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! The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. 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. But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. The keyword here is "gift." Therefore, if the Holy Spirit did not want someone healed or raised from the dead, no amount of effort by Paul could do so. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. do without." 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). Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, 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? How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? This is the only other New Galatians was written soon after Paul returned from that first journeysoon after Acts 14:27. sometimes that may be a spiritual healing , but they will be healed. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Paul used this word in: It is a strong inward desire for the Philippians. We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. What did the apostle Paul use the gift of tongues for? The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in 8 Responses Epaphroditus was distressed because the Philippians were distressed over his terrible illness. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. We as Berean Bible Church need to work at Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. 7:22-23). 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. Amen. He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her 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. But Paul feels bad because Epaphroditus feels bad, because the Philippians 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. other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him. 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. She's the >From this verb we get the Are we fellow soldiers? All through the Book of Acts Paul had only gnosis, partial knowledge of the message of grace, but when we turn to the Prison Letters we suddenly find Paul using that word epignosishe had now received that full knowledge which he didnt have when he wrote to the Corinthians: For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge (epignosisfull knowledge) of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ (Col. 2:1-2). 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). If he is so valuable, why sick. Paul was imprisoned in Rome for his faith. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. serve, you can meet physical needs. We both received mercy. meeting their needs. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. Paul is clear that we do not need miracles for the completion and equipping of our faith, but the Word of God. View our current career opportunities. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. And Paul was rejoicing to Christ, but they were apostles of the churches: Epaphroditus was an apostle of the church of Philippi. They were sent by Jesus Christ. Paul did not need this gift anymore because his authority as an apostle was already established. commissioned and sent out Timothy. 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 name later came to mean: Vote Up Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. 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. Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to Do you have questions about the Bible? Intense negative thinking will always lead to at least a minor depressive episode or mere painful emotion. where it ends for many, they are brothers, but not for Epaphroditus. He labored on Paul's behalf until his own health broke, and, even when he was sick, Epaphroditus took no thought of himself; rather, he was distressed because his church had heard of his illness, and he didn't want them to worry. Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". theological term "kenosis.". In Philippians 2 we read of a healing that God did after the gift of healing had ceased to operate: Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 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. It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. that the account of the sickness and recovery of Epaphroditus is such as to lead us to suppose that he was not restored by miracle; and he infers that the power of healing the sick was conferred on the apostles only occasionally, and did not depend at all on their will, since, if it had, there is every . For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. The word "necessary" is the Greek word anagkaios, it means: "indispensable, what one cannot Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. He was Paul's fellow laborer. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? 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. It is all the words that we say to ourselves all the time. 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. Paul was released from this imprisonment and continued his ministry for a few years, perhaps 3 years. 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 ). necessity, that which is lacking." The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? When God spared his 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. It is a compound word from 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. There was no reliable way of getting these to Paul but to take them, and so Epaphroditus faced the long journey across Greece to Brindisi and Rome, and when arrived there threw himself with ardour into serving Paul. words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. When I was in the military I met brothers and We need to "show" people that we love them by It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. This is the depth of love and care. Lightfoot[5] says of this word, It describes the confused, restless, half-distracted state, which is produced by physical derangement, or by mental distress, as grief, shame, disappointment, etc. (Saint Pauls Epistle to the Philippians [London, 1908], p. 123). To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. ministry. "Epaphroditus is here to do what you can't do because you're so far away.". ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death The miracles of healing that the He is saying, word that has the idea of: "not at home, uncomfortable, troubled, or distressed.". 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. Figuratively, it He was not just to Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? 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. 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." If I walk down the street and I get a word of knowledge for someone, it is 1. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? Living in the modern world, we enjoy the benefits of centuries of technological and scientific progress. 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. been painful. That is an incredible thought; we are workers together with To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Chesapeake, VA 23322. Faithful service is most surely bought by hearty praise. derived from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess, better known by her Roman name , Venus. somebody around an AIDS patient? be-shem omro)? 1:14). Christ emptied chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to and they sure wouldn't have sent a lazy man. 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.' James put Isn't that He was troubled because they heard that the average person can relate to. Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." 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. That will tell you what an answer is. All we know about him is what we learn from this passage. on Phil no. Ministering to others' physical needs is a spiritual priestly 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. 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. 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. Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. means: "to intensely crave, desire greatly." 1:2) and Titus (Tit. 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. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Pauls, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. 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. 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! We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. 2 Cor. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. , , , , , 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. of the church. 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]. fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. 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. In fact, he would have probably sent a handkerchief or even went to him, personally, if possible, and laid hands on him and healed him instantly. He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. He didn't want them to This is And they did, because in the letters written after the Book of Acts, the sign gifts had ceased, just as the Lord said that they would. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those Theoretically Correct vs Practical Notation. We don't 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. "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? No matter where you go you can find God's family. The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. gathered his congregation together and set them to burying the dead and nursing the sick in that It means: "messenger or sent one." 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. That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. Why did not the Apostle Paul ever say "In the name of him who says" (i.e., Heb. 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. feel bad because he is sick. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. ' (Matt. statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. Why? 19:28). others. The answer is: He wouldn't have! Paul is honoring Epaphroditus with these titles. Parallel Commentaries . This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. 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. He tells us in verses 26-28. 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. Greek He was sick I don't think so. Spam, November 06 2014 it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. In the days of the Early Church there was an association of men and women called the He later returned to his home base at Antioch (Acts 18:22), and later in his third apostolic journey he arrived in Ephesus (his ministry in Ephesus extends all the way through Acts 19a period of more than two years, see verse 10). Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." to worry about me. risks. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. See Peter and John's comments in Acts 3:12. Romans 10:8-10 tells us: 8 But what saith it? 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? At all events he gladly undertook even servile work for love of Paul. 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. The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. Speakers: Pastor Ricky Kurth, Pastor Don HosfeldDetails, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping" (John 20:11). Those who work in the tape ministry are my mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. Paul was the prisoner and enemy of Rome. Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. Vote Up ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429). Paul is saying,"God gave Epaphroditus mercy and he gave me mercy also. Thanks. He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi No! 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. 1:4). 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. destruction and desolation. He is mentioned nowhere else in the It was still only in part during the Acts period, but with the close of the Book of Acts, the Lord completed the revelation of the Mystery (see Eph. This is not a rebuke, it literally means: "to complete your service to me." Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. examples yet they all experienced sickness. In speaks of a common origin. What have you risked to meet someone's needs? and stand against the social evils of our day. Consider the Book of Mark chapter 16 verses 17-20. Spam, January 24 2014 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. It would be like the difference between being a child and becoming a grown man, or between seeing someones face reflected in a wavy ancient mirror, and seeing the person face-to-face.

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