Philippians 2:25-30 says,...
Today's verses are Philippians 2:25-30, which read,
v.25, 26 - But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard he was sick.
Yesterday we looked at the fact that Paul saw it necessary to not only write letters back to these churches to give further Biblical instruction but also to send faithful men to observe and bring back a report of the church's spiritual progress. Paul would do this himself when able. These are the outside eyes coming in to help us see what we are not seeing in relationship to our walk with the Lord. Paul wanted to send Timothy, his right hand man, but was not able to yet and he also wanted to see them so he goes to the bull pen and pulls out Epaphroditus to go in their place.
He is highly qualified as a brother and a fellow worker and a fellow soldier of the gospel of the grace of God through the cross of Christ. He is one of them, the Philippians, who was sent to bring aid to Paul in prison and now he is coming back with this letter and further instruction. He is anxious to get back because word had gotten around that he was sick while gone and many must have been concerned about his physical condition.
v.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.
Epaphroditus' physical condition was very much what they had feared and it was one of those situations when the doctor says, "the next few hours are critical to living or dying." Paul gives the glory to God for Epaphroditus' recovery and is so thankful for his life. His affection for this brother gives us this phrase "sorrow upon sorrow" for those times when grief comes strong. A family is our present church could have used this phrase recently when they found themselves at one funeral service and learning of another family member passing while they were there. Paul is spared by God's mercy that depth of sorrow and now he is sending back to Philippi a whole man with this letter of instruction.
v.28-30 - Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
If Paul was overjoyed by Epaphroditus' recovery, how much more joy would his church family express when they who heard this sickness from afar and not able to be by his side see him back from the dead! But then Paul gets back to the matter at hand. Epaphroditus is coming for a reason and with a purpose. He is coming with a letter from Paul filled with Biblical instruction and also his very life to teach and disciple them onto a deeper walk with the Lord. Epaphroditus is coming home as a man who was loyal to the spread of the gospel with his very life. This is not the same man that the Philippians had sent to Paul with aid, he was changed.
I will end with the thought again about those we might invite into our lives to speak to us directly about our spiritual walk. This might be on a personal level or on the corporate level as a church body. This is asking a Timothy or a Paul or an Epaphroditus who are proven followers of Christ with a great love for the followers of Christ and the church bringing further Biblical instruction and also their own eyes to see how we or you or I are really doing spiritually. How will we respond to their message? Will it be with resistance and rationalizations or will it be with repentance and reality to what is presented? The value of this spiritual intervention in our lives comes when we not only accept the messenger but also the message that they bring. Let's pray.
"Lord, thank You that we can have relationships with others that are so deep that we feel the sorrow of loss. Thank You that we can also benefit from others in our walk with You. Help us to seek out those who are of the caliber that Paul describes here and also to listen to them with a heart ready to change if needed. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.25, 26 - But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard he was sick.
Yesterday we looked at the fact that Paul saw it necessary to not only write letters back to these churches to give further Biblical instruction but also to send faithful men to observe and bring back a report of the church's spiritual progress. Paul would do this himself when able. These are the outside eyes coming in to help us see what we are not seeing in relationship to our walk with the Lord. Paul wanted to send Timothy, his right hand man, but was not able to yet and he also wanted to see them so he goes to the bull pen and pulls out Epaphroditus to go in their place.
He is highly qualified as a brother and a fellow worker and a fellow soldier of the gospel of the grace of God through the cross of Christ. He is one of them, the Philippians, who was sent to bring aid to Paul in prison and now he is coming back with this letter and further instruction. He is anxious to get back because word had gotten around that he was sick while gone and many must have been concerned about his physical condition.
v.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.
Epaphroditus' physical condition was very much what they had feared and it was one of those situations when the doctor says, "the next few hours are critical to living or dying." Paul gives the glory to God for Epaphroditus' recovery and is so thankful for his life. His affection for this brother gives us this phrase "sorrow upon sorrow" for those times when grief comes strong. A family is our present church could have used this phrase recently when they found themselves at one funeral service and learning of another family member passing while they were there. Paul is spared by God's mercy that depth of sorrow and now he is sending back to Philippi a whole man with this letter of instruction.
v.28-30 - Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.
If Paul was overjoyed by Epaphroditus' recovery, how much more joy would his church family express when they who heard this sickness from afar and not able to be by his side see him back from the dead! But then Paul gets back to the matter at hand. Epaphroditus is coming for a reason and with a purpose. He is coming with a letter from Paul filled with Biblical instruction and also his very life to teach and disciple them onto a deeper walk with the Lord. Epaphroditus is coming home as a man who was loyal to the spread of the gospel with his very life. This is not the same man that the Philippians had sent to Paul with aid, he was changed.
I will end with the thought again about those we might invite into our lives to speak to us directly about our spiritual walk. This might be on a personal level or on the corporate level as a church body. This is asking a Timothy or a Paul or an Epaphroditus who are proven followers of Christ with a great love for the followers of Christ and the church bringing further Biblical instruction and also their own eyes to see how we or you or I are really doing spiritually. How will we respond to their message? Will it be with resistance and rationalizations or will it be with repentance and reality to what is presented? The value of this spiritual intervention in our lives comes when we not only accept the messenger but also the message that they bring. Let's pray.
"Lord, thank You that we can have relationships with others that are so deep that we feel the sorrow of loss. Thank You that we can also benefit from others in our walk with You. Help us to seek out those who are of the caliber that Paul describes here and also to listen to them with a heart ready to change if needed. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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