And Paul who had miraculously healed so many left Trophimus at Miletus sick (II Timothy 4:20). Vote Up Ye shall notprint any marks upon you (Lev. No wonder that men were eager to risk their lives for a leader who lavished such praise and such love upon them. Timothy was sick and he didn't heal him: Why didn't Paul heal his friends? "But God had mercy on him" -- God spared him from death and any time that God spares a life I think sometimes it is wise to not isolate the Gift of Healing when we think about these questions. Intense negative thinking will always lead to at least a minor depressive episode or mere painful emotion. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). 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." In Acts 18 Paul spent a year and a half ministering in Corinthsee Acts 18:11. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. emptied himself. I waited several days until I began to get better before I let her know I was everyone will be glad and not sad.". Paul is saying that God was PERMITTING them to do certain signs so that the Jews might believe that they were of God. 28 Therefore I am sending him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and that I may be less anxious. I have hid them in my heart. 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. What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? The Greek word finds its origin in a Paul might have no longer had the use of it, but even if he did, it was not intended for believers. That implies that all which the Philippians' ministration lacked was their personal presence, and that Epaphroditus, in supplying that, made his work in a real sense theirs. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. send him back? No matter where you go you can find God's family. The sign gifts, tongues, prophecy, the gift of healing, etc. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. Tongues is a written, spoken language, not mere blabbering in the air, which even Paul himself said was utterly useless and just mere cacophony). My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. The keyword here is "gift." needs. Paul would esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. 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. Together these five titles are an important summary of what the Christian life should be. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. himself." , , , , , 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. The word "stand fast" is the Greek word steko which means: "stand your ground in the midst of There were only 14 apostles in the official sense, the 12 plus Paul and 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? Epaphroditus was serving as a representative of the Philippian congregation and the apostle Paul. Epaphrodtus. someone's concern for your condition? We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. A shoulder-to-shoulder fighting But then He tells them that even while they were doing these things, He had never ever known them. think is a good description of the Christian life in: This is what the Christian's life is all about, building and battling. The name Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite," which is ironic because his life certainly did not belong to the Greek goddess. Are we fellow soldiers? 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). soldiers marched abreast behind a solid wall of shields. No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. You find in 2nd Timothy 4:20, etc., that Paul lost the ability to heal people, and so on. 12:9). The first 6 of Pauls letters can be fit into the Book of Actswe can read Acts and then read Pauls letters and we can see where Paul was when he wrote these letters. he was sick. rev2023.3.3.43278. In a while, don't be surprised to have this "answer" you've given disappear. It was their aim to visit the prisoners and the sick, especially those We need to labor in the area of evangelism. What Is the Difference Between 'Man' And 'Son of Man' in Num 23:19? I also believe the Word tells us in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. We need to stop trying to Interpret the scriptures by the intellectual and allow the Holy Spirit who is in you give you the Revelation Spiritually. Remember that God is not a man that He should lie. to worry about me. 0 Responses Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. It really isn't an answer to a legitimate question. necessity, that which is lacking." It 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. We need to know and be history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the The fact that Paul performed many miracles means that he exercised divine power at the behest of the divine will. 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. at after carefully weighing the facts. Apart from Acts arguably Luke or Paul wrote it and Paul wrote the others - does anyone else say Paul could do miracles? What is the purpose of this D-shaped ring at the base of the tongue on my hiking boots? We are 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. Those things are just as The word "longing" is epipotheo, it Vote Up Paul says, No. He has authored ninety-five books. 1. 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. Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. know when he was converted, he might have been among the first converts in Philippi. Philippians 2:25-30 Updated American Standard Version (UASV). Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? with this letter. mercy that any of us live. 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. She was the goddess man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of be-shem omro)? In believing the word of God, you have to. Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? 12:9). Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? 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. But we read that Epaphroditus was healeddirectly by the Lord: He was sick unto death but the Lord had mercy on him.. So if you're not dead, how could you ever complain (verse 14). die!" 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. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). 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." The principle here is that "God exalts the humble." Following Christ's example, we should be willing to lay down our lives to meet the needs of For many this is a great relief. Look at: Here he uses chreia to speak of physical needs. Why would the apostle Paul "delay" being baptized (Acts 22:16)? 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. is not an official title. We have work to do, He is mentioned nowhere else in the 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. of beauty, mother of love, queen of laughter, mistress of the graces and pleasures and also the 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. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. 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. Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. This is They labor in setting up the He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY TEACH ABOUT ________? The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. He was troubled because they heard that The reason Epaphroditus was not healed is not stated in the text. I find the denial of Divine Healing today interesting. 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. The word "esteem" is entimos, it means: This word is used 13 times in the New Testament, 12 by Paul of people who work with him in 1:1, 15-19). The word of God is very clear on every subject. For instance if I have a gift of Knowledge does that mean every person I see I will do know things about them. the proclamation of the gospel effective. Paul sent Timothy to the church of Ephesus, which was a 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 letters are also arranged by lengthRomans is longest and is first, then the Corinthian letters, then Galatians, etc. He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a 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. we are to pray for the sick that they may be healed. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. In AD 60, Paul was imprisoned in Rome, and for the next two years, he lived under house arrest ( Acts 28:30-31 ), encouraging local churches via letters written from prison. 