But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. The next two letters that Paul wrote are the two letters to the Corinthians. The gift of healing had ceased to operate, along with the other sign gifts. sometimes that may be a spiritual healing , but they will be healed. "lovely or charming." Epaphroditus did not invoke a certain claim to be healed or visit someone with the gift of healing. We won't help someone in trouble because we're afraid we might get hurt or even killed. 8 Responses Spam, March 20 2018 Because his will is to speak to that individual right then. 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. And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. Many were saved, but Paul was driven out of town. Again, we have no indication whatsoever that healing was his "right" or something which he could "claim." . He comes back to the theme in the last words of the context, where he says that the Philippian messenger had 'hazarded' his life, or, as we might put it with equal accuracy and more force, had 'gambled' his life, or 'staked it on the die' for Paul's sake. Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. that Paul didn't heal. 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. titles. No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul ext 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." speaks of a common origin. chained to a guard: The Philippians, upon hearing about Paul's needs, took an offering and sent it by the hand of The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints (1 Cor. 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. This study focuses on that questionwhen did the sign gifts cease? 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. They are spiritual, priestly functions. All deeds done from the same motive are the same, however different they may be in regard to the material on which they are wrought. others. Finally at the end of his life he is again in prison. We are Yes: Paul clearly had the gift of healing yet his friend almost died and he didn't heal him. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. sisters in Christ in other countries. The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in We may further note the intensity of Paul's sympathy. 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. ), [6] MM J. H. Moulton and G. Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (London, 191429). Our thoughts based on a good mood will be entirely different from those based on our being upset. Amen. No matter where you go you can find God's family. 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. We need to be sustratiotes, fighting together. I don't really understand the question from your first comment. Paul could no longer heal anyonenot Epaphroditus in Philippians 2, not Timothy in 1 Timothy 5:23, not Trophimus in 2 Timothy 4:20. We briefly note some general lessons which may be suggested by the picture of Epaphroditus as he stands by the side of Paul. Once on his way again, he was distressed, i.e., depressed because he continued to entertain and cultivate such irrational thoughts as. 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." would have been sorrow upon sorrow. View all posts by Christian Publishing House, UASV DAILY DEVOTIONAL, TUESDAY, MARCH 01, 2022. Was it because he had lost his faith, as some would tell us? He was a man of courage-- anyone who would offer himself as the personal attendant of a the proclamation of the gospel effective. When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her He wasn't distressed because he was sick but because the Epaphroditus loved the Philippians, who he was representing, and Paul, who he was ministering man we can identify with. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. They sent him money to meet his physical needs. He had the heart of a servant-- he was most likely a deacon. Please make sure you take our Tour. meeting their needs. Think of the profound clefts of separation between the Macedonian and the Jew, the antipathies of race, the differences of language, the dissimilarities of manner, and then think of what an unheard-of new thing it must have been that a Macedonian should 'serve' a Jew! ESV - Stop speaking in the tongue because it is not from the Holy Spirit. View our current career opportunities. two to his relationship with the Philippian church. His name appears twice in the Bible (Philippians 2:25; 4:18). and thine often infirmities. 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. 2:13) and that is where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthians. necessity, that which is lacking." And Paul was rejoicing to Epaphrodtus. Thanks. "Epaphroditus is here to do what you can't do because you're so far away.". Theyve been taught that a person has to speak in tongues to prove that he is really saved, or that he really has the Holy Spirit dwelling within. In the This is the last letter written during the Book of Acts. [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. 1000 Chattanooga Street destruction and desolation. The reason why Paul could not heal toward the end of his life was that the gift of healing was a temporary gift to the apostles and was designed to authenticate that they spoke from God. I subscribe to the view that the reason is because the gifts that he was performing in the early days was a "sign to the Jews"; not all spiritual gifts are still in operation today; or, they aren't necessarily "needed." Those things are just as hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/tour Thanks! He has authored ninety-five books. 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. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. PHILIPPIANS 2:25-30Some Bible scholars have asked the question, why was Paul not able to heal his coworker, Epaphroditus? Paul also had another concern on his heart. It is used in extra-biblical Greek to honor a solider. This is the depth of love and care. The purpose of the gift of healing was not to keep Christians He says, "We have the same Spam, March 31 2022 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). 14:18)! Therefore, this thinking is the key to our relief. A shoulder-to-shoulder fighting 2. 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. The name later came to mean: [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. (Phil. This . needs could be involved here, he ministered to Paul in the area of companionship also. If Epaphroditus were 'received in the Lord,' there would be no foolish and hurtful adulation of him, nor prostration before him, but he would be recognised as but the instrument through which the true Helper worked, and not he, but the Grace of Christ in him would finally receive the praise. Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. with his life to serve Christ and man. Epaphroditus risked it all, life included, to minister to others. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. Maybe you can't preach or teach, maybe you're not a leader or an administrator, but you can 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. 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. Berean Bible Church provides this material free of charge for the edification of the Body of Christ. He was sent there to serve Paul Epaphroditus wasn't the only friend Whether we are well or sick, whether we are like Epaphroditus or like Timothy, we can always claim this promise from the Lord that His grace and strength are sufficient for us. For he longed after you all and was full of heaviness, because you had heard that he had been sick. It Epaphroditus was distressed because the Philippians were distressed over his terrible illness. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? 