Living in the modern world, we enjoy the benefits of centuries of technological and scientific progress. Three relate to his relationship with Paul and Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 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. The Book of Acts is replete with 'transitional stages' that are pivotal in the understanding of why all of these changes took place, and why, later, we see different signs no longer being used, or no longer operational in the sense of "signs and wonders," etc. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. Are Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a In other words, he is suggesting to use "medicine." If they wanted to means: "to intensely crave, desire greatly." Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. And in verses 29-30, we are given the exaltation and kenosis of Paul had the gift of healing didn't he? Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? Paul is saying,"God gave Epaphroditus mercy and he gave me mercy also.
Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was on Phil no. 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. The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. In Acts 20:2,3 Paul arrived in Greece, i.e. We have what I He says nothing of his own loss or of how much more lonely he would be when the brother whom he had praised so warmly had left him alone. great opposition." 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). But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. they also may know the joy of loving the Lord Jesus Christ." Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me (Phil. We won't help someone in trouble because we're afraid we might get hurt or even killed. adherents? 1. Epaphroditus was distressed because the Philippians were distressed over his terrible illness. That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. 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 his return to Philippi. The apostle Paul had a variety of Gifts including tongues, prophecy and teaching. They sent him money to meet his physical needs. View our current career opportunities. The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. The word of God is very clear on every subject. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. The Greek word finds its origin in a 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. Besides, Epaphroditus was longing to see the church because he knew that they had found out that he had been ill (2:26). Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. Paul 12:9). This is the depth of love and care. Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. This is not a rebuke, it literally means: "to complete your service to me." What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. We can now give a scriptural answer to the question that we started with: when did the sign gifts cease? This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? from death it is mercy. 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. A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters.
Does God Want to Heal Everyone? by Don Stewart - Blue Letter Bible 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. This is Heresy 101 at its best!). And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. Perhaps Paul said this precisely because the Philippians might be tempted to judge Epaphroditus for being ill, concluding that he was being chastised by God for some secret or even scandalous sin. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Pauls, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil.
Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? This is the only other New Those things are just as Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. The power of working miracles, like that of foreseeing the future (comp. What he had not yet received in 1 Corinthians 13, he now has. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? we are to pray for the sick that they may be healed. The word of God is a Spirit. The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. 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. Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. In all the seven letters written after the close of the Book of Acts, Paul uses this word epignosisthe full knowledge. would have been sorrow upon sorrow. 8 Responses Look at the rest of the verse: "was 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. Many Christians today have had an experience that they think is the scriptural gift of tongues.
Why did Paul send Epaphroditus to the Philippians? - Quora Paul also had another concern on his heart. It is used 35 times in the New and they sure wouldn't have sent a lazy man. A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. God. destruction and desolation. fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. 2:25; cf. 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.' Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. He risked his life as a gambler will take risks ii.) 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. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit did not want someone healed or raised from the dead, no amount of effort by Paul could do so. 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. He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. Romans 10:8-10 tells us: 8 But what saith it? Paul continued on to Corinth where he wrote the two letters to the Thessalonians. 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. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. Our thoughts based on a good mood will be entirely different from those based on our being upset. It would be like the difference between being a child and becoming a grown man, or between seeing someones face reflected in a wavy ancient mirror, and seeing the person face-to-face. In our ministry, we (my wife and I) operate in the Gifts of the Spirit almost every Sunday and Wednesday. Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! On the contrary, Paul considered him his "brother," "fellow-worker," "fellow-soldier," and "their apostle and servant" (2:25). This is 28 Therefore I am sending him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and that I may be less anxious. When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear! We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; commissioned and sent out Timothy. They are spiritual, priestly functions. "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Simply: Stop! 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. The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." Yes, they really had had these experiences. Vote Up 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. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. 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. The question has always been: when? Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can However, by that time, those gifts had ceased, because the "signs and wonders" were to the Jews; the laying on of hands for healing and the gift of tongues had become unnecessary. good friend. It has an interesting All we can do is guess. needs. God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. next door." I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be They were to receive him "in the Lord."
Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus He later returned to his home base at Antioch (Acts 18:22), and later in his third apostolic journey he arrived in Ephesus (his ministry in Ephesus extends all the way through Acts 19a period of more than two years, see verse 10). The word "gladness" is chara which means: "joy." Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. 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). who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. Historians tell us that he had a very common name. It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? 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. I have hid them in my heart. 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. Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? Have you ever watched self, to give of himself wholly to others. When Paul wrote now I know in part, he used the common word for know, the Greek word gnosis. 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). 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. The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the It does not contain doubt, but refers to a decision arrived Paul is honoring Epaphroditus with these titles. Parallel Commentaries . What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? 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). Epaphroditus was also a common noun. He has authored ninety-five books. I don't think so. 2:25; 4:18) While in Rome, Epaphroditus "fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy.
What Does Philippians 4:13 Mean, 'I Can Do All Things through Christ'? It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. 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? That is an incredible thought; we are workers together with
Why didn't Paul healed Epaphroditus and Trophimus? life, the same effort and we have the same enemies. 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.'. 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 need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. somebody around an AIDS patient? The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. Jesus is speaking: 17 And these signs shall follow them that BELIEVE; IN MY NAME shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER. 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. Vote Up The normal word To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. But we read that Epaphroditus was healeddirectly by the Lord: He was sick unto death but the Lord had mercy on him.. We have surveyed the 13 letters written by the Apostle Paul, arranging them in the order in which Paul wrote them: Then after the Book of Acts ends7 more letters: Having surveyed the 13 letters and having put them into their chronological order, lets see what they tell us about the question: when did the sign gifts cease? The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us.
Introduction to Paul's Letter to the Philippians - BJUtoday ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death I don't really understand the question from your first comment. to worry about me. 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. He was troubled because they heard that Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). He was an apostolic delegate. Edward D. Andrews wrote. 1:1, 15-19). 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.'
Meet Epaphroditus - A True Friend to the Apostle Paul primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. Paul. Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. 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. Which apostles did Paul see while he was in Jerusalem after his conversion? 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. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. . We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. messages, or do what ever Paul needed. Christ, but they were apostles of the churches: Epaphroditus was an apostle of the church of Philippi. 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. He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. Then the report found its way back to Rome, and Epaphroditus got home-sick and was restless, uneasy, 'sore troubled,' as the Apostle says, because they had heard he had been sick. 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. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. It comes from two We briefly note some general lessons which may be suggested by the picture of Epaphroditus as he stands by the side of Paul. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ 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. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. Paul was released from this imprisonment and continued his ministry for a few years, perhaps 3 years. Spam, January 24 2014 Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. mercy that any of us live. How this happened or what his sickness was 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of 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." apostolic delegate. The gift of tongues and the gift of healing has ceased. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. The ship sails across the track of the moonlight, and then vanishes ghost-like into darkness. When it came, then the gifts which were only in part would cease. the proclamation of the gospel effective. We have no record of any programs. And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. (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). Paul would But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. me." 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. In this case, Paul did pray for healing, but his request was denied. sisters in Christ in other countries. 1:4). The word "considered" is hegeomai. 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. If he is so valuable, why Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. When Paul gives Timothy and Titus instructions regarding the choice of men to be elders in the churches, Paul says nothing about the desirability of these men having a gift such as prophecy, or healing, or other sign gifts (see Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Tim. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. 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. In the 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. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. The miracles of healing that the Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. He is saying, These men and women of God where normal people of God, who made mistakes just like us and didnt do everything perfect. risks.
Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? - CompellingTruth.org No! He is mentioned nowhere else in the to, so much that he almost lost his life pouring it out in sacrificial service to meet Paul's physical My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. 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. It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. But Paul uses leitourgos here. Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. 4: 19 . We are you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. 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. This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. The answer is: He wouldn't have! emptied himself. 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. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. It's hard to identify with him and his He knew they would be sad and their sadness has greatly affected him-- not his ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429).
What Do the New Testament Letters Have to Say about Divine Healing? all brothers, do we act like it? All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. 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. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. B.