Epiphraditus - Signs of a good church

 

The references:          Philippians 2:25          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. 

                                    Philippiians 4:25        I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 

 

The story that emerges:

It was Samuel Johnson who wrote, “Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” Paul could have written, “When a man knows he is in prison, it concentrates his mind wonderfully on things of real value.” Paul tells us of those values in his correspondence with the Philippian church

For Paul it all revolved around the companionship with Epaphroditus and the sweet encouragement that brought him. 

Epaphroditus was from the church in Philippi. Clearly, Paul had made a strong impression upon Epaphroditus when Paul was there. When he learned that Paul was in jail in Rome, he went to be with his mentor. For Paul, this gesture and their time together was the most precious, most highly valued beam of light to penetrate the walls of his cell.

Here are some of the words Paul used in reference to Epaphroditus. “He is my brother,my coworker, my fellow soldier.” The triad of those words present a close friend, one who shares the call of their Lord, one not embarrassed by Paul’s witness, and one who has not shrunk from joining Paul in the trenches.

He moves to expressions of feelings, mentioning his longing for him, of the distress of his absence, the sorrow upon sorrow if Epaphroditus had died, and of rejoicing at the Philippians seeing him again. Those are terms of endearment, of a companion who shares the deepest love that Paul knows. No high-tech words, no task-oriented references, no dry terms just so he can move to more important things. Paul felt deeply for his friend and could only talk of him with terms of intimacy, of heart language, and the bonds of affection. 

As Paul looked ahead at Epaphroditus’ return to Philippi, the context he envisioned was not that of new blood for ministry or additional help for programs. Instead he writes of the joy and honor that the people back in Philippi will have when their friend returns. They had heard that he had been near death. So now they will rejoice over him as a dearly loved brother who has returned home.

The letter closes with another reference to Epaphroditus and the gift he brought from this church that loved Paul so. But again, the value is not in the listing of the items that would make Paul’s life easier. To Paul, the gift is more of a “fragrant offering” of their affection for him. That meant more to him than the contents. Along with all that he unwrapped, he received “an acceptable sacrifice pleasing to him and to God.” 

The values Paul the prisoner held to be so wonderful? Not the tangibles, not the statistics of ministry and growth, not the reports of attendance and programs. No, rather the intangibles of hearing news of the brothers and sisters, of how they continue in partnership with Paul, how “they share in his troubles,” and how they are pursuing “the fruits of righteousness that come from their faith in Jesus Christ.” 

That is what lifts Paul’s heart about the relationship with the Philippians, or the Colossians, or the Thessalonians. News. Affirmation of abounding in knowledge and grace, defending the gospel, sharing in God’s grace with him. For him the delights of his appetite, this was feasting. He did more than survive on this companionship; the time with Epaphroditus fed him and deeply satisfied his longing.

The food that is served for Paul’s feast is known by the vitality of spiritual hunger, by the signs of true fellowship, by loving other congregations, by the sending out of key and prominent leaders, by the challenges the church faces, and by dealing with opponents with love and patience.

Above all the one and most pure value--rejoicing in God. Doesn’t Paul say that twice in the last chapter?

 

 

When we found our bench, I was tempted to ask Epaphroditus if he did not have a nickname. I mean, “Epaphraditus”? Surely…. As for myself, I got lucky. Who wouldn’t trade “Tad” for “Ernest”? But I thought that maybe, just maybe, “Epaphroditus” meant a lot to them then. Chalk that up to cultural sensitivity. :-)

I did ask about “risking his neck” for the gospel. No details come from Paul. Epaphroditus did not add any. In fact, best left that way. Otherwise we in the safe zones of the world would make a hero of him for what he would consider --- no big deal. 

We did reflect on what Paul would want for a church’s feast. We agreed that this seems to be learned behavior.  Unless we learn otherwise, what might we expect to hear? “How was your Christmas service?” “Did you meet your goal of the campaign?” “Tell me about your program for after Easter.”  “Is your average attendance going up?”  

What we hear from Paul in prison does want evaluation by corporate measures. Consider the church today. The Christians in Idlid Province of Syria have no building but depend upon the church’s prayers for food and safety. The refugee Christians in Moria Camp on Lesvos Island, Greece, have no church “service” but hunker down around radio programs. The Christians in Kathmandu are under suspicion but are intent on helping fellow believers to find sanctuary in Canada. 

For us in the safe zones, they are on the front lines where the battles are engaged. From them we learn the values to absorb that they and Paul embody.