why did paul not heal epaphroditus

(II Corinthians 12:7-9) Epaphroditus came to Paul at Rome and became gravely ill, but Paul who had miraculously healed so many did not miraculously heal him (Philippians 2:25-30). 12:12; Heb. 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.' sorrow." Then he goes on to say that he was Epaphroditus was a godly humble servant of great courage. We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. distressed because you had heard that he was sick." (See below left). Thanks. Epaphroditus but passes across the illuminated disc of the lantern for a moment, and we have scarcely time to catch a glimpse of his face before it is lost to us. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Emotional I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. Paul also had another concern on his heart. Faithful service is most surely bought by hearty praise. Parallel Commentaries . Everybody feels bad so Paul says, "You've got to go back so But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 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. Paul used this word in: It is a strong inward desire for the Philippians. "lovely or charming." I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. Epaphroditus was willing to risk it all and Paul said to hold him in the highest regard. 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. himself." teaching. 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. 1:2; II Tim. Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. Gods sparing of Epaphroditus life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. Hello Uche Ogu, welcome to BHSE, glad to have you with us! That which is perfect had come and so the sign gifts had passed away. 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). Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? Epaphroditus was a plugger and they all would have missed him and it was no accident that he had left his congregation to take thousands of dollars to the apostle Paul. It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. The normal word Epaphroditus emptied himself and Paul tells the Philippians to Proverbs 4:20-23. 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. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. The word "sick" is astheneo, it means: "to be feeble, weak, sick. God owes us nothing! In his low, nervous state, barely convalescent, the thought of home and of his brethren's anxiety about him was too much for him. function. 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. 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). 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. Why did Paul not heal Trophimus? At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. risks. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. 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. 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. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? Have you taken the tour of our site yet? What he could do in Acts 28, he could no longer do in Philippians, or in 1 and 2 Timothy. 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]. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. We need to "show" people that we love them by would have been sorrow upon sorrow. The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? Paul could have said to Epaphroditus, "Get over it, they'll live. We're a little different than other sites. 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 . Paul sent Timothy to the church of Ephesus, which was a It is possible for us in the ordering of our own lives to fulfil the great prophecy with which Zechariah crowned his vision of the Future, 'In that day shall there be on the bells of the horses Holiness unto the Lord'; and the 'pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.'. And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? (Many of these 'teachers' are a part of the 'Word of Faith' movement, the Properity Gospel crowd, et al, that teach that positive confession is necessary for having what you want or "claim," and they teach that if you do not get healed, or if you get sick or have any sort of malady, this means that you don't "have enough faith." We don't like risks. It's hard to identify with him and his This is a self-less man. 2:25-30). build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. That is an incredible thought; we are workers together with The answer is: He wouldn't have! 1 Corinthians 7:5. that Paul didn't heal. These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. 0 Responses A place where magic is studied and practiced? The name later came to mean: I weighed the facts and found it a necessity to send Love never fails. esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. commissioned and sent out Timothy. He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. 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." act to follow either. The problem with the death of a believer is that the separation hurts. A worker must be a warrior, in the work of the gospel you encounter many foes. The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want This . 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. Asked January 21 2014 In this case, Paul did pray for healing, but his request was denied. Paul was the prisoner and enemy of Rome. Paul says, No. God. And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. The kenosis of Christ is the attitude that he had that led him to divest himself of any concern for The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. be guarded at all costs. cruel, sick, and unloving? know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. (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. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. 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). See Peter and John's comments in Acts 3:12. The word "gladness" is chara which means: "joy." Besides, Epaphroditus was longing to see the church because he knew that they had found out that he had been ill (2:26). Epaphroditus felt extreme guilt as though he had failed in his mission from the Philippian congregation, having to let them down, so he grew depressed. we are to pray for the sick that they may be healed. Epaphroditus was ministering to Paul physically; he brought him a 12:9). I don't think so. Paul is honoring Epaphroditus with these titles. 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. Look at: Here he uses chreia to speak of physical needs. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor. We are not to fear people, they can't hurt you. on Phil no. 1:2) and Titus (Tit. Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. 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. "Epaphroditus is here to do what you can't do because you're so far away.". 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. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. 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). It is a compound word from self, to give of himself wholly to others. 0 Responses If they wanted to The fact that Paul performed many miracles means that he exercised divine power at the behest of the divine will. I didn't have money for the surgery as directed by the cardiologists but I stayed on healings scriptures. No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. It is a gambling term. 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. Simply: Stop! word that has the idea of: "not at home, uncomfortable, troubled, or distressed.". Paul somebody around an AIDS patient? 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. We need to work hard in intellectual areas; we need to toil in study. in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. Welcome to BHSE! Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? Please make sure you take our Tour. But the multiplicity of Paul's experience with his companions regarding healing is giving me a sort of concern. Little is known about Epaphroditus (much less than Timothy). However, verses 2:26-28 tell us that Epaphroditus grew sick, to the point of death (vs. 27), while he was on his way to Rome. the average person can relate to. In Acts 21:33 Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, and would spend the next 5 years in prison, right through the end of the Book of Acts. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Epaphroditus was a Christian who lived in Philippi. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me (Phil. 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? How this happened or what his sickness was All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and And Paul was rejoicing to words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." Originally published in Tabletalk, our daily Bible study magazine. But Paul So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. at after carefully weighing the facts. Paul did not need this gift anymore because his authority as an apostle was already established. Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. We need to meet people's needs Epaphroditus is one of the less known of Paul's friends. 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. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death - Dr. Paley has remarked (Hor. Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their Paul sees Epaphroditus' ministry to him as sacrificial. If the Apostle Paul still had the power to heal why would he leave Trophimus sick, while Epaphroditus was also sick to the point of death in Philippians 2:27 and encouraged Timothy to use a little wine for his stomach and frequent ailments (1 Timothy 5:23)? The "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. Vote Up B. He re-introduces Epaphroditus to them as someone who had risked his own life for the sake of others, even "to the point of death". Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT ________? This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. 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. For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. To the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was: "Your messenger" -- This is the Greek word apostolos. If I walk down the street and I get a word of knowledge for someone, it is 1. Literally this is "wave after wave of grief.". The gift of tongues, prophecy and knowledge during the Acts period were only in partthey were incomplete, they did not communicate the full knowledge that the Lord had to reveal. So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an By that I If the gift of healing was still in operation, it's unlikely that Paul would have said to use something to merely "help" with your "infirmities." honor him. Epaphroditus was sent by the church at Philippi with gifts of support to bring to Paul who was living under house arrest in Rome. We are to fear God and Him alone. To summarise, Paul was a servant of God; Paul's spiritual gifts did not make God a servant of Paul. Since no exercise of the gift of healing is recorded past about ?._. This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in Thanks for listening. Why would the Apostle Paul insist that married couples have regular sex "except [for one reason only] by mutual consent and for a time (of prayer)" when there may be other factors such as sickness, busyness, or fatigue? 7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us courteously three days. for a possible gain. So the writing of 1 and 2 Thessalonians can be placed into Acts 18 during Pauls ministry in Corinth, and that makes them the second and third letters that Paul wrote. 3. and stand against the social evils of our day. Jesus said the greatest honor among his followers belongs to the one who renders the 0 Responses 2. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press, 1992). When Paul wrote now I know in part, he used the common word for know, the Greek word gnosis. (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. 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. In believing the word of God, you have to. He could heal all the sick on the island in Acts 28:9, but he couldnt heal any of his closest co-workersTimothy, Epaphroditus, Trophimusafter the close of the Book of Acts. All references have been taken from the New King James Version. January 23 2014 Report But the promise that He gave to Paul is still our promise today in the dispensation of grace: My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 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. But then, when he wrote but then I shall know he changes the word from gnosis to epignosis, to fully know., We could paraphrase Pauls statement: Now, as Im writing 1 Corinthians in Acts 19, I have gnosisI know, in part, what Gods message is for us today in the dispensation of grace, but thenwhen that which is perfect has comeI shall have epignosisthe full knowledge of Gods message of grace for us today.. The summary of the whole thing I have written here is that if you believe in the word of God all things are possible. So far as we read in these three letters, we wouldnt even know that there had been a gift of tongues.. 14:18)! The power of working miracles, like that of foreseeing the future (comp. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? 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. Is it suspicious or odd to stand by the gate of a GA airport watching the planes? next door." Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? [5] Lightfoot John Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica, 4 vols. 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! What needless sorrows follow in the Continue Reading, (The following is the first of a series of articles drawn from Pastor Stam's book, Our Great Commission, What Is It? 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. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. 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. This is 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. So theyve learned to speak in tongues, but when they see from Scripture that this gift is not in operation from the Lord today, they can at last cease their effort to prove their salvation and start to walk by faith and not by sight. Timothy, whom we looked at last week, was a gifted preacher and May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? The word "send" is pempo. 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. The answer: The sign gifts ceased at the end of the Book of Acts. Most of us do the opposite of Epaphroditus, we regard our life as a thing so precious that it is to Medical practice is from God but cannot take the place of God to them who believe. Christ. necessity, that which is lacking." It was used as a sign gift to unbelievers at those times when it was necessary to make 32, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991), 120. Because I am submitted and 2. ESV - In English, as in Greek, this is a neuter pronounthat thing which is perfect. Paul was not writing about the coming of He who is perfect but of the coming of a thing which is perfect. It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. The name Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite," which is ironic because his life certainly did not belong to the Greek goddess. We but feebly echo Paul's rapture when he thought that there was 'neither Barbarian or Scythian, bond or free, but all were one in Christ Jesus,' and for all our talk about the unity of humanity and the like, we permit the old gulfs of separation to gape as deeply as ever. It is important that our faith be based on the Word of God and not on experiences because experiences can deceive us. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. It is not confined to 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. 8 Responses Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). We have also to notice Paul's delicate recognition of all friendly help. The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. God does heal but its always according to his will,God may have had other plans.We might never know what was God's purpose in these sicknesses. The word "considered" is hegeomai. 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. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. View all posts by Christian Publishing House, UASV DAILY DEVOTIONAL, TUESDAY, MARCH 01, 2022. needs. In Acts 20:2,3 Paul arrived in Greece, i.e. 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. It is all the words that we say to ourselves all the time. others. Clearly "Epaphroditus" was a brave man, for anyone who proposed to offer himself as the personal attendant of a man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very . guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. Keyword: "IF". In all the seven letters written after the close of the Book of Acts, Paul uses this word epignosisthe full knowledge. "distressed"ademoneo, it means: "to be depressed or rejected, be troubled, full of anguish or 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. Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. All we can do is guess. First-century life, however, was far different. The word "reputation" is the Greek word kenoo, it means: "to make empty." James put 9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be [f]made well, 10 said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And he leaped up and began to walk. Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. 13:1-2) and states that the Lord Jesus had revealed to him (1 Cor. He is saying, It is not "send Do you know who my co-laborers are? It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. 0 Responses It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those We may note the generous heartiness of his praise in his associating Epaphroditus with himself as on full terms of equality, as worker and soldier, and the warm generosity of the recognition of all that he had done for the Apostle's comfort. The miracles of healing that the Because a wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow (v. 27). 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. someone who would represent the church well. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Paul teaches that it's the "Word of Faith" which we preach. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. He was sent by them, he was their The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." (e.g. 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. It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. programs. She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. Epaphroditus was also a common noun. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Do you have questions about the Bible? Spam, March 20 2018 Which apostles did Paul see while he was in Jerusalem after his conversion? I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. sometimes that may be a spiritual healing , but they will be healed. Bulk update symbol size units from mm to map units in rule-based symbology. But then He tells them that even while they were doing these things, He had never ever known them. But when Epaphroditus fell sicknear to deathPaul was no longer able to heal him because the gift of healing had ceased to operate. Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be When would these gifts cease? Look at the rest of the verse: "was Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. know that they were rejoicing. In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. who were ill with dangerous and infectious diseases. It is clear that the gift of healing has ceased because, as in Philippians, Paul was no longer able to heal, even his co-workers. In Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of 3. chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of