25 But I counted it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need;
*Minor differences ignored. Grouped by changes, with first version listed as example.
I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus. After having encouraged them by the promise of his own coming and that of Timothy, he fortifies them also for the present, by sending previously Epaphroditus, that in the mean time, while he waited the issue of his own affairs, (for this was the cause of his delay,) they might not be in want of a pastor who should take care that matters were properly managed. Now, he recommends Epaphroditus by many distinctions -- that he is his brother, and helper in the affairs of the gospel -- that he is his fellow-soldier, by which term he intimates what is the condition of the ministers of the gospel; that they are engaged in an incessant warfare, for Satan will not allow them to promote the gospel without maintaining a conflict. Let those, then, who prepare themselves for edifying the Church, know that war is denounced against them, and prepared. This, indeed, is common to all Christians -- to be soldiers in the camp of Christ, [1] for Satan is the enemy of all. It is, however, more particularly applicable to the ministers of the word, who go before the army and bear the standard. Paul, however, more especially might boast of his military service, [2] inasmuch as he was exercised to a very miracle in every kind of contest. He accordingly commends Epaphroditus, because he had been a companion to him in his conflicts. The term Apostle here, as in many other passages, is taken generally to mean any evangelist, [3] unless any one prefers to understand it as meaning an ambassador sent by the Philippians, so that it may be understood as conjoining these two things -- an ambassador to afford service to Paul. [4] The former signification, however, is in my opinion more suitable. He mentions also, among other things, to his praise, that he had ministered to him in prison -- a matter which will be treated of more fully ere long.
1 - "De batailler sous l'enseigne de Christ;" -- "To fight under Christ's banner."
2 - "S. Paul pouuoit se vanter plus que pas on des autres, que sa condition estoit semblable a celle d'vn gendarme;" -- "St. Paul might boast more than any other that his condition resembled that of a soldier."
3 - "Pour tous prescheurs de l'euangile;" -- "For all preachers of the gospel."
4 - "Ambassade pour administrer a Sainct Paul en sa necessite;" -- "An ambassador to minister to St. Paul in his necessity."
Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus - Epaphroditus is nowhere else mentioned but in this Epistle; see Philippians 4:18. All that is known of him, therefore, is what is mentioned here. He was from Philippi, and was a member of the church there. He had been employed by the Philippians to carry relief to Paul when he was in Rome Philippians 4:18, and while in Rome he was taken dangerously sick. News of this had been conveyed to Philippi, and again intelligence had been brought to him that they had heard of his sickness and that they were much affected by it. On his recovery, Paul thought it best that he should return at once to Philippi, and doubtless sent this Epistle by him. He is much commended by Paul for his faithfulness and zeal.
My brother - In the gospel; or brother Christian. These expressions of affectionate regard must have been highly gratifying to the Philippians.
And companion in labour - It is not impossible that he may have labored with Paul in the gospel, at Philippi; but more probably the sense is, that he regarded him as engaged in the same great work that he was. It is not probable that he assisted Paul much in Rome, as he appears to have been sick during a considerable part of the time he was there.
And fellow-soldier - Christians and Christian ministers are compared with soldiers Plm 1:2; 2-Timothy 2:3-4, because of the nature of the service in which they are engaged. The Christian life is a warfare; there are many foes to be overcome; the period which they are to serve is fixed by the Great Captain of salvation, and they will soon be permitted to enjoy the triumphs of victory. Paul regarded himself as enlisted to make war on all the spiritual enemies of the Redeemer, and he esteemed Epaphroditus as one who had shown that he was worthy to be engaged in so good a cause.
But your messenger - Sent to convey supplies to Paul; Philippians 4:18. The original is, "your apostle" - ὑμῶν δὲ ἀπόστολον humōn de apostolon - and some have proposed to take this literally, meaning that he was the apostle of the church at Philippi, or that he was their bishop. The advocates for Episcopacy have been the rather inclined to this, because in Philippians 1:1, there are but two orders of ministers mentioned - "bishops and deacons" - from which they have supposed that "the bishop" might have been absent, and that "the bishop" was probably this Epaphroditus. But against this supposition the objections are obvious:
(1) The word ἀπόστολος apostolos; means properly one sent forth, a messenger, and it is uniformly used in this sense unless there is something in the connection to limit it to an "apostle," technically so called.
(2) the supposition that it here means a messenger meets all the circumstances of the case, and describes exactly what Epaphroditus did. He was in fact sent as a messenger to Paul; Philippians 4:18.
(3) he was not an apostle in the proper sense of the term - the apostles having been chosen to be witnesses of the life, the teachings, the death, and the resurrection of the Saviour; see Acts 1:22; compare the notes, 1-Corinthians 9:1.
(4) if he had been an apostle, it is altogether improbable that he would have seen sent on an errand comparatively so humble as that of carrying supplies to Paul. Was there no one else who could do this without sending their bishop? Would a diocese be likely to employ a "bishop" for such a purpose now?
And he that ministered to my wants - Philippians 4:18.
