Because a wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills. The power of working miracles, like that of foreseeing the future (comp. Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. Let us hope he got safe back to his friends, and as Paul bade them, they received him in the Lord with all joy, the echoes of which we almost hear as he passes out of our knowledge. children so you can listen to the Word of God. 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. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. Was it perhaps meant to ask for a clarification of my own comment ? What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? 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. In other words, he is suggesting to use "medicine." Paul was quick to send It only takes a minute to sign up. The word "receive" means: "to receive to one's self. 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.'. Spam, March 20 2018 (Phil. Vote Up Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! 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. Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. What to do? Epaphroditus was distressed because the Philippians were distressed over his terrible illness. The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. die!" This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Interested in joining the Ligonier team? For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. When I was in the military I met brothers and "Almost 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". Stop speaking in the tongue because it is not from the Holy Spirit. 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. Thanks for listening. Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. This is Heresy 101 at its best!). 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. 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.). Epaphrodtus. 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. co-laborer with Paul, but with God. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! 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. Why? The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. Everybody feels bad so Paul says, "You've got to go back so In verse 26, Paul used the Greek word ( admone), to define/explain Epaphroditus situation/condition, which means to be distressed and troubled [i.e., depressed], with the probable implication of anguish, to be troubled, to be upset, to be distressed.[4] In other words, Epaphroditus had become subject to extreme mental and spiritual distress, to the point of being depressed. Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? to, so much that he almost lost his life pouring it out in sacrificial service to meet Paul's physical Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). He risked his life as a gambler will take risks Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the 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? Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. 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). 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. 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. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from Paul uses this word again in: This is also primarily speaking of physical needs. who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). Faithful service is most surely bought by hearty praise. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? (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. It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. 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. means: "to intensely crave, desire greatly." For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. I subscribe to the view that the reason is because the gifts that he was performing in the early days was a "sign to the Jews"; not all spiritual gifts are still in operation today; or, they aren't necessarily "needed." The ministry is people! It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. needs. know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. Those things are just as Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. distressed because you had heard that he was sick." Love never fails. Simply: Stop! The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. 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. The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. 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. 14:30-33). He and all his brethren are gone, but his name lives for ever, and Paul's praise of him and of his work outshines all else remembered of the city, where conquerors once reigned, and outside whose walls was fought a battle that decided for a time the fate of the world. View our current career opportunities. You were extremely upset and grieved over and thine often infirmities. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? In believing the word of God, you have to. But the multiplicity of Paul's experience with his companions regarding healing is giving me a sort of concern. able to defend doctrine. do without." (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. What should they do? The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. If the Apostle Paul still retained the gift of healing by laying on of hands (or healing, in general), then there is absolutely no way under the sun that he (Paul) would have left any brother sick. destruction and desolation. needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. 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. She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." himself and God exalted him. Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some Do you have questions about the Bible? 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? There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. 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. Epaphroditus wasn't the only friend 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. 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. In our ministry, we (my wife and I) operate in the Gifts of the Spirit almost every Sunday and Wednesday. This is the only other New It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. 8 Responses Take medicine, for example. Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. The name later came to mean: We need to "show" people that we love them by . we living as sent ones? But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? Epaphroditus risked it all, life included, to minister to others. 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. He was the, "Loving Gambler.". How this happened or what his sickness was For indeed he was sick nigh unto death - Dr. Paley has remarked (Hor. Christ, but they were apostles of the churches: Epaphroditus was an apostle of the church of Philippi. The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. Epaphroditus was a Christian who lived in Philippi. the proclamation of the gospel effective. The answer is: He wouldn't have! involved in. We as Berean Bible Church need to work at Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." sorrow." I have hid them in my heart. Timothy was sick and he didn't heal him: Why didn't Paul heal his friends? 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.' The normal word He labored on Paul's behalf until his own health broke, and, even when he was sick, Epaphroditus took no thought of himself; rather, he was distressed because his church had heard of his illness, and he didn't want them to worry. I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. We need to meet people's needs 4:18), fell ill around the time Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:2526). When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. (e.g. The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. 