Philippians 2:25-30

25: 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;
26: because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
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.
28: 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.
29: Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;
30: because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

*** 

Paul told the Philippians that he was sending Epaphroditus back to them. Epaphroditus had come to Paul in Rome from Philippi to bring a contribution for his needs (Philippians 4:18). Paul called him his brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, as well as the Philippian’s messenger and minister to Paul’s needs.

Paul said he was sending him back to them because it bothered Epaphroditus that they had heard he had been sick. Apparently, he was very sick, to the point of death, but “God had mercy on him” and he recovered. Paul was grateful, because it would have added to the sorrow of his imprisonment if his fellow worker in Christ would have died while bringing him supplies.

So, Paul was eager for Epaphroditus to return to Philippi so they all could see him and rejoice. It’s possible he had planned on staying longer, but due to his illness and the concern of the Philippians, Paul was happy to send him back so they could be reunited. If Epaphroditus would have stayed on with Paul for a while, the Philippians concern may have continued to grow causing them to worry unnecessarily. Communication in those days was not as quick as today. It took longer to get news, and that news could be outdated by the time it was received.

Paul told them to receive Epaphroditus in the Lord with all joy and to hold men like him in high regard. It’s not completely clear why Paul felt the need to tell them to receive him, unless it was just his way of saying to welcome him with joy and honor him for all of the trouble he went through in completing this task of bringing Paul supplies. Paul told them he risked his life to make up for what they hadn’t supplied. Not that they were stingy in their gift to Paul, for we see their concern for his needs in Philippians 4:10, but Epaphroditus somehow made sure Paul’s needs were fully supplied, even at the cost of his own health.





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