Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. [Philippians 2:25-30 NKJV]
Little is known about Epaphroditus. He was chosen by the Philippian church to carry money to Paul, and probably, to stay and serve Paul in Rome. Since Paul was under house arrest, he needed someone to buy his groceries, run errands, carry messages, and so on. Paul was pleased with Epaphroditus' service and character. Paul referred to him as "my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier."
Paul thought it necessary to cut Epaphroditus' service short, and send him back to Philippi, because word of his sickness had spread, and he didn't want the Philippian church to be overly concerned. Paul made it clear that he wasn't sent back because of any shortcomings in his service, and instead instructed the church to, "hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death."
This passage makes it clear that Epaphroditus became sick. His sickness worsened to the point of near death. He was not miraculously healed, but recovered by natural process (which Paul also attributes to God's mercy).
The question arises: why wasn't Epaphroditus miraculously healed? No doubt Paul prayed for his healing. To say that it had anything to do with Paul's faith would be absurd. Paul had a proven history of faith, and of miracles and healings being worked at his hands. You might say that Epaphroditus lacked the faith, or had unconfessed sin in his life that prevented him from being healed. Yet Paul commended him for his faith and service. If there had been a lack on Epaphroditus' part, this would have been a perfect teaching moment for Paul.
I absolutely believe in miraculous healing by God. I have seen it first hand. But the truth is, not everybody is healed every time.
There are many accounts of Jesus healing in Israel. On some special occasions He healed everyone who came to Him. Yet, He did not heal everyone in Israel. The 3rd chapter of Acts describes Peter healing a lame man at the entrance of the temple. The man had been begging for alms, as was his custom. How many times did Jesus walk past without healing him?
There is another account in John, chapter 5, of Jesus healing a lame man at the pool of Bethesda. He healed the one, but how many did he leave unhealed?
Timothy was frequently sick. Paul told him, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities." [1 Timothy 5:23 NKJV]
Why are some people healed and others are not? Or, why is a person healed one time, but not another? The answer is, "I don't know."
It would be both foolish and arrogant to claim that a person is not healed because of sin, or lack of faith, or a "negative confession", or because they didn't properly claim it. This is usually an argument made by people who have been blessed with good health. They quote a few healing scriptures, and then claim that it is God's will that everybody be in perfect health. But by cherry picking their healing verses, they have to ignore the full context of the Bible.
Let me say it again. I believe in miraculous healing. I pray it over others, as well as myself. I also recognize that it is God who is sovereign, and not I.
In this life, I will probably never know the answer to "Why?" But this I will do; I will continue to give God thanks. I will continue to praise and worship Him. I will continue to confess that Jesus is Lord.
Father, I thank You that You are the healer. Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus, that "By His stripes, we were healed." I trust You for healing, and give You thanks. Lord Jesus, I praise Your name.
No comments:
Post a Comment