Timothy and Epaphroditus

Philippians 2:19-30 is where we are going to be at tonight and I am just happy that we were able to finish chapter 2 before we took our break for the Summer. I do want to remind you all that we will be looking at Philippians 3 and 4 throughout the summer on our youtube page and I will send out a link every week for that so you can watch it whenever you want so make sure that you are getting our weekly text or email updates. Last week we talked about how Philippians 2:12-18 could basically be referred to as Sanctification 101. These verses are a crash course as to what the Christian life should look like and as we have travelled through Philippians 2, we have seen how we should live. We have seen the great example of Christ and we have heard how we are to interact not only with believers, but with unbelievers. As we get to these last few verses in Philippians 2, we are going to go from practical to personal. If we take what Paul talked about last week and line it up with what we are going to read tonight, we could almost see it as Paul saying, “here’s what we are supposed to do and here are your examples of those that are doing it.” Tonight we’re going to read about two men: Timothy and Epaphroditus. If you have grown up in the church, Timothy may sound familiar but Epaphroditus might be someone that you are hearing about for the first time but they are both excellent examples of followers that are putting Philippians 2:1-18 into action. What do we mean by that? As we are going to see, Timothy is an example of Christian love in action and Epaphroditus is an example of Christian service and sacrifice. We’ll look at these two men and see how their actions can inspire our actions. Let’s pray and then we will read Philippians 2:19-30

Philippians 2:19–30 ESV

I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Timothy: An Example of Love

Paul and Timothy

I’ve mentioned numerous times over the last several weeks that Paul loved the Philippian church. Paul has heard of the report that has been brought in about the state of the Philippian church and it is better than he could have hoped but he wants to do more than just hear how they are doing, he wants to see it for himself. Now how is he going to do this if he is in a Roman prison? He does it by sending a representative and this would be Timothy. It’s important to emphasize the relationship that Paul and Timothy have. Timothy is Paul’s closest ally. He is a direct disciple of Paul and Paul has been training Timothy to hand over the ropes to him. Paul says in verse 20 that he has no one like Timothy and that he is like a son to him. We have 2 letters in the New Testament that Paul wrote to Timothy that have been of tremendous value to believers throughout the centuries. Paul does not trust anyone like he trusts Timothy. For Paul to send Timothy to check out the situation in Philippi would be as if Paul were sending his own eyes because he knows that Timothy won’t hold anything back. He won’t paint a rosy picture if their isn’t one. He knows that Timothy would speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help him God. Paul has seen Timothy grow up into a faithful servant not only to him, but to the Lord and in a way, by sending Timothy, Paul is sending his very heart to the Philippians. Keep in mind, Paul is in prison and while he seems to be able to have visitors at this point, he is largely alone except for the Roman guards. For Paul to send Timothy is to increase his own isolation but Paul desires to send Timothy to the church. Why? Because he loves the Philippian church more than he desires his own personal comforts. When you become a parent, you sacrifice a lot for your children. You sacrifice comforts, you sacrifice resources, you sacrifice many times your own personal benefits. Why? Because the life, health, and happiness of the child matters more to you than your own. That is how Paul felt about the church. But enough about Paul for now, let’s talk about Timothy.

Timothy’s Example

In a lot of ways, Timothy is like a miniature Paul. The same thoughts and concerns that Paul had, Timothy had. Timothy is an example of a Christian that loved other Christians. How do we know this. Let’s look again at Philippians 2:20, Paul writes,

Philippians 2:20 ESV

For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.

Paul is sending his very best. For Paul to say that he has no one like Timothy, it translates how to basically, “I have no one else who has the same thought process and mindset that I have.” Paul and Timothy share the exact same thoughts concerning the Philippians and as we can see, both men are genuinely concerned for the welfare of the church. Paul desires that the Philippians would grow in their sanctification and this is the same desire that Timothy has. Based off of verse 21, it would seem that not everyone around Paul shares that same desire. They may to an extent but not to the same extent of Paul and Timothy. For Paul and Timothy to share the same mindset means that Timothy desires to see the Philippians thrive. Not just physically, thought I am sure that is implied, but spiritually. Timothy loves these people. He wants to see them hold fast to the truth and the doctrine that had been delivered to them. David Strain writes,

“Timothy wanted the central objective of Christ to be fulfilled in their lives. He wanted their sanctification. He wanted their worship to be pleasing to God. He wanted their values to be shaped by the Gospel. He wanted Christ and His priorities to be reflected in the fellowship of the Philippian Christians.”

There’s no greater love that a man could have for someone than the earnest desire to see that person grow in their faith. There is no greater love than putting your life on the line so that others may know the treasure of possessing Jesus. The Apostle John says in 3 John 4,

3 John 4 ESV

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Timothy is about to embark on the 800 mile journey from Rome to Philippi because he loves the Philippians and wants to see them grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. Keep in mind, Timothy can’t jump in a plane and end up in Philippi in a couple hours. Work is going to have to be done but despite the hard work behind this love, he has a joy in doing it because he knows those that he is doing it for. That is true love. True love always requires sacrifice and we will see this especially in the example of Epaphroditus. This is true Christ-centered humility and it is needed today.

