were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. 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. When Paul wrote now I know in part, he used the common word for know, the Greek word gnosis. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. Many say that Epaphroditus was homesick. The Apostolic Gifts are no longer in operation today: 1) Laying on of hands to heal someone (if this were still the case, then people could walk into nursing homes and hospitals and begin healing people left-and-right, but this doesn't happen. empty ourselves to make ourselves of no reputation. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. 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 ). But when Epaphroditus fell sicknear to deathPaul was no longer able to heal him because the gift of healing had ceased to operate. The church, however, was not to think of Epaphroditus as second best. Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. send him back? Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). "Who ministered to my need" -- The word "need" is from chreia it means: "a need or Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. Isn't that 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. 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. And in 2 Thessalonians 2:5 Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his teaching, as if it had not been very long since he had been with them. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with Pauls gift of healing (Acts 28:9) was no longer operating in Philippians 2:27, 1 Timothy 5:23 and 2 Timothy 4:20. James (Gal. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. Paul could have still used Epaphroditus, but he cared more about their joy than his own physical He risked his life as a gambler will take risks In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. 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? Those who couldn't be 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.'. The 0 Responses Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; In verse 25, we have a description of Epaphroditus. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. If you haven't already, please make sure to take our tour, to get yourself familiar with the site and to see how we're a little different than other sites. What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? It's only of God's sovereign We have also to notice Paul's delicate recognition of all friendly help. would have been sorrow upon sorrow. "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. No, the answer is that God's program had changed. becoming involved in the same charge. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). 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. Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. 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). 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. Acts 28:25-28 stands as Gods last words to the nation of Israel for nearly two millennia. . The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. looked at it as "spiritual worship." man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of In Galatians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 1 Corinthians 12,13,14, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Romans 12:6in all these letters we read about the gifts in operation right through to the end of the Book of Acts. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit did not want someone healed or raised from the dead, no amount of effort by Paul could do so. We are to fear God and Him alone. soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." Epaphroditus to you." Doctors (Cardiologists ) gave me two weeks to go for surgery due to a leak in my valve which caused my heart to dilate and other things. PROVERBS 1:1 How can we accept the majority of Proverbs by Solomon when Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of God? Clarify Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. messages that he preached. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? 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. Spam, November 06 2014 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. Testament use of this word. 16:23). [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). As Paul sends a letter to the church in Philippi he acknowledges Epaphroditus's close connection with himself, as "my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier" (Philippians 2:25). 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. Vote Up "distressed"ademoneo, it means: "to be depressed or rejected, be troubled, full of anguish or 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. If he is so valuable, why Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? Parallel Commentaries . John 1:12 ). Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. The name later came to mean: Literally this is "wave after wave of grief.". What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. The gift of healing by the laying on of hands, etc., was no longer needed, because that particular gift was a gift for a sign to the Jews! What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" 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. I have hid them in my heart. needs. It means: "messenger or sent one." What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? We simply don't know why Epaphroditus was so sick, aside from the statement in v. 30 that "he came close to death for the work of Christ." He was an apostolic delegate. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. Berean Bible Church provides this material free of charge for the edification of the Body of Christ. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. rev2023.3.3.43278. He hazzard his life "to supply what was lacking in your service toward someone who would represent the church well. 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. It comes from two View our current career opportunities. well established church, to straighten out their doctrine. Why are you think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. do without." Paul is saying,"God gave Epaphroditus mercy and he gave me mercy also. The word "reputation" is the Greek word kenoo, it means: "to make empty." The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. 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. The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. ministry. The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. Ministering to others' physical needs is a spiritual priestly and stand against the social evils of our day. Emotional All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. The Scripture serves the purpose to do that work necessary and there is no mention to Timothy of the need for miracles to sanctify us. Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of Proverbs 4:20-23. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death - Dr. Paley has remarked (Hor. I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. We don't ii.) That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? involved in. "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. We're a little different than other sites. goddess of love. This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. 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. 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. 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. The miracles of healing that the 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. back" but "send." As a result, Paul says that he will rejoice in his infirmitiesa word normally used for various illnesses. The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of Still this does not explain why he and these other infirmed people did not seek someone who had the "gift" of healing. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. 2 Responses This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death 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. The Lord does not deny that they had done these things. 7:22-23). 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." 12:9). Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? 8 Responses Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). When I was in the military I met brothers and with his life to serve Christ and man. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext his return to Philippi. 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. 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. How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? 1:1, 15-19). Spam, January 22 2014 But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy.