#5. Christian Character: Timothy and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:19-30)
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
http://www.jesuswalk.com/philippians/5_character.htm
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Incidentally, after this lesson we'll take a break for one
week. You've been working hard, and this may give you a chance to
take a breath -- or catch up a bit. Then we'll resume with lesson
#6 after the break.
Philippians 2:19-30
19
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon,
that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.
20I
have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your
welfare.
21For everyone looks out for his own
interests, not those of Jesus Christ.
22But you know
that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father
he has served with me in the work of the gospel.
23I
hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with
me.
24And I am confident in the Lord that I myself
will come soon.
25
But I think it is necessary to send back to you
Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who
is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
26For he longs for all of you and is distressed
because you heard he was ill.
27Indeed he was ill, and
almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but
also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
28Therefore
I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him
again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.
29Welcome
him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him,
30because
he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make
up for the help you could not give me.
This week's lesson is shorter. We have here no major doctrinal
issues to discuss. But this section is vitally important,
nevertheless, especially if you are a leader in your church. The
passage talks about the character of two Christian workers,
Timothy and Epaphroditus. As we study them, we reflect on our own
service to Christ.
Timothy's Background
Before we study the passage in Philippians, let's look briefly
at Timothy's background.
Timothy's name means in Greek, "one who honors God." He was a
native of Lystra, which Paul and Barnabas had visited in
conjunction with the First Missionary Journey (about 41 to 47
AD), close by Derbe and Iconium, other cities on their preaching
itinerary (Acts 14:6-21). Miracles took place and "they preached
the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples"
(Acts 14:8). One of these was apparently Timothy, then a young
man. Paul considered himself Timothy's spiritual father, calls
him "my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord" (1
Corinthians 4:17) and "my true son in the faith" (1 Timothy 1:2).
By the time Paul and Silas returned to the area for the Second
Missionary Journey (about 47-51 AD), "the brothers at Lystra and
Iconium spoke well of him" (Acts 16:2). He had developed a good
reputation in the Christian community. Paul asked him to join
them on the missionary journey as an assistant (Acts 16:3).
But there was an obstacle. Timothy was the son of a devout
Jewish mother, but a Greek (Gentile) father, and because of his
mixed parentage he hadn't been circumcised. Perhaps his father
had opposed it when he was young; we don't know. From a Jewish
standpoint, the marriage was
technically illegal.1 Even the Christian church would
have opposed the marriage of a believer to a non-believer (2
Corinthians 6:14). But his mother's spiritual influence was not
completely frustrated. He had been tutored from infancy in the
Old Testament Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15) and had examples of
sincere faith in both his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice
(2 Timothy 1:5).
Paul was adamantly against forcing people to be circumcised as
a prerequisite for salvation. He defended the right of another
co-worker, Titus, to remain uncircumcised, since he had no Jewish
parentage (Galatians 2:1-5). To Paul circumcision or
uncircumcision wasn't important to salvation (Galatians 5:6;
6:15).
But Paul's mission was being all things to all men in order to
save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). His missionary strategy was to
go first to the synagogue in a city and preach Christ there. When
he was eventually expelled from the synagogue for preaching Jesus
as the Messiah, he would organize a church, made up of converted
Jews as well as converted "God-fearers," Gentiles who came to
synagogue because they were attracted by Judaism.
But if Paul went to a synagogue with an uncircumcised Jewish
young man as his associate, he would have been immediately
ejected over the issue of circumcision, and the Gospel of Jesus
Christ wouldn't get a hearing. If Timothy were to travel with
Paul, he must be circumcised, not for salvation, but so he
wouldn't be an impediment to Jews hearing the Gospel. So Timothy
was circumcised in Lystra, received the laying on of hands by the
elders at Lystra (1 Timothy 4:14), and joined the Apostolic
mission.
From this time on, Timothy is a close, trusted associate of
Paul's. They have a kind of mentor-protégé, father-son
relationship. As he grows in the faith, Paul entrusts him with
the most delicate of missions. Hawthorne observes, "Timothy was a
young man with exceptional potential for missionary statesmanship
and church leadership."2
- He is left behind in Berea to continue the work after Paul is
forced to leave because of threats against his life (Acts 17:14).
- During a time of persecution he is sent to Thessalonica to
strengthen the believers in their faith (1 Thessalonians
3:1-3).
- He is sent to Macedonia from Ephesus with a similar mission
(Acts 19:22).
- He is sent as Paul's emissary to bring teaching and healing
to the troubled church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:17-21).
- He is apparently sent to Philippi and perhaps returns with
a monetary gift from that church for Paul (Philippians 2:19;
4:15-16; Acts 18:5).
- He is instructed how to appoint elders and deacons in the
churches (1 Timothy 3).
- He accompanies Paul on his last trip to Jerusalem (Acts
20:4).
