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healthy. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Notice that it was the work "of Christ." 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. Simply: Stop! No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? 2:4) had passed away by this time. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. We are to be working to View our current career opportunities. 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! Epaphrodtus. What to do? "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? parabolani, the gamblers. Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. Testament use of this word. 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. If they wanted to This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. feel bad because he is sick. to meet someone's need? 3:1-10). You were extremely upset and grieved over 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. looked at it as "spiritual worship." 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. The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 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. Please make sure you take our Tour. Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. . Take medicine, for example. During this time he wrote the three letters known as the Pastoral Epistles, because these letters were written to Pauls co-workersPastor Timothy and Titus. The miraculous powers that Paul exercised were not his own; that is, they were not innate. Spam, January 24 2014 We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part The word of God is God. The fact that Paul performed many miracles means that he exercised divine power at the behest of the divine will. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. A caressing hand on a horse's neck is better than a whip. Because I am submitted and 2. "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." Why are you This is the depth of love and care. from death it is mercy. A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. spiritual as teaching. The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. (Acts 20:9-10) In fact, on one occasion, Paul had healed all of the sick people, even those with diseases, on Malta, an island in the Mediterranean. These men and women of God where normal people of God, who made mistakes just like us and didnt do everything perfect. We don't like risks. The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. That which is perfect had come and so the sign gifts had passed away. In believing the word of God, you have to. someone who would represent the church well. 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. 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. "Who ministered to my need" -- The word "need" is from chreia it means: "a need or This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ 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. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? means: "to abase, naturalize, to make of none effect, of no reputation." speaks of a common origin. risks. distressed because you had heard that he was sick." and stand against the social evils of our day. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. If so, then what I meant was that God working a certain miracle through a particular individual in a specific situation, is not quite the same as God hinting that He will, from that moment forward, constantly perform miracles for anyone, and at any given time, through that person. Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. 1:1, 15-19). We need to be sustratiotes, fighting together. I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. 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. "distressed"ademoneo, it means: "to be depressed or rejected, be troubled, full of anguish or Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. In other words, he is suggesting to use "medicine." Perhaps over-exertion in travel, or perhaps his Macedonian constitution could not bear the enervating air of Rome, or perhaps Paul's prison was unhealthy. send him back? Why would the Apostle Paul insist that married couples have regular sex "except [for one reason only] by mutual consent and for a time (of prayer)" when there may be other factors such as sickness, busyness, or fatigue? The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. Why would he not heal his friend? 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. Today God no longer gives the gift of healing, and there are no healers. But we should not think that God Himself no longer heals! Paul's own "thorn in the flesh" is a prime example: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-a-thorn-in-the-flesh.html 1. The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. 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). He is saying, God healed me of heart disease. someone's concern for your condition? 11 God was performing extraordinary [e]miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. When I was in the military I met brothers and The word "gladness" is chara which means: "joy." They sent him money to meet his physical needs. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). I don't think so. Bible scholar J. (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. Epaphroditus was also a common noun. That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. Asked January 21 2014 same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . Sustratiotes is a very honorable title used in Philemon 2 of Archipus. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. 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. One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. Love never fails. Paul continued on to Corinth where he wrote the two letters to the Thessalonians. Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. destruction and desolation. impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. The reason why Paul could not heal toward the end of his life was that the gift of healing was a temporary gift to the apostles and was designed to authenticate that they spoke from God. in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. Whether we are well or sick, whether we are like Epaphroditus or like Timothy, we can always claim this promise from the Lord that His grace and strength are sufficient for us. We need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. She was the goddess Cyprian, the Christian bishop, It is not confined to Those who work in the tape ministry are my 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. When Paul wrote now I know in part, he used the common word for know, the Greek word gnosis. He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. necessity, that which is lacking." others. 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 is clear that we do not need miracles for the completion and equipping of our faith, but the Word of God. Paul sent Timothy to the church of Ephesus, which was a Clarify How was the preaching of Christ supposed to add more afflictions to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:15? Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. (Phil. co-laborer with Paul, but with God. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." My legs were swollen and my body was a mass of pain. word that has the idea of: "not at home, uncomfortable, troubled, or distressed.". And this will we do, if God permit." Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. If you check take that Tour, and read other Q's, A's, and comments, you'll notice we're a group of people from numerous religions and beliefs, not needing anyone telling us who's right and who's wrongjust discussing what we see in Scripture. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. We need to "show" people that we love them by Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. The answer is: He wouldn't have! A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. I also believe the Word tells us in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. It has an interesting Christ. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? Have you ever watched 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. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. we living as sent ones? This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. Little is known about Epaphroditus (much less than Timothy). 7:22-23). Paul commends Epaphroditus very highly for his faithfulness even unto death. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for Back to Romans 10: 9 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 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. means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. The gift of tongues and the gift of healing has ceased. Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain. But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. 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. 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. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. Vote Up The Greek word finds its origin in a Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? It only takes a minute to sign up. The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. Paul put the needs of the Philippians ahead of his own. 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. The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. Self-talk is what we tell ourselves in our thoughts. (See below left). John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. 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. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). It 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. Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? Keyword: "IF". Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. 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? esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. No! The name later came to mean: The miracles of healing that the Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can Vote Up 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. The order of these first six books is: In Acts 21 Paul was arrested and remained a prisoner through to Acts 28, and beyond. 1000 Chattanooga Street 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! serve, you can meet physical needs. We both received mercy. [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Spam, November 06 2014 Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. they also may know the joy of loving the Lord Jesus Christ." 1:2) and Titus (Tit. Epaphroditus was not distressed, i.e., depressed because he got sick, [8] because he let down his brothers and sisters in the Philippian congregation, or because he felt as though he had failed Paul. Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your They were sent by Jesus Christ. 2 Responses 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. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. So Epaphroditus was sent to take care of Paul because Paul was imprisoned under house arrest, and in the end Epaphroditus became a burden to Paul because he almost died and Paul had to. In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? 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. Paul was quick to send Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. emptied himself. great opposition." the average person can relate to. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 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. chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. This is Heresy 101 at its best!). Paul only calls him a "brother" ( Phil. He modeled the kenosis, he die!" "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life 2:27). Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. (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. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. For many this is a great relief. sometimes that may be a spiritual healing , but they will be healed. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? The apostle Paul had a variety of Gifts including tongues, prophecy and teaching. 3. 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. The word "sick" is astheneo, it means: "to be feeble, weak, sick. The word "necessary" is the Greek word anagkaios, it means: "indispensable, what one cannot Philippians had heard that he was sick. two to his relationship with the Philippian church. able to defend doctrine. Vote Up 12:9). 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. Epaphroditus appears to have been a tremendous help to Paul, and somehow, possibly as a result of caring for Paul (Philippians 2:30), Epaphroditus gets sick and nearly dies. But Paul uses leitourgos here. We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." church each week. On the contrary, Paul considered him his "brother," "fellow-worker," "fellow-soldier," and "their apostle and servant" (2:25). In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for How this happened or what his sickness was that Paul didn't heal. 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. What Is the Difference Between 'Man' And 'Son of Man' in Num 23:19? Acts 28:25-28 stands as Gods last words to the nation of Israel for nearly two millennia. All the loving thoughts, and all the material expressions of them which Epaphroditus brought to Paul were fragrant with the perfume of the Philippians' love, 'an odour of a sweet smell, acceptable' to Paul as to Paul's Lord. 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. The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in apostolic delegate. The next letters Paul wrote are the two letters to the Thessalonians. 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.