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. The Healing of Epaphroditus and Healing Today Philippians 2:25-30 0 Responses What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. goddess of love. Romans 10:8-10 tells us: 8 But what saith it? 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." 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. Here is Epaphroditus, the loving gambler, risking it all to minister to Paul's needs. It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. spiritual as teaching. PROVERBS 1:1 How can we accept the majority of Proverbs by Solomon when Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of God? do without." were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. 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? cruel, sick, and unloving? Chesapeake, VA 23322. needs. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? How this happened or what his sickness was 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. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. sorrow." The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. But Paul The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. programs. We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part The news reached Philippi in some round-about way, and, as it appears, the news of his illness only, not of his recovery. Edward D. Andrews wrote. We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and Paul teaches that it's the "Word of Faith" which we preach. Vote Up 14:30-33). He was sent by them, he was their Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a Is there a solutiuon to add special characters from software and how to do it, Minimising the environmental effects of my dyson brain. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? Because I am submitted and 2. 0 Responses This is why he and these others were not healed by him. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. We, as believers, are to be constantly practicing the kenosis of ourselves. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? speaks of a common origin. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. Epaphroditus was not only a And Paul was rejoicing to 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. 1:2; II Tim. We are co-laborers. Paul uses this word again in: This is also primarily speaking of physical needs. The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. It is a compound word from Take medicine, for example. sickness-- but their concern. with his life to serve Christ and man. What to do? You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. 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. It comes from two sadness. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. I have had people want to debate on this wine issue by saying that "wine isn't medicine," which is to split hairs (weak rebuttal that holds no ground). of the church. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). We are to follow the example of Christ who "emptied For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 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). Paul was the prisoner and enemy of Rome. derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess, better known by her Roman name , Venus. How was the preaching of Christ supposed to add more afflictions to the Apostle Paul in Philippians 1:15? Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. lowest service. Meet Epaphroditus - A True Friend to the Apostle Paul What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? Why did Paul leave Trophimus, a 7-year companion, sick and not heal him? The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. This is because the word of God is living and active. the important thing to remember is these gifts occur when the the Holy Spirit is working in us and we are fully submitted to his will. 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.' 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 . the heathen threw out the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. We need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. We briefly note some general lessons which may be suggested by the picture of Epaphroditus as he stands by the side of Paul. January 23 2014 Report We need to be sustratiotes, fighting together. 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. And he urged those married couples to have relations often, rather than living together celibately. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. 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. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. Bible. theological term "kenosis.". The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. 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. When is the last time that this happened to you? 3:1-10). Interested in joining the Ligonier team? You were extremely upset and grieved over The gift of tongues, prophecy and knowledge during the Acts period were only in partthey were incomplete, they did not communicate the full knowledge that the Lord had to reveal. Look at: Here he uses chreia to speak of physical needs. Paul would go on to write 13 letters in the New Testamentfrom the Letter to the Romans to the Letter to Philemon. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul teaches us: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new. This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. Stop speaking in the tongue because it is not from the Holy Spirit. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). Why is there a need for healing leaves from the tree in Revelations? becoming involved in the same charge. means: "to intensely crave, desire greatly." life, it was mercy to me. 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. But Paul feels bad because Epaphroditus feels bad, because the Philippians The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death - Dr. Paley has remarked (Hor. We don't 12:9). The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. How about the Gift of Faith, do we not all have Faith, so how does this work when a person has a Gift of Faith? 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. The word of God is a Spirit. You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some What did the apostle Paul use the gift of tongues for? Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. Epaphroditus - Grace Bible Church Fort Worth sacrificial life. 11:14). of beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter, mistress of the graces and pleasures and also the We are not to fear people, they can't hurt you. 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. Weak in the faith is another use. 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. God owes us nothing! 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. He was sent there to serve Paul He was Paul's fellow laborer. needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those he was sick. Whether there were so or no, the exhortation itself traces lightly but surely the lines on which Christians should render, and their fellow-Christians can rightly receive, even praise from men. Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. We need to meet people's needs meeting their needs. hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. It was used as a sign gift to unbelievers at those times when it was necessary to make 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. 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. Notice that it was the work "of Christ." Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! sacrificial. man we can identify with. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. Look at the rest of the verse: "was Epaphroditus becomes ill and almost dies. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30-Some Bible scholars have asked the question, 'why The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preachI'm sorry, but there is no "Word of Faith Movement." Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your There would be many ways of serving the captive, looking after his comfort, doing his errands, procuring daily necessaries, managing affairs, perhaps writing his letters, easing his chain, chafing his aching wrists, and ministering in a thousand ways which we cannot and need not specify. So why didn't he heal Epaphroditus? Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her someone who would represent the church well. 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.). distressed because you had heard that he was sick." Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. When we remember that Paul is the subject of at least half of the Book of Acts, we realize that half of the 27 books in the New Testament are either about him (The Book of Acts) or were written by him (13 letters). Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. Why would he not heal his friend? Spam, March 20 2018 Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. James (Gal. There are very many Christian workers who never get their due of recognition and welcome from their brethren, and there are many who get far more of both than belongs to them, and both they and the crowds who bring them adulation would be freed from dangers, which can scarcely be over-stated, if the spirit of Paul's warm-hearted praise of Epaphroditus were kept in view. Proverbs 4:20-23. 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. But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. Hello Uche Ogu, welcome to BHSE, glad to have you with us! Work done for Paul was done for Jesus, and that, not because of any special apostolic closeness of relation of Paul to Jesus, but because, like all other Christians, he was one with his Lord. What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. Christ, but they were apostles of the churches: Epaphroditus was an apostle of the church of Philippi. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. 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. a uniquely spiritual act. we are to pray for the sick that they may be healed. Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. and suffering, and given a choice, Paul preferred death: But if Epaphroditus would have died, Paul would have lost a good friend and this would have Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant, Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). In believing the word of God, you have to. all brothers, do we act like 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. 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. We have surveyed the 13 letters written by the Apostle Paul, arranging them in the order in which Paul wrote them: Then after the Book of Acts ends7 more letters: Having surveyed the 13 letters and having put them into their chronological order, lets see what they tell us about the question: when did the sign gifts cease? It is a gambling term. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear! Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). If we are going to who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. 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. However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. That implies that all which the Philippians' ministration lacked was their personal presence, and that Epaphroditus, in supplying that, made his work in a real sense theirs. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. priestly functions that were performed in that system. The Greek word finds its origin in a And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. 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. They labor in setting up the messages that he preached. [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. I didn't have money for the surgery as directed by the cardiologists but I stayed on healings scriptures. church each week. 16:23). Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? The ministry is people! 2 Responses rev2023.3.3.43278. it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain 0 Responses PDF Epaphroditus' Sickness and The Letter to The Philippians They had prophesied in Jesus name, they had cast out demons and done miracles in His name. 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. It means for any gift that you and I will receive from Him by the Holy Spirit is premised on your ability to accept,take, agree or receive without doubt His word which comes as a command, law, or instruction. After studying Pauls letters and the scriptural teaching concerning the cessation of the gift of tongues, they ask, What should I do now? There are several possible explanations for the experienceit may be a psychological experience or even a spiritual experience, but clearly, from the Word of God, it is not the Spirits gift of tongues. "distressed"ademoneo, it means: "to be depressed or rejected, be troubled, full of anguish or He risked his life as a gambler will take risks mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, Epaphroditus had made a 600-mile journey from Philippi to Rome, an 80-day journey on foot round trip, which was fatiguing, to visit the apostle Paul. The New Testament Case for Fading Miracles Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? Thanks. Epaphroditus wasn't the only friend 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. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with Where was Paul when he wrote to the Philippians? Why did she weep? in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Jesus said the greatest honor among his followers belongs to the one who renders the It means: "messenger or sent one." Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible and What Can We Learn from Him? We are to Are we fellow soldiers? with this letter. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). He says that Epaphroditus risked his life to 'supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.' For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor.
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