Difference between revisions of "Epaphroditus"

<p> (= ‘favoured by Aphrodite [Venus],’ ‘comely’) </p> <p> [[Epaphroditus]] was a loading member and delegate or messenger of the [[Philippian]] Church, mentioned only in &nbsp;Philippians 2:25; &nbsp;Philippians 4:18. He arrived in Rome during St. Paul’s earlier imprisonment with a substantial ‘gift’ (presumably of money) from the Philippian [[Christians]] to the Apostle, of whose impoverishment they had heard. After fulfilling his commission, and strengthening, through his own warmly affectionate personality, the bond of communion between the [[Apostle]] and his ‘dearly beloved’ Philippian converts, Epaphroditus remained in Rome partly to render personal service to St. Paul, as the representative of the devoted Philippians, and partly to take a share in the ‘work of Christ’ as the Apostle’s colleague in missionary ministry. St. Paul describes him as ‘my brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier,’ implying at once ‘common sympathies, labours undertaken in common, and community in suffering and struggle’ (J. S. Howson, <i> Companions of St. Paul </i> , p. 235). The ‘true yoke-fellow,’ also, of &nbsp;Philippians 4:3 is believed by Lightfoot ( <i> Philippians </i> 4, 1878, p. 158) to be most probably Epaphroditus, since ‘in his case alone there would be no risk of making the reference unintelligible by the suppression of the name.’ His evangelistic zeal, however, combined with devotion to St. Paul, over-taxed his strength, and became the occasion of severe illness-which almost issued in death (&nbsp;Philippians 2:27; &nbsp;Philippians 2:30). It is notable that St. Paul, whose power of working miracles is frequently referred to (&nbsp;Acts 14:10; &nbsp;Acts 28:8, &nbsp;2 Corinthians 12:12), did not exercise it in the case of Epaphroditus. It was a power which, ‘great as it was, was not his own, to use at his own will’ (Barry in Ellicott’s <i> Com. on NT </i> , 1884, &nbsp;Philippians 2:27). Some inner voice doubtless enabled apostles to know when the time for working a miracle had come. But ‘the prayer of a righteous man availeth much’; and earnest supplications were doubtless offered up in Rome by St. Paul and the Church there for the recovery of Epaphroditus. These prayers were heard. ‘God also, last I should have sorrow on sorrow’ (&nbsp;Philippians 2:27). </p> <p> [[Mean]] while the Philippians had heard of their delegate’s illness, and by and by their anxiety became known at Rome. [[Partly]] to relieve that solicitude and to satisfy the ‘longing’ of Epaphroditus; partly to convey the Apostle’s grateful acknowledgment of the recent gift; partly also, we may presume (although with delicate consideration this reason is not expressly stated), in order that the invalid’s health may be fully restored through entire rest such as he would not take in Rome, the Apostle sends him back to [[Philippi]] with a cordial testimony to his zealous labours and chivalrous service. Epaphroditus thereafter disappears from NT history, leaving behind him the fragrant memory of self-forgetful and self-sacrificing devotion at once to the person of St. Paul and to the cause of Christ. </p> <p> [[Theodoret]] ( <i> Com </i> . on &nbsp;Philippians 2:25) represents Epaphroditus (with some hesitation) as ‘bishop’ of Philippi. Pseudo-Dorotheus includes him (without probability, however, since nothing suggests that he was a Hebrew) among the Seventy of &nbsp;Luke 10:1; and he calls him ‘bishop’ of Andriace, the port of [[Myra]] in Lycia. In virtue of the designation ἀπόστολος (&nbsp;Philippians 2:25) the Greek Church places Epaphroditus in the same rank with Barnabas, Silas, and others; but the contest suggests the original meaning, ‘messenger.’ </p> <p> Literature.-H. S. Seekings, <i> Men of [[Pauline]] [[Circle]] </i> , 1914; J. S. Howson, <i> Companions of St. Paul </i> , 1871; E. B. Redlich, <i> St. Paul and his Companions </i> , 1913, p. 230; J. A. Beet, in <i> Expositor </i> , 3rd ser. ix. [1889] 64ff.; [[Commentaries]] of Ellicott, Eadie, Lightfoot, Vincent, Weiss, von Soden. See also articles in <i> Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols) </i> , <i> Hastings’ Single-vol. Dictionary of the Bible </i> , and <i> Encyclopaedia Biblica </i> . </p> <p> Henry Cowan. </p>

