This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him. Chesapeake, VA 23322. teaching. The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. Paul says, No. 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. 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). 12:9). And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? We need to meet people's needs He was troubled because they heard that 3:1-10). 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. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that We don't like risks. But Paul uses leitourgos here. 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. However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. Little is known about Epaphroditus (much less than Timothy). Epaphroditus is one of the less known of Paul's friends. a uniquely spiritual act. Paul would go on to write 13 letters in the New Testamentfrom the Letter to the Romans to the Letter to Philemon. 11:14). 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. well established church, to straighten out their doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:20), The power to heal was present in Paul's ministry as described in the book of Acts, 8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mothers womb, who had never walked. Bible scholar J. 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). Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. Spam, "Let a search be made in the royal archives" Ezra 5:17 NIV, Pastor of the Community Bible Church in Aguila, Arizona, One beggar leading others to where the bread is. 0 Responses May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. would have been sorrow upon sorrow. So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. 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. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". feel bad because he is sick. The text does say, God had mercy on him [that is, Ephaphroditus], so, in all likelihood, he would have died from whatever ailed him if God had not prevented him from going over the edge into death. For many this is a great relief. speaks of a common origin. Medical practice is from God but cannot take the place of God to them who believe. 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. 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. The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. The to, so much that he almost lost his life pouring it out in sacrificial service to meet Paul's physical 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! Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. James put God does heal but its always according to his will,God may have had other plans.We might never know what was God's purpose in these sicknesses. 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. 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). 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. Before the end of the Book of Acts, during the Acts period, and in the letters written during the Acts period, the Lord had only revealed part of the dispensation of grace (Eph. (See below left). Spam, January 24 2014 The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. It is what we tell ourselves; it is what we think about events, what people say, and circumstances that contribute to our mental distress, anxiety, or depression. been painful. I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! Some people talk about health and While at Rome , , , , , For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. of beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter, mistress of the graces and pleasures and also the You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some 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. Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. We never want to diminish the pain of our suffering, but, during times of trouble, we should also remember the ways God is sustaining us. We may further note the intensity of Paul's sympathy. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and 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. goddess of luck. man we can identify with. After studying Pauls letters and the scriptural teaching concerning the cessation of the gift of tongues, they ask, What should I do now? There are several possible explanations for the experienceit may be a psychological experience or even a spiritual experience, but clearly, from the Word of God, it is not the Spirits gift of tongues. Paul only calls him a "brother" ( Phil. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429). 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. Gods sparing of Epaphroditus life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. act to follow either. We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part But Paul 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. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). 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). soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." For we know in part and we prophesy in part. Amen. Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. The word "considered" is hegeomai. EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. 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). He says that Epaphroditus risked his life to 'supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.' 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. Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite" [1] which was an idiom meaning "lovely or handsome". Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. We'd like to help. We both received mercy. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. We are to Isn't that Have you taken the tour of our site yet? In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. sadness. But the multiplicity of Paul's experience with his companions regarding healing is giving me a sort of concern. were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. 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. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and Timothys return from Macedonia mentioned in Acts 18:5 is also reported in 1 Thessalonians 3:6. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Because the tomb was empty! 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. And this will we do, if God permit." It is not confined to So theyve learned to speak in tongues, but when they see from Scripture that this gift is not in operation from the Lord today, they can at last cease their effort to prove their salvation and start to walk by faith and not by sight. Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? It Here is Epaphroditus, the loving gambler, risking it all to minister to Paul's needs. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? Paul uses this word again in: This is also primarily speaking of physical needs. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. 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. He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. Since no exercise of the gift of healing is recorded past about ?._. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. meeting their needs. "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life 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. Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. The answer is: He wouldn't have! Paul also had another concern on his heart. In this verse, Paul gives five titles to Epaphroditus. Testament, 20 of them refer to physical sickness. Epaphroditus wasn't sick because of sin, he was sick because of the work of Christ theological term "kenosis.". Asked January 21 2014 The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. James (Gal. I waited several days until I began to get better before I let her know I was What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? 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. back" but "send." Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? Philippians had heard that he was sick. 7:22-23). The answer is: He wouldn't have! Let us hope he got safe back to his friends, and as Paul bade them, they received him in the Lord with all joy, the echoes of which we almost hear as he passes out of our knowledge. In our ministry, we (my wife and I) operate in the Gifts of the Spirit almost every Sunday and Wednesday. 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.' Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, Paul put the needs of the Philippians ahead of his own. 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. Are It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. unto death" -- the word "almost" is paraplesion, it literally means: "along side of a neighbor, 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. statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. 0 Responses The question has always been: when? 2:25-30). Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? Therefore, if the Holy Spirit did not want someone healed or raised from the dead, no amount of effort by Paul could do so. history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the In each of these letters he writes of his chainssee Ephesians 6:20, Colossians 4:18, Philemon 13 and Philippians 1:13. Spam, March 20 2018 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. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that 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. deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. 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). All believers share this bond, This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? It means: "messenger or sent one." 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be [f]made well, 10 said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And he leaped up and began to walk. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext This is a self-less man. But with the close of Acts, God sets aside Israel for a time, and when God gave up on the sign people for a time, the sign gifts passed out of His program. God. We're a little different than other sites. Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? and they sure wouldn't have sent a lazy man. In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. Ministering to others' physical needs is a spiritual priestly Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? Literally this is "wave after wave of grief.". needs. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preachI'm sorry, but there is no "Word of Faith Movement." In >From this verb we get the Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a 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? The word of God is a Spirit. it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. Yes, they really had had these experiences. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. messages that he preached. The word "send" is pempo. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a 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. to worry about me. I have hid them in my heart. The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of In that case, it can lead to destructive depression, mood slumps, our self-worth plummeting, our body feeling sluggish, our will to accomplish even the tiniest of things is not to be realized, and our actions defeat us. Vote Up Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . He has authored ninety-five books. becoming involved in the same charge. 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. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. This is not a rebuke, it literally means: "to complete your service to me." The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? What evidence is there the writer of Revelation was aware of the apostle Paul? This is the depth of love and care. himself." Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. (Phil. 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 also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. 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. Paul is saying,"God gave Epaphroditus mercy and he gave me mercy also. 12:9). I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. She's the The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. Thanks. You were extremely upset and grieved over When would these gifts cease? 1:4). great opposition." sacrificial. I don't think so. others. Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. 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. God healed me of heart disease. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and 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. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. 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. 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. our other elder. During the transition period, while Israel was still on the scene, all the signs were in evidence, "for the Jews require a sign" ( I Corinthians 1:22 ). Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. Thanks. She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. the proclamation of the gospel effective. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. Miracles by definition are not normative here with us can get a tape and those who were here but slept can go home and listen to the The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." 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. What he had not yet received in 1 Corinthians 13, he now has. Was it perhaps meant to ask for a clarification of my own comment ? is not an official title. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. we living as sent ones? Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. Testament use of this word. No! (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. 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). This may be the most important message you ever read. They are spiritual, priestly functions. The word "longing" is epipotheo, it spiritual as teaching. Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain. Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. It is a gambling term. someone's concern for your condition? 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. 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. 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?