means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. As we have seen, Paul was able to heal many sick people all through the Book of Acts. The gifts were all in operation all through the Book of Acts period and are mentioned in the letters written during that time, but the Lord had revealed that the sign gifts were going to cease at some time in the future. (See below left). Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: Paul highly honors Epaphroditus with these [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. Possibly there were in Philippi some sharp tongues and envious spirits, who needed the exhortation. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. Figuratively, it Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of Medical practice is from God but cannot take the place of God to them who believe. Hebrews 11:6 we are taught: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 12:9). My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. All others were not apostles of Jesus 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. The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. The news reached Philippi in some round-about way, and, as it appears, the news of his illness only, not of his recovery. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. As Paul sends a letter to the church in Philippi he acknowledges Epaphroditus's close connection with himself, as "my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier" (Philippians 2:25). 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. Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to We need to know and be 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). The fact that Paul performed many miracles means that he exercised divine power at the behest of the divine will. fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians?
Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible and What Can We Learn from Him? Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. 2:25-30). Epaphroditus was not only a
Why did Paul send Epaphroditus to the Philippians? - Quora There is healing today, but there is no gift of healing, there are no divine healers. There is no gift of healing today but God still heals sometimes. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." This is because the word of God is living and active. He provides a pattern that Acts 28:25-28 stands as Gods last words to the nation of Israel for nearly two millennia. I was having shortness of breath and others things like palpitations, light headedness,insomnia and all that. 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. send him back? There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble 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. 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. 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). 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." Paul sees Epaphroditus' ministry to him as hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! we living as sent ones? That which is perfect had come and so the sign gifts had passed away. Paul would Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. So why didn't he heal Epaphroditus? Epaphroditus had made a 600-mile journey from Philippi to Rome, an 80-day journey on foot round trip, which was fatiguing, to visit the apostle Paul. 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. A place where magic is studied and practiced? Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. How was the preaching of Christ supposed to add more afflictions to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:15? 3:1-10). theological term "kenosis.". forget about them." Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. If our hearts are set to 'hallow all we find,' the most secular duties will be acts of worship. January 23 2014 Report 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. The answer is: He wouldn't have! Christ. (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. Love never fails. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." 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. This to worry about me. 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 time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. on Phil no. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? I don't think so. 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! 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. function. the average person can relate to. And this will we do, if God permit." 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. 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. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? "lovely or charming."
Bible Query from Philippians We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. (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. They are spiritual, priestly functions. ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429). I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send It does not contain doubt, but refers to a decision arrived accounted for the success of Rome's armies, they were the terror of the ancient world. 19:28). First-century life, however, was far different. Vote Up Epaphroditus wasn't sick because of sin, he was sick because of the work of Christ
someone who would represent the church well. The miracles of healing that the Vote Up others. However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. 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. 2 Responses The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). Weak in the faith is another use. 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. Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your 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? Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? The church, however, was not to think of Epaphroditus as second best. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. Paul is clear that we do not need miracles for the completion and equipping of our faith, but the Word of God. It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider.
Is It a Sin to Take Medicine? -- to Consult a Doctor? - La Vista Church All we can do is guess. 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. The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. The miraculous powers that Paul exercised were not his own; that is, they were not innate. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; where it ends for many, they are brothers, but not for Epaphroditus. Testament, 20 of them refer to physical sickness. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. 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! He was the, "Loving Gambler.". Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. 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. Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. I equally agree that it's always according to God's will. 1:2; II Tim. It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. 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. When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that They were to receive him "in the Lord." What evidence is there the writer of Revelation was aware of the apostle Paul? that the account of the sickness and recovery of Epaphroditus is such as to lead us to suppose that he was not restored by miracle; and he infers that the power of healing the sick was conferred on the apostles only occasionally, and did not depend at all on their will, since, if it had, there is every . ), 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. Chesapeake, VA 23322. 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. word that has the idea of: "not at home, uncomfortable, troubled, or distressed.". Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 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. It would be like the difference between being a child and becoming a grown man, or between seeing someones face reflected in a wavy ancient mirror, and seeing the person face-to-face. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. 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. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. Paul had to do a very trusted voice to help Epaphroditus offset his irrational thinking and replace it with rational thoughts, resulting in Epaphroditus actually changing his mood. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? 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). Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. You were extremely upset and grieved over We are to The word "send" is pempo. He labored on Paul's behalf until his own health broke, and, even when he was sick, Epaphroditus took no thought of himself; rather, he was distressed because his church had heard of his illness, and he didn't want them to worry. He has authored ninety-five books. 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. And Paul was rejoicing to Vote Up To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. In fact, he would have probably sent a handkerchief or even went to him, personally, if possible, and laid hands on him and healed him instantly. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos.
Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was He wasn't an incredibly gifted man but he was committed totally to He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. Paul uses the word sunergos here of himself and Apollos. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Paul was quick to send the most complete healing is when we are taken home. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. involved in. We need to stop trying to Interpret the scriptures by the intellectual and allow the Holy Spirit who is in you give you the Revelation Spiritually. 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 don't like risks. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. No matter where you go you can find God's family. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. He is mentioned nowhere else in the [3] Apparently on the way to Rome, Epaphroditus fell sick. Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. The word "reputation" is the Greek word kenoo, it means: "to make empty." To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. We have work to do, In Galatians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 1 Corinthians 12,13,14, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Romans 12:6in all these letters we read about the gifts in operation right through to the end of the Book of Acts. Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. 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.
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. sacrificial.
Epaphroditus: A Gambling Veteran - Associates for Biblical Research 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. Indeed he was ill, near to death. He was in the first place Paul's helper in the Gospel, and his faithfulness there is set forth in a glowing climax, 'My brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier.' All through the Book of Acts we read of tongues, the gift of prophecy, the gift of healing, etc.for example, tongues and prophecy in Acts 19:6, the gift of prophecy in Acts 21:10-14, the gift of healing in Acts 19:11-12 and 28:8,9, etc. John 1:12 ).
Philippians 2:27 Commentaries: For indeed he was sick to the point of It means for any gift that you and I will receive from Him by the Holy Spirit is premised on your ability to accept,take, agree or receive without doubt His word which comes as a command, law, or instruction. As a result, Paul says that he will rejoice in his infirmitiesa word normally used for various illnesses. But Paul feels bad because Epaphroditus feels bad, because the Philippians We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others.
Timothy and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:19-30) Of course, our apostle Continue Reading. 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. He was not just to 12:9). Pages 482-483. emptied himself. Those who couldn't be Bible scholar J. 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.' becoming involved in the same charge. 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! 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.). His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). It's only of God's sovereign This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ , , , , , For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. with Paul helping him?". The word "sick" is astheneo, it means: "to be feeble, weak, sick. programs. Thanks for listening. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? Parallel Commentaries . 12:9). 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. 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). When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear! Actually, suppose we regularly cultivate and entertain slights against us or the deeper personal affronts. But the needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her messages, or do what ever Paul needed. be grieved over his sickness. 2:25; cf. Many say that Epaphroditus was homesick. destruction and desolation. 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. But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. We need to "show" people that we love them by Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a Spam, March 20 2018 In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. would have been sorrow upon sorrow.
Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus 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.
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