our other elder. 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. She had a very famous son, Eros, better known by his Roman name, Cupid. Epaphroditus lived out Philippians 2:1-16, he is the "Loving Gambler.". Miracles by definition are not normative You won't die prematurely, so go ahead and take some For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. here with us can get a tape and those who were here but slept can go home and listen to the Epaphroditus' parents were most likely worshipers of Aphrodite. the average person can relate to. What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? honor him. Berean Bible Church provides this material free of charge for the edification of the Body of Christ. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. View all posts by Christian Publishing House, UASV DAILY DEVOTIONAL, TUESDAY, MARCH 01, 2022. Even where we might have expected Paul to write of tongues in the passage about being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:17, he has nothing to say about tongues. My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. Paul had the gift of healing didn't he? rev2023.3.3.43278. Shortly after that Paul traveled to Macedonia (see Acts 20:1 and 2 Cor. ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death 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). But when we turn to the letters written after the Book of Actsthe 4 Prison Epistles, and the 3 Pastoral Epistles, we find that the sign gifts either arent mentioned at all or we seeas with the gift of healingthat they were no longer operating in Pauls life. involved in. 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? We can now give a scriptural answer to the question that we started with: when did the sign gifts cease? feel bad because he is sick. means: "to intensely crave, desire greatly." 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." This is not a rebuke, it literally means: "to complete your service to me." (Phil. 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. 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. Besides, Epaphroditus was longing to see the church because he knew that they had found out that he had been ill (2:26). It's only of God's sovereign 1000 Chattanooga Street 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. goddess of love. means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. And Paul was rejoicing to Since this book never appeared as Continue Reading, Under the Law of Moses, Gods people in Israel were told But the multiplicity of Paul's experience with his companions regarding healing is giving me a sort of concern. It 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. The word "considered" is hegeomai. 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! Because a wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. "Almost Here Paul writes of the gift of tongues, the gift of prophecy and the gift of knowledge (see 1 Cor. But when Epaphroditus fell sicknear to deathPaul was no longer able to heal him because the gift of healing had ceased to operate. We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. Some people talk about health and history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. The Jews sought after signs (1 Cor. He provides a pattern that The Philippians would want to know, "what are you doing back? Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. A shoulder-to-shoulder fighting All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. 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. me." We are to labor in calling men to be reconciled to God. The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in 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. Why did not the Apostle Paul ever say "In the name of him who says" (i.e., Heb. In Gaiuss home, in Corinth, Paul wrote the letter to the Romans (see Rom. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? 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. His level of sacrificial service becomes very instructive to us. It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. 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. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that life, it was mercy to me. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians 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. 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. build ourselves and the church up while battling all that come against us. That wonder-workering saints are not miracle-mills? At all events he gladly undertook even servile work for love of Paul. It Because I am submitted and 2. The reason that I'm stressing this is because I want 1. 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. He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. "Epaphroditus is here to do what you can't do because you're so far away.". So, in short, Epaphroditus grew sick on his 600-mile journey to Rome, to the point of death, which delayed him from fulfilling his mission of helping Paul. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). Why does the Apostle Paul use the verb twice in Philippians 4:2? And, again, in places where we would have expected Paul to mention the sign gifts, he is silent. We briefly note some general lessons which may be suggested by the picture of Epaphroditus as he stands by the side of Paul. 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. Literally this is "wave after wave of grief.". Do you know who my co-laborers are? He was sent there to serve Paul priestly functions that were performed in that system. The Apostle's heartfelt eulogium upon him shows two phases of his work. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to It is also hard to identify with Timothy who was a duplicate of Paul, he's no easy I have hid them in my heart. Gods sparing of Epaphroditus life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. They are spiritual, priestly functions. The miracles of healing that the [3] After dealing with his sickness, which caused him to delay his efforts to help Paul, he traveled on to Rome. 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. everyone will be glad and not sad.". If they wanted to 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 Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. unto death" -- the word "almost" is paraplesion, it literally means: "along side of a neighbor, Do you have questions about the Bible? Everybody feels bad so Paul says, "You've got to go back so Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. January 23 2014 Report Paul used this word in: It is a strong inward desire for the Philippians. spiritual as teaching. 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. 1:4). 0 Responses plague-stricken city; and by so doing they saved the city, at the risk of their lives, from While at Rome Hello Uche Ogu, welcome to BHSE, glad to have you with us! 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? 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. 1:22) so God gave them signsamong the Gentiles!in order to provoke Israel to jealousy (Rom. 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. Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. 2:25-27) He likely longed to know that they knew of and understood his circumstances. Instead, God graciously healed him in this instance. 'The cup of cold water' given 'in the name of a disciple' is grateful to the lips of the Master. titles. Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of we don't know. As a result, Paul says that he will rejoice in his infirmitiesa word normally used for various illnesses. Arranging Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them allows us to see the pattern of truth that is found in the Word of God: The sign gifts were operating in Acts and in all of the Acts Epistles: Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians and Romans. 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. Those who work in the tape ministry are my Indeed he was ill, near to death. [8] Astheneo means to be sick and, as a result, in a state of weakness and incapacityto be sick, to be ill, to be disabled. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 269. 1:7)no church had more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit than the Corinthian church, yet Paul says that he spoke in tongues more than all of them (1 Cor. But, what happened? All things are possible to them that believe Mark 9:23. In believing the word of God, you have to. Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. we living as sent ones? 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 would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? The ship sails across the track of the moonlight, and then vanishes ghost-like into darkness. Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. 1. 2:25; cf. Look at the rest of the verse: "was Little is known about Epaphroditus (much less than Timothy). "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those 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. 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. Edward D. Andrews wrote. 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. Historians tell us that he had a very common name. The difficulty of communication would sufficiently account for the partial intelligence. 