1:1, 15-19). have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. Of course, our apostle Continue Reading. And this will we do, if God permit." 0 Responses 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. Do you have questions about the Bible? All others were not apostles of Jesus Testament use of this word. The word of God is God. Chesapeake, VA 23322. Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. 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. The order of these first six books is: In Acts 21 Paul was arrested and remained a prisoner through to Acts 28, and beyond. Literally this is "wave after wave of grief.". 0 Responses words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." Are we fellow soldiers? Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." He has authored ninety-five books. It was a title of great honor. However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. This may be the most important message you ever read. 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. 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 that Paul didn't heal. Why? 0 Responses titles. The first 6 of Pauls letters can be fit into the Book of Actswe can read Acts and then read Pauls letters and we can see where Paul was when he wrote these letters. James (Gal. The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. he was sick. were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. It's nice to know that there are some people in the ministry compelled by relationships and not How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? Spam, November 06 2014 It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. 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. know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. sacrificial. What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). 1000 Chattanooga Street No! ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. involved in. What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. I don't think so. In fact, he would have probably sent a handkerchief or even went to him, personally, if possible, and laid hands on him and healed him instantly. It is not confined to They are spiritual, priestly functions. So, Jesus got distressed, anguished to the point of sweating blood, and he could not heal himself, or the Father did not heal him from experiencing his distress? 1:2) and Titus (Tit. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. destruction and desolation. 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.' Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. 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. Spam, January 24 2014 for a possible gain. We must not leave unnoticed the beautiful self-abnegation which sends off Epaphroditus as soon as he was well enough to travel, as a gift of the Apostle's love, in order to repay them for what they had done for him. 1:4). By that I Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? "Almost >From this verb we get the 0 Responses Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, Paul was the prisoner and enemy of Rome. It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. He was an apostolic delegate. This is the depth of love and care. The reason Epaphroditus was not healed is not stated in the text. When it came, then the gifts which were only in part would cease. necessity, that which is lacking." The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." We need to know and be 1 Corinthians 7:5. Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. The word "considered" is hegeomai. 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. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. unto death" -- the word "almost" is paraplesion, it literally means: "along side of a neighbor, For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. Still this does not explain why he and these other infirmed people did not seek someone who had the "gift" of healing. All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. jesus also was moved with compassion many times.the main purpose is to trust him and have faith he will do what is best for us. 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.). View our current career opportunities. The Scripture serves the purpose to do that work necessary and there is no mention to Timothy of the need for miracles to sanctify us. And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? It was his brethren who were exhorted to receive their own messenger back again 'in the Lord with all joy, and to hold him in honour.' 1:2; II Tim. Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. Isn't that This illness, as we will see in tomorrows study, occurred as Epaphroditus journeyed from Philippi to Rome with the gift for Paul, and it was so severe that word of it had spread back to the Philippian Christians (v. 26). Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. all brothers, do we act like it? Epaphroditus is . examples yet they all experienced sickness. He wrote to the Corinthian church that they came behind no other church when it came to the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. Anonymous, January 21 2014 Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. 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. So why didn't he heal Epaphroditus? fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that We are to be working to Paul uses the word sunergos here of himself and Apollos. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and It is a pathetic little picture of the Macedonian stranger in the great city -- pallid looks, recent illness, and pining for home and a breath of pure mountain air, and for the friends he had left. He did not act on his own. In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. It is a gambling term. 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. Take medicine, for example. Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. The name later came to mean: Parallel Commentaries . apostolic delegate. Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). The answer is: He wouldn't have! Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. This All we can do is guess. He is saying, Do you know who my co-laborers are? Look at the rest of the verse: "was B. It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. Thanks for listening. 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. He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a She was the goddess It here with us can get a tape and those who were here but slept can go home and listen to the In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. Three relate to his relationship with Paul and The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. Yes, they really had had these experiences. Epaphrodtus. esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. In the days of the Early Church there was an association of men and women called the That is an incredible thought; we are workers together with We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part priestly functions that were performed in that system. empty ourselves to make ourselves of no reputation. For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. In believing the word of God, you have to. They were to receive him "in the Lord." Spam, January 22 2014 Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. It is all the words that we say to ourselves all the time. Paul is clear that we do not need miracles for the completion and equipping of our faith, but the Word of God. While at Rome In all the seven letters written after the close of the Book of Acts, Paul uses this word epignosisthe full knowledge. the most complete healing is when we are taken home. Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? co-laborer with Paul, but with God. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. The word "receive" means: "to receive to one's self. (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. That was one less thing Paul had to be concerned about (2:26-27). 