<p> <strong> EPAPHRODITUS </strong> . [[Mentioned]] by St. Paul in &nbsp; Philippians 2:25-30; &nbsp; Philippians 4:18 , and described by him as his ‘brother, fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier’ (&nbsp; Philippians 2:25 ). He was the messenger by whom the Philippians sent the offerings which fully supplied the necessities of St. Paul during his first Roman imprisonment (&nbsp; Philippians 2:25 , &nbsp; Philippians 4:18 ). In Rome he laboured so zealously for the Church and for the Apostle as to ‘hazard’ his life (&nbsp; Philippians 2:30 ); indeed, he came ‘nigh unto death,’ but God had mercy on him, and the Apostle was spared this ‘sorrow upon sorrow’ (&nbsp; Philippians 2:27 ). [[News]] of his illness reached Philippi, and the distress thus caused his friends made him long to return (&nbsp; Philippians 2:26 ). St. Paul therefore sent him ‘the more diligently,’ thus relieving their minds, and at the same time lessening his own sorrows by his knowledge of their joy at receiving him back in health. Apparently the [[Epistle]] to the Philippians was sent by him. </p> <p> [[Charles]] T. P. Grierson. </p>

<p> [[Epaphroditus]] (''E-Păf'Ro-D'' ''Î'Tus'' ), ''Venus-Like, Beautiful.'' A [[Christian]] who was sent from Philippi with contributions for Paul, while prisoner at Rome. There he was sick; and a delightful view is afforded of the apostle's tenderness of spirit by the way in which he speaks of one so dear to himself, and to the Philippian believers. &nbsp;Philippians 2:25-30; &nbsp;Philippians 4:18. He was the bearer of the epistle to Philippi. Some have imagined that he was identical with Epaphras, because the one name is a contracted form of the other; but we have no sufficient grounds for such a conclusion. </p>

<p> A member of the church at Philipi, charged with the supplies which that church contributed for the relief of Paul while imprisoned at Rome, &nbsp;Philippians 2:25 &nbsp; 4:18 . This labor of love brought on him a serious illness at Rome, on which occasion we see how much he was esteemed and beloved both by Paul and the Philippians, &nbsp;Philippians 2:25-30 . On his return he was the bearer of the epistle to them. </p>

<p> '''Epaphrodi'tus.''' ''(Lovely).'' The full name of which [[Epaphras]] is a contraction. &nbsp;Philemon 2:25; &nbsp;Philemon 4:18. </p>

<p> (Ε᾿παφρόδιτος '','' belonging ''To Aphrodite,'' or Venus), a messenger (ἀπόστολος ) of the Church at Philippi to the apostle Paul during his imprisonment at Rome, who was intrusted with their contributions for his support (&nbsp;Philippians 2:25; &nbsp;Philippians 4:18). A.D. 57. Paul's high estimate of his character (see Evans, ''Script. Biog.'' 2:300) is shown by an accumulation of honorable epithets (τὸν ἀδελφόν, καὶ συνεργόν, καὶ συστρατιώτην μου ), and by fervent expressions of gratitude for his recovery from a dangerous illness brought on in part by a generous disregard of his per. sonal welfare in ministering to the apostle (&nbsp;Philippians 2:30). Epaphroditus, on his return to Philippi, was the bearer of the epistle which forms part of the canon. [[Grotius]] and some other critics conjecture that Epaphroditus was the same as the [[Epaphras]] mentioned in the epistle to the Colossians (see Sirk. ''De Epaphrodito Philippensiumn Apostolo,'' Lips. 1741; Strohbach, De Epaphra Colossensi, Lips. 1710). But, though the latter name may be a contraction of the former, the fact that Epaphras was most probably in prison at the time, sufficiently marks the distinction of the persons. The name Epaphroditus was by no means uncommon (see Tacit. Ann. 15:55; Sueton. Domit. 14; Joseph. Life, 76), as Wetstein has shown (Nov. Test. Gr. 2:273). </p>