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. 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". He was sent by them, he was their at after carefully weighing the facts. Paul uses the word sunergos here of himself and Apollos. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. (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. Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. and thine often infirmities. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. We are to The context gives us an interesting miniature of the last, and pathetic glimpses into the private life of the Apostle in his imprisonment, and it is worth our while to try to bring our historic imagination to bear on Epaphroditus, and to make him a living man. The Lord warned that experiences can be deceiving: Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! 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.). What we do know for sure is that Epaphroditus illness was so severe that he almost died (v. 27). Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? Christ. Epaphroditus who was to stay at Rome and help Paul in any way he could. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. But Paul uses leitourgos here. How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? Therefore, if the Holy Spirit did not want someone healed or raised from the dead, no amount of effort by Paul could do so. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. 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. That will tell you what an answer is. others. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. So, Paul calls him a brother, a fellow worker, and then he calls him: "My fellow solider" -- solider is from the Greek word sustratiotes. 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. It comes from two be guarded at all costs. two to his relationship with the Philippian church. Testament use of this word. (e.g. When it came, then the gifts which were only in part would cease. We need to "show" people that we love them by with his life to serve Christ and man. It means: "messenger or sent one." 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. This word is only used two other times in the New Testament, both of them of Christ 2:25-30). 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. Is there a proper earth ground point in this switch box? have survived without him but that's not how Epaphroditus saw it. Calculating probabilities from d6 dice pool (Degenesis rules for botches and triggers), Recovering from a blunder I made while emailing a professor. Paul thought that chastity was best, but realized that most people have natural sexual desires. I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. God's sparing of Epaphroditus' life was a tangible expression of His abundant grace to Paul. That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. 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. 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). Paul could have said to Epaphroditus, "Get over it, they'll live. The name Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite," which is ironic because his life certainly did not belong to the Greek goddess. When God spared his Greek He was sick So, Paul's third example is Epaphroditus, he is not an apostle, nor an Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. Paul says, in essence: "I will continue to do those signs IF God permit." Spam, January 22 2014 The close of the Book of Acts was also the close of Gods dealings with the nation of Israel for now nearly 2000 years. 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. examples yet they all experienced sickness. God healed me of heart disease. We are not to fear people, they can't hurt you. Why would he not heal his friend? 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. 2. 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. been painful. Epaphroditus doesn't deserve to live and I don't deserve to have such a When is the last time that this happened to you? other words, they were to receive him as the Lord would receive him. When he recovers, Paul sends him back to Philippi (Phil. Let me give you a little background: Paul is in prison at Rome, under house arrest, Those who work in the nursery are my fellow-laborers, they take care of your Paul only calls him a "brother" ( Phil. What evidence is there the writer of Revelation was aware of the apostle Paul? Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." This may be the most important message you ever read. 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. 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. 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. 12:9). were operating all through the Book of Acts, and these gifts are mentioned in the letters that Paul wrote during the Acts period. 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). 3:3,4,9 and Col. 1:26,27, etc.). and stand against the social evils of our day. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. The word of God is very clear on every subject. next door." We as Berean Bible Church need to work at Many say that Epaphroditus was homesick. It came from God, and God could and apparently did choose to slowly withdraw the gift of miraculous healing from the Early Church. guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. They were sent by Jesus Christ. . He was troubled because they heard that The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with 4: 19 . One of the most celebrated goddesses of the ancient world. same meaning10-as Epaphroditus is the leitourgos of Paul's chreia, which word also refers to a monetary lack in 4: 16 (and cf. 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. 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. It is used 35 times in the New For we know in part and we prophesy in part. Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. 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. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. Paul was the prisoner and enemy of Rome. 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). 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." that Paul didn't heal. First-century life, however, was far different. 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. (verse 30). 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. But Paul When Paul wrote now I know in part, he used the common word for know, the Greek word gnosis. self, to give of himself wholly to others. He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. The letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. Those things are just as know that they were rejoicing. He didn't want them to But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. messages that he preached. 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. He hazzard his life "to supply what was lacking in your service toward In fact, he would have probably sent a handkerchief or even went to him, personally, if possible, and laid hands on him and healed him instantly. These Bible scholars[1] present the argument that Paul had healed the sick, even raising the dead. 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. Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. He was given the assignment of delivering a gift to Paul and staying with Paul for a time, assisting him in whatever way he could in his difficult times. I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. Acts 28:25-28 stands as Gods last words to the nation of Israel for nearly two millennia. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. act to follow either. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. 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. The question has always been: when? good friend. Epaphroditus. The word believe means to accept, to receive, to take and also to agree. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. John uses this word also in: This word is used of meeting physical needs. 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. PROVERBS 1:1 How can we accept the majority of Proverbs by Solomon when Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of God? John 1:12 ). Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. 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. Too often our attitude is, "I can't help, I could catch it and It means for any gift that you and I will receive from Him by the Holy Spirit is premised on your ability to accept,take, agree or receive without doubt His word which comes as a command, law, or instruction. esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? 1:2) and Titus (Tit. Are soon meaning: "together with" and stratiotes meaning: "soldier." The first one suggested is the very familiar one of the great uniting principle which a common faith in Christ brought into action. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? 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. Chesapeake, VA 23322. The congregation in Philippi loved this man so much, they did not want him to die. My question: If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth Jesus Christ and Him risen, he is Born Again, saved.