- He is at his side during his imprisonment.
Paul seemed to gain special comfort, encouragement, and
strength from Timothy's presence (Philippians 2:20-22). He is
mentioned in the salutation of the letters to Philippi, Colossae,
Thessalonica, and the second Corinthian letter -- probably
because he was well-known to those churches.
Like all of us, however, Timothy was a person under
construction by God. Paul has to encourage him against timidity
(2 Timothy 1:7) and people despising his authority because of his
youth (1 Timothy 4:12; 1 Corinthians 16:10). Sometimes Paul has
to urge him to be diligent in spiritual matters and to persevere
in the Christian ministry (1 Timothy 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 1:6;
3:14-15). Paul also instructs him how to behave towards various
kinds of people (1 Timothy 5), controlling his passions (2
Timothy 2:22-23), dealing with error (2 Timothy 3:1-18), and keep
himself from godless myths and speculations (1 Timothy 1:4; 4:7).
Paul encourages by his own example to love, faith, and purity (1
Timothy 4:12), to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 1:18),
and to keep the faith and a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19).
Paul longs for Timothy at the closing days of his life (2
Timothy 4:9). Later, apparently Timothy himself is imprisoned and
then released (Hebrews 13:23). Of his later life we know little,
but that tradition says that he succeeded the Apostle John as
Bishop of Ephesus and was beaten to death at age 80.3
All in all, Timothy made a remarkable contribution to the
ministry of Paul and to the First Century Church.
Timothy's Selfless Love (2:19-21)
After considering Timothy's life and ministry, let's meditate
on what Paul says about him here, as it gives us a picture of
character befitting a church leader:
"19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you
soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you.
20I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine
interest in your welfare. 21For everyone looks out
for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." (2:19-21)
Timothy was a great comfort to Paul in his imprisonment. But
Timothy was more than just a familiar companion. He was a
Christian statesman that Paul could send to deal with the most
sensitive of church problems. Paul is seeking recent news of the
Philippian church, but even more he is seeking news that their
divisions and bickering had ceased. Perhaps Timothy can help them
through that.
Look at what makes Timothy an effective leader: He "takes a
genuine interest in your welfare." He isn't self-absorbed. He
doesn't have a hidden agenda. He cares about those he ministers
to. "Genuine/ly" (NIV, NRSV) or "naturally" (KJV) is the Greek
adverb gnēsiōs,
"sincerely, genuinely."4 The interest he shows is not
some professional exercise -- he really cares. "Interest" (NIV),
"care" (KJV), and "concerned" (NRSV) is the Greek verb
merimnaō, which means
here, "to attend to, care for, be concerned about something."5
Paul has had lots of experience with church leaders by now.
Paul says, "I have no one else like him." "Likeminded" (KJV) or
"like him" (NIV, NRSV) is the Greek adjective isopsuchos,
"of like soul or mind."6 How sad, when you think of it
-- the rareness of genuine concern, which is a synonym, of true
agapē love.
Others are trying to further7 their own interests.
This isn't merely a conscious motive of self-aggrandizement. It
is often a hidden psychological neediness to be loved and
accepted, or underlying desire for power and control that is the
real motivator. It isn't that others besides Timothy weren't
earnestly trying to serve the Lord. But they weren't mature, in
the sense that had allowed Jesus to thoroughly work through their
issues with them and refine them.
If you've walked with the Lord for a while, you know that he
has a way of surfacing our flaws and making them obvious to us.
Then we can deal with them and bring them before him and let him
heal us.
Too often we have allowed leaders to control our churches who
are not spiritually and emotionally mature. How can they be true
"servant leaders," like Jesus was, if they haven't been refined
and chastened and reworked by God?
Q1. (2:19-21) Why was Timothy's selfless
concern so rare among church leaders? Rather than pointing
the finger at others in your church, consider yourself. What
things has Jesus had to deal with in your life that has
helped you to become genuinely selfless and focused on the
concerns of others? How has he refined you? (Of course, he is
still at work in us!)
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Proving Oneself (2:22a)
Paul goes on to describe Timothy:
"22But you know that Timothy has proved himself,
because as a son with his father he has served with me in the
work of the gospel. 23I hope, therefore, to send him
as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I am
confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon." (2:22-24)
Timothy is no novice to ministry. He has proved himself.
"Proved/proof" (NIV/KJV) or "worth" (NRSV) is the Greek noun
dokimē, "test,
ordeal." Here it has the idea, "the experience of going through a
test with special reference to the result, standing a test,
character."8 This word group is used of assaying ore
to see if it is of mixed alloy or pure metal. This is like "gold
refined in the fire," tested, purified, proved.
