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
– Philippians 2:25
Only those prepared to be apostles of their own local church are qualified to be real ministers of Christ. Most Christians do not reach this point. They make their local church into a nest from which they refuse to fly. Even if the Lord chooses to keep us where we are, in our heart we must be willing to be sent out. We should not build nests in our own church. If we are brothers, fellow workers, and fellow soldiers, we can be apostles sent out by our local church. In this way, we can become ministers who are able to carry out practical things spiritually as Epaphroditus did. He is a pattern to us all.
Adapted from Philippians: That I May Gain Christ, by Titus Chu, page 176.