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. we don't know. The answer: The sign gifts ceased at the end of the Book of Acts. A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. God healed me completely and perfectly today. our other elder. 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. Once saved, his spirit is completely made Brand New, is this not a miracle? Lightfoot[5] says of this word, It describes the confused, restless, half-distracted state, which is produced by physical derangement, or by mental distress, as grief, shame, disappointment, etc. (Saint Pauls Epistle to the Philippians [London, 1908], p. 123). What does this say to the "health-wealth gospel" 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? examples yet they all experienced sickness. Paul highly honors Epaphroditus with these No! man awaiting trial on a capital charge was laying himself open to the very considerable risk of and they sure wouldn't have sent a lazy man. We are to follow the example of Christ who "emptied 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. I mean, I was a 1% biker, I did many many bad things which I will not glorify. Paul 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). Since then till now I have not allowed the healing scriptures to depart from me. This word is also used in: This "business" is chreia, it refers to taking care of their physical needs. be-shem omro)? He provides a pattern that He risked his life as a gambler will take risks 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. So, to sum up what we have seen so far, from Acts 9 through Acts 28 we read of the earlier ministry of the Apostle Paul and find that during these years he wrote 6 of his 13 letters. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This may be the most important message you ever read. The Christian Apologists (150 220 C.E.). Paul commends Epaphroditus very highly for his faithfulness even unto death. (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. 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). Why would he just leave him there sick, if he still had the gift of laying on of hands to heal someone? Have you taken the tour of our site yet? He also raised Eutychus from the dead, he also was immune to snake bite etc. Paul had the gift of healing didn't he? Parallel Commentaries . We need to know and be 2:25; 4:18) While in Rome, Epaphroditus "fell sick nearly to the point of death; but God had mercy. Many Christians today have had an experience that they think is the scriptural gift of tongues. Paul's first burst of gratitude and praise does not exhaust all that he has to say about Epaphroditus. That is an incredible thought; we are workers together with deliver the money and leave, he was to stay and to minister to Paul's needs. co-laborer with Paul, but with God. fulfilling our mission statement: "To influence friends who are living in spiritual darkness that 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. When is the last time you set aside something on your agenda 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. "distressed"ademoneo, it means: "to be depressed or rejected, be troubled, full of anguish or (Phil. 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. history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the Colossians 1:7 of a different man. This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. We begin by setting up a time line of Pauls ministry. She's the on Phil no. Vote Up Dreadnoughts are a peculiar expression of the brotherhood of men after nineteen centuries of so-called Christianity. needs. 3:1-10). ", "Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow" -- his sickness brought Paul sorrow and his death lowest service. Why would he not heal his friend? 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. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. We need to reach out and take back three areas of toil that used to be so much a part But the I think that in our day the church has lost the ergos, the work, toil, or effort that we should be 61 ( Acts 28:8 ), it may be that the special apostolic gift of healing (cf. able to defend doctrine. the heathen threw out the bodies of their dead and fled in terror. What is the correct way to screw wall and ceiling drywalls? Did Paul's handkerchief heal sick people (Acts 19:11-12)? The first fact about him is, that he was one of the Philippian Christians, and sent by them to Rome, with some pecuniary or material help, such as comforts for Paul's prison-house, food, clothing, or money. means: "to throw down a stake, to roll the dice." 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. The context is that Paul was suggesting for this brother to use wine to help him with his stomach sickness. I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. Epaphroditus was also a common noun. Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? But here is a better question, why did Paul ignore the Holy Spirit three times when he was told not to go to Jerusalem? Clarify He is saying, Thanks. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! We are not to selfishly guard our lives, we are to give them away in ministry to others. 7:22-23). Epaphroditus is one of us, which makes his example very powerful and very convicting to us. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. 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. been painful. teacher who was used of God to minister to many churches. 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. 11:14). for a possible gain. 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.. 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. Are we a sunergos, a fellow worker? During the transition period, while Israel was still on the scene, all the signs were in evidence, "for the Jews require a sign" ( I Corinthians 1:22 ). The power of working miracles, like that of foreseeing the future (comp. The keyword here is "gift." 12:9). 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? Why didn't Paul just heal Epaphroditus? The reason it is "send" is because he was supposed to be there permanently. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. This is Heresy 101 at its best!). Have you ever watched Living in the modern world, we enjoy the benefits of centuries of technological and scientific progress. Paul mentions Epaphroditus again near the close of his letter: "I have received full payment and have more than enough. I believe it is used here primarily of physical needs. 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. This time he anticipates being beheaded for the Lord and writes the last letter, Second Timothy. 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. I equally agree that it's always according to God's will. life, the same effort and we have the same enemies. 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). 2:27). 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. someone who would represent the church well. He had an illness which was probably the consequence of his toil. sacrificial life. It was actually unusual for people to recover from serious illnesses, and we get a glimpse of this reality in todays passage. in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). He uses this word in verses 25 and 28. Timothy was sick and he didn't heal him: Why didn't Paul heal his friends? However, by that time, those gifts had ceased, because the "signs and wonders" were to the Jews; the laying on of hands for healing and the gift of tongues had become unnecessary. someone's concern for your condition? to meet someone's need? (e.g. This is no fleshly or "secular" work in ministering to Paul's physical needs, it was spiritual. in Corinth again, and spent three months there enjoying the hospitality of a believer named Gaius (mentioned in 1 Cor.
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