Philippians 2:19-30
19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22But 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. 23I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed 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. 28Therefore 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. 29Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.
Just a couple of quick thoughts on this passage...
First of all, Paul points out the reality of Timothy living out Pauls commands at the beginning of the chapter. Timothy was looking out for thier welfare, which by the way Paul equates to the interests of Christ. Perhaps it would help me in my pursuit of faithfulness if I was to remember that when I place others interests ahead of my own, what I am actually doing is placing Christ's interests ahead of my own. Submission and service seem like a more noble pursuit when seen in this light.
The other point I see in this pasage is that when Paul speaks about Epaphroditus, he speaks about his potential death and the sorrow upon sorrow it would have caused Paul. Paul knows that to die is gain, but he also understands that death is still the enemy, and that there is great temporary loss in death, at least to the people who are left behind. We do not need to feel guilty about grieving, it is just that we do not grieve without hope as Paul said to the church in Thesslonica.
Finally, as always, Paul is not alone. It seems from what we read throughout the Pauline Epistles and Acts, that Paul was pretty much never alone. He always seemed to function in community (I wonder if it was scary to be chosen as part of Paul's community? It pretty much meant you would be beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, thrown in prison...this was almost a guarantee). I wonder if we have not overemphasized "personal evangelism" and under emphasized "communal evangelism"? Even my Mormon friends seem to get that one.
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