The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians God healed me completely and perfectly today. The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. 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? Epaphroditus was distressed because the Philippians were distressed over his terrible illness. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. 8 Responses This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. We don't like risks. Paul. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. In AD 60, Paul was imprisoned in Rome, and for the next two years, he lived under house arrest ( Acts 28:30-31 ), encouraging local churches via letters written from prison. He tells them why they are to 19:28). In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. Many Christians today have had an experience that they think is the scriptural gift of tongues. 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. 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. They sent him money to meet his physical needs. Because I am submitted and 2. I have hid them in my heart. 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! 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. Therefore, Paul sent Epaphroditus back with his letter to the Philippians so that they could stop worrying and rejoice too (2:25-30). 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. However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. 1000 Chattanooga Street Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering [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. The Lord does not deny that they had done these things. Then he goes on to say that he was We won't help someone in trouble because we're afraid we might get hurt or even killed. accounted for the success of Rome's armies, they were the terror of the ancient world. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. Thanks for listening. 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? sacrificial life. words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). To the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was: "Your messenger" -- This is the Greek word apostolos. 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. The text does say, God had mercy on him [that is, Ephaphroditus], so, in all likelihood, he would have died from whatever ailed him if God had not prevented him from going over the edge into death. 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. primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. Hardly. Self-talk is what we tell ourselves in our thoughts. They are spiritual, priestly functions. 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. 1:11,12) that a time was coming when these sign gifts were going to cease to operate. 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). 1. It is a gambling term. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. We need to meet people's needs When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her 8 Responses But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 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. 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. I don't think so. The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. 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. 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. Asked January 21 2014 12:9). So, in short, Epaphroditus grew sick on his 600-mile journey to Rome, to the point of death, which delayed him from fulfilling his mission of helping Paul. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. 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. the heathen threw out the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. During this time he wrote the three letters known as the Pastoral Epistles, because these letters were written to Pauls co-workersPastor Timothy and Titus. 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. Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. 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. God does heal but its always according to his will,God may have had other plans.We might never know what was God's purpose in these sicknesses. serve, you can meet physical needs. Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from himself." It only takes a minute to sign up. Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. 0 Responses Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. 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. Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. Clarify 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. If he is so valuable, why "lovely or charming." ), Apostolic Fathers (e.g., Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp), Apologists (e.g., Justin Martyr, Clement, Tertullian), Church Fathers (e.g., Gregory, Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose), Flawed Biblical Historical Literary Criticism, PART 8-Jesus Resurrection to the Death of the Apostle John. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. The name later came to mean: The answer is: He wouldn't have! Interested in joining the Ligonier team? We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. All believers share this bond, It does not contain doubt, but refers to a decision arrived They were sent by Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 7:5. [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). This isn't to say that God doesn't or won't heal today, because this is obviously not true, but the "laying on of hands" by a man (as a 'gift') has all but ceased, and yet there are still 'healing teachers' out there in the world today teaching a false gospel, having "healing revivals" that come to nought, etc. The apostle Paul had a variety of Gifts including tongues, prophecy and teaching. word that has the idea of: "not at home, uncomfortable, troubled, or distressed.". Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. Paul also had another concern on his heart. The miracles of healing that the We are co-laborers. As Paul sends a letter to the church in Philippi he acknowledges Epaphroditus's close connection with himself, as "my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier" (Philippians 2:25). Paul teaches that it's the "Word of Faith" which we preach. Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your ii.) delegate. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." priestly functions that were performed in that system. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. 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.' One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. But, what happened? The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. Anonymous, January 21 2014 Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? Weak in the faith is another use. someone's concern for your condition? Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 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 a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a Our thoughts based on a good mood will be entirely different from those based on our being upset. Was it perhaps meant to ask for a clarification of my own comment ? We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. 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 . And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. Paul says, No. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with Tongues is a written, spoken language, not mere blabbering in the air, which even Paul himself said was utterly useless and just mere cacophony). When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. Arranging Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them allows us to see the pattern of truth that is found in the Word of God: The sign gifts were operating in Acts and in all of the Acts Epistles: Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians and Romans. This is because the word of God is living and active. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge (epignosisfull knowledge) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light (Col. 1:9-12). Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. In the 3 Pastoral Epistles, as in the prison epistles, we do not read of tongues or the gift of healing operating at this time. By that I By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. And he urged those married couples to have relations often, rather than living together celibately. We don't and stand against the social evils of our day. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. The ministry is people! Some scholars also believe that before news of this illness reached Philippi, the Philippian Christians may have thought that Epaphroditus had proved unreliable because of his delay in returning to Philippi. do without." 0 Responses of the church. In his letter thanking the Philippians, Paul makes a point of telling the church that Epaphroditus recovered (Philippians 2:27), and that he would return to them soon. I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. Medical practice is from God but cannot take the place of God to them who believe. Vote Up What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? somebody around an AIDS patient? If the Apostle Paul still had the power to heal why would he leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27 and encouraged Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23)? 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. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a Look at the rest of the verse: "was Why are you We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part View our current career opportunities. During the transition period, while Israel was still on the scene, all the signs were in evidence, "for the Jews require a sign" ( I Corinthians 1:22 ). teaching. He as a spiritually mature man. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. On the contrary, Paul considered him his "brother," "fellow-worker," "fellow-soldier," and "their apostle and servant" (2:25). The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. It This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a Notice that it was the work "of Christ." be grieved over his sickness. I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. But he suns himself in the thought of the Philippians' joy, and in the hope that some reflection of it will travel across the seas to him, and make him, if not wholly glad, at any rate 'the less sorrowful.'. It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. Epaphroditus was not only a 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. 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. able to defend doctrine. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. Paul sent Timothy to the church of Ephesus, which was a Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. all brothers, do we act like it? The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently.