ES/PHIL/18 Philippians 2:25–30
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25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
I am sure that we have all heard phone conversations where others are on their mobiles and we can hear one side of what is going on. If we listen carefully we can sometimes work out the gist of what is going on but we don’t always get it right. All we know is Paul’s side of the conversation but from it we can deduce several things.
It seems self-evident that Epaphroditus was sent by the Church in Philippi to minister to Paul in prison with some sort of gift. At some point he fell very ill – to the very point of death. And he was ill long enough for the Church back in Philippi to hear about it and register their concern. Of course, today we hear very quickly about people today with instant messaging, Skype, mobile phones, emails and the like. But they were living in an era when these devices were just not available. News took days, weeks or months to arrive and it would not necessarily be accurate, well, a bit like today’s fake news! The Philippian Church would have been desperate for news of him and the success or otherwise of his mission.
So Paul is writing to let them know – but much better than this – he was sending him back to them. But Paul doesn’t leave it there – he explains the whole scenario with statements, each one strengthening the one that went before and how the Philippians should receive him back, immortalising him.
Has he failed? Could something more have been done? Was it worth sending him in the first place? Who knows what kinds of thoughts were floating around in his home church. Paul’s strategy is to demonstrate how one thing has lead to the next, affirming that Epaphroditus has by no means failed, nor is he being disavowed by Paul. His return is as much for Paul’s sake as that of the Philippians’, and they should hold him and others like him in high regard.
So, Paul thought it was necessary to send him home because of the distress and concern in the Philippian Church.
We would find it strange the system of honour that would have been held in those days. Indeed the Philippian Church may have viewed this whole scenario of sending Epaphroditus to Paul a mistake and shameful as he was sent to minister to Paul and instead had to be ministered to adding to Paul’s already extreme situation. But instead Paul honoured him because he came that close to dying in serving Christ and Paul that he also honoured the Church that sent him.
Paul says that God had mercy upon both Epaphroditus and him so that he did not die. There was nothing to be ashamed of. And this would have brought a sense of relief to the Church back home as well as for Epaphroditus that he would not be judged to have failed in his mission but instead that he should be held in honour. Paul holds Epaphroditus up as an example of how they and we should be.
Paul had earlier expressed his personal preference for the mercy of death so that he could be with Christ. Depending on the circumstances, both living and dying can be received as gifts of divine mercy. His recovery was evidence of the mercy of God at work on behalf of those who loved Epaphroditus and those who would be helped spiritually through his ministry.
Paul considered himself one of those friends who wanted Epaphroditus around for the near future, so he recognized God’s mercy on himself as well. By sparing Epaphroditus’ life God had spared Paul “sorrow upon sorrow.”
Death is not our friend. When a believing loved one dies we are filled with conflicting emotions—sorrow that we will never see them again in this world along with joy that their suffering is over and they are with the Lord. (Osborne 2017, p112)
Note also that at no point did Paul say that because of Epaphroditus’ lack of faith he was sick and almost died as some would teach today. Being healed was not guaranteed but God had mercy in this situation. We can see also that Paul’s advice to Timothy when he was sick was to take a little wine which would have been medicinal. What he did not say “have faith brother – why aren’t you trusting God?” No! Instead he gave some earthly advice and encouraged him. This is not to say that God does not heal because He does when we ask in faith but still, is sovereign in all things and we trust Him to work out His purposes for our good and He always does.
What was Epaphroditus like? The answers are found in verse 25:
1. First Epaphroditus is a brother to Paul…blood is thicker than water. And we are all blood-bought. There was a close relationship between them as, indeed it should be true for the rest of the Christian community for colloquially we are called ‘brothers’. We are of the same family and therefore this should be no surprise.
2. He is a fellow worker. He is a man who puts his hand to the work. Paul is not ashamed to call him a co-worker. Paul is putting him on an equal footing with himself. This all fits with the theology that Paul describes in:
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.
Clearly we should not be self-seeking but working alongside each other for the Kingdom of God. The Greek work for a co-labourer is συνεργος from which we get the English word ‘synergy’. The dictionary definition of this word is:
The interaction or cooperation of two or more organisations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
We are all fellow workers. There is no avoiding it: we need each other. Paul could not do this work on his own. And nor can we. But when two or more of us work together for God’s Kingdom what it produces is something greater than if two worked alone.
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 7478 Needed: Third-Class Passengers
In the days of the stagecoach, a man undertook a journey. He was informed that there were first, second, and third-class passengers. However, all the seats on the coach looked alike to him, so he purchased a third-class ticket. All went well for a time and the man was congratulating himself upon having saved some money.
