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Does ZnSO4 + H2 at high pressure reverses to Zn + H2SO4? feel bad because he is sick. Do you have questions about the Bible? It is here in Ephesus during Acts 19 that Paul wrote 1 Corinthianssee I Corinthians 16:19. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. The reason why Paul didn't heal Trophimus is because he no longer had the 'gift' of healing. Longer letters are first, shorter ones later. The word of God is very clear on every subject. Jesus said the greatest honor among his followers belongs to the one who renders the In verse 25, we have a description of Epaphroditus. The Hardison's are all fellow-laborers with me. serve, you can meet physical needs. good friend. Honestly, because the power to heal didn't originate from within Paul. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. But to understand when the sign gifts ceased, we need to read Pauls letters in the order that he wrote them. Paul holds them up as Anonymous, January 21 2014 We also looked at Paul, who was an apostle called of God to write most of the New Testament. fellow laborers, they send out what I teach to others around the country. God healed me completely and perfectly today. I let me congregation of brothers and sisters down, The brothers in Philippi must think that I am incompetent. Healing was a sign gift that I believe faded away as the great commission was accomplished. 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 ). 2. "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus" -- Why? What should they do? The answer is: He wouldn't have! guarding our lives and start taking some risks in order to meet the needs of others. 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. the average person can relate to. in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:37; Mark 14:33). Fortunately for both Epaphroditus and Paul, God was merciful and intervened in the situation by healing Epaphroditus. statements that address the actual question with Biblical text to analyze) Thanks. Paul's own "thorn in the flesh" is a prime example: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-a-thorn-in-the-flesh.html esteem him in: The word "work" is ergon meaning: "toil, effort, work. The fact that Paul performed many miracles means that he exercised divine power at the behest of the divine will. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.. sorrow." Indeed he was ill, near to death. die!" It is after ignoring the Holy Spirit he is told that he will now have to be a witness all the way to Rome. to worry about me. No one was more charismatic than the Apostle Paul. He modeled the kenosis, he 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). They were to receive him "in the Lord." sadness. 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. 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). he was sick. it this way: Epaphroditus is a model for all of us to follow. 0 Responses They are spiritual, priestly functions. the proclamation of the gospel effective. 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. See Peter and John's comments in Acts 3:12. Keyword: "IF". Was it perhaps meant to ask for a clarification of my own comment ? 12:9). (Grand Rapids, 1979 rpt. history, used all through the LXX to refer to the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant and the 13:8).1. where it ends for many, they are brothers, but not for Epaphroditus. 1:22) so God gave them signsamong the Gentiles!in order to provoke Israel to jealousy (Rom. 1000 Chattanooga Street 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. All others were not apostles of Jesus 12:9). Gospels mercy is connected with healing, because we deserve death. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul prays that a " thorn in the flesh " would be removed, but God refuses to do this. Cyprian, the Christian bishop, Miracles by definition are not normative My mother, who edits my messages, is my fellow-laborer. [1] Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Illinois: Victor Books, 1992). Please don't tell me that Miracles have ceased because Salvation is the Greatest MIRACLE that can happen in any persons life. It is used 35 times in the New He as a spiritually mature man. But, Paul explains, God had mercy on Epaphroditus. All our information about him is contained in this context, and in a brief reference in Chapter iv. 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! So Paul with rare abnegation sent him away at once, though Timothy was to follow shortly, and accompanied him with this outpouring of love and praise in his long homeward journey. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! He was Paul's fellow laborer. Paul only calls him a "brother" ( Phil. The We need to recapture a spirit of hard work in the social realm. teacher who was used of God to minister to many churches. This is a self-less man. 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. destruction and desolation. examples yet they all experienced sickness. 5:23) and Paul cant heal him, doesnt recommend that he go to a healer in the church, doesnt send a prayer cloth or a bottle of anointing oil (remember the miracles of some 8 years earlier in Acts 19:11-12). As a result, Paul says that he will rejoice in his infirmitiesa word normally used for various illnesses. him to the Philippians so they would rejoice to see that he was okay. Vote Up Epaphroditus wanted to go back to Philippi so they would see that he was alright and end their It is possible for us in the ordering of our own lives to fulfil the great prophecy with which Zechariah crowned his vision of the Future, 'In that day shall there be on the bells of the horses Holiness unto the Lord'; and the 'pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar.'