In a later epistle Paul instructs Timothy about selecting
overseers (bishops) and deacons:
[An overseer] "must not be a recent convert, or he may become
conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil." (1
Timothy 3:6)
[Deacons] "must first be tested (dokimazō);
and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as
deacons." (1 Timothy 3:10)
Too often our selections of church officers is more about
popularity (or "Who can we get to say 'yes'?") than spiritual
maturity and tested character. Shame on us! We trivialize
positions of church leadership when we are so desperate to fill a
slot on the board that we take anybody for any motive. Instead of
being considered an imposition, church leadership should be
considered an honor and a sacred calling.
Like a Son with a Father -- Mentoring (2:22b)
"But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son
with his father he has served with me in the work of the
gospel. (2:22)
Timothy has worked with Paul "as a son with his father." What
does that mean? The way boys learned to farm, or to be a
carpenter, or a tentmaker, or whatever trade? They generally
worked alongside their father for years, learning not only the
skills, but the attitudes and values that are necessary to
perform the work successfully. Timothy was an apprentice.
How do we train our church leaders today? Do we give them a
task and leave them to fend for themselves? Or do we put them to
work alongside someone else?
I can remember some of my own spiritual mentors and how
valuable they have been to me. First, my own father, who taught
me to love the Lord with faithfulness and obedience. One of my early
pastors, Philip Stanley, took me under his wing and taught me
about caring for the sheep. And a layman, Joe Parriott, taught me how to love people.
Slaving in the Gospel (2:22c)
"But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son
with his father he has served with me in the work of the
gospel." (2:22)
There are several words in Greek for serving. One of the most
common is diakoneō,
"to serve," from which we get our word "deacon." But the word
"served" in this verse is remarkable. It is the Greek verb
douleuō, "to act or
conduct oneself as one in total service to another, perform the
duties of a slave, serve, obey."9
When we use the phrase, "slaving away," we use it in a
negative sense of menial, unremitting, undesirable labor. But
Paul means it as a humble privilege, to serve the Lord Jesus
Christ as his willing slave is a high honor. Is it an honor
for you or a chore? A lot has to do with the quality of our love
for this Jesus. If we are just doing "church work," that can get
old. But Paul tells slaves in his day,
"Serve (douleuō)
wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for
whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free." (Ephesians
6:7-8)
In your church or your daily occupation, whom are you serving?
Get this right and you can be a leader. Get this wrong and you
will hurt the church of Christ.
Paul uses an interesting phrase, "He has served with me in [the
work of] the gospel." "Work of the gospel" (NIV, RSV) is the
Greek noun euangelion, "good news as a proclamation."10
What we are about is not administrivia. It is the vital work of
proclaiming the Good News itself to a darkened, dying world!
After describing Timothy and his qualifications, Paul tells
the Philippians, "I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see
how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I
myself will come soon." (2:22-24) Paul expects to be released
soon!
Epaphroditus the Man (2:25)
Now let's move from Timothy to Epaphroditus, a believer sent
by the Philippian church to assist Paul in prison. His name means
"charming." Pronunciation: "Epaphroditus" is pronounced like
"ee-PAF-ro-DIE-tus."
"But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus,
my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your
messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs." (2:25)
Look at the ways Paul describes Epaphroditus:
- Brother (adelphos). He's part of the Christian
family, the church family. Sometimes our leaders, sometimes
professional clergy remain somehow aloof from the congregation.
But the best church leaders are those who understand that they
too are brothers and sisters.
- Fellow worker (sunergos). Paul is in prison. There
are no cities to take for Christ. No glorious mission to the
heathen. Just the everyday chores of going grocery shopping,
helping with cooking, finding people that Paul needs to talk to
and bringing them to his house. Perhaps helping him by
transcribing letters. But Paul doesn't trivialize his time in
prison. He doesn't see it as wasted. So Epaphroditus is a
worker, a fellow worker with Paul. No matter that Paul is the
famous apostle and Epaphroditus a humble layperson come to
help. He has made a valuable contribution to the mission. He is
a fellow worker in the great work of the Gospel.
- Fellow soldier (sustratiōtēs).
Paul has no illusions about his situation. He is not
comfortable in some church that seems to fit like an old shoe.
He is a soldier in Christ's army. He is at war and does not
hesitate to remind the troops of their status too. As he wrote
to Timothy in a later letter:
"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian
affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy
2:3-4).
We are not to be complainers or slackers. We are soldiers who expect
to endure difficulty and hardship. To achieve the mission no
matter what the personal cost. Epaphroditus is a fellow
soldier.
- Messenger (apostolos). Though the Greek word is
apostolos, this doesn't mean that Epaphroditus is an
official apostle. The word was commonly used of messengers
without extraordinary status, delegate, envoy."11 He
is a messenger of the Church of Philippi sent on a mission to
help Paul. Epaphroditus is a messenger, the church's messenger,
Christ's messenger.
- "Minister" (NRSV) or "priestly minister" (leitourgos).