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. soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. He was troubled because they heard that 2. means: "to abase, naturalize, to make of none effect, of no reputation." It was a title of great honor. words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." 0 Responses My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. Since no exercise of the gift of healing is recorded past about ?._. Possibly there were in Philippi some sharp tongues and envious spirits, who needed the exhortation. (See below left). 13:1-2) and states that the Lord Jesus had revealed to him (1 Cor. know that they were rejoicing. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. Epaphroditus is one of the less known of Paul's friends. When it came, then the gifts which were only in part would cease. Hardly. We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. Edward D. Andrews wrote. In his low, nervous state, barely convalescent, the thought of home and of his brethren's anxiety about him was too much for him. Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. They had prophesied in Jesus name, they had cast out demons and done miracles in His name. [3] Apparently on the way to Rome, Epaphroditus fell sick. Richard R. Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, vol. Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." 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. (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! A place where magic is studied and practiced? [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). 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). He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. Weak in the faith is another use. adherents? We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. Little is known about Epaphroditus (much less than Timothy). We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. 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. great opposition." Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. God owes us nothing! 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. 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. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? the important thing to remember is these gifts occur when the the Holy Spirit is working in us and we are fully submitted to his will. The word of God is a Spirit. 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. 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. 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. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). God healed me completely and perfectly today. 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. 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. 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. You can help further this work by your prayer and by contributing online or by mailing to: Berean Bible Church Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can 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). titles. were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? He was highly regarded by the church there. Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. becoming involved in the same charge. 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." Epaphroditus becomes ill and almost dies. the heathen threw out the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. 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). 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. B. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. January 23 2014 Report Epaphroditus. The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. Paul had the gift of healing didn't he? have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. Vote Up A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. Those who couldn't be apostolic delegate. at after carefully weighing the facts. Are we fellow soldiers? sick. John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. Paul continued on to Corinth where he wrote the two letters to the Thessalonians. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that needs. with his life to serve Christ and man. impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly Epaphroditus appears to have been a tremendous help to Paul, and somehow, possibly as a result of caring for Paul (Philippians 2:30), Epaphroditus gets sick and nearly dies. As we have seen, Paul was able to heal many sick people all through the Book of Acts. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. 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. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. He wasn't an incredibly gifted man but he was committed totally to honor a solider, they would give him the title -- Sustratiotes. goddess of love. me." We don't Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. 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. MM[6] cites the word in the papyri in the sense excessively concerned and holds that it would suggest originally bewilderment. The combination makes it clear that Jesus was in great distress of spirit.[7]. Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an Because the tomb was empty! 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. He is mentioned nowhere else in the He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. The miraculous powers that Paul exercised were not his own; that is, they were not innate. This is not a rebuke, it literally means: "to complete your service to me." But the promise that He gave to Paul is still our promise today in the dispensation of grace: My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. Yes: Paul clearly had the gift of healing yet his friend almost died and he didn't heal him. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Thanks. 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. from death it is mercy. My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. 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. ESV - Thanks. God. delegate. Welcome to BHSE! Three relate to his relationship with Paul and And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Pauls, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. Asked January 21 2014 Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her The order of these first six books is: In Acts 21 Paul was arrested and remained a prisoner through to Acts 28, and beyond. The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. sickness-- but their concern. We have work to do, My legs were swollen and my body was a mass of pain. 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. Paul. Vote Up His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. These very thoughts are what keep us sluggish and contribute to our feeling frustrated, angry, or worthless. The church, however, was not to think of Epaphroditus as second best. 2:25; cf. 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. In AD 60, Paul was imprisoned in Rome, and for the next two years, he lived under house arrest ( Acts 28:30-31 ), encouraging local churches via letters written from prison. life like it is something they deserve. 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. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. Look at the rest of the verse: "was And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? 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. When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear!