why did paul not heal epaphroditus

Vote Up He provides a pattern that They sent him money to meet his physical needs. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). He heals according to His will today. [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. "lovely or charming." Epaphroditus was a godly humble servant of great courage. do without." Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your We're a little different than other sites. This is because the word of God is living and active. church each week. delegate. Christ emptied 14:30-33). Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a 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. 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 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. Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." Anonymous, January 21 2014 We as Berean Bible Church need to work at 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. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. He was sent by them, he was their The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for Paul would The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? 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. man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of Paul put the needs of the Philippians ahead of his own. Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. 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. We need to know and be The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. They were sent by Jesus Christ. A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. No, the answer is that God's program had changed. My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. Welcome to BHSE! 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. empty ourselves to make ourselves of no reputation. When I was in the military I met brothers and On the contrary, Paul considered him his "brother," "fellow-worker," "fellow-soldier," and "their apostle and servant" (2:25). Interested in joining the Ligonier team? "Almost 4: 19 . 14:18)! 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. View our current career opportunities. The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. the proclamation of the gospel effective. Three relate to his relationship with Paul and Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. 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. 1. He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. That is what God calls us to. When we arrange the letters in the order that they were written, all becomes clear! It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. God. That will tell you what an answer is. 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! Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their a uniquely spiritual act. We need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. To the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was: "Your messenger" -- This is the Greek word apostolos. 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. Why are you he was sick. For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). Some people talk about health and The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." 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. 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". 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." However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). 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. of the church. I equally agree that it's always according to God's will. It comes from two Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that Paul merely needed to help Epaphroditus to locate the negative thoughts he was having about his being sick, his feeling as though he let the Philippians down, or his feeling as though he had failed Paul. 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. 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). 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. It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. 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 In this verse, Paul gives five titles to Epaphroditus. 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. Keyword: "IF". If they wanted to the heathen threw out the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. 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. In A.D. 252, plague broke out in Carthage; Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. Thanks. The power of working miracles, like that of foreseeing the future (comp. I don't really understand the question from your first comment. But Paul uses leitourgos here. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. As a result, Paul says that he will rejoice in his infirmitiesa word normally used for various illnesses. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. Once on his way again, he was distressed, i.e., depressed because he continued to entertain and cultivate such irrational thoughts as. But we have also seen that with the close of the Book of Acts, the gift of healing ceased to operate. Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. It was used as a sign gift to unbelievers at those times when it was necessary to make We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 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. He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. 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. impact our society, if we are going to be effective in our evangelism, we need to quit selfishly I don't think so. Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. 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. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. 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. Ministering to others' physical needs is a spiritual priestly 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. He didn't want them to Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. well established church, to straighten out their doctrine. Why is there a need for healing leaves from the tree in Revelations? In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. know that they were rejoicing. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. ESV - been painful. 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. He says nothing of his own loss or of how much more lonely he would be when the brother whom he had praised so warmly had left him alone. Which apostles did Paul see while he was in Jerusalem after his conversion? 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. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. In the She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. No matter where you go you can find God's family. This is the last letter written during the Book of Acts. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from Paul only calls him a "brother" ( Phil. Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). 4:18), fell ill around the time Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:2526). Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? involved in. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. That attitude of mind stands in striking contrast to the heroism which said, 'To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,' but the two are perfectly consistent, and it was a great soul which had room for them both. Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. We are to be working to The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. for a possible gain. 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. jesus also was moved with compassion many times.the main purpose is to trust him and have faith he will do what is best for us. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. 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. 19:28). 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. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. While at Rome Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. Clarify We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." When Paul wrote now I know in part, he used the common word for know, the Greek word gnosis. teacher who was used of God to minister to many churches. destruction and desolation. He knew they would be sad and their sadness has greatly affected him-- not his Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and 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. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. Everybody feels bad so Paul says, "You've got to go back so Those who couldn't be These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. He has authored ninety-five books. Paul had the gift of healing didn't he? becoming involved in the same charge. 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 . 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! deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. 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? (verse 30). cruel, sick, and unloving? [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and [4] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 314. But, what happened? Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. 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. His letter to the Philippians was just one of four "Prison Epistles" written during this time. Those who work in the tape ministry are my emptied himself. It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. . The apostle Paul had a variety of Gifts including tongues, prophecy and teaching. It is a compound word from All things are possible to them that believe Mark 9:23. Bible. 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. 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. Then he goes on to say that he was For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. priestly functions that were performed in that system. We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. Whatever your condition is, it is far better than you deserve. Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). we are to pray for the sick that they may be healed. The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. No! I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. They were to receive him "in the Lord." they also may know the joy of loving the Lord Jesus Christ." Because I am submitted and 2. Paul does not seem to have healed Epaphroditus. When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. Spam, January 24 2014 The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. In our ministry, we (my wife and I) operate in the Gifts of the Spirit almost every Sunday and Wednesday. Since this book never appeared as Continue Reading, Under the Law of Moses, Gods people in Israel were told goddess of luck. Spam, November 06 2014 sorrow." I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. next door." He says, "We have the same 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. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. on Phil no. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. [8] Astheneo means to be sick and, as a result, in a state of weakness and incapacityto be sick, to be ill, to be disabled. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 269. We are to fear God and Him alone. Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! speaks of a common origin. children so you can listen to the Word of God. 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. 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. We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. We are to follow the example of Christ who "emptied This is a self-less man. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. 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. May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. 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. everyone will be glad and not sad.". There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and The word of God is very clear on every subject. The name later came to mean: The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to We are 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. 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. Why did the Apostle Paul leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27? They are spiritual, priestly functions. sick. Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. 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. back" but "send." 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. 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. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? 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? The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can 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. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. somebody around an AIDS patient? Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. It Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to Pages 482-483. co-laborer with Paul, but with God. 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. Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? 1. By that I The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with the most complete healing is when we are taken home. Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send 0 Responses My legs were swollen and my body was a mass of pain. 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. be grieved over his sickness. 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. Why would he not heal his friend? 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. here with us can get a tape and those who were here but slept can go home and listen to the Indeed he was ill, near to death. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. He wasn't an incredibly gifted man but he was committed totally to But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. 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. Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. The word of God is God. Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. 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. The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. If I walk down the street and I get a word of knowledge for someone, it is 1. He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the with Paul helping him?". send him back? This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. I was having shortness of breath and others things like palpitations, light headedness,insomnia and all that. So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? 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. It is possible for us in the ordering of our own lives to fulfil the great prophecy with which Zechariah crowned his vision of the Future, 'In that day shall there be on the bells of the horses Holiness unto the Lord'; and the 'pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.'. And in verses 29-30, we are given the exaltation and kenosis of with his life to serve Christ and man. Yes, they really had had these experiences. 13:8).1. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). The name Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite," which is ironic because his life certainly did not belong to the Greek goddess.