The word can mean "one engaged in personal service, aide,
assistant." But it can also carry the idea of priestly service,
though it may not have that connotation here.12
Epaphroditus is a minister, an aide-de-camp, an assistant.
Risking His Life (2:26-30)
But useful as Epaphroditus has been to Paul, he must send him
home.
"26For he longs for all of you and is distressed
because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed he was ill,
and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only
but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore
I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him
again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29Welcome
him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, 30because
he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make
up for the help you could not give me." (2:26-30)
We're not sure of all the reasons for sending Epaphroditus
home. He had been seriously ill. Apparently, the illness wasn't just a random
disease, but something resulting from his ministry to
Paul, "risking13 his life to make up for the help you
could not give me" (2:30b). It was directly caused by "the work
of Christ" (2:30a). Perhaps he need to go home to recover fully.
He could have been homesick -- "He longs for all of you." He is
concerned that the Philippian church is so distressed about him.
Honor Such Men (3:29)
Whatever the reason, Paul's letter to the Philippians is
designed to ensure that his church will honor him for his work
rather than consider him a failure and washout. That is the
reason for the words describing his service -- brother, fellow
worker, fellow soldier, messenger, and minister. Paul commands
the Philippians concerning him: "Welcome him in the Lord with
great joy, and honor men like him" (3:29). "Honor" (NIV, NRSV)
and "reputation" (NRSV) is the Greek noun entimos,
"pertaining to being highly regarded because of status or
personal quality, honored, respect."14
Q4. From what you've read in Philippians so
far, what seems to be the Philippian church's chief problem?
How does Paul's description of Timothy's character speak to
this problem? How does Paul's call to honor men like
Epaphroditus speak to this problem?
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It is quite appropriate for churches to especially honor who have served in ministry as pastors and
missionaries. Sometimes they return to a home church at
retirement. We should honor them! But sometimes they return to a
home church after a debilitating illness or emotional burnout.
Sometimes they return following a divorce that the stresses of
ministry contributed to. Dear friends, we aren't to be their
judges but their brothers and sisters and friends. We are to buoy
them up and heal them by our love. We are to honor them and their
families for Christ's sake and for their service to Christ, no
matter what the outcome.
When our servicemen and women returned home from an unpopular
war, they were often dishonored and forgotten. When they suffered
injuries both physical and psychic, we tended to disregard them.
We cannot afford to do this to our pastors and missionaries and
Christian workers when they return from service. Let us outdo one
another in honoring them!
The brief passage we've studied today challenges as
church leaders to be people of high character and calling. It
also speaks to us of how to honor leaders who have served the
cause of Christ. May we be obedient to the Word of God to us.
Prayer
Father, your standards for leaders are high. Give us grace to
rise to your standards rather than to fall to our own. Let our
lives radiate the humble leadership of Jesus Christ. Where we
fall short, have mercy on us and help us grow. We pray in Jesus'
name. Amen.
Key Verses
"I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in
your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not
those of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 2:20-21)
References
Standard Abbreviations
http://www.jesuswalk.com/philippians/refs.htm
- Strack and Billerback, II, 741, is cited by Gerald F.
Hawthorne, "Timothy," ISBE 4:857-858.
- Hawthorne, ISBE 4:858.
- "According to the ancient Roman martyrology, he died Bishop
of Ephesus. The Bollandists (24 Jan.) give two lives of St.
Timothy, one ascribed to Polycrates (an early Bishop of
Ephesus, and a contemporary of St. Irenaeus) and the other by
Metaphrastes, which is merely an expansion of the former. The
first states that during the Neronian persecution St. John
arrived at Ephesus, where he lived with St. Timothy until he
was exiled to Patmos under Domitian. Timothy, who was
unmarried, continued Bishop of Ephesus until, when he was over
eighty years of age, he was mortally beaten by the pagans." (C.
Aherne, "Epistles to Timothy and Titus," The Catholic
Encyclopedia, Volume XIV (Robert Appleton Company, 1912,
online edition 2003).
- BDAG 202.
- Merimnaō can have two senses: (1) "care
for" as in this verse or (2) "be apprehensive, have anxiety, be
anxious, be (unduly) concerned," which is its meaning in 4:6
(BDAG 632).
- BDAG 481.
- "Looks out for" (NIV), "seek/seeking" (KJV, NRSV) is the
Greek verb zēteō,
"strive for, aim (at), try to obtain, desire, wish (for)" (BDAG
428).
- BDAG 256.
- BDAG 259.
- BDAG 402.
- BDAG 122.
- BDAG 592. We get our word "liturgy" and "liturgical" from
this Greek noun, leitourgos.
- "Risking" (NIV, NRSV) and "not regarding" (KJV) is the
Greek paraboleuomai, "expose to danger, risk" (BDAG
759).
- BDAG 340.
Disciple Lessons from Philippians
Copyright © 1985-2010 Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
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