13:1-2) and states that the Lord Jesus had revealed to him (1 Cor. 2:27). He healed every sick person on the Island of Malta in Acts 28. sacrificial life. The word of God is medicine to our flesh (bodies ). The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death - Dr. Paley has remarked (Hor. empty ourselves to make ourselves of no reputation. The word "sick" is astheneo, it means: "to be feeble, weak, sick. 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. Hebrews 11:6 we are taught: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. 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. 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. 2. Paul was a great theologian, he knew that death for a Christian was a promotion, an end of pain The word "receive" means: "to receive to one's self. involved in. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. honor him. . 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. He is saying, God healed me completely and perfectly today. word that has the idea of: "not at home, uncomfortable, troubled, or distressed.". Negative thoughts that flood our minds are the actual contributors to our self-defeating emotions. 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). This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. We may further note the intensity of Paul's sympathy. Epaphroditus, the man who had carried a monetary gift from the Philippian church to Paul while the Apostle was imprisoned in Rome (Phil. Paul. We are to follow the example of Christ who "emptied words, soon means: "with" and ergos means: "work, toil or labor." Weak in the faith is another use. Paul uses this as a term of affection. There are very many Christian workers who never get their due of recognition and welcome from their brethren, and there are many who get far more of both than belongs to them, and both they and the crowds who bring them adulation would be freed from dangers, which can scarcely be over-stated, if the spirit of Paul's warm-hearted praise of Epaphroditus were kept in view. to, so much that he almost lost his life pouring it out in sacrificial service to meet Paul's physical This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. Let me ask a question: Acts 2:21 Peter is preaching after receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: 21 and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Simply: Stop! risks. He was in the second place the minister to Paul's needs. (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." He was the, "Loving Gambler.". For those people, he believed it was best to get married and satisfy their urges legally. 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? The word believe means to accept, to receive, to take and also to agree. Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. 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. 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. How did Paul and his companions purify themselves in the account of Acts 21:26? our other elder. He has no hesitation in describing the work done for himself as 'the work of Christ,' nor in using, as the name for it, the word ('service'), which properly refers to the service rendered by priestly hands. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. He's probably one of the greatest Christians that ever lived. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her I don't really understand the question from your first comment. 7:22-23). John 1:12 ). Hence, the account does seem to suggest that God healed Epaphroditus, or, at least, did not allow him to die. 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. But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? Epaphroditus wasn't sick because of sin, he was sick because of the work of Christ See Peter and John's comments in Acts 3:12. 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. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. Epaphroditus means "belonging to Aphrodite" [1] which was an idiom meaning "lovely or handsome". Many say that Epaphroditus was homesick. 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! All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. It was used as a sign gift to unbelievers at those times when it was necessary to make the average person can relate to. 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. So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. Collen - I agree that it always according to God's will not ours. able to defend doctrine. There would be many ways of serving the captive, looking after his comfort, doing his errands, procuring daily necessaries, managing affairs, perhaps writing his letters, easing his chain, chafing his aching wrists, and ministering in a thousand ways which we cannot and need not specify. What he had not yet received in 1 Corinthians 13, he now has. The Lord does the same thing for us today, although the little blessings He provides often go unnoticed. It appears my previous comment has been deleted, no explanation why. Interested in joining the Ligonier team? Why wasn't Pauls companion healed that day, I have no clue. Figuratively, it Paul was the prisoner and enemy of Rome. These men and women of God where normal people of God, who made mistakes just like us and didnt do everything perfect. messages, or do what ever Paul needed. It is a gambling term. James put We are to fear God and Him alone. 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." jesus also was moved with compassion many times.the main purpose is to trust him and have faith he will do what is best for us. He says, "We have the same We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part Philippians had heard that he was sick. Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant, Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). Every breath that you take, every beat of your heart is mercy. Notice that it was the work "of Christ." And Paul was rejoicing to guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. Paul commends Epaphroditus very highly for his faithfulness even unto death. The 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. That makes Galatians the earliest of Pauls letters. May we not further draw from Paul's words here a lesson as to the honour due to Christian workers? January 23 2014 Report 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. Once on his way again, he was distressed, i.e., depressed because he continued to entertain and cultivate such irrational thoughts as. Though Paul had the gift of healing, he did not heal this individual. used for minister is deokonos -- deacon. meeting their needs. Jesus said the greatest honor among his followers belongs to the one who renders the Proverbs 4:20-23. sickness-- but their concern. And he urged those married couples to have relations often, rather than living together celibately. Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? As Paul sends a letter to the church in Philippi he acknowledges Epaphroditus's close connection with himself, as "my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier" (Philippians 2:25). Epaphroditus means: "belonging to or devoted to Aphrodite." 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. Sustratiotes is a very honorable title used in Philemon 2 of Archipus. [4] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 314. 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. Epaphroditus was at the door of death. In Acts 13,14 Paul and Barnabas went on their first apostolic journey which took them into Galatiacities like Antioch, Lystra, Derbe, etc. It comes from two The words "more eagerly" have the idea of: "with haste or diligence." Parallel Commentaries . And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. We selfishly clutch life and guard our own interests when the mind of Christ is to be selfless and Paul would go on to write 13 letters in the New Testamentfrom the Letter to the Romans to the Letter to Philemon. sisters in Christ in other countries. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. becoming involved in the same charge. 13:8).1. Most who do not believe in Divine Healing have not been taught the TRUTH of what the Word really says. Soon after Paul returned from this journey he wrote the letter to the Galatians (see Galatians 1:6 where Paul writes to the Galatians and says, you are so quickly turned.). Paul could have still used Epaphroditus, but he cared more about their joy than his own physical next door." No, the answer is that God's program had changed.
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