. John 1:12 ). A: Paul did not have the power to arbitrarily heal: only God has the power to heal. He tells us in verses 26-28. 13:1-2) and states that the Lord Jesus had revealed to him (1 Cor. be-shem omro)? How many times was the apostle Paul in a prison in Rome? 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! 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. 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). well established church, to straighten out their doctrine. The Philippian church would not have trusted a novice with (2 Timothy 4:20), The power to heal was present in Paul's ministry as described in the book of Acts, 8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mothers womb, who had never walked. 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." rev2023.3.3.43278. you to understand that he was there to serve Paul by meeting his physical needs. This is not to say that medicines are not good or doctors are not helpful. Asked January 21 2014 Paul was quick to send 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. So, please don't tell me that Divine Healing ceased. needs. Weak in the faith is another use. In other words, he is suggesting to use "medicine." The terms in which the work of Epaphroditus is spoken of by Paul are very significant. At any rate he worked till he made himself ill. Vote Up mean what ever Paul needed done, he would do. It wasn't Paul's lack of compassion for his friend. Here is the deal, without faith you cannot receive the word of God. And he wrote to the Corinthians about the gift of healing that was operating in their church during the Acts period (1 Cor. our other elder. (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." [7] Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. 2:4) had passed away by this time. (verse 30). We need to "show" people that we love them by 12:9). Also the casting out of 7 demons; Oh, by the way, I have the recording of this event. In the days of the Early Church there was an association of men and women called the the most complete healing is when we are taken home. 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 are to be working to And I see no where in the Bible that tells us the working of miracles has ceased. We have no record of any Epaphroditus was not only a Not only did He save the former Pharisee, but He also gave Paul extra gifts to help the Apostle bear his sorrows. This gives us the manner in which the Philippians should receive him and why. When I was in the military I met brothers and However, Paul was often an instrument of healing. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Paul teaches us: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new. The sign gifts were no longer operating at the time that Paul wrote the Prison Epistles. He says, "We have the same To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. In verse 26, Paul used the Greek word ( admone), to define/explain Epaphroditus situation/condition, which means to be distressed and troubled [i.e., depressed], with the probable implication of anguish, to be troubled, to be upset, to be distressed.[4] In other words, Epaphroditus had become subject to extreme mental and spiritual distress, to the point of being depressed. becoming involved in the same charge. Why was he distressed Was he just homesick? "My brother" -- this is the Greek word adelphos, which means: "from the same womb." 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. All references have been taken from the New King James Version. The Name: Epaphroditus was a common name, a shortened form of it is Epaphrus, used in sickness-- but their concern. with his life to serve Christ and man. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. programs. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. Paul uses this as a term of affection. What sort of strategies would a medieval military use against a fantasy giant? What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be acquitted of everything despite serious evidence? This is the depth of love and care. We know that Paul, Timothy and Epaphroditus were all godly men. 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. And are we offering up spiritual sacrifices to God through our service? When I had Guillain-Barre syndrome I didn't tell my mother I was sick because I didn't want her And he urged those married couples to have relations often, rather than living together celibately. It only takes a minute to sign up. know that they were rejoicing. For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge (epignosisfull knowledge) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light (Col. 1:9-12). He knew they would be sad and their sadness has greatly affected him-- not his Paul was saved in Acts 9 when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. But the Lord revealed to Paul that that which is perfect was coming. If our hearts are set to 'hallow all we find,' the most secular duties will be acts of worship. healthy. Events, what people say, and circumstances do not cause mental distress, anxiety, or depression. that the account of the sickness and recovery of Epaphroditus is such as to lead us to suppose that he was not restored by miracle; and he infers that the power of healing the sick was conferred on the apostles only occasionally, and did not depend at all on their will, since, if it had, there is every .