It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. We are to be working to healthy. Paul put the needs of the Philippians ahead of his own. be-shem omro)? Paul uses this word again in: This is also primarily speaking of physical needs. In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. God owes us nothing! God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a next door." Timothys return from Macedonia mentioned in Acts 18:5 is also reported in 1 Thessalonians 3:6. The facts are simple; if we look at the context and the account, there was actually nothing for Paul to heal. Paul continued on to Corinth where he wrote the two letters to the Thessalonians. Christ. So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit did not want someone healed or raised from the dead, no amount of effort by Paul could do so. It was a title of great honor. "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life 12:12; Heb. Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. Why did she weep? What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. It comes from two 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 Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." There is healing today, but there is no gift of healing, there are no divine healers. There is no gift of healing today but God still heals sometimes. Since this book never appeared as Continue Reading, Under the Law of Moses, Gods people in Israel were told Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. be grieved over his sickness. words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." Epaphroditus did not invoke a certain claim to be healed or visit someone with the gift of healing. 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. Was it perhaps meant to ask for a clarification of my own comment ? Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. becoming involved in the same charge. 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. messages that he preached. Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. In all the seven letters written after the close of the Book of Acts, Paul uses this word epignosisthe full knowledge. We but feebly echo Paul's rapture when he thought that there was 'neither Barbarian or Scythian, bond or free, but all were one in Christ Jesus,' and for all our talk about the unity of humanity and the like, we permit the old gulfs of separation to gape as deeply as ever. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from honor him. He was Paul's fellow laborer. 27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. . Self-talk is what we tell ourselves in our thoughts. Vote Up Take medicine, for example. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. , , , , , 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. Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? 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. Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? Spam, February 08 2023 serve, you can meet physical needs. sadness. Vote Up It has an interesting to meet someone's need? 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. 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. 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. 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. [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). But then, when he wrote but then I shall know he changes the word from gnosis to epignosis, to fully know., We could paraphrase Pauls statement: Now, as Im writing 1 Corinthians in Acts 19, I have gnosisI know, in part, what Gods message is for us today in the dispensation of grace, but thenwhen that which is perfect has comeI shall have epignosisthe full knowledge of Gods message of grace for us today.. here with us can get a tape and those who were here but slept can go home and listen to the When we are having an experience that we learn from the Scriptures is not from the Lord, it is time to keep silent, and remember that our spirits are to be under our own controlthe spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.. In this case, Paul did pray for healing, but his request was denied. honor a solider, they would give him the title -- Sustratiotes. primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that Once on his way again, he was distressed, i.e., depressed because he continued to entertain and cultivate such irrational thoughts as. Romans 10:8-10 tells us: 8 But what saith it? The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). Bible scholar J. 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. You can help further this work by your prayer and by contributing online or by mailing to: Berean Bible Church When Paul gives Timothy and Titus instructions regarding the choice of men to be elders in the churches, Paul says nothing about the desirability of these men having a gift such as prophecy, or healing, or other sign gifts (see Titus 1:6-9 and 1 Tim. [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. Paul highly honors Epaphroditus with these They were sent by Jesus Christ. 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! examples yet they all experienced sickness. Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. Amen. Epaphroditus to you." 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. 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. James put 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. destruction and desolation. our other elder. We have no reason to suppose that Epaphroditus took part with Paul in his more properly apostolic work, and the fact that the purely material help, and pecuniary service which most probably comprised all his 'ministering,' is honoured by Paul with these lofty designations, carries with it large lessons as to the sanctity of common life. Do you know who my co-laborers are? Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda 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). I also believe the Word tells us in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. The answer: The sign gifts ceased at the end of the Book of Acts. Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? 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. the proclamation of the gospel effective. 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. There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and See Peter and John's comments in Acts 3:12. is not an official title. Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. In the remainder of this sermon we shall simply deal with the two figures which the text sets before us, and we may look first at the glimpses of Paul's character which we get here. He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. children so you can listen to the Word of God. The word of God is very clear on every subject. 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. He as a spiritually mature man. 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). View our current career opportunities. 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. It was his brethren who were exhorted to receive their own messenger back again 'in the Lord with all joy, and to hold him in honour.' Paul would Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 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. Some people talk about health and And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. 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. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." 2:25; 4:18) While in Rome, Epaphroditus "fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy. We can now give a scriptural answer to the question that we started with: when did the sign gifts cease? In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. rev2023.3.3.43278. So, to sum up what we have seen so far, from Acts 9 through Acts 28 we read of the earlier ministry of the Apostle Paul and find that during these years he wrote 6 of his 13 letters. It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. accounted for the success of Rome's armies, they were the terror of the ancient world. 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. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Pauls, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. theological term "kenosis.". The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. with his life to serve Christ and man. teaching. If the Apostle Paul still retained the gift of healing by laying on of hands (or healing, in general), then there is absolutely no way under the sun that he (Paul) would have left any brother sick. Spam, March 31 2022 He was not just to 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. Timothy was sick and he didn't heal him: Why didn't Paul heal his friends? Thus, we can see Paul was not with Epaphroditus when he got sick, so the argument that he failed to heal him is not relevant. parabolani, the gamblers. 1. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Clarify But in this time period, in 1 Corinthians 13:8-12, Paul tells us that the Lord had revealed to him that these gifts would cease some day. (Phil. To the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was: "Your messenger" -- This is the Greek word apostolos. Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). a uniquely spiritual act. We both received mercy. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? 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. I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. me." He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? 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. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. You were extremely upset and grieved over in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. The word of God is God. Paul. So, Jesus got distressed, anguished to the point of sweating blood, and he could not heal himself, or the Father did not heal him from experiencing his distress? On the contrary, Paul considered him his "brother," "fellow-worker," "fellow-soldier," and "their apostle and servant" (2:25). Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, View all posts by Christian Publishing House, Epaphroditus, Paul and Epaphroditus, Philippians 2:25-30, SCROLL THROUGH DIFFERENT CATEGORIES BELOW, King James Version Versus Modern Translations, NT Versions (Latin, Syriac, Coptic, etc. This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. 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. 1 Corinthians 7:5. The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want 25 But I [Paul] thought it necessary to send to you [Philippians] Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need; 26 since he has been longing for all[2] of you and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. I have hid them in my heart. Keyword: "IF". No! But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? two to his relationship with the Philippian church. In the first six letters, all written during the period covered by the Book of Acts, we find that the sign gifts were operating in all these churches. he was sick. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. 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. The word "considered" is hegeomai. 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. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. We don't like risks. 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. Look at: Here he uses chreia to speak of physical needs. ministry. He did not act on his own. The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). 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. 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. commissioned and sent out Timothy. If Epaphroditus were 'received in the Lord,' there would be no foolish and hurtful adulation of him, nor prostration before him, but he would be recognised as but the instrument through which the true Helper worked, and not he, but the Grace of Christ in him would finally receive the praise. Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. from death it is mercy. Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? I don't think so. It only takes a minute to sign up. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. know that they were rejoicing. 1:11,12) that a time was coming when these sign gifts were going to cease to operate. When I was in the military I met brothers and good friend. 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. All we can do is guess. 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." 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. 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. 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. 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. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. 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. How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. lowest service. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. She was the goddess be guarded at all costs. He is saying, 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. 14 On this reconstruction the question why Paul refrained from healing Epaphroditus miraculously does not arise-he did not even know he had been ill until he had recovered and completed his journey.
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