somebody around an AIDS patient? They had prophesied in Jesus name, they had cast out demons and done miracles in His name. It only takes a minute to sign up. Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of ministry. theological term "kenosis.". Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. A trustworthy member of the congregation at Philippi, Macedonia, who was sent with a gift to Paul, then a prisoner at Rome (c. 60-61 C.E.). 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. Then he goes on to say that he was He was Paul's fellow laborer. cruel, sick, and unloving? Epaphroditus' service to Paul was a spiritual priestly function. Timothy and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:19-30) be guarded at all costs. 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. A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. ESV - Edward D. Andrews wrote. 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. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. He heals according to His will today. with Paul helping him?". Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? we are all from the same womb, we're family. 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. He as a spiritually mature man. Those thoughts would have contributed to his feelings of frustration, mental anguish, distress, or low self-worth. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. Vote Up he was sick. This morning we are going to look at the kenois of Epaphroditus who is much like us, he is a Colossians 1:7 of a different man. In this verse, Paul gives five titles to Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their When Did the Gift of Tongues Cease? | Berean Bible Society What did the apostle Paul use the gift of tongues for? The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. 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. 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. Spam, January 22 2014 PDF Do the Gifts of Healing, Prophecy and Tongues Still Exist - Wenstrom Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. In verses 26-28, we are given the reasons for 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. Answer (1 of 9): EPAPHRODITUS [handsome, charming]. someone who would represent the church well. co-laborer with Paul, but with God. send him back? 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 . to, so much that he almost lost his life pouring it out in sacrificial service to meet Paul's physical Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. What contributes to mental and spiritual anguish? 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. This When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda The true-but-probably-too-simple answer is "it must not have been God's will for them to be healed." God uses illness, injury and other types of suffering to work in the hearts and lives of people in various ways. Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." When is the last time that this happened to you? Why are you No matter where you go you can find God's family. 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've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. 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. 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. 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. He hazzard his life "to supply what was lacking in your service toward Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. 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. Epaphroditus - Grace Bible Church Fort Worth The church, however, was not to think of Epaphroditus as second best. The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want We are to fear God and Him alone. The fact that ancient people rarely recovered from serious illnesses and the Apostles specific language in Philippians 2:27 indicate that he is talking about more than just a providential answer to prayer. Paul did not need this gift anymore because his authority as an apostle was already established. 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. We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. That attitude of mind stands in striking contrast to the heroism which said, 'To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,' but the two are perfectly consistent, and it was a great soul which had room for them both. In the remainder of this sermon we shall simply deal with the two figures which the text sets before us, and we may look first at the glimpses of Paul's character which we get here. It does not contain doubt, but refers to a decision arrived And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. 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. Epaphroditus was a Christian who lived in Philippi. You were extremely upset and grieved over And in verses 29-30, we are given the exaltation and kenosis of He is mentioned nowhere else in the Paul sees Epaphroditus' ministry to him as 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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 3. In the Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. We need to be sustratiotes, fighting together. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. If we are going to Is It a Sin to Take Medicine? -- to Consult a Doctor? - La Vista Church We need to labor in the area of evangelism. Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" It comes from two They are spiritual, priestly functions. speaks of a common origin. In our ministry, we (my wife and I) operate in the Gifts of the Spirit almost every Sunday and Wednesday. 3:2) to the Apostle Paul, but He had not yet revealed the entire message to him. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. 11:14). (e.g. self, to give of himself wholly to others. "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? 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. 2 Cor. The word "gladness" is chara which means: "joy." 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? He is a co-worker, it's speaking of common effort, diligence. Clarify He healed Epaphroditus, but He did not heal Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 or in Galatians 4:13-15, or Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, or Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. on Phil no. Vote Up It is used again in: Paul says that he used his own hands to meet his physical needs. Epaphroditus had made a 600-mile journey from Philippi to Rome, an 80-day journey on foot round trip, which was fatiguing, to visit the apostle Paul. 0 Responses Historians tell us that he had a very common name. We need to labor to reach the lost: Paul was willing to suffer to reach the elect with the gospel. Epaphroditus was at the door of death. Ministering to others' physical needs is a spiritual priestly 2. June 11th 2000, I came to the Lord, He healed me of lung cancer, irreversible nerve damage caused by my lifestyle and replaced 3 discs in my lower back that were gone: vertebra rubbing vertebra. Spam, April 05 2022 Lesson #19 Why Paul Felt It Necessary To Send Epaphroditus Introduction to Paul's Letter to the Philippians - BJUtoday The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? 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. (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. 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! were no longer in operation by the time Paul wrote the pastoral epistles. 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." Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. Having seen the pattern of truth regarding the gifts, we need to ask, why did the gifts cease at this time? The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. (Acts 28:9) Then, the argument goes, why was Paul unable to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? First, let us review Epaphroditus mission. 14:18)! It is a pathetic little picture of the Macedonian stranger in the great city -- pallid looks, recent illness, and pining for home and a breath of pure mountain air, and for the friends he had left. Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain Who was Epaphroditus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org the average person can relate to. (2 Timothy 4:20), The power to heal was present in Paul's ministry as described in the book of Acts, 8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mothers womb, who had never walked. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. with this letter. 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. 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. ), 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. Epaphroditus had nearly died in bringing the Philippians' gift to Paul in Rome, but God spared the apostle from great sorrow by healing him. programs. destruction and desolation. He was highly regarded by the church there. She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. That which is perfect was finally revealed in all its fullness to the Apostle Paul and at that moment, those things which were only in part passed away from Gods program. In Acts 20:2,3 Paul arrived in Greece, i.e. How can the Pastoral Epistles not be Pauline? 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. The ministry is people! it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. Why do small African island nations perform better than African continental nations, considering democracy and human development? involved in. We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. and suffering, and given a choice, Paul preferred death: But if Epaphroditus would have died, Paul would have lost a good friend and this would have I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be serve, you can meet physical needs. He was sent there to serve Paul 27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. needs. Spam, November 06 2014 Philippians 2:27 - Epaphroditus Commended - Bible Hub 8 Responses We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. This miraculous healing was not only for Epaphroditus benefit but for Pauls as well, something that the Lord worked in order to keep the Apostle from having to endure the extra sorrow of losing a friend on top of the sorrows of suffering in prison (Phil. His was a singular fate -- to cross Paul's path, and for one short period of his life to be known to all the world, and for all the rest before and after to be utterly unknown. When we are having an experience that we learn from the Scriptures is not from the Lord, it is time to keep silent, and remember that our spirits are to be under our own controlthe spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.. able to defend doctrine. All things are possible to them that believe Mark 9:23. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a I don't really understand the question from your first comment. In fact, in 1 Timothy 5:23, look what Paul recommended: Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake He speaks of Epaphroditus' recovery as a mercy to himself 'lest he should have the sorrow of imprisonment increased by the sorrow of his friend's death.' fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that Spam, "Let a search be made in the royal archives" Ezra 5:17 NIV, Pastor of the Community Bible Church in Aguila, Arizona, One beggar leading others to where the bread is.
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