Presently they came to the foot of a very steep hill, when the driver stopped the horses and shouted. “First-class passengers, keep your seats, second class get out and walk, third-class get out and push behind.”
What we need in the Kingdom work is third-class passengers. Those who will push! Not first-class, who are contented to sit and look on while the others are working, not second-class passengers who are willing to walk away when real work comes; but third-class passengers who are willing to bear “the burden and heat of the day.”
Epaphroditus was such a labourer for God’s Kingdom. We can labour for our own good, of course, and indeed there is nothing wrong with this as we are exhorted to do so in Scripture, but we have to remember that this life is temporary and it is a better and greater thing to work for heavenly things which we can do in our day-to-day jobs too.
To live is Christ.
4. Paul then goes on to say that Epaphroditus is a fellow soldier. We are in a war. There are skirmishes and battles every day. We are not fighting in a physical combat but fighting unseen forces at work against us. We have an enemy called Satan, the accuser.
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We are to remember that the whole world is under the sway of the devil and it is only the work of God through believers that stops it descending straight into the pit of hell. These verses also point out to me that when we have political issues and we want to have a go at World leaders, MPs, AMs and councillors, etc we have to remember that are fight is not against them as much as in the spiritual realm.
But let us not forget that the actual war has been won because Christ achieved victory with the cross and resurrection. In the meantime we are going to be in some battles, there is going to be suffering, some battles we’ll lose and some battles we’ll win. Paul says to Timothy, his son in the faith:
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
This really is key. It is easy for all of us to get so caught up in this life, its pleasures, its enjoyments, its TV programmes and so on but Paul says that the soldier of Christ Jesus is more concerned for the Kingdom of God rather than the earthly things. A soldier is trained in the art of war, is ready to obey the dictates of the commanding officer, ready to drop everything and go. They are fit and ready. They have learned to put on the armour of God and with practice and perseverance can use the Word of God and can turn away the fiery darts of the accuser, and have learned to trust in the One who fights on their side. Paul exhorts Timothy to:
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Towards the end of Paul’s life he writes again to Timothy:
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
I want us all to have got to the end of our lives and be able to say this for ourselves and each other. Epaphroditus was one who was a fellow soldier. Not a soldier standing alone for this is what the devil wants to do to us, to isolate us, but we are in a war that requires standing and fighting alongside others. It is unavoidable, we are in this together and therefore we should be encouraging one another where there should be comradery. One of the main places to fight this battle is in prayer for no one should go to battle alone. We want to win the battles that we are in. I need your prayers and you need mine.
5. Epaphroditus is also called a messenger. Messenger is actually the word ἀποστολος (apostolos) in the Greek which is where we get the word apostle.
Messengers are people who are sent bring messages from one to another. A preacher, God willing, is a messenger of God and of Jesus Christ to His people and to those who could become His people. But we are all messengers of God for we are all ambassadors. Each of us have a message to bring, each of us are representatives of God to the world.
6. And lastly we find that Epaphroditus is called a minister. The type of minister here were either military servants, servants of the King or temple servants. They were public servants. This is kind of what a civil servant is today without the strictness of the past for back then they were actually slaves. We are called not to look upon ourselves more greatly than we should. Our first calling is to be a slave. All people on earth are slaves: either to the world and Satan or to the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ. We serve Jesus and one another.
There is more to this man than meets the eye, someone who is willing to risk it all for Jesus to the point of his very life, and it almost did cost him that much. We see that he was much more than a brother, much more than a fellow worker, much more than a soldier, much more than a messenger and minister, he was the friend who would lay down his life. Paul is calling us to honour such people and then live to the same standard, to be the same so that we too can be put forth as an example of Christ-likeness.
Communion
Communion
The last two weeks we heard about Timothy and Epaphroditus, both as clear examples of being like-souled and like-minded with Christ. They are clear examples of the people of God we should be. But let me clear, they are concrete examples of Jesus and they were like their Master. We are to be the same concrete examples of being Christ-followers who set the highest example of sacrificial love that has ever been shown:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
It is for this reason that on that last night at the Last Supper Jesus wanted us to remember Him continually and the extraordinary love He showed for us not just in words but in deed.
You laid aside Your majesty
You laid aside Your majesty,
gave up everything for me.
Suffered at the hands of those You had created.
You took away my guilt and shame,
When You died and rose again. (Graham Kendrick)
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.
Benediction
Benediction
5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Bibliography
Bibliography
Osborne, G. R. (2017). Philippians: Verse by Verse. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Runge, S. E. (2011). High Definition Commentary: Philippians. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 17:14 03 June 2018.