Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. 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. 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. Epaphrodtus. Paul could have said to Epaphroditus, "Get over it, they'll live. The word "gladness" is chara which means: "joy." By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. When Jesus said in Mark 16:17-20 that these signs shall follow those who believe. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. But with the close of Acts, God sets aside Israel for a time, and when God gave up on the sign people for a time, the sign gifts passed out of His program. The word believe means to accept, to receive, to take and also to agree. The word "send" is pempo. Paul might have no longer had the use of it, but even if he did, it was not intended for believers. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. At all events he gladly undertook even servile work for love of Paul. Amen. He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. They were sent by Jesus Christ. All we can do is guess. In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. The gift of tongues and the gift of healing has ceased. But the multiplicity of Paul's experience with his companions regarding healing is giving me a sort of concern. 19:28). 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. This is a self-less man. Those who couldn't be 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. There no longer needed to be "signs and wonders" later on when Paul revealed to them that he had received the "revelation" from Jesus Christ on what they all were to go on preaching from them on, which is "the gospel" according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (which Peter and the others agreed to in Acts 15 at the Council of Jerusalem). John 1:12 ). Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? But then He tells them that even while they were doing these things, He had never ever known them. 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. He wasn't an incredibly gifted man but he was committed totally to And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. sacrificial. We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. 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. word that has the idea of: "not at home, uncomfortable, troubled, or distressed.". Why would he not heal his friend? The "Almost plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. 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. In this verse, Paul gives five titles to Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus is Paul sent Timothy to the church of Ephesus, which was a The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." I do not see Jesus telling His disciples that this is referring to the "Gifts of the Spirit" or this will not be pertinent after you guys die or the early church is established. 2:25; cf. 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. 1:11,12) that a time was coming when these sign gifts were going to cease to operate. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. Paul says, No. 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.' I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. with this letter. chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of send him back? in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? We don't like risks. In the days of the Early Church there was an association of men and women called the They labor in setting up the 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). delegate. Let me ask a question: Acts 2:21 Peter is preaching after receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: 21 and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. In verse 25, we have a description of Epaphroditus. . Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 14:18)! 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). I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be The word "reputation" is the Greek word kenoo, it means: "to make empty." In each of these letters he writes of his chainssee Ephesians 6:20, Colossians 4:18, Philemon 13 and Philippians 1:13. Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? our other elder. Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. 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. emptied himself. She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. He and all his brethren are gone, but his name lives for ever, and Paul's praise of him and of his work outshines all else remembered of the city, where conquerors once reigned, and outside whose walls was fought a battle that decided for a time the fate of the world. We 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. 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. Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. We have work to do, So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a Historians tell us that he had a very common name. As we have seen, Paul was able to heal many sick people all through the Book of Acts. 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. 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. I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send He was not just to theological term "kenosis.". other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him. One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. priestly functions that were performed in that system. have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. 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. of beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter, mistress of the graces and pleasures and also the 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. 2. For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. I subscribe to the view that the reason is because the gifts that he was performing in the early days was a "sign to the Jews"; not all spiritual gifts are still in operation today; or, they aren't necessarily "needed." 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. 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. 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. All references have been taken from the New King James Version. Soon after Paul returned from this journey he wrote the letter to the Galatians (see Galatians 1:6 where Paul writes to the Galatians and says, you are so quickly turned.). man we can identify with. Paul had the gift of healing didn't he? Paul's own "thorn in the flesh" is a prime example: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-a-thorn-in-the-flesh.html He risked his life as a gambler will take risks Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? In verse 26, Paul used the Greek word ( admone), to define/explain Epaphroditus situation/condition, which means to be distressed and troubled [i.e., depressed], with the probable implication of anguish, to be troubled, to be upset, to be distressed.[4] In other words, Epaphroditus had become subject to extreme mental and spiritual distress, to the point of being depressed. But Paul uses leitourgos here. Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. Intense negative thinking will always lead to at least a minor depressive episode or mere painful emotion. 8 Responses 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. We may further note the intensity of Paul's sympathy. He is saying, Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. Why are you All this was done in a church in Austin, Texas with an Evangelist from Virginia working through the Gifts of the Spirit, ie, Word of Knowledge, working of miracles, gifts of healing. Self-talk is what we tell ourselves in our thoughts. He says, "We have the same What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? He was the, "Loving Gambler.". This is the last letter written during the Book of Acts. It is impossible to be sure whether the Philippian Christians thought Epaphroditus had purposefully failed in his mission. Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? The news reached Philippi in some round-about way, and, as it appears, the news of his illness only, not of his recovery. primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. feel bad because he is sick. Why did not the Apostle Paul ever say "In the name of him who says" (i.e., Heb. 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. And Paul who had miraculously healed so many left Trophimus at Miletus sick (II Timothy 4:20). It's nice to know that there are some people in the ministry compelled by relationships and not The reason why Paul could not heal toward the end of his life was that the gift of healing was a temporary gift to the apostles and was designed to authenticate that they spoke from God. 12:9). When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. Pauls gift of healing (Acts 28:9) was no longer operating in Philippians 2:27, 1 Timothy 5:23 and 2 Timothy 4:20. The word of God is very clear on every subject. What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" Do you know who my co-laborers are? It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. mercy that any of us live. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their Parallel Commentaries . Our thoughts based on a good mood will be entirely different from those based on our being upset. Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? 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). He was sent by them, he was their The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? 0 Responses Everybody feels bad so Paul says, "You've got to go back so Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! they also may know the joy of loving the Lord Jesus Christ." others. We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and I don't think so. January 23 2014 Report It is all the words that we say to ourselves all the time. 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." delivering the money and someone who would work so closely with the apostle would have to be Paul used this word in: It is a strong inward desire for the Philippians. (Phil. The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. Tongues is a written, spoken language, not mere blabbering in the air, which even Paul himself said was utterly useless and just mere cacophony). 1. 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 compound word from To the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was: "Your messenger" -- This is the Greek word apostolos. Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. good friend. ministry. Likewise in 2 Timothy 4:20, Paul has to leave behind his co-worker Trophimus who had fallen sick on the last journey. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that The word of God is God. If our hearts are set to 'hallow all we find,' the most secular duties will be acts of worship. >From this verb we get the That was one less thing Paul had to be concerned about (2:26-27). So why didn't he heal Epaphroditus? The Greek word finds its origin in a Thanks. A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. all brothers, do we act like it? 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). 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. Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. 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. So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an If he is so valuable, why 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. Besides, Epaphroditus was longing to see the church because he knew that they had found out that he had been ill (2:26). So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. James put It only takes a minute to sign up. 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). 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. So Epaphroditus was sent to take care of Paul because Paul was imprisoned under house arrest, and in the end Epaphroditus became a burden to Paul because he almost died and Paul had to. We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. 12:9). him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. we are to pray for the sick that they may be healed. He was troubled because they heard that He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. We can now give a scriptural answer to the question that we started with: when did the sign gifts cease? While at Rome Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. Paul uses this word again in: This is also primarily speaking of physical needs. In fact, it is the words we tell ourselves about people, self, experiences, life, in general, God, the future, the past, the present. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ We don't Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Although many people have concerns about the cost of healthcare, the vast majority of people in our culture still have access to antibiotics and other medications that can cure ailments that were almost certainly death sentences only a few decades ago. Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. She's the meeting their needs. What have you risked to meet someone's needs? Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can 3. 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. The word "sick" is astheneo, it means: "to be feeble, weak, sick. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. (Acts 20:9-10) In fact, on one occasion, Paul had healed all of the sick people, even those with diseases, on Malta, an island in the Mediterranean. from death it is mercy. 0 Responses means: "to intensely crave, desire greatly." a uniquely spiritual act. 11:14). Figuratively, it 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. Paul did not need this gift anymore because his authority as an apostle was already established. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. He was an apostolic delegate. Hello Uche Ogu, welcome to BHSE, glad to have you with us! 2:25; 4:18) While in Rome, Epaphroditus "fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy. Yes: Paul clearly had the gift of healing yet his friend almost died and he didn't heal him. These very thoughts are what keep us sluggish and contribute to our feeling frustrated, angry, or worthless. Asked January 21 2014 man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of Simply: Stop! It is a gambling term. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy the average person can relate to. It is used 35 times in the New mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. 1:2; II Tim. honor a solider, they would give him the title -- Sustratiotes. That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? This is why he and these others were not healed by him. View our current career opportunities. I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. He was in the first place Paul's helper in the Gospel, and his faithfulness there is set forth in a glowing climax, 'My brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier.' 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. We are to fear God and Him alone. Timothy was sick and he didn't heal him: Why didn't Paul heal his friends? The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: Those things are just as were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. Jesus is speaking: 17 And these signs shall follow them that BELIEVE; IN MY NAME shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK, AND THEY SHALL RECOVER. Have you taken the tour of our site yet? 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. The ship sails across the track of the moonlight, and then vanishes ghost-like into darkness.