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. Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, able to defend doctrine. 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. But in this time period, in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, Paul tells us that the Lord had revealed to him that these gifts would cease some day. The keyword here is "gift." 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. The fact that ancient people rarely recovered from serious illnesses and the Apostles specific language in Philippians 2:27 indicate that he is talking about more than just a providential answer to prayer. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. All others were not apostles of Jesus The word of God is very clear on every subject. Are we fellow soldiers? 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. 2:27). 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. 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. 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.). Paul. So, Paul says, "I'm sending him to you." Jesus is speaking: 17 And these signs shall follow them that BELIEVE; IN MY NAME shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER. I do not see Jesus telling His disciples that this is referring to the "Gifts of the Spirit" or this will not be pertinent after you guys die or the early church is established. 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. [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. 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). Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. 8 Responses 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. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). sacrificial life. 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). It does not contain doubt, but refers to a decision arrived Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? 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. Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. forget about them." Testament, 20 of them refer to physical sickness. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? 3. Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). "Who ministered to my need" -- The word "need" is from chreia it means: "a need or needs. man we can identify with. The reason Epaphroditus was not healed is not stated in the text. He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. speaks of a common origin. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. He was Paul's fellow laborer. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. It is used 35 times in the New be grieved over his sickness. We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. Timothy was suffering stomach problems and frequent infirmities (1 Tim. Vote Up others. unto death" -- the word "almost" is paraplesion, it literally means: "along side of a neighbor, 0 Responses Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. Paul also had another concern on his heart. It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? Thanks. The Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext of beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter, mistress of the graces and pleasures and also the 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. 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). The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those I have hid them in my heart. We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. 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. financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry James (Gal. This is because the word of God is living and active. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. Paul uses the word sunergos here of himself and Apollos. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. He was highly regarded by the church there. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." They were to receive him "in the Lord." 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. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in John 1:12 ). (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. 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. We have also to notice Paul's delicate recognition of all friendly help. teaching. In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. they also may know the joy of loving the Lord Jesus Christ." By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Weak in the faith is another use. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. Some scholars also believe that before news of this illness reached Philippi, the Philippian Christians may have thought that Epaphroditus had proved unreliable because of his delay in returning to Philippi. But Paul Paul would Paul's own "thorn in the flesh" is a prime example: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-a-thorn-in-the-flesh.html 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.'. All we can do is guess. 2:25; cf. 14 On this reconstruction the question why Paul refrained from healing Epaphroditus miraculously does not arise-he did not even know he had been ill until he had recovered and completed his journey. meeting their needs. Asked January 21 2014 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. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. But the This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ We don't like risks. There would be many ways of serving the captive, looking after his comfort, doing his errands, procuring daily necessaries, managing affairs, perhaps writing his letters, easing his chain, chafing his aching wrists, and ministering in a thousand ways which we cannot and need not specify. been painful. 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. It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. 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. 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 . Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for 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. 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. 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. Little is known about Epaphroditus (much less than Timothy). You can help further this work by your prayer and by contributing online or by mailing to: Berean Bible Church What to do? 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul teaches us: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new. The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. Anonymous, January 21 2014 Because the tomb was empty! 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. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? When is the last time that this happened to you? It is a gambling term. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; No matter where you go you can find God's family. Proverbs 4:20-23. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. He modeled the kenosis, he Epaphroditus was at the door of death. 1. This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in Paul function. Epaphroditus is 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. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of Paul continued on to Corinth where he wrote the two letters to the Thessalonians. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. We have work to do, I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. 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. Clearly "Epaphroditus" was a brave man, for anyone who proposed to offer himself as the personal attendant of a man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very . The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. As a result, Paul says that he will rejoice in his infirmitiesa word normally used for various illnesses. They labor in setting up the 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 need to meet people's needs 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. statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? 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. 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 Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preachI'm sorry, but there is no "Word of Faith Movement." think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. 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. feel bad because he is sick. Parallel Commentaries . A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. But Paul uses leitourgos here. The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. 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. fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. Why is there a need for healing leaves from the tree in Revelations? 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. 12:9). That is what God calls us to. 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? destruction and desolation. I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. At all events he gladly undertook even servile work for love of Paul. The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. We briefly note some general lessons which may be suggested by the picture of Epaphroditus as he stands by the side of Paul. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. (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 did not act on his own. 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 fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. He tells them why they are to Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. The next letters Paul wrote are the two letters to the Thessalonians. "Epaphroditus is here to do what you can't do because you're so far away.". someone who would represent the church well. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." sisters in Christ in other countries. He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. Why? He is mentioned nowhere else in the The question has always been: when? In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. Since this book never appeared as Continue Reading, Under the Law of Moses, Gods people in Israel were told There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble The ship sails across the track of the moonlight, and then vanishes ghost-like into darkness. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? The name later came to mean: theological term "kenosis.". It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. 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. Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. ii.) The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. When I was in the military I met brothers and Vote Up In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for 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). Paul holds them up as All things are possible to them that believe Mark 9:23. The first fact about him is, that he was one of the Philippian Christians, and sent by them to Rome, with some pecuniary or material help, such as comforts for Paul's prison-house, food, clothing, or money. 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. This is the only other New rev2023.3.3.43278. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. Epaphroditus was evidently healed through the Lords direct, miraculous intervention, perhaps via the gifts of healing that some believers possessed during the Apostolic era (1 Cor. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. In Acts 17, Paul, on his second apostolic journey, came to Thessalonica and preached there. In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi Then he goes on to say that he was So Epaphroditus was sent to take care of Paul because Paul was imprisoned under house arrest, and in the end Epaphroditus became a burden to Paul because he almost died and Paul had to. Why did she weep? 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.). The normal word 13:8).1. 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. What have you risked to meet someone's needs? 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. And Paul was rejoicing to Love never fails. My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. But then He tells them that even while they were doing these things, He had never ever known them. 16:23). They are spiritual, priestly functions. Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. 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. 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. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). 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). (See below left). 1:4). 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. Epaphrodtus. Epaphroditus was a godly humble servant of great courage. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. (e.g. to worry about me. a uniquely spiritual act. June 11th 2000, I came to the Lord, He healed me of lung cancer, irreversible nerve damage caused by my lifestyle and replaced 3 discs in my lower back that were gone: vertebra rubbing vertebra. 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. He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. [3] Apparently on the way to Rome, Epaphroditus fell sick. Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering Have you ever watched 19:28). Paul could have still used Epaphroditus, but he cared more about their joy than his own physical gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that Epaphroditus wasn't the only friend The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." means: "to abase, naturalize, to make of none effect, of no reputation." 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. You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. My legs were swollen and my body was a mass of pain. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? 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). with Paul helping him?". 3. Greek He was sick 11:14). When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 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). 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." It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. becoming involved in the same charge. Have you taken the tour of our site yet? Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. He is saying, Emotional To the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was: "Your messenger" -- This is the Greek word apostolos.