Epaphroditus, my brother, etc - Here is a very high character of this minister of Christ; he was,
1. A brother - one of the Christian family; a thorough convert to God, without which he could not have been a preacher of the Gospel.
2. He was a companion in labor; he labored, and labored in union with the apostle in this great work.
3. He was a fellow soldier; the work was a work of difficulty and danger, they were obliged to maintain a continual warfare, fighting against the world, the devil, and the flesh.
4. He was their apostle - a man whom God had honored with apostolical gifts, apostolical graces, and apostolical fruits; and,
5. He was an affectionate friend to the apostle; knew his soul in adversity, acknowledged him in prison, and contributed to his comfort and support.
Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus,.... In the mean while, before either he or Timothy could come to them. This man was sent by the Philippians to the apostle with a present, and had been detained at Rome for some time, partly through business, and partly through sickness; but now the apostle thought it proper, he being recovered, to send him to them, who was one of their ministers. One of this name lived at Rome about this time, and was one of Nero's freemen (o), but not the same person here intended. This person has a very high character. The apostle calls him,
my brother; not in a natural relation, or as being his countryman, and so according to a way of speaking with the Jews, and himself, his brother and kinsman according to the flesh; for by his name and country he seems to be a Greek; but in a spiritual relation, being born again of the same Father, belonging to the same household and family, and also a brother in the ministry, as it follows:
and companion in labour; in the laborious work of preaching the Gospel. The ministry of the word is a work; it is called the work of the ministry; and it is a laborious one when diligently and faithfully performed: the apostle was a workman that needed not to be ashamed, a labourer in Christ's vineyard, and one that laboured more abundantly than others; and he was not alone, he had companions in his work, and this good man was one of them: he adds,
and fellow soldier; the life of every believer is a warfare; he is always engaged in a war with sin, and Satan, and the world; and is often called to fight the fight of faith, to contend earnestly against false teachers for the faith once delivered to the saints, to stand up for it, and fast in it; and is provided for with the whole armour of God, with weapons of warfare, which are not carnal, but spiritual and mighty, being enlisted as a volunteer under the great Captain of his salvation, Jesus Christ, under whose banner he fights, and is more than a conqueror through him: but though this is the common case and character of all the saints, it more especially belongs to ministers of the Gospel; who are set for the defence of it, and at the front of the battle, and are called to meet the enemy at the gate, and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ; and such an one was the apostle; and he had other fellow soldiers, and this person among the rest, who were engaged in the same common cause with the same enemies, under the same Captain, and would enjoy the same crown:
but your messenger; or "apostle"; meaning either that he was the pastor of them, a preacher to them, a minister among them; for ordinary ministers of the word were sometimes called apostles, as well as extraordinary ones, see Romans 16:7; or rather, that he was their messenger to him, to relieve, comfort, and assist him in his bonds; and such persons were called the messengers of the churches, 2-Corinthians 8:23, which sense is strengthened by what follows:
and he that ministered to my wants: to his personal wants in prison, and to the wants of the poor saints, which the apostle reckoned as his own, and which he used to supply; but now not able; and to his ministerial wants, filling up his place in preaching the Gospel to the saints at Rome,
(o) Artinn. Epictet. l. 1. c. 1, 19, 26. & Aurel. Victor. Epitome Romans. Imp. in Nerone.
I supposed--"I thought it necessary."
to send--It was properly a sending Epaphroditus back (Philippians 4:18). But as he had come intending to stay some time with Paul, the latter uses the word "send" (compare Philippians 2:30).
fellow soldier--in the "good fight" of faith (Philippians 1:27, Philippians 1:30; 2-Timothy 2:3; 2-Timothy 4:7).
your messenger--literally, "apostle." The "apostles" or "messengers of the churches" (Romans 16:7; 2-Corinthians 8:23), were distinct from the "apostles" specially commissioned by Christ, as the Twelve and Paul.
ministered to my wants--by conveying the contributions from Philippi. The Greek "leitourgon," literally, implies ministering in the ministerial office. Probably Epaphroditus was a presbyter or else a deacon.
Epaphroditus. He will now send back Epaphroditus, the messenger they had sent to Paul with their offerings, one who had been so welcome, a "brother, and companion in labor, and fellow-soldier."
For he longed after you all. Was very desirous to see you.
Full of heaviness. Heart-sickness.
He had been sick. We thus learn that their messenger had a serious sickness while in Rome. Of course the news of this caused great anxiety at home.
God had mercy on him. He was "nigh to death," but God in his mercy spared him.
Sorrow upon sorrow. His death would have been a great sorrow to Paul, who had already many sorrows.
I sent him therefore the more diligently. Because his brethren at home were so anxious about him. Their joy in seeing him will be a joy to Paul also, so that he will be the less sorrowful over his absence.
Receive him. Give him a glad welcome. Hold such as he in high reputation.
Because. Because it was his work for Christ, his refusal to spare himself, his supreme anxiety to supply by his own service the absence of the church, which brought on his sickness.
To send Epaphroditus - Back immediately. Your messenger - The Philippians had sent him to St. Paul with their liberal contribution.
*More commentary available at chapter level.