seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Philippians 2:19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
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 found this in the commentary this morning.
Your messenger and the one who ministered to my need: This means that Epaphroditus brought a gift of financial support from the Philippians to Paul (Philippians 4:18).
Ministered has in it the idea of a priestly service. When Epaphroditus brought the support money from the Philippians to Paul in Rome, he brought a sacrifice.
Lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow: God's mercy to Epaphroditus was also mercy to Paul. If Epaphroditus had died, Paul would have had sorrow upon sorrow, not only because a valued brother, worker, and soldier for Christ was no longer on this earth. He would also have sorrow upon sorrow because it all happened when Epaphroditus came on behalf of the Philippians to minister to Paul's material and spiritual needs while Paul was in prison in Rome.
Please go back and read verse 21 again, and consider the following from the commentary.Who will sincerely care for your state: When Paul sent Timothy he sent his best, a man who showed a pastor's heart and had greater concern for his sheep than for himself.
Paul recognized just how rare this kind of heart was when he observed all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
There's one or two in every church, it seems. There are always one or two Christ minded humans who would stop whatever they are doing and go help someone else. There's always one or two who long to be kind and generous. There's always one or two who desire to do something for the church. They are willing to drop everything and take up the mission, whatever it is or whatever the mission might bring.Apparently, Timothy and Epaphroditus are two such men.
I found this at the "got questions" site.
Interestingly, Epaphroditus’s name is of pagan origin. It means “belonging to Aphrodite”—the name of the goddess is actually incorporated into the name Epaphroditus. Such is the power of the gospel that a man is set free from dead paganism to serve the living God. When Epaphroditus received the gospel, he was “belonging to Jesus,” and the idol had no more claim on him, regardless of his name. The new birth trumped the birth name.
Paul isn't sending Timothy back to the Philippians yet. He's waiting to see how "things go with me"... meaning Paul [still selfless Paul I see]. I find it interesting that the "things go with me" comment comes just a couple verses after Paul says "For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. "
Yesterday Paul was talking about putting your own Salvation before everything else. I used the analogy of the proper use of the oxygen mask in an airplane. You are instructed to put your mask on first... then help the others. I think Paul's moved on to another example of "helping".
Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we will desire to do His Will. It's not something we "choose" to do. It becomes something we need to do. We will be satisfied when we do it.
The twist is... Christians just desire to be Christlike... It's part of the "Spirit" upgrade.
Real Christians don't do it for the satisfaction.
