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But I
thought it
necessary to
send to you
Epaphroditus:
Anagkaion
de
hegesamen (1SAMI)
Epaphroditon
: (Phil
4:18)
I thought (2233) (hegeomai from middle deponent of ágo = to
lead) primarily signifies to lead then, consider and so to think about
and come to a conclusion.
Hegeomai is a
mathematical term which involves careful thought and not
come to a quick or hasty
decision.
An excellent illustration of the meaning of this word is
Moses in (see note
Hebrews 11:26)
who thought through his decision, weighing the pros and cons. He
weighed what Egypt had to offer against what God offered. When he
reached a conclusion it was well-founded and certain. God’s offer was
infinitely superior in every way. In the eyes of the world no reproach
(being ridiculed and persecuted) would be worth sacrificing riches
for. Yet Moses believed that the worst he could endure for Christ
would be more valuable than the best of the world. And so Paul aware
of his circumstances makes a conscious judgment resting upon his
deliberate weighing of all the facts.
Necessary (316)
(anagkaios from
anagke
= necessity) means
what one can not do without and so that which is indispensable. Anagkaios is
a very strong word.
Paul reasoned that this was
what was required by the circumstances.
Epaphroditus (Dictionary) (1891)
is mentioned only in the present epistle and according to Vincent is derived from Aphrodite
(Venus), and means charming and how well he lived up to
his name. Others say his name means
"belonging to” or “favored by Aphrodite” and
later came to mean “loving” or “lovely.”
my
brother:
ton
adelphon:
(2Co 2:13;
8:22;
Phile 1:1)
Robertson makes an interesting
observation that there is
"one article ton (the) with the three epithets given in an ascending scale (Lightfoot), brother
(adelphon, common sympathy),
fellow-worker (sunergon, common work), fellow-soldier (sunstratiōtēn, common danger).
Brother
(80)
(adelphos from a = here denoting unity +
delphús = womb) is literally those born from same womb
and then descriptive of fellowship of life based on identity of
origin. Fellow believers in Christ are sons of their heavenly Father
and thus are united by the bond of affection and Christian love.
and
fellow
worker:
kai
sunergon:
(Phil
4:3;
1 Cor 3:9;
2Cor 8:23;
Col 1:7;
4:11;
1Thes 3:2;
Phile 1:1,24)
Fellow worker ( 4904)
(sunergos
from sun
= together with,
intimate association implied + érgon = work) refers to
his co-laborer, presumably who participated with Paul in
the labors of the gospel.
Sunergos
is used by Paul in 12/13 NT uses (Click
to study all uses in context) and in this verse
emphasizes
a common spiritual effort in addition to a common spiritual life
discussed above ("my
brother"). Sunergos conveys
the idea of an affectionate partnership, not merely that of an
impersonal, official relationship.
Wycliffe says sunergos is a
"term
borrowed from the workshop and stressing the spirit of comradeship."
and
fellow
soldier:
kai
sustratioten
mou:
(2Ti 2:3,4;
Phile 1:2)
Fellow soldier (4961)
(sustratiotes from
sun
= together with,
emphasizing an intimate union +
stratiotes = a soldier; see study of related verb
strateuomai
= wage war)
is an interesting combination word, the prefixed preposition "sun"
speaking of an intimate association and thus picturing saints fighting side by side
against onslaught from seen and unseen foes. Phillips picks up on this
picture, translating it as comrade-in-arms.
Christians and Christian
ministers are compared with soldiers Phile 1:2;
2 Timothy 2:3;
2:4 (note) because of the
nature of the service in which they are engaged. The Christian life is
a warfare with many foes to be overcome. Like Roman soldiers, the
period which they are to serve is fixed by the Great Captain of our
salvation, and all Christian soldiers will soon and eternally be
permitted to enjoy the fruit 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.
For more detailed
discussion of Christian soldiers see note on
2Timothy 2:3-4 and
also compilation from various resources entitled "A
Good Soldier".
Gill
has a thoughtful summary of the
Christian as a soldier
noting that
"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"
who is
also your
messenger and
minister to my
need:
humon
de
apostolon
kai
leitourgon
tes
chreias
mou:
(Pr 25:13;
Jn 17:18;
2Co 8:23;
Heb 3:1)
(Phil
4:18;
2Cor 11:7-9)
Messenger (652)
(apostolos
from apo = from + stello = send forth) is literally a "sent one" which conveys
the basic idea of one who is sent to do a job and associates authority
with the assignment.
The secular Greek writer
Demosthenes gives a
picture of the meaning of "apostolos" using the term to
describe a cargo ship sent out with a load. He also spoke of a
naval fleet as "apostles" sent out to accomplish a
mission.
Epaphroditus was thus sent out as a "messenger"
from the church at Philippi to bring relief to Paul who acknowledged
his arrival writing that
"I
have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply
supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent,
a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God"
(see note
Philippians 4:18)
A parallel use of apostolos
is found in the second epistle to the Corinthians where Paul wrote
"as
for our brethren, they are messengers (apostolos) of the
churches, a glory to Christ"
(2Cor 8:23)
In the preceding verse Paul is describing the men who were responsible for the
handling and transporting of the funds.
Thus churches apparently sent
out their own "messengers" for various purposes but
these were separate and distinct from the "apostles of Jesus Christ,"
each of whom had been been specifically chosen and sent out in person
by resurrected Christ. There is no continuity of these apostles
of Jesus Christ since in no place