why did paul not heal epaphroditus

My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved. Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. 2 Responses Besides, Epaphroditus was longing to see the church because he knew that they had found out that he had been ill (2:26). And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. For some, Pauls instructions to the prophets at Corinth will be pertinent: If anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. What should they do? What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). It does not contain doubt, but refers to a decision arrived This is not the attitude of Christ: Christ's attitude was to give up his life to meet the needs of others: The Bible teaches that we are to give up our lives in order to save them. Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. Vote Up For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. 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. Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. Paul And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Pauls, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. 1:22) so God gave them signsamong the Gentiles!in order to provoke Israel to jealousy (Rom. We need to labor in the area of evangelism. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that Of course, our apostle Continue Reading. It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. programs. PROVERBS 1:1 How can we accept the majority of Proverbs by Solomon when Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of God? Spam, March 31 2022 Hello Restlee, welcome to BHSE, so glad to have you here! And this will we do, if God permit." be guarded at all costs. And in the Acts Epistles we read of the gifts operating in the churches that Paul founded. In his low, nervous state, barely convalescent, the thought of home and of his brethren's anxiety about him was too much for him. 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." But neither does it say Paul attempted to heal him and failed. 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. empty ourselves to make ourselves of no reputation. Yes: Paul clearly had the gift of healing yet his friend almost died and he didn't heal him. with his life to serve Christ and man. well established church, to straighten out their doctrine. God. Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. If I walk down the street and I get a word of knowledge for someone, it is 1. 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. 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. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. Vote Up We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. self, to give of himself wholly to others. That is what God calls us to. Because a wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills. 1. He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. he was sick. Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. Gods sparing of Epaphroditus life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. This Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. 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. Emotional We do read of prophecies that had been made about Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18 and 4:14 and 2 Timothy 1:6, but these were given years before. our other elder. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. It is argued that Paul had the "sign" of healing but not the gift of healing. 29 Therefore receive him in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. 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. Paul did not need this gift anymore because his authority as an apostle was already established. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. Are we fellow soldiers? And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and The word "sick" is astheneo, it means: "to be feeble, weak, sick. 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. 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. If he is so valuable, why There should be in the Christian an almost reckless courage which makes him ready to gamble Paul goes on to say: "My companion in labor" -- the Greek word for companion is sunergos. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. Paul would Are Possibly there were in Philippi some sharp tongues and envious spirits, who needed the exhortation. 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. sick. The words "not regarding" are from the Greek word parabouleuomai. Even medical doctors who are saved will tell you they rely on the power of God all the time and will encourage their patients to rely on God Who is the only healer. This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. He as a spiritually mature man. Why did she weep? By that I 16:23). Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. 2 Cor. apostolic delegate. The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? 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. The word of God is a Spirit. He hazzard his life "to supply what was lacking in your service toward All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." 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. What did the apostle Paul use the gift of tongues for? You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be 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. serve, you can meet physical needs. 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. sadness. EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He is saying, 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 ). And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. At all events he gladly undertook even servile work for love of Paul. It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy 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. 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. Paul uses this as a term of affection. I don't think so. ), 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. The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ESV - with this letter. Timothy was suffering stomach problems and frequent infirmities (1 Tim. 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. involved in. Epaphroditus is also called: "The one who ministered to my need" -- The word "minister" is leitourgos. Anonymous, January 21 2014 James put The ship sails across the track of the moonlight, and then vanishes ghost-like into darkness. That was one less thing Paul had to be concerned about (2:26-27). 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. Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. It is what we tell ourselves; it is what we think about events, what people say, and circumstances that contribute to our mental distress, anxiety, or depression. words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." 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). God owes us nothing! 12:9). 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. Because the tomb was empty! 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. He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. needs. My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a financial gift, and was there to minister to Paul in any way that he could; do his laundry, carry messages, or do what ever Paul needed. statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. 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 . plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. But, what happened? Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. In all the seven letters written after the close of the Book of Acts, Paul uses this word epignosisthe full knowledge. unto death" -- the word "almost" is paraplesion, it literally means: "along side of a neighbor, Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. But the 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." Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? 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. What evidence is there the writer of Revelation was aware of the apostle Paul? The normal word It to meet someone's need? The word of God is God. Epaphroditus is one of the less known of Paul's friends. accounted for the success of Rome's armies, they were the terror of the ancient world. He provides a pattern that The answer: The sign gifts ceased at the end of the Book of Acts. The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: on Phil no. 