Today we take a look at Paul's friend Epaphroditus. We know very little about him since the only times he is mentioned in the Bible is in Paul's letter to the Philippians, but we can tell he was dearly loved by the believers of Philippi. We can also tell that he worked as a messenger between Paul and the church at Philippi, because in Chapter 4 Paul will mention the fact that Epaphroditus recently brought a gift back to him from the church. This gift appears to have been either money or basic supplies that Paul needed while under house arrest, for in those days the government did not provide very much for prisoners. A person who was incarcerated had to depend on his or her family members and friends to provide either necessities or the money to purchase necessities.
Yesterday we learned that Paul was planning to send Timothy to visit Philippi soon, and today we learn that he feels it's even more important to send Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus has been seriously ill and the believers of Philippi have been praying earnestly for his recovery. Now that he has recovered, Paul knows they will be overjoyed to see him well again, and it makes his heart glad to think about how happy they are going to be when reunited with this godly man.
"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." (Philippians 2:25) We learn from verse 25 that Epaphroditus is not a friend or convert Paul made in Rome, but that he is from the city of Philippi. He is a member of the church there who was selected by the church to act as a messenger and delivery person between the church and the Apostle Paul. This means he is someone the church considers responsible and trustworthy. This means he is a man whose heart reflects the way the congregation feels about the Apostle Paul. When deciding who to send back and forth to Rome, the church said, "Epaphroditus is the best man for the job!"
We also learn several other things from verse 25. Paul refers to Epaphroditus as a co-worker, meaning he considers him an equal. This man works hard for the gospel of Christ. Paul calls him his brother, not because they are biological brothers, but because he loves him like a family member. While it's true that they are brothers in Christ, we get the sense that they also have a genuine liking for each other and that they have a close bond. Lastly, Paul describes him as a fellow soldier, which means Epaphroditus is a man strong in the faith, a man who isn't afraid to stand firm for what he believes in, even if his beliefs might lead to his death.
Epaphroditus wants to see the people of Philippi as much as they want to see him. "For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died." (Philippians 2:26-27a) We don't know the nature of his illness, but it was serious enough to be life-threatening. His hard work for the gospel is what led to his illness, as we will learn later in verses 29 and 30. Paul doesn't explain to us how the gospel work caused Epaphroditus to fall ill. It could be he contracted a virus during his travels as a messenger. Or it's possible that his immune system became weak due to long hours of work and little sleep. It may be that he sometimes did without proper meals because he was so busy caring for others that he didn't take enough time to care for himself. Paul doesn't go into detail about this man's illness, but even while ill Epaphroditus was more concerned for others than for himself. It distressed him that the people of Philippi were worried about him.
Paul now gives credit to God for healing his friend. Paul was with Epaphroditus while he was ill and he knows how serious it was. He feared his friend was going to die and is now very thankful that the Lord restored him to health. "But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow." (Philippians 2:27b) Paul is loaded down with cares, not only for all the churches but for his own situation as well. He says, "When God had mercy on Epaphroditus He had mercy on me also. I don't know how I would have been able to bear losing my friend on top of all my other troubles."
"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." (Philippians 2:28) Paul is going to feel better knowing that the Philippians feel better.
"So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 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." (Philippians 2:29-30) The church of Philippi can't be present with Paul in Rome. They want to help Paul, so Epaphroditus has been delivering gifts to Paul from the church. In doing so, he risked his life. There were many natural dangers in those days when traveling long distances, plus there were many dangers in proclaiming the name of Christ. Epaphroditus knew he was risking his life to help the church at Philippi serve the Apostle Paul. He was willing to take the risk.
There are only a few short verses in the Bible regarding Epaphroditus, but we can learn a lot from his example. We can strive to be like him. He was considered trustworthy and responsible. He loved and served others. He unselfishly cared more about the needs of others than about his own needs. He loved Christ more than he loved his own life. Because of all this, Epaphroditus deserves the honor of having his name mentioned in the holy word of God. He also deserves the honor of having us try to be more like him.
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