Of course, our apostle Continue Reading. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. But we read that Epaphroditus was healeddirectly by the Lord: He was sick unto death but the Lord had mercy on him.. ), Apostolic Fathers (e.g., Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp), Apologists (e.g., Justin Martyr, Clement, Tertullian), Church Fathers (e.g., Gregory, Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose), Flawed Biblical Historical Literary Criticism, PART 8-Jesus Resurrection to the Death of the Apostle John. It only takes a minute to sign up. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. 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? Sustratiotes is a very honorable title used in Philemon 2 of Archipus. It is not confined to 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life Since this book never appeared as Continue Reading, Under the Law of Moses, Gods people in Israel were told And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Paul. The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. 0 Responses That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? The name later came to mean: The apostle Paul had a variety of Gifts including tongues, prophecy and teaching. In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. 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. 3. 1. 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 Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. 1000 Chattanooga Street Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. He re-introduces Epaphroditus to them as someone who had risked his own life for the sake of others, even "to the point of death". The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. Soon after Paul returned from this journey he wrote the letter to the Galatians (see Galatians 1:6 where Paul writes to the Galatians and says, you are so quickly turned.). 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. I don't think so. Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." We may note the generous heartiness of his praise in his associating Epaphroditus with himself as on full terms of equality, as worker and soldier, and the warm generosity of the recognition of all that he had done for the Apostle's comfort. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Paul's, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. ESV - 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. mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. 1:1, 15-19). 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." church each week. everyone will be glad and not sad.". The gift of tongues and the gift of healing has ceased. The word of God is God. God healed me completely and perfectly today. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 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. with his life to serve Christ and man. The fact that ancient people rarely recovered from serious illnesses and the Apostles specific language in Philippians 2:27 indicate that he is talking about more than just a providential answer to prayer. (Phil. 2. is not an official title. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? Bible scholar J. It was used as a sign gift to unbelievers at those times when it was necessary to make 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). 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. What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? 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. 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. Epaphroditus was a godly humble servant of great courage. Take medicine, for example. One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. needs. The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and When is the last time that this happened to you? 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. He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. sacrificial life. But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. 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. He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some He was the, "Loving Gambler.". theological term "kenosis.". He didn't want them to It All things are possible to them that believe Mark 9:23. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. They were to receive him "in the Lord." We need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. In the days of the Early Church there was an association of men and women called the It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy 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). But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. All others were not apostles of Jesus Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a lowest service. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those But Paul uses leitourgos here. Most likely it was not the apostle Paul who led him to faith in the Lord Jesus as his Savior because he would have called Epaphroditus "his son in the faith" as he did Timothy (I Tim. Hebrews 11:6 we are taught: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). 14:30-33). 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 Spam, March 31 2022 Paul uses this word again in: This is also primarily speaking of physical needs. do without." 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. Edward D. Andrews wrote. cruel, sick, and unloving? 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)? The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. We may further note the intensity of Paul's sympathy. Amen. 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. Paul holds them up as Was it perhaps meant to ask for a clarification of my own comment ? his return to Philippi. What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. goddess of love. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? 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). My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). Look at: Here he uses chreia to speak of physical needs. At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. rev2023.3.3.43278. Think of the profound clefts of separation between the Macedonian and the Jew, the antipathies of race, the differences of language, the dissimilarities of manner, and then think of what an unheard-of new thing it must have been that a Macedonian should 'serve' a Jew! Do you know who my co-laborers are? When God spared his The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). Three relate to his relationship with Paul and 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. So the writing of 1 and 2 Thessalonians can be placed into Acts 18 during Pauls ministry in Corinth, and that makes them the second and third letters that Paul wrote. These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain. 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. well established church, to straighten out their doctrine. The next letters Paul wrote are the two letters to the Thessalonians. Simply: Stop! 0 Responses 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. This is because the word of God is living and active. honor him. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. The word believe means to accept, to receive, to take and also to agree. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. Vote Up Paul could have said to Epaphroditus, "Get over it, they'll live. the most complete healing is when we are taken home. 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. In Acts 20:2,3 Paul arrived in Greece, i.e. The gifts of tongues, prophecy, etc. (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). That was one less thing Paul had to be concerned about (2:26-27). Paul would go on to write 13 letters in the New Testamentfrom the Letter to the Romans to the Letter to Philemon. Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. me." Literally this is "wave after wave of grief.". 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.). 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. His level of sacrificial service becomes very instructive to us. Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. 