function. It's only of God's sovereign All references have been taken from the New King James Version. Paul is saying,"God gave Epaphroditus mercy and he gave me mercy also. January 23 2014 Report 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.' Spam, January 24 2014 Who carried the Epistles - Tyndale House back" but "send." All others were not apostles of Jesus used for minister is deokonos -- deacon. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." adherents? Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. Paul highly honors Epaphroditus with these (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. He tells them why they are to Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. Epaphroditus wasn't the only friend [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. In Acts 17, Paul, on his second apostolic journey, came to Thessalonica and preached there. In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for 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". 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. The Lord does not deny that they had done these things. The name Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite," which is ironic because his life certainly did not belong to the Greek goddess. Simply: Stop! 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! feel bad because he is sick. titles. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and 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. Paul used this word in: It is a strong inward desire for the Philippians. Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can 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. Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus See Peter and John's comments in Acts 3:12. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. we living as sent ones? Was it perhaps meant to ask for a clarification of my own comment ? Historians tell us that he had a very common name. Galatians was written soon after Paul returned from that first journeysoon after Acts 14:27. The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. No matter where you go you can find God's family. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. But Paul goddess of love. 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. 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. 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)? Indeed he was ill, near to death. The word "send" is pempo. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their 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). He has authored ninety-five books. 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.. But we read that Epaphroditus was healeddirectly by the Lord: He was sick unto death but the Lord had mercy on him.. But, what happened? In Philippians 2 we read of a healing that God did after the gift of healing had ceased to operate: Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. The Healing Power: of Jesus and the Apostles ~ by Angus MacKillop Why Did the Philippians Send Paul a Gift? | Zondervan Academic 4 Life Lessons from Epaphroditus | Josh Daffern - New Wineskins healthy. Of note: Reference Hebrews 6:2-3 which says: "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. First-century life, however, was far different. emptied himself. What does the Bible say about prayer for the sick? words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. We need to meet people's needs It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? It is a gambling term. In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. 4:18), fell ill around the time Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:2526). Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? What Does Philippians 4:13 Mean, 'I Can Do All Things through Christ'? 1 Corinthians 7:5. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? Sustratiotes is a very honorable title used in Philemon 2 of Archipus. He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. risks. We both received mercy. . parabolani, the gamblers. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. at after carefully weighing the facts. 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. Isn't that So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). 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. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? sorrow." The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. Greek He was sick [4] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 314. Three relate to his relationship with Paul and honor him. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Paul's, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. We have no record of any Keyword: "IF". But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus. In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. We have also to notice Paul's delicate recognition of all friendly help. Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. What did the apostle Paul use the gift of tongues for? 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. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. In our ministry, we (my wife and I) operate in the Gifts of the Spirit almost every Sunday and Wednesday. He was not just to of beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter, mistress of the graces and pleasures and also the Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? 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. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. me." This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in He was sent there to serve Paul the heathen threw out the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. Paul spiritual as teaching. We are to be working to 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. How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? I don't really understand the question from your first comment. 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. with his life to serve Christ and man. Welcome to BHSE! May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 4: 19 . In English, as in Greek, this is a neuter pronounthat thing which is perfect. Paul was not writing about the coming of He who is perfect but of the coming of a thing which is perfect. be-shem omro)? 1:14). He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. forget about them." Epaphroditus becomes ill and almost dies. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a The answer is: He wouldn't have! we are all from the same womb, we're family. 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). 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. be grieved over his sickness. Epaphrodtus. You can help further this work by your prayer and by contributing online or by mailing to: Berean Bible Church We need to be sustratiotes, fighting together. to worry about me. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. 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. 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 . 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. It is a compound word from goddess of luck. The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy "Almost 14:18)! It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. Paul says, No. I waited several days until I began to get better before I let her know I was on Phil no. 12:9). A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. "Who ministered to my need" -- The word "need" is from chreia it means: "a need or We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. The news reached Philippi in some round-about way, and, as it appears, the news of his illness only, not of his recovery. These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. honor a solider, they would give him the title -- Sustratiotes. 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. What should they do? The Healing of Epaphroditus and Healing Today Philippians 2:25-30 Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? co-laborer with Paul, but with God. I don't think so. a uniquely spiritual act. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and Still this does not explain why he and these other infirmed people did not seek someone who had the "gift" of healing. 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 is because the word of God is living and active. 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? How was the preaching of Christ supposed to add more afflictions to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:15? When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. It is used 35 times in the New John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting 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. 8 Responses Have you taken the tour of our site yet? He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. Epaphroditus to you." able to defend doctrine. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. the average person can relate to. We have what I Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him. ), 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. For many this is a great relief. 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. This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a What he had not yet received in 1 Corinthians 13, he now has. 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! Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. 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. 12:12; Heb. The name later came to mean: The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want He was troubled because they heard that looked at it as "spiritual worship." 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. All things are possible to them that believe Mark 9:23. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. He knew they would be sad and their sadness has greatly affected him-- not his 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 keyword here is "gift." Epaphroditus risked it all, life included, to minister to others. The miracles of healing that the 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. 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). Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? While at Rome We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. He is saying, 12:9). 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). Paul put the needs of the Philippians ahead of his own. 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. Thanks. 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. We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. So the writing of 1 and 2 Thessalonians can be placed into Acts 18 during Pauls ministry in Corinth, and that makes them the second and third letters that Paul wrote. We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. I also believe the Word tells us in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. sacrificial life. would have been sorrow upon sorrow. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). ' (Matt. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. We can now give a scriptural answer to the question that we started with: when did the sign gifts cease? 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. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. 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. It is all the words that we say to ourselves all the time. The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. 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). Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? 0 Responses Stop speaking in the tongue because it is not from the Holy Spirit. The gift of tongues and the gift of healing has ceased. Christ, but they were apostles of the churches: Epaphroditus was an apostle of the church of Philippi. The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. Why didn't Paul healed Epaphroditus and Trophimus? Are It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess, better known by her Roman name , Venus. 2 Responses The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. Bible Query from Philippians Epaphroditus was not only a No, the answer is that God's program had changed. To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. It This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. Paul only calls him a "brother" ( Phil. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? Paul. The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. Amen. Paul holds them up as 2 Cor. "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. Spam, March 20 2018 Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering In 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. Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. 3:1-10). 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. He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. 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.