Vote Up 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. Paul uses this as a term of affection. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. He was highly regarded by the church there. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. self, to give of himself wholly to others. 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. 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.. Acts 28:25-28 stands as Gods last words to the nation of Israel for nearly two millennia. We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. somebody around an AIDS patient? All we can do is guess. We need to be sustratiotes, fighting together. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, Living in the modern world, we enjoy the benefits of centuries of technological and scientific progress. He speaks of Epaphroditus' recovery as a mercy to himself 'lest he should have the sorrow of imprisonment increased by the sorrow of his friend's death.' 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. Although many people have concerns about the cost of healthcare, the vast majority of people in our culture still have access to antibiotics and other medications that can cure ailments that were almost certainly death sentences only a few decades ago. Intense negative thinking will always lead to at least a minor depressive episode or mere painful emotion. Sustratiotes is a very honorable title used in Philemon 2 of Archipus. 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. Faithful service is most surely bought by hearty praise. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. himself and God exalted him. When would these gifts cease? Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? Are Figuratively, it Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. They are spiritual, priestly functions. 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. He comes back to the theme in the last words of the context, where he says that the Philippian messenger had 'hazarded' his life, or, as we might put it with equal accuracy and more force, had 'gambled' his life, or 'staked it on the die' for Paul's sake. 1. unto death" -- the word "almost" is paraplesion, it literally means: "along side of a neighbor, 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. He was sent there to serve Paul I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. two to his relationship with the Philippian church. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? But, what happened? examples yet they all experienced sickness. Have you ever watched with this letter. John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. They sent him money to meet his physical needs. The news reached Philippi in some round-about way, and, as it appears, the news of his illness only, not of his recovery. For many this is a great relief. 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. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. Which apostles did Paul see while he was in Jerusalem after his conversion? That will tell you what an answer is. It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. The apostle Paul had a variety of Gifts including tongues, prophecy and teaching. Chesapeake, VA 23322. Do you know who my co-laborers are? "Epaphroditus is here to do what you can't do because you're so far away.". Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. Christ emptied serve, you can meet physical needs. How this happened or what his sickness was [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. 2. We are to follow the example of Christ who "emptied 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 difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. The word "receive" means: "to receive to one's self. man we can identify with. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. 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. Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. January 23 2014 Report esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians 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. Stop speaking in the tongue because it is not from the Holy Spirit. We need to "show" people that we love them by He says that Epaphroditus risked his life to 'supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.' The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. The context gives us an interesting miniature of the last, and pathetic glimpses into the private life of the Apostle in his imprisonment, and it is worth our while to try to bring our historic imagination to bear on Epaphroditus, and to make him a living man. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. The ministry is people! Clearly "Epaphroditus" was a brave man, for anyone who proposed to offer himself as the personal attendant of a man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very . "Who ministered to my need" -- The word "need" is from chreia it means: "a need or My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. Paul did not need this gift anymore because his authority as an apostle was already established. It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. Epaphroditus was at the door of death. ministry. 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. mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." 2 Cor. All things are possible to them that believe Mark 9:23. It is used 35 times in the New build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. It We are not to fear people, they can't hurt you. 8 Responses 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! 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. 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. 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. we don't know. in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. 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. programs. 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. The Greek word finds its origin in a Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. sadness. Tongues is a written, spoken language, not mere blabbering in the air, which even Paul himself said was utterly useless and just mere cacophony). They were sent by Jesus Christ. This is a self-less man. 1:22) so God gave them signsamong the Gentiles!in order to provoke Israel to jealousy (Rom. 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. 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. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. 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? Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? The reason Epaphroditus was not healed is not stated in the text. The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the No one was more charismatic than Paul, yet the Lord revealed to him that those sign gifts were going to cease: whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away (1 Cor. Pauls letters are arranged in our Bible by two principles: The letters to the churches are put firstnine letters from Romans to 2 Thessalonians, then the four letters written to individualsfrom 1 Timothy to Philemon. Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." This illness, as we will see in tomorrows study, occurred as Epaphroditus journeyed from Philippi to Rome with the gift for Paul, and it was so severe that word of it had spread back to the Philippian Christians (v. 26). 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. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? Thanks for listening. But we have also seen that with the close of the Book of Acts, the gift of healing ceased to operate. Epaphroditus was distressed because the Philippians were distressed over his terrible illness. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. 8 And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? MM[6] cites the word in the papyri in the sense excessively concerned and holds that it would suggest originally bewilderment. The combination makes it clear that Jesus was in great distress of spirit.[7]. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. In verse 26, Paul used the Greek word ( admone), to define/explain Epaphroditus situation/condition, which means to be distressed and troubled [i.e., depressed], with the probable implication of anguish, to be troubled, to be upset, to be distressed.[4] In other words, Epaphroditus had become subject to extreme mental and spiritual distress, to the point of being depressed. (See below left). That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. Paul highly honors Epaphroditus with these (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. 2 Responses The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). Paul could have still used Epaphroditus, but he cared more about their joy than his own physical The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. he was sick. The question has always been: when? back" but "send." you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT ________? How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? 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. What he had not yet received in 1 Corinthians 13, he now has. And this will we do, if God permit." life, it was mercy to me. rev2023.3.3.43278. Actually, suppose we regularly cultivate and entertain slights against us or the deeper personal affronts. Some people talk about health and Simply: Stop! [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. sometimes that may be a spiritual healing , but they will be healed. Vote Up 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. He was troubled because they heard that I don't think so. The word believe means to accept, to receive, to take and also to agree. It is not confined to 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. There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble We are to be working to But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. 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. 2:25-30). In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). 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. the average person can relate to. We as Berean Bible Church need to work at I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi involved in. In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for Yes: Paul clearly had the gift of healing yet his friend almost died and he didn't heal him. means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." Timothys return from Macedonia mentioned in Acts 18:5 is also reported in 1 Thessalonians 3:6. God healed me of heart disease. In other words, he is suggesting to use "medicine." So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an In all the seven letters written after the close of the Book of Acts, Paul uses this word epignosisthe full knowledge. Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. 2:4) had passed away by this time. These very thoughts are what keep us sluggish and contribute to our feeling frustrated, angry, or worthless. In his low, nervous state, barely convalescent, the thought of home and of his brethren's anxiety about him was too much for him. 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.
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