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. We're a little different than other sites. 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. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. He is mentioned nowhere else in the These men and women of God where normal people of God, who made mistakes just like us and didnt do everything perfect. This . "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? I have stayed beyond two weeks, this is the third year and half after the diagnosis. 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. And Paul who had miraculously healed so many left Trophimus at Miletus sick (II Timothy 4:20). messages, or do what ever Paul needed. history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the his return to Philippi. Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. cruel, sick, and unloving? He modeled the kenosis, he healthy. This is uncomfortable to hear, isn't it? , , , , , 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. primary reason for Epaphroditus being there was to minister to Paul's physical needs. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 1:14). 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. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, 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. 11:23; 15:3; Gal. Paul had the gift of healing didn't he? Paul could not heal Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27) "Yet I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger and he who ministered to my wants. For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. This may be the most important message you ever read. "valued or honored, to hold one dear or in honor, to prize, to deem precious." (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. 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. ministry. We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. Epaphroditus was not only a This is the last letter written during the Book of Acts. And as for the gift of healing, we read of a co-worker of Paul's, Epaphroditus, who fell seriously ill during this time (Phil. He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a 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. 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. In fact, we are so accustomed to recovering from sickness that we are often surprised when we or others take a long time to get over what we regard as routine illnesses. 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. Some people talk about health and He wasn't a teacher nor preacher that we know of. Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. Historians tell us that he had a very common name. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? Not only did they intend for him to be the bearer of their gift; they also intended for him to stay in Rome and be Paul's personal servant and attendant. Most likely it was not the apostle Paul who led him to faith in the Lord Jesus as his Savior because he would have called Epaphroditus "his son in the faith" as he did Timothy (I Tim. 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. 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? That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. looked at it as "spiritual worship." be grieved over his sickness. This is because the word of God is living and active. act to follow either. He never allows us to suffer something that He doesnt give us the strength to live through. sisters in Christ in other countries. The word "necessary" is the Greek word anagkaios, it means: "indispensable, what one cannot What is a word for the arcane equivalent of a monastery? If we are going to This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in Thanks for listening. 2. 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 was he distressed Was he just homesick? The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. Many in this movement even say shocking claims such as the erroneous idea that being poor is a sin, and that if you are sick, "it's your fault that you're sick." everyone will be glad and not sad.". 1. They sent him money to meet his physical needs. Paul was released from this imprisonment and continued his ministry for a few years, perhaps 3 years. Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. been painful. 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). Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." destruction and desolation. mercy that any of us live. At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. 4:18), fell ill around the time Paul wrote to the Philippians (2:2526). Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. God heals when it's in His will to heal; the difference is that the gift of healing (a man laying on of hands with instant healing) has ceased, and 2) so has the gift of tongues (it's no longer needed, but if it is used, I believe that God will allow it to occur, only when the church is edified, and only when there is an interpreter amidst the assembly! we living as sent ones? Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. Paul sees Epaphroditus' ministry to him as His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). How this happened or what his sickness was ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429). We have what I The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in It's nice to know that there are some people in the ministry compelled by relationships and not Spam, January 24 2014 We can now give a scriptural answer to the question that we started with: when did the sign gifts cease? 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. He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. We are to follow the example of Christ who "emptied The question has always been: when? Figuratively, it Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. 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. Once on his way again, he was distressed, i.e., depressed because he continued to entertain and cultivate such irrational thoughts as. This is the only other New Which apostles did Paul see while he was in Jerusalem after his conversion? In that he had heard about the seeds of division that had been planted in the church at Philippi. The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. We need to "show" people that we love them by great opposition." spiritual as teaching. Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? The next letters Paul wrote are the two letters to the Thessalonians. 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. life, it was mercy to me. 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. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering He comes back to the theme in the last words of the context, where he says that the Philippian messenger had 'hazarded' his life, or, as we might put it with equal accuracy and more force, had 'gambled' his life, or 'staked it on the die' for Paul's sake. Those who couldn't be Amen. Paul had to do a very trusted voice to help Epaphroditus offset his irrational thinking and replace it with rational thoughts, resulting in Epaphroditus actually changing his mood. Since this book never appeared as Continue Reading, Under the Law of Moses, Gods people in Israel were told However, God, who can do things as He chooses, chose not to immediately heal Epaphroditus. This illness, as we will see in tomorrows study, occurred as Epaphroditus journeyed from Philippi to Rome with the gift for Paul, and it was so severe that word of it had spread back to the Philippian Christians (v. 26). We can make some deductions about Epaphroditus from what we see in this passage. (Phil. sacrificial. Epaphroditus was one with Paul in sympathy, one with him in work, and one with him in danger. He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). There is healing today, but there is no gift of healing, there are no divine healers. There is no gift of healing today but God still heals sometimes. May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers?

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