of healing had ceased to operate. "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? Paul uses the word sunergos here of himself and Apollos. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" He was the, "Loving Gambler.". needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. 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. looked at it as "spiritual worship." Then he goes on to say that he was But Paul uses leitourgos here. Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible and What Can We Learn from Him? (Phil. Isn't that I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy 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. The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. Vote Up He knew they would be sad and their sadness has greatly affected him-- not his The Lord warned that experiences can be deceiving: Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! 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. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. Because his will is to speak to that individual right then. God. The Healing of Epaphroditus and Healing Today Philippians 2:25-30 life, it was mercy to me. The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). 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. We don't The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for Epaphroditus wasn't sick because of sin, he was sick because of the work of Christ Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. They labor in setting up the
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