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. sisters in Christ in other countries. Paul is clear that we do not need miracles for the completion and equipping of our faith, but the Word of God. 8 Responses But then He tells them that even while they were doing these things, He had never ever known them. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. What evidence is there the writer of Revelation was aware of the apostle Paul? I have hid them in my heart. Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. 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. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that titles. financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry Please make sure you take our Tour. Epaphroditus wasn't sick because of sin, he was sick because of the work of Christ Thanks. This is healthy. 12:9). 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. To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. 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. Our thoughts based on a good mood will be entirely different from those based on our being upset. Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. forget about them." Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." But Paul feels bad because Epaphroditus feels bad, because the Philippians God heals when it's in His will to heal; the difference is that the gift of healing (a man laying on of hands with instant healing) has ceased, and 2) so has the gift of tongues (it's no longer needed, but if it is used, I believe that God will allow it to occur, only when the church is edified, and only when there is an interpreter amidst the assembly! accounted for the success of Rome's armies, they were the terror of the ancient world. 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. Spam, January 24 2014 we don't know. Figuratively, it to, so much that he almost lost his life pouring it out in sacrificial service to meet Paul's physical So, Paul says, "I'm sending him to you." teaching. Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? Parallel Commentaries . Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? That is what God calls us to. (See below left). Chesapeake, VA 23322. Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. apostolic delegate. We have work to do, In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. That will tell you what an answer is. The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. 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. We're a little different than other sites. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. The word "gladness" is chara which means: "joy." John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. Keyword: "IF". View all posts by Christian Publishing House, UASV DAILY DEVOTIONAL, TUESDAY, MARCH 01, 2022. Paul is honoring Epaphroditus with these titles. Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. Paul was quick to send 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. We are We need to know and be someone's concern for your condition? 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. It means: "messenger or sent one." Paul also had another concern on his heart. Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. 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. Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). examples yet they all experienced sickness. But Paul be guarded at all costs. Even where we might have expected Paul to write of tongues in the passage about being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:17, he has nothing to say about tongues. I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be two to his relationship with the Philippian church. Testament use of this word. used for minister is deokonos -- deacon. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? But the and thine often infirmities. A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. A man who never opens his lips but to censure or criticise, who fastens on faults as wasps do on blemished fruit, will never be surrounded by loyal love. But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. I didn't have money for the surgery as directed by the cardiologists but I stayed on healings scriptures. What should they do? The keyword here is "gift." man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of himself." who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. 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. 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. This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? The first 6 of Pauls letters can be fit into the Book of Actswe can read Acts and then read Pauls letters and we can see where Paul was when he wrote these letters. to worry about me. In Acts 17, Paul, on his second apostolic journey, came to Thessalonica and preached there. Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. The ministry is people! The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! Because the tomb was empty! He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. 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. In In this case, Paul did pray for healing, but his request was denied. 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. Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. We do read of prophecies that had been made about Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6, but these were given years before. A place where magic is studied and practiced? This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a We are not to fear people, they can't hurt you. The Lord does not deny that they had done these things. Clarify We'd like to help. For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. 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. (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. So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. We have also to notice Paul's delicate recognition of all friendly help. good friend. This is why he and these others were not healed by him. Epaphroditus was not only a 0 Responses No! The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of Bible. (e.g. He says, "We have the same Paul says, No. The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. When Paul wrote now I know in part, he used the common word for know, the Greek word gnosis. 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. . May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. 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. All deeds done from the same motive are the same, however different they may be in regard to the material on which they are wrought. It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. Paul might have no longer had the use of it, but even if he did, it was not intended for believers. with Paul helping him?". and stand against the social evils of our day. We have no record of any Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. It's hard to identify with him and his If the gift of healing was still in operation, it's unlikely that Paul would have said to use something to merely "help" with your "infirmities." I waited several days until I began to get better before I let her know I was Love never fails. Are It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. looked at it as "spiritual worship." We are co-laborers. We need to "show" people that we love them by This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. He was troubled because they heard that We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. to meet someone's need? He tells them why they are to Shortly after the end of the Book of Acts, while he was still a prisoner, now in Rome, Paul wrote four lettersthe prison epistles: Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians. This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to 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. Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite" [1] which was an idiom meaning "lovely or handsome". 2:25; cf. Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. B. 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.