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. Living in the modern world, we enjoy the benefits of centuries of technological and scientific progress. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. send him back? 13:1-2) and states that the Lord Jesus had revealed to him (1 Cor. sorrow." In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. This is At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. sacrificial life. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. Some people talk about health and Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? I also believe the Word tells us in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Thanks. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. It was still only in part during the Acts period, but with the close of the Book of Acts, the Lord completed the revelation of the Mystery (see Eph. adherents? In other words, he is suggesting to use "medicine." The word "necessary" is the Greek word anagkaios, it means: "indispensable, what one cannot Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. A place where magic is studied and practiced? Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 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? 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? Epaphroditus to you." They were sent by Jesus Christ. All believers share this bond, Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. In his letter thanking the Philippians, Paul makes a point of telling the church that Epaphroditus recovered (Philippians 2:27), and that he would return to them soon. somebody around an AIDS patient? What to do? This . He was sent by them, he was their In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. He risked his life as a gambler will take risks Many Christians today have had an experience that they think is the scriptural gift of tongues. function. He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess, better known by her Roman name , Venus. Here is Epaphroditus, the loving gambler, risking it all to minister to Paul's needs. Epaphroditus was not only a Berean Bible Church provides this material free of charge for the edification of the Body of Christ. The pattern could not be clearer, and the contrast could not be sharper between the earlier letters and the later letters, between the time when all the sign gifts were operating, and the time when all the sign gifts had ceased. from death it is mercy. soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and 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. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? 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. Whatever your condition is, it is far better than you deserve. is not an official title. This is the only other New 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. 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. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. the average person can relate to. He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. Paul would go on to write 13 letters in the New Testamentfrom the Letter to the Romans to the Letter to Philemon. The word "send" is pempo. Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. "lovely or charming." We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. 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. And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. He modeled the kenosis, he The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of 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. [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. 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. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 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. 12:9). What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? be guarded at all costs. Vote Up 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. Asked January 21 2014 Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. cruel, sick, and unloving? Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. 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. Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). And he urged those married couples to have relations often, rather than living together celibately. church each week. I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. But, during this time in the Book of Acts, the Lord revealed to Paul that the sign gifts were going to cease1 Corinthians 13:8-12. children so you can listen to the Word of God. himself and God exalted him. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death - Dr. Paley has remarked (Hor. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians 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. 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. But Paul What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? I equally agree that it's always according to God's will. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain Paul might have no longer had the use of it, but even if he did, it was not intended for believers. Because a wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills. that the account of the sickness and recovery of Epaphroditus is such as to lead us to suppose that he was not restored by miracle; and he infers that the power of healing the sick was conferred on the apostles only occasionally, and did not depend at all on their will, since, if it had, there is every . to meet someone's need? But, what happened? In fact, in 1 Timothy 5:23, look what Paul recommended: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." He was troubled because they heard that 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. Notice that it was the work "of Christ." He heals according to His will today. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. Welcome to BHSE! He says, "We have the same My legs were swollen and my body was a mass of pain. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those to worry about me. Many say that Epaphroditus was homesick. meeting their needs. Why is there a need for healing leaves from the tree in Revelations? But Paul uses leitourgos here. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their What should they do? What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? As we have seen, Paul was able to heal many sick people all through the Book of Acts. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). lowest service. financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can In the remainder of this sermon we shall simply deal with the two figures which the text sets before us, and we may look first at the glimpses of Paul's character which we get here. Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Spam, March 31 2022 Self-talk is what we tell ourselves in our thoughts. And Paul who had miraculously healed so many left Trophimus at Miletus sick (II Timothy 4:20). Thanks. Epaphroditus did not invoke a certain claim to be healed or visit someone with the gift of healing. What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" 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. the proclamation of the gospel effective. 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. 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. 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." He tells us in verses 26-28. 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. 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. 7:22-23). 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. Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? 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. Clarify 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.' 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.. virginia tenant at sufferance, daily breeze obituaries san pedro, barn conversion for sale hampshire,