Applying Timothy’s Example

How can we apply Timothy’s example into our own lives? When Timothy first joined Paul, he was fairly young, not too much older than some of you. Many say that when Timothy first joined Paul that he was in his early 20’s, perhaps even late teens. Christian love isn’t only for the seasoned veteran. Christian service isn’t solely for those that have been to seminary or advanced Christian education. All of us can serve others in love regardless of how old we are. Timothy also shows us that it is important so surround yourself with someone who shepherds you, someone who desires to see you grow to a greater degree of Christlikeness. It’s important to be discipled. I think of my own life and the impact that my youth pastor had on me and some of my professors had on me and I am profoundly grateful for what they did for me. Find yourself someone to lead you in the truth. Ladies, find yourself an older lady that can disciple you. Men, find yourself an older man to disciple you. Don’t neglect the importance of these formative years. We are to love and be concerned about the needs of others. Timothy had to know how the church was doing and Timothy knew that there was work to be done. None of us will escape the need to labor if we want to live the Christian life faithfully.

Let’s turn now to Epaphroditus and read verses 25-30 again.

Epaphroditus: Servant and Sacrifice

Paul writes in Philippians 2:25-30

Philippians 2:25–30 ESV

I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.

Epaphroditus was the one that carried the gifts from the Philippians to Paul while he was in prison so he is someone that the Philippians are very well acquianted with. Epaphroditus is an example of a sacrificial servant. He is an example of someone who is willing to be spent on behalf of the Gospel. Paul refers to him as a brother, a fellow worker, a fellow soldier, a messenger and a minister. This is a man that has put in the hours. Paul writes that Epaphroditus was sick in 2 ways and you are likely familiar to some extent with both of them. First, Epaphroditus appears to have been homesick. Verse 26 says that he was longing for the church of Philippi. Many of you know what it is like to miss home and to miss your family. If anything, Christianity should only heighten the love that you have for your family and your neighbors because you begin to love them with the affections of Christ. I remember my freshman year of college going away for the first time and that first month was one of the hardest months of my life. I missed my family, my home, my friends from high school, there were a few moments where I began thinking that I could just go back to Delaware and go to Del Tech with some of my friends and when you are homesick, there is a very real pain that exists and Epaphroditus was feeling that. Something significant about Epaphroditus’ homesickness is the reason why he was homesick. Yes he loved the Philippians but he was homesick predominantly because he heard that they were worried about him. He was worried about their worrying! They were worried about him because of the second sickness that I mentioned and this was a very real illness that he had. Paul said that Epaphroditus was so sick that he was close to dying but God had mercy on him. We all know what it is like to be sick. We likely have all experienced some degree of homesickness. Epaphroditus is a very relatable example for us. He shows us that all servants will suffer and all Christians will carry the cross. We also see in his life that there is never a moment where we won’t need God’s mercy. God in His mercy allows us to live this moment and if He is willing, He will allow us to live the next moment. Our lives are entirely in His hands. What we see in Epaphroditus’ life is the earnestness to do the work of the Gospel. Notice that Paul says that he was eager to send Epaphroditus back to the Philippians so that they could be ministered to. Their is an immediacy that is necessary for us to be faithful ministers of the Gospel. Time is running short and we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, so may we all fly on wings like eagles to do the work of Christ. We see in Epaphroditus an example of Christ-centered humility, just like we have seen all throughout chapter 2. He was more concerned about the needs of others than his own needs. John Calvin said of Epaphroditus, “He would rather be negligent as to health than be deficient in duty.” We’re to agonize on behalf of the Gospel and on behalf of the Church. Finally, there is certainly more that could be said about these men but the last thing that I will have us note is we are to run this race until it is finished. Epaphroditus was at death’s door but he never stopped loving the people of God. He never stopped in his desire to minister to others, even at the cost of his own health. There will never be a moment this side of Heaven where we have finished the work that God has in store for us. If God has not called us home yet, there is still work to be done. Like Paul, we are to fight the good fight, run the race, and keep the faith. We compete like an athlete trying to win the grand prize and we don’t stop competing until we hear the bell ring or final whistle blow. God has a work in store for each of His children and this work will not be done until He says that it is.

God’s Will and Us

There is one last thing that I want to point out from these verses and that is to go back to Paul. We began this series with Paul’s confidence in the Lord and here we are getting to the halfway point of Philippians and Paul has no problem reiterating that same message. The pillow in which Paul rests his head is the sovereignty of God. In these verses that we read tonight Paul says that he hopes in the Lord, trusts in the Lord, and last week we read that it was God who works in the lives of those within the church, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). Remember where Paul is right now. He’s in a Roman prison awaiting trial before the most powerful man in the world: the emperor. But Paul doesn’t say, “If Nero allows it, I’ll send Timothy to you soon. If Nero is ok with it, I will come soon to you also.” Paul says, “If God wills for this or that to happen, it will happen.” Paul wasn’t operating according to man’s schedule. He was operating under the mindset that if God so willed for something to happen, Heaven and Earth would not be able to stop it. What is it in your life that you need to do for the Lord? Remember if there is something that the Lord has called for you to do something, nothing will stop that from being done. It is God who wills and works in you and if it is God who is doing the work, nothing will be able to stop that work! The work of the Christian is hard in many ways but the load is easily lifted when we remember who it is that is carrying us along. I hope that these last couple of months in the book of Philippians has been helpful for you all and I hope that you will continue with us online as we get to the last half of this amazing book. We have 2 chapters and 10 lessons over the next 10 weeks so I hope that you will check those out. Let’s pray together and then we will be dismissed.