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.
Vs. 25 -“I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus” - Until Timothy is available, Paul is going to have Epaphroditus return to his home church in Philippi.
“who is also your messenger” - Epaphroditus was sent from Philippi to Rome with aid for Paul.
Vs. 26 -“he was longing for you all” - Homesick. Also, we do not know how long Epaphroditus was in Rome serving Paul for the church.
“(he was)... distressed” - He did not want the church to be worried about him.
Vs. 27 -“he was sick to the point of death” - There is no information about what ailed him. Remember, there were no doctors, no modern medicine - almost any illness could be fatal. Also, news travelled slowly - no telephone, no internet, no 24-hour news service. News sent from Rome to Philippi may take days or weeks. The request for more info would require even more weeks. All the while, worry and concern mounts. Epaphroditus was a valued member of the church - they trusted him enough to send him to Paul in Rome with whatever aid they had gathered.
Vs. 28 -“when you see him again you may rejoice” - Now that Epaphroditus has recovered, Paul is overjoyed to be able to send him home. He will bring news of Paul’s ministry.
Vs. 29-30 - “Receive him then in the Lord with all joy” - Honor Him because he risked his life on your behalf.
***End of Chapter
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