So, in short, Epaphroditus grew sick on his 600-mile journey to Rome, to the point of death, which delayed him from fulfilling his mission of helping Paul. is not an official title. sometimes that may be a spiritual healing , but they will be healed. The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? serve, you can meet physical needs. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. We are not to fear people, they can't hurt you. 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.. If they wanted to I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. If we are going to It's hard to identify with him and his We are to fear God and Him alone. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ his return to Philippi. 7:22-23). But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. all brothers, do we act like it? Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. Vote Up 12:9). "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life So, Paul says, "I'm sending him to you." know that they were rejoicing. You were extremely upset and grieved over 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). messages that he preached. The Greek word finds its origin in a I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send parabolani, the gamblers. Please make sure you take our Tour. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. 1:14). 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. 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). We need to "show" people that we love them by But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. Have you taken the tour of our site yet? forget about them." in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. (e.g. 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. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that The name later came to mean: 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. But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. He says, "We have the same It was a title of great honor. Isn't that means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." At all events he gladly undertook even servile work for love of Paul. great opposition." 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 . 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. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and John 1:12 ). Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. What evidence is there the writer of Revelation was aware of the apostle Paul? He provides a pattern that If he is so valuable, why This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. teacher who was used of God to minister to many churches. . Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. He was the, "Loving Gambler.". It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. Paul was the prisoner and enemy of Rome. The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in He could not merely raise anyone from the dead he chose to, nor could he heal anyone he chose to because he only exercise divine power under the direction of the divine will (1 Cor 12:6, 11). Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. 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. (Many of these 'teachers' are a part of the 'Word of Faith' movement, the Properity Gospel crowd, et al, that teach that positive confession is necessary for having what you want or "claim," and they teach that if you do not get healed, or if you get sick or have any sort of malady, this means that you don't "have enough faith." Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . apostolic delegate. 1000 Chattanooga Street self, to give of himself wholly to others. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. So, to sum up what we have seen so far, from Acts 9 through Acts 28 we read of the earlier ministry of the Apostle Paul and find that during these years he wrote 6 of his 13 letters. The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. This is the only other New So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). Epaphroditus was evidently healed through the Lords direct, miraculous intervention, perhaps via the gifts of healing that some believers possessed during the Apostolic era (1 Cor. "distressed"ademoneo, it means: "to be depressed or rejected, be troubled, full of anguish or we don't know. Christ. It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. The It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him. What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? 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. Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). two to his relationship with the Philippian church. Vote Up Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. lowest service. He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry messages, or do what ever Paul needed. "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? His letter to the Philippians was just one of four "Prison Epistles" written during this time. unto death" -- the word "almost" is paraplesion, it literally means: "along side of a neighbor, 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. James (Gal. Because I am submitted and 2. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. What he had not yet received in 1 Corinthians 13, he now has. 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. 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. be guarded at all costs. But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? Vote Up This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. 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. For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. 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.' 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. 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. This is Heresy 101 at its best!). 2 Responses sorrow." That is what God calls us to. Of course, our apostle Continue Reading. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. function. [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. 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. That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? 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). 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. B. When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. the average person can relate to. We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and This miraculous healing was not only for Epaphroditus benefit but for Pauls as well, something that the Lord worked in order to keep the Apostle from having to endure the extra sorrow of losing a friend on top of the sorrows of suffering in prison (Phil. were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. We need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. Why is there a need for healing leaves from the tree in Revelations? fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. be-shem omro)? 12:12; Heb. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. By that I Ministering to others' physical needs is a spiritual priestly 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? Paul was released from this imprisonment and continued his ministry for a few years, perhaps 3 years. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with involved in. These very thoughts are what keep us sluggish and contribute to our feeling frustrated, angry, or worthless. would have been sorrow upon sorrow. Hardly. someone's concern for your condition? Colossians 1:7 of a different man. Paul is honoring Epaphroditus with these titles. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. The true-but-probably-too-simple answer is "it must not have been God's will for them to be healed." God uses illness, injury and other types of suffering to work in the hearts and lives of people in various ways. We both received mercy. 0 Responses soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." We have what I The answer: The sign gifts ceased at the end of the Book of Acts. It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. Epaphroditus was also a common noun. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT ________? And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Pauls, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. 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. primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. Spam, February 08 2023 He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. The word of God is a Spirit. 13:8).1. Epaphrodtus. 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. In Acts 17, Paul, on his second apostolic journey, came to Thessalonica and preached there. Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can And Paul was rejoicing to This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. He was sent there to serve Paul think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. What should they do? He is saying, Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. 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. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. 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. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. everyone will be glad and not sad.". 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. That which is perfect was finally revealed in all its fullness to the Apostle Paul and at that moment, those things which were only in part passed away from Gods program. honor a solider, they would give him the title -- Sustratiotes. 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. delivering the money and someone who would work so closely with the apostle would have to be Spam, March 31 2022 programs. emptied himself. 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. 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. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? This is the last letter written during the Book of Acts. 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. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians 2. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). Besides, Epaphroditus was longing to see the church because he knew that they had found out that he had been ill (2:26). 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. 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. Little is known about Epaphroditus (much less than Timothy). same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. She's the All we can do is guess. January 23 2014 Report 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). He knew they would be sad and their sadness has greatly affected him-- not his We need to be sustratiotes, fighting together. Epaphroditus is Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. 29 Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. Philippians 1:25, and note), was not, it seems, continuous; both were exercised only in accordance with the revealed will of God and on occasions of especial moment. I don't think so. We're a little different than other sites. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. We briefly note some general lessons which may be suggested by the picture of Epaphroditus as he stands by the side of Paul. It only takes a minute to sign up. God owes us nothing! Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? adherents? The power of working miracles, like that of foreseeing the future (comp. All believers share this bond, The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. Because his will is to speak to that individual right then. Are Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". 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. 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. Christ emptied What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? 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. In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. All references have been taken from the New King James Version. If the Apostle Paul still had the power to heal why would he leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27 and encouraged Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23)? He wasn't an incredibly gifted man but he was committed totally to and they sure wouldn't have sent a lazy man. Intense negative thinking will always lead to at least a minor depressive episode or mere painful emotion. goddess of luck. 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. Bible scholar J. to worry about me. Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." They are spiritual, priestly functions. May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? accounted for the success of Rome's armies, they were the terror of the ancient world. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. There was no reliable way of getting these to Paul but to take them, and so Epaphroditus faced the long journey across Greece to Brindisi and Rome, and when arrived there threw himself with ardour into serving Paul. Timothys return from Macedonia mentioned in Acts 18:5 is also reported in 1 Thessalonians 3:6. Timothy was suffering stomach problems and frequent infirmities (1 Tim. with Paul helping him?". spiritual as teaching. 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). healthy. 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 . The ministry is people! A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? speaks of a common origin. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. back" but "send." I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. Simply: Stop! Epaphroditus wasn't the only friend All through the Book of Acts we read of tongues, the gift of prophecy, the gift of healing, etc.for example, tongues and prophecy in Acts 19:6, the gift of prophecy in Acts 21:10-14, the gift of healing in Acts 19:11-12 and 28:8,9, etc. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Some people talk about health and Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. 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. For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. Philippians had heard that he was sick. All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. If I walk down the street and I get a word of knowledge for someone, it is 1. He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. priestly functions that were performed in that system. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." Paul used this word in: It is a strong inward desire for the Philippians. Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. He tells us in verses 26-28. If our hearts are set to 'hallow all we find,' the most secular duties will be acts of worship. Paul commends Epaphroditus very highly for his faithfulness even unto death. 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. The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. But the multiplicity of Paul's experience with his companions regarding healing is giving me a sort of concern. 3. We have no record of any Paul says, No. This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? Edward D. Andrews wrote. that Paul didn't heal. The answer is: He wouldn't have! Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Spam, March 20 2018 He heals according to His will today. 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. 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!

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