25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed 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. 28Therefore 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. 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
Dig Deeper
While I was home from college one summer, I had a summer job that was particularly physically demanding and difficult. One of the most difficult aspects of it was that I was commissioned to work in one part of the factory, but I was often sent wherever help was needed, so I would have to learn a whole different job for a day or two and then go back to my normal post. After a few weeks of actually being in my normal place, I was asked to go to help out with one of the most demanding and grueling parts of the entire factory. The supervisor on my line sent me over to help his friend who was the supervisor in this other area. I was sent to help out in that area for at least two weeks, but after only two days, the supervisor in the new area discovered that my normal area was even more in need than he was. He sent me back all the way across the factory to my original supervisor, but with a note. He wanted to assure my boss that I was not being sent back because I had failed or done something wrong, quite the opposite in fact. He thought that I was very helpful, but wanted to send me back because he had learned that his friend was in need as much as he was.
The Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to Paul to bring him a gift of support but also to stay a while and to help and serve Paul in any way that he could. Once he got there, though, or possibly on the way, he became very ill and the Philippians became quite worried. He had recovered, fortunately, and presumably had helped Paul a great deal. Yet, Paul quickly realized that, at the moment, he would do more good than by going back and seeing and serving the Philippian community than in staying with Paul. He absolutely does not want anyone to think that Epaphroditus is being sent back because he somehow let Paul down or was not helpful. He assures them over and over again that that could not be further from the truth. Paul is sending Epaphroditus back not because he can't use him but because he knows he will be of more service to the Philippians. This is yet one more example of Paul modeling the act of actively putting the needs of others over his own interests.
Epaphroditus had been sent from the church in Philippi to visit and encourage Paul with a gift (Phil 4:18), and evidently to stay there for a time and assist Paul in his ministry work. Paul's constant references to his ministry in terms of athletic competitions or military terms gives us an insight into the difficult and demanding nature of his work, so for Epaphroditus to stay on and become a fellow worker and fellow soldier with Paul was no small task. Apparently the Philippian church had intended for him to stay with Paul for a longer period of time and so would have been puzzled by his quick return. Paul, however, thought that it was necessary to send him back early, but wants no thoughts that it was because Epaphroditus was somehow unhelpful or un-loyal. Instead he rattles a litany of positive terms to describe the man from Philippi. He is, Paul says, a brother, a fellow worker, a fellow soldier, a messenger, and one who was sent to take care of Paul's needs.
What appears to have happened was that either on the way or shortly after arriving, Epaphroditus fell gravely ill. Despite what our modern word-faith and prosperity gospel preachers might like to champion, those who are in the loyal service of the Messiah can become ill, even seriously so. Somehow, the Philippians had heard of his illness and were quite distressed by his situation. Paul has already made it clear that he greatly values those who put the interests of others ahead of their own, and here Epaphroditus is yet another example of that. He appears to not have been very concerned for himself or his own health, but was instead distressed because they had heard he was ill. This should give us pause as to whether we are so concerned with the interests of our brothers and sisters in Christ that we would barely pay attention to how our own trials impact us, but are more concerned with the fact that this might have caused distressed for our brothers and sisters. Not only was he a great example of looking to the interests of others, he was also a wonderful model of the life of Christ for the Philippian community. Just as Jesus was obedient to the will of God to the point of being obedient to death on a cross (Phil 2:8), so Epaphroditus almost died in his faithful service to the Messiah. And, just as Christ was exalted by God in response to his obedience, so should the Philippian community welcome back Epaphroditus with joy and honor.
Paul is also one that understands the life of Christ means putting the interests of the Messiah and thus his people, ahead of his own. He no doubt would have loved to have kept Epaphroditus with him to help out with his own difficult circumstances, but is instead looking to the interests of the Philippians. It is not his situation that drives him here, but his concern over their anxiety. This serves as a powerful reminder for those who preach and teach the gospel in whatever format they may do so, that is impossible to preach the gospel of humility and self-sacrifice if we don't live out that same reality. Paul could call the Philippians to put the interests of others ahead of their own because he did just that on a regular basis.
We shouldn't miss the incredible realism that passages like this show us when it comes to Paul. There is always a danger of seeing Paul as being bigger than life as though he was able to do all that he did and go through all of the things that he went through because he was somehow more than human or a superhuman. Passages like this won't allow us to make that mistake if we read them carefully. Epaphroditus did almost die, but Paul knows that God had mercy on Epaphroditus and on him. Paul was truly distressed that he might die but God took pity on him to spare him sorrow upon sorrow. He was already in prison, unable to travel and see his brothers and sisters and it caused him great sorrow. Could he handle the added sorrow of Epaphroditus dying?
Why, some might ask, couldn't he just dismiss the circumstances and rejoice? Isn't that what he's been calling the Philippians to do? When Paul calls them to rejoice in any circumstances (as he will in chapter 4), he isn't demanding that they act like some emotionless robots that are less-than-human and devoid of any connection with real world. Having true joy doesn't mean that our emotions are mere mirages that we must learn to control or ignore. Having true emotions doesn't mean that we learn to act like everything is just fine regardless of the circumstances. It means that the hope and realization that Jesus is the true king of the world and will one day restore everything back to how it should be, outweighs our current circumstances or at least changes how we view and react to them. We should not pretend we don't have human emotions. To do so, would be to deny part of what God has given us. It was Christ, after all, who was able to speak of the incredible non-stop celebration of the kingdom of God, while at the same time, genuinely wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35). In fact, that event is quite instructive for us. Jesus knew that he was about to restore Lazarus, yet he still felt the very real sadness and pain that came in the moment. Even though he was in control, he still felt the pain of the 'not-yet'. So it was with Paul, and with us. We can feel the very real pain that comes with the evil and suffering caused by sin, but should always process that with the larger truth in mind that Jesus is the King of the world that will truly restore all things one day (Matt. 19:28).
Devotional Thought
How often do you really put the interests of others ahead of your own? Is that something that comes easy or is it a constant struggle for you? What does Paul say should be the motivating factor for a Christian to put the interests of others ahead of their own?
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