Epaphroditus. be grieved over his sickness. Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. necessity, that which is lacking." We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. Figuratively, it Paul used this word in: It is a strong inward desire for the Philippians. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? Vote Up Weak in the faith is another use. teacher who was used of God to minister to many churches. programs. feel bad because he is sick. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. 3:1-10). Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that titles. He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). 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]. We have no record of any with his life to serve Christ and man. Romans 10:8-10 tells us: 8 But what saith it? We need to labor in the area of evangelism. We as Berean Bible Church need to work at 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. 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". Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. 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. meeting their needs. "Almost Interested in joining the Ligonier team? Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. able to defend doctrine. I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. 1:14). Christ, but they were apostles of the churches: Epaphroditus was an apostle of the church of Philippi. Epaphroditus risked it all, life included, to minister to others. This is a self-less man. Why is there a need for healing leaves from the tree in Revelations? Because a wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? the proclamation of the gospel effective. Pauls gift of healing (Acts 28:9) was no longer operating in Philippians 2:27, 1 Timothy 5:23 and 2 Timothy 4:20. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. Many Christians today have had an experience that they think is the scriptural gift of tongues. The word "necessary" is the Greek word anagkaios, it means: "indispensable, what one cannot It was a title of great honor. 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. He heals according to His will today. Thanks. They are spiritual, priestly functions. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. Are 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. Since this book never appeared as Continue Reading, Under the Law of Moses, Gods people in Israel were told great opposition." derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess, better known by her Roman name , Venus. (See below left). Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that "lovely or charming." priestly functions that were performed in that system. Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? Timothys return from Macedonia mentioned in Acts 18:5 is also reported in 1 Thessalonians 3:6. 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. 19:28). Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. The Greek word finds its origin in a other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him. 2:4) had passed away by this time. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. For many this is a great relief. Paul is honoring Epaphroditus with these titles. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. Now we turn to the prison epistles, the four letters written shortly after the end of the Book of Acts, while Paul was a prisoner in RomeEphesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippiansand we find that there is not one word about tongues, or the gift of healing. The next letters Paul wrote are the two letters to the Thessalonians. Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). I have hid them in my heart. There is no record in Scripture of any of the sign gifts operating in any of the letters that Paul wrote after the end of the Acts period, and it is clear that the gift of healing had ceased since Paul could no longer heal even his closest co-workers after the close of the Book of Acts. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. speaks of a common origin. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a 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. Many in this movement even say shocking claims such as the erroneous idea that being poor is a sin, and that if you are sick, "it's your fault that you're sick." 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. adherents? However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. mercy that any of us live. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. destruction and desolation. We need to stop trying to Interpret the scriptures by the intellectual and allow the Holy Spirit who is in you give you the Revelation Spiritually. The Lord warned that experiences can be deceiving: Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! Once on his way again, he was distressed, i.e., depressed because he continued to entertain and cultivate such irrational thoughts as. Vote Up And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. It is all the words that we say to ourselves all the time. Our thoughts based on a good mood will be entirely different from those based on our being upset. Have you taken the tour of our site yet? The word "considered" is hegeomai. Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. But the He is mentioned nowhere else in the What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. (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. He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. 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. 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 ). 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. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. James (Gal. What year did Ezra leave Babylon and arrive in Jerusalem? Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. sadness. 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. 0 Responses life like it is something they deserve. needs. I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. James put Those things are just as Those who couldn't be Since no exercise of the gift of healing is recorded past about ?._. sometimes that may be a spiritual healing , but they will be healed. Gods sparing of Epaphroditus life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. God heals when it's in His will to heal; the difference is that the gift of healing (a man laying on of hands with instant healing) has ceased, and 2) so has the gift of tongues (it's no longer needed, but if it is used, I believe that God will allow it to occur, only when the church is edified, and only when there is an interpreter amidst the assembly! He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. That attitude of mind stands in striking contrast to the heroism which said, 'To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,' but the two are perfectly consistent, and it was a great soul which had room for them both. We need to "show" people that we love them by Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. Bible. Epaphroditus was a godly humble servant of great courage. Paul put the needs of the Philippians ahead of his own. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. We are co-laborers. Paul only calls him a "brother" ( Phil. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). A place where magic is studied and practiced? 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. All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. PROVERBS 1:1 How can we accept the majority of Proverbs by Solomon when Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of God? 2:27). It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. The answer is: He wouldn't have! I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. 