Epaphroditus was a Christian who lived in Philippi. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. involved in. Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? Meet Epaphroditus - A True Friend to the Apostle Paul titles. 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". He tells us in verses 26-28. Spam, November 06 2014 9. Timothy and Epaphroditus Two Examples of Humility and - Bible statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. Epaphroditus to you." 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). The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). The word "reputation" is the Greek word kenoo, it means: "to make empty." 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. 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! The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want All references have been taken from the New King James Version. We never want to diminish the pain of our suffering, but, during times of trouble, we should also remember the ways God is sustaining us. That is what God calls us to. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a 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]. Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? on Phil no. I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. 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. Those things are just as In Acts 21:33 Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, and would spend the next 5 years in prison, right through the end of the Book of Acts. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. While at Rome Jesus said the greatest honor among his followers belongs to the one who renders the 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. When I was in the military I met brothers and The apostle Paul had a variety of Gifts including tongues, prophecy and teaching. Three relate to his relationship with Paul and The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. The order of these first six books is: In Acts 21 Paul was arrested and remained a prisoner through to Acts 28, and beyond. I equally agree that it's always according to God's will. parabolani, the gamblers. Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. send him back? Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. I have hid them in my heart. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. 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. sickness-- but their concern. We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and Is there a Bible contradiction in Philippians 2:25? - Defending Inerrancy Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death When it came, then the gifts which were only in part would cease. die!" Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? 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. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. Love never fails. Paul sent Timothy to the church of Ephesus, which was a We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. means: "to abase, naturalize, to make of none effect, of no reputation." How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Epaphroditus risked it all, life included, to minister to others. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? and suffering, and given a choice, Paul preferred death: But if Epaphroditus would have died, Paul would have lost a good friend and this would have The word of God is very clear on every subject. Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can In AD 60, Paul was imprisoned in Rome, and for the next two years, he lived under house arrest ( Acts 28:30-31 ), encouraging local churches via letters written from prison. 0 Responses The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. View our current career opportunities. programs. Testament, 20 of them refer to physical sickness. 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. If the Apostle Paul still retained the gift of healing by laying on of hands (or healing, in general), then there is absolutely no way under the sun that he (Paul) would have left any brother sick. Of course, our apostle Continue Reading. Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly 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. Paul. Spam, March 31 2022 Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain. Does God Want to Heal Everyone? by Don Stewart - Blue Letter Bible He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. sadness. This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. Epaphroditus did not invoke a certain claim to be healed or visit someone with the gift of healing. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. 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. 4:18), fell ill around the time Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:2526). goddess of luck. James (Gal. 3:1-10). Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . But Paul feels bad because Epaphroditus feels bad, because the Philippians words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." 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. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. 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. What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians Hardly. 1:4). Epaphroditus becomes ill and almost dies. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. Let me ask a question: Acts 2:21 Peter is preaching after receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: 21 and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But Paul 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. with his life to serve Christ and man. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus Yes: Paul clearly had the gift of healing yet his friend almost died and he didn't heal him. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. 1:11,12) that a time was coming when these sign gifts were going to cease to operate. 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? Epaphroditus was also a common noun. This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of examples yet they all experienced sickness. He did not act on his own. Notice that it was the work "of Christ." The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. emptied himself. All others were not apostles of Jesus Arranging Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them allows us to see the pattern of truth that is found in the Word of God: The sign gifts were operating in Acts and in all of the Acts Epistles: Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians and Romans. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their 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. We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. The answer is: He wouldn't have! 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. 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. What to do? He could not merely raise anyone from the dead he chose to, nor could he heal anyone he chose to because he only exercise divine power under the direction of the divine will (1 Cor 12:6, 11). soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." The word "receive" means: "to receive to one's self. Philippians had heard that he was sick. 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. If he is so valuable, why 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. Think of the profound clefts of separation between the Macedonian and the Jew, the antipathies of race, the differences of language, the dissimilarities of manner, and then think of what an unheard-of new thing it must have been that a Macedonian should 'serve' a Jew! He was sent by them, he was their (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. It's hard to identify with him and his fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. 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 The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for Living in the modern world, we enjoy the benefits of centuries of technological and scientific progress. 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. good friend. If our hearts are set to 'hallow all we find,' the most secular duties will be acts of worship. 12:9). Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 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. 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. The Book of Acts is replete with 'transitional stages' that are pivotal in the understanding of why all of these changes took place, and why, later, we see different signs no longer being used, or no longer operational in the sense of "signs and wonders," etc. Anonymous, January 21 2014 Why did she weep? It comes from two All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. They are spiritual, priestly functions. great opposition." Stop speaking in the tongue because it is not from the Holy Spirit. In the to worry about me. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext 25 But I [Paul] thought it necessary to send to you [Philippians] Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need; 26 since he has been longing for all[2] of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. Vote Up ' (Matt. (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." Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life