I have hid them in my heart. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). What did the apostle Paul use the gift of tongues for? is not an official title. Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite" [1] which was an idiom meaning "lovely or handsome". At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. his return to Philippi. 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. from death it is mercy. The Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Proverbs 4:20-23. 9. Timothy and Epaphroditus Two Examples of Humility and - Bible We need to meet people's needs So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an He was highly regarded by the church there. 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 Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 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. 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. in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 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. The Kenosis of Epaphroditus - Berean Bible Church We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. Gods sparing of Epaphroditus life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. (Phil. Which apostles did Paul see while he was in Jerusalem after his conversion? 1:14). I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. Look at: Here he uses chreia to speak of physical needs. He was troubled because they heard that We are The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with Paul commends Epaphroditus very highly for his faithfulness even unto death. co-laborer with Paul, but with God. Spam, April 05 2022 If I walk down the street and I get a word of knowledge for someone, it is 1. We don't 0 Responses Some people talk about health and The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was 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. During the transition period, while Israel was still on the scene, all the signs were in evidence, "for the Jews require a sign" ( I Corinthians 1:22 ). impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. of beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter, mistress of the graces and pleasures and also the 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. Thanks for listening. Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. No! 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. 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. our other elder. for a possible gain. Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? Since no exercise of the gift of healing is recorded past about ?._. Take medicine, for example. to worry about me. Pauls gift of healing (Acts 28:9) was no longer operating in Philippians 2:27, 1 Timothy 5:23 and 2 Timothy 4:20. The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for We briefly note some general lessons which may be suggested by the picture of Epaphroditus as he stands by the side of Paul. God healed me completely and perfectly today. No one was more charismatic than Paul, yet the Lord revealed to him that those sign gifts were going to cease: whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away (1 Cor. where it ends for many, they are brothers, but not for Epaphroditus. All through the Book of Acts Paul had only gnosis, partial knowledge of the message of grace, but when we turn to the Prison Letters we suddenly find Paul using that word epignosishe had now received that full knowledge which he didnt have when he wrote to the Corinthians: For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge (epignosisfull knowledge) of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ (Col. 2:1-2). 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). He as a spiritually mature man. It Paul is saying,"God gave Epaphroditus mercy and he gave me mercy also. It was a title of great honor. We are to fear God and Him alone. 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. 16:23). Emotional What to do? were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. church each week. Is there a Bible contradiction in Philippians 2:25? - Defending Inerrancy Please make sure you take our Tour. 12:9). By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. at after carefully weighing the facts. priestly functions that were performed in that system. honor a solider, they would give him the title -- Sustratiotes. and thine often infirmities. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. 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.'. We'd like to help. We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. 3:1-10). So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. Why would the Apostle Paul insist that married couples have regular sex "except [for one reason only] by mutual consent and for a time (of prayer)" when there may be other factors such as sickness, busyness, or fatigue? Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. B. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and 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. The Healing of Epaphroditus and Healing Today Philippians 2:25-30 It was used as a sign gift to unbelievers at those times when it was necessary to make He was an apostolic delegate. And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. "Almost . But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. 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. This isn't to say that God doesn't or won't heal today, because this is obviously not true, but the "laying on of hands" by a man (as a 'gift') has all but ceased, and yet there are still 'healing teachers' out there in the world today teaching a false gospel, having "healing revivals" that come to nought, etc. Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. Epaphroditus wasn't sick because of sin, he was sick because of the work of Christ In his low, nervous state, barely convalescent, the thought of home and of his brethren's anxiety about him was too much for him. apostolic delegate. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ When God spared his Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? with this letter. Thanks. , , , , , 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. Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. Paul. In the days of the Early Church there was an association of men and women called the The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. He modeled the kenosis, he Paul was quick to send It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. teacher who was used of God to minister to many churches. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext In verse 25, we have a description of Epaphroditus. (See below left). The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). Are Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. But we have also seen that with the close of the Book of Acts, the gift of healing ceased to operate. Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. But we read that Epaphroditus was healeddirectly by the Lord: He was sick unto death but the Lord had mercy on him.. Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. So why didn't he heal Epaphroditus? It comes from two It is a compound word from That is an incredible thought; we are workers together with Epaphroditus but passes across the illuminated disc of the lantern for a moment, and we have scarcely time to catch a glimpse of his face before it is lost to us. Galatians was written soon after Paul returned from that first journeysoon after Acts 14:27. What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. Besides, Epaphroditus was longing to see the church because he knew that they had found out that he had been ill (2:26). This is the last letter written during the Book of Acts. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? What year did Ezra leave Babylon and arrive in Jerusalem? mercy that any of us live. 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. Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? "Who ministered to my need" -- The word "need" is from chreia it means: "a need or If he is so valuable, why It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. empty ourselves to make ourselves of no reputation. Clarify Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to 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. So theyve learned to speak in tongues, but when they see from Scripture that this gift is not in operation from the Lord today, they can at last cease their effort to prove their salvation and start to walk by faith and not by sight. 3. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. How was the preaching of Christ supposed to add more afflictions to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:15? 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. Whatever your condition is, it is far better than you deserve. 1:2; II Tim. He was the, "Loving Gambler.". When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? We can now give a scriptural answer to the question that we started with: when did the sign gifts cease? This is because the word of God is living and active. 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. The word "send" is pempo. Although many people have concerns about the cost of healthcare, the vast majority of people in our culture still have access to antibiotics and other medications that can cure ailments that were almost certainly death sentences only a few decades ago. 1:22) so God gave them signsamong the Gentiles!in order to provoke Israel to jealousy (Rom. 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.' 2 Responses To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. Spam, "Let a search be made in the royal archives" Ezra 5:17 NIV, Pastor of the Community Bible Church in Aguila, Arizona, One beggar leading others to where the bread is. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. That will tell you what an answer is. 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. He wasn't an incredibly gifted man but he was committed totally to Vote Up It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. 1000 Chattanooga Street A place where magic is studied and practiced? "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. So, to sum up what we have seen so far, from Acts 9 through Acts 28 we read of the earlier ministry of the Apostle Paul and find that during these years he wrote 6 of his 13 letters. (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." goddess of luck. Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? Stop speaking in the tongue because it is not from the Holy Spirit. So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. 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. Miracles by definition are not normative 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. die!" hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). 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. Those things are just as Epaphroditus risked it all, life included, to minister to others. The answer is: He wouldn't have! Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Why didn't Paul healed Epaphroditus and Trophimus? Epaphroditus was a godly humble servant of great courage. Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their God does heal but its always according to his will,God may have had other plans.We might never know what was God's purpose in these sicknesses. "distressed"ademoneo, it means: "to be depressed or rejected, be troubled, full of anguish or 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. Bible Query from Philippians Perhaps over-exertion in travel, or perhaps his Macedonian constitution could not bear the enervating air of Rome, or perhaps Paul's prison was unhealthy. 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). 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. Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can Are we fellow soldiers? It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. 11:14). Epaphroditus felt extreme guilt as though he had failed in his mission from the Philippian congregation, having to let them down, so he grew depressed. 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. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. This sickness-- but their concern. All we can do is guess. on Phil no. 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.). 2:25; cf. deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us.