Therefore I have sent [Epaphroditus] all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you
– Philippians 2:28
Epaphroditus came to Rome with a gift for Paul from the saints in Philippi (Phil. 4:18). Paul indicated that Epaphroditus’s sickness was related to taking care of Paul and his coworkers, for he wrote that Epaphroditus “came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me” (2:30). Possibly, when the gift was used up, Epaphroditus took a job—perhaps even more than one job—to support Paul and those with him. Epaphroditus may have overextended himself, living on very little and sacrificing his own needs for Paul’s sake. When this caused Epaphroditus to draw near to death, Paul may have deeply regretted that he allowed him to work so hard. By the Lord’s mercy, Epaphroditus recovered, but the feeling of grief remained with Paul.
Let me give an example from my own experience. Once I became desperate for a young believer to grow in the Lord. In my zeal to push him along, I offended him. Eventually, he became cold and discouraged, which caused me heartache. Whenever someone mentioned his name, I felt a twinge of sorrow within my spirit. By the Lord’s mercy, he was eventually restored and began to develop again. However, the sense of sorrow over that situation has never totally left me.
Adapted from Philippians: That I May Gain Christ, by Titus Chu, pages 169-170.
Tomorrow: “Paul Becoming Only Less Sorrowful (3)”