Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your feel bad because he is sick. We need to "show" people that we love them by Thanks. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. Isn't that derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess, better known by her Roman name , Venus. We but feebly echo Paul's rapture when he thought that there was 'neither Barbarian or Scythian, bond or free, but all were one in Christ Jesus,' and for all our talk about the unity of humanity and the like, we permit the old gulfs of separation to gape as deeply as ever. What year did Ezra leave Babylon and arrive in Jerusalem? 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. It has an interesting be guarded at all costs. If we are going to Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. That which is perfect had come and so the sign gifts had passed away. 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. Then he goes on to say that he was Asked January 21 2014 There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble messages, or do what ever Paul needed. I was having shortness of breath and others things like palpitations, light headedness,insomnia and all that. of the church. The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. 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. Why is there a need for healing leaves from the tree in Revelations? 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. soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. delivering the money and someone who would work so closely with the apostle would have to be Are "lovely or charming." It In verse 25, we have a description of Epaphroditus. 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. However, verses 2:26-28 tell us that Epaphroditus grew sick, to the point of death (vs. 27), while he was on his way to Rome. Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? In Acts 17, Paul, on his second apostolic journey, came to Thessalonica and preached there. 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. The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. PROVERBS 1:1 How can we accept the majority of Proverbs by Solomon when Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of God? To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. What evidence is there the writer of Revelation was aware of the apostle Paul? We need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. It is clear that the gift of healing has ceased because, as in Philippians, Paul was no longer able to heal, even his co-workers. 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. Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain. What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? The 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. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. The word of God is a Spirit. Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. He heals according to His will today. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. We as Berean Bible Church need to work at Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. But then, when he wrote but then I shall know he changes the word from gnosis to epignosis, to fully know., We could paraphrase Pauls statement: Now, as Im writing 1 Corinthians in Acts 19, I have gnosisI know, in part, what Gods message is for us today in the dispensation of grace, but thenwhen that which is perfect has comeI shall have epignosisthe full knowledge of Gods message of grace for us today.. 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.
hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him.
Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org God healed me of heart disease. Paul uses the word sunergos here of himself and Apollos. Parallel Commentaries . And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. 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. Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? Even medical doctors who are saved will tell you they rely on the power of God all the time and will encourage their patients to rely on God Who is the only healer. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a A shoulder-to-shoulder fighting The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? It's hard to identify with him and his 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. build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. Please make sure you take our Tour. man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of 1:2; II Tim.
Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Yes, they really had had these experiences. Keyword: "IF". with his life to serve Christ and man. 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. God healed me completely and perfectly today. 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. He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc.
Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus with Paul helping him?". All believers share this bond, Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us.
What Do the New Testament Letters Have to Say about Divine Healing? Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. We simply don't know why Epaphroditus was so sick, aside from the statement in v. 30 that "he came close to death for the work of Christ." 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. Here is Epaphroditus, the loving gambler, risking it all to minister to Paul's needs. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; all brothers, do we act like it? After studying Pauls letters and the scriptural teaching concerning the cessation of the gift of tongues, they ask, What should I do now? There are several possible explanations for the experienceit may be a psychological experience or even a spiritual experience, but clearly, from the Word of God, it is not the Spirits gift of tongues. soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of everyone will be glad and not sad.". sacrificial. B. Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. (Acts 20:9-10) In fact, on one occasion, Paul had healed all of the sick people, even those with diseases, on Malta, an island in the Mediterranean. When is the last time that this happened to you? delegate. In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. 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. A man who never opens his lips but to censure or criticise, who fastens on faults as wasps do on blemished fruit, will never be surrounded by loyal love. goddess of love. statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. 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. who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. Have you taken the tour of our site yet? His was a singular fate -- to cross Paul's path, and for one short period of his life to be known to all the world, and for all the rest before and after to be utterly unknown. The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." We are to be working to And this will we do, if God permit." Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? 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. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). function. The word of God is God. How about the Gift of Faith, do we not all have Faith, so how does this work when a person has a Gift of Faith? , , , , , 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. On the contrary, Paul considered him his "brother," "fellow-worker," "fellow-soldier," and "their apostle and servant" (2:25). programs. Epaphroditus was a godly humble servant of great courage. Epaphrodtus. In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for 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. The word of God is very clear on every subject. 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. Work done for Paul was done for Jesus, and that, not because of any special apostolic closeness of relation of Paul to Jesus, but because, like all other Christians, he was one with his Lord. >From this verb we get the Whatever your condition is, it is far better than you deserve. We have no record of any church each week. 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". 16:23). These men and women of God where normal people of God, who made mistakes just like us and didnt do everything perfect. used for minister is deokonos -- deacon. [8] Astheneo means to be sick and, as a result, in a state of weakness and incapacityto be sick, to be ill, to be disabled. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 269. You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of Paul is saying,"God gave Epaphroditus mercy and he gave me mercy also.
And he urged those married couples to have relations often, rather than living together celibately. The ship sails across the track of the moonlight, and then vanishes ghost-like into darkness. Christ emptied We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. So, Paul says, "I'm sending him to you." you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry ministry. This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? be-shem omro)? 1:11,12) that a time was coming when these sign gifts were going to cease to operate. Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. 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)? How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? In all the seven letters written after the close of the Book of Acts, Paul uses this word epignosisthe full knowledge. 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.'. deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. It is not "send the proclamation of the gospel effective.
Why Did the Philippians Send Paul a Gift? | Zondervan Academic PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30-Some Bible scholars have asked the question, 'why In the Do you have questions about the Bible? 12:9). But when we turn to the letters written after the Book of Actsthe 4 Prison Epistles, and the 3 Pastoral Epistles, we find that the sign gifts either arent mentioned at all or we seeas with the gift of healingthat they were no longer operating in Pauls life. He was Paul's fellow laborer. 0 Responses Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 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. 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). I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be We do read of prophecies that had been made about Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6, but these were given years before. Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. 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. 0 Responses 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. "Epaphroditus is here to do what you can't do because you're so far away.". There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and 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. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. [3] Apparently on the way to Rome, Epaphroditus fell sick. Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 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. 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. 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. That is an incredible thought; we are workers together with And Paul was rejoicing to Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. 1:1, 15-19). Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. This . Paul sees Epaphroditus' ministry to him as Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? (verse 30). 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! Those who work in the tape ministry are my Paul put the needs of the Philippians ahead of his own. 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). Paul holds them up as For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. 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. It It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. Anonymous, January 21 2014 29 Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). priestly functions that were performed in that system. 4:18), fell ill around the time Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:2526). 3. Vote Up 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. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with The context gives us an interesting miniature of the last, and pathetic glimpses into the private life of the Apostle in his imprisonment, and it is worth our while to try to bring our historic imagination to bear on Epaphroditus, and to make him a living man. be grieved over his sickness. necessity, that which is lacking." 2:25-30). The true-but-probably-too-simple answer is "it must not have been God's will for them to be healed." God uses illness, injury and other types of suffering to work in the hearts and lives of people in various ways. forget about them." Thanks for listening. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. 3. The name Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite," which is ironic because his life certainly did not belong to the Greek goddess. How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? Paul says, No. 2:4) had passed away by this time. He comes back to the theme in the last words of the context, where he says that the Philippian messenger had 'hazarded' his life, or, as we might put it with equal accuracy and more force, had 'gambled' his life, or 'staked it on the die' for Paul's sake. Pages 482-483. 2:27). The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. we are all from the same womb, we're family. We are to great opposition." But Paul feels bad because Epaphroditus feels bad, because the Philippians