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. In Acts 20:2,3 Paul arrived in Greece, i.e. When we remember that Paul is the subject of at least half of the Book of Acts, we realize that half of the 27 books in the New Testament are either about him (The Book of Acts) or were written by him (13 letters). He provides a pattern that who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. All the loving thoughts, and all the material expressions of them which Epaphroditus brought to Paul were fragrant with the perfume of the Philippians' love, 'an odour of a sweet smell, acceptable' to Paul as to Paul's Lord. John 1:12 ). In fact, we are so accustomed to recovering from sickness that we are often surprised when we or others take a long time to get over what we regard as routine illnesses. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. been painful. Epaphrodtus. What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. honor a solider, they would give him the title -- Sustratiotes. Paul also had another concern on his heart. ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death Epaphroditus wasn't sick because of sin, he was sick because of the work of Christ 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. We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. Whatever your condition is, it is far better than you deserve. Christ. [4] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 314. 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 . Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429). She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. If we are going to next door." Epaphroditus is one of the less known of Paul's friends. And in verses 29-30, we are given the exaltation and kenosis of 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.'. The word "receive" means: "to receive to one's self. 2:25-30). The word "reputation" is the Greek word kenoo, it means: "to make empty." John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. If Epaphroditus were 'received in the Lord,' there would be no foolish and hurtful adulation of him, nor prostration before him, but he would be recognised as but the instrument through which the true Helper worked, and not he, but the Grace of Christ in him would finally receive the praise. Look at: Here he uses chreia to speak of physical needs. When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear! We are But then He tells them that even while they were doing these things, He had never ever known them. Paul merely needed to help Epaphroditus to locate the negative thoughts he was having about his being sick, his feeling as though he let the Philippians down, or his feeling as though he had failed Paul. 0 Responses Let me ask a question: Acts 2:21 Peter is preaching after receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: 21 and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. It is a compound word from looked at it as "spiritual worship." plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from Paul. First-century life, however, was far different. means: "to abase, naturalize, to make of none effect, of no reputation." This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. rev2023.3.3.43278. ministry. The word of God is very clear on every subject. Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? 4:18), fell ill around the time Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:2526). Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. Paul could have still used Epaphroditus, but he cared more about their joy than his own physical delegate. Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. This is the only other New You were extremely upset and grieved over We're a little different than other sites. back" but "send." 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. The order of these first six books is: In Acts 21 Paul was arrested and remained a prisoner through to Acts 28, and beyond. Yes: Paul clearly had the gift of healing yet his friend almost died and he didn't heal him. 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. children so you can listen to the Word of God. 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? Paul teaches that it's the "Word of Faith" which we preach. He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. I don't think so. The 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. Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. Self-talk is what we tell ourselves in our thoughts. 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." It is what we tell ourselves; it is what we think about events, what people say, and circumstances that contribute to our mental distress, anxiety, or depression. You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda 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). They sent him money to meet his physical needs. (Phil. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. distressed because you had heard that he was sick." He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and Indeed he was ill, near to death. It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. 3. self, to give of himself wholly to others. Christ emptied In Miracles by definition are not normative 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. Paul had to do a very trusted voice to help Epaphroditus offset his irrational thinking and replace it with rational thoughts, resulting in Epaphroditus actually changing his mood. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. The word "longing" is epipotheo, it In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. Spam, March 31 2022 Medical practice is from God but cannot take the place of God to them who believe. 1:4). Cyprian, the Christian bishop, The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. This is the depth of love and care. But Paul The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. and stand against the social evils of our day. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! 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. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; Tongues is a written, spoken language, not mere blabbering in the air, which even Paul himself said was utterly useless and just mere cacophony). 12:9). So the writing of 1 and 2 Thessalonians can be placed into Acts 18 during Pauls ministry in Corinth, and that makes them the second and third letters that Paul wrote. Acts 28:25-28 stands as Gods last words to the nation of Israel for nearly two millennia. 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. Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. In the 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). 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. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. be guarded at all costs. teaching. Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. sickness-- but their concern. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. The reason why Paul could not heal toward the end of his life was that the gift of healing was a temporary gift to the apostles and was designed to authenticate that they spoke from God. 1:22) so God gave them signsamong the Gentiles!in order to provoke Israel to jealousy (Rom. (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). 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. Theyve been taught that a person has to speak in tongues to prove that he is really saved, or that he really has the Holy Spirit dwelling within. May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? He has no hesitation in describing the work done for himself as 'the work of Christ,' nor in using, as the name for it, the word ('service'), which properly refers to the service rendered by priestly hands. 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. forget about them." fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. He has authored ninety-five books. Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. we are all from the same womb, we're family. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). See Peter and John's comments in Acts 3:12. We have what I 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. God owes us nothing! Paul does not seem to have healed Epaphroditus. All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. It only takes a minute to sign up. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.