He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. This . The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. 12:9). 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." Vote Up Introduction to Paul's Letter to the Philippians - BJUtoday Paul could have said to Epaphroditus, "Get over it, they'll live. man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of 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. with his life to serve Christ and man. "lovely or charming." 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. 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. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. 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.). 5:23) and Paul cant heal him, doesnt recommend that he go to a healer in the church, doesnt send a prayer cloth or a bottle of anointing oil (remember the miracles of some 8 years earlier in Acts 19:11-12). When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her This is not a rebuke, it literally means: "to complete your service to me." We need to "show" people that we love them by Not only did they intend for him to be the bearer of their gift; they also intended for him to stay in Rome and be Paul's personal servant and attendant. In the days of the Early Church there was an association of men and women called the Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). 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. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. 1:2) and Titus (Tit. Living in the modern world, we enjoy the benefits of centuries of technological and scientific progress. Do you have questions about the Bible? We don't like risks. That implies that all which the Philippians' ministration lacked was their personal presence, and that Epaphroditus, in supplying that, made his work in a real sense theirs. The normal word healthy. Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. For some, Pauls instructions to the prophets at Corinth will be pertinent: If anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. involved in. same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. Spam, January 22 2014 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. This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. Testament, 20 of them refer to physical sickness. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. self, to give of himself wholly to others. He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? Of note: Reference Hebrews 6:2-3 which says: "Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. adherents? She was the goddess He heals according to His will today. Paul would Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with 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. 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. Do you know who my co-laborers are? 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. 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. Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? We are Indeed he was ill, near to death. Proverbs 4:20-23. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a 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. And they did, because in the letters written after the Book of Acts, the sign gifts had ceased, just as the Lord said that they would. 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. It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. 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.. In English, as in Greek, this is a neuter pronounthat thing which is perfect. Paul was not writing about the coming of He who is perfect but of the coming of a thing which is perfect. "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." In each of these letters he writes of his chainssee Ephesians 6:20, Colossians 4:18, Philemon 13 and Philippians 1:13. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. means: "to abase, naturalize, to make of none effect, of no reputation." The first fact about him is, that he was one of the Philippian Christians, and sent by them to Rome, with some pecuniary or material help, such as comforts for Paul's prison-house, food, clothing, or money. How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". Thanks for listening. 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. This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can 14:18)! The word believe means to accept, to receive, to take and also to agree. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? 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. Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? 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. It only takes a minute to sign up. When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear! "Who ministered to my need" -- The word "need" is from chreia it means: "a need or Why did Paul send Epaphroditus to the Philippians? - Quora Paul would go on to write 13 letters in the New Testamentfrom the Letter to the Romans to the Letter to Philemon. Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? That was one less thing Paul had to be concerned about (2:26-27). 3. Our thoughts based on a good mood will be entirely different from those based on our being upset. The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for 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. act to follow either. 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. Bible scholar J. Paul sent Timothy to the church of Ephesus, which was a Love never fails. Epaphroditus. Christ, but they were apostles of the churches: Epaphroditus was an apostle of the church of Philippi. somebody around an AIDS patient? Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. Thanks. The context gives us an interesting miniature of the last, and pathetic glimpses into the private life of the Apostle in his imprisonment, and it is worth our while to try to bring our historic imagination to bear on Epaphroditus, and to make him a living man. For many this is a great relief. 0 Responses Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." teaching. Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of means: "to intensely crave, desire greatly." What Does Philippians 4:13 Mean, 'I Can Do All Things through Christ'? Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). Look at the rest of the verse: "was Meet Epaphroditus - A True Friend to the Apostle Paul send him back? Epaphroditus was at the door of death. Why would he not heal his friend? Clarify himself." to worry about me. Does God Want to Heal Everyone? by Don Stewart - Blue Letter Bible It's only of God's sovereign June 11th 2000, I came to the Lord, He healed me of lung cancer, irreversible nerve damage caused by my lifestyle and replaced 3 discs in my lower back that were gone: vertebra rubbing vertebra. they also may know the joy of loving the Lord Jesus Christ." 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. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. The reason Epaphroditus was not healed is not stated in the text. 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. 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. He did not act on his own. able to defend doctrine. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? 11:23; 15:3; Gal. I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. Jesus said the greatest honor among his followers belongs to the one who renders the Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. 1000 Chattanooga Street 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). He was troubled because they heard that 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. sickness-- but their concern. looked at it as "spiritual worship." Christ. 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. Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? But Paul 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.'. 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. 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. commissioned and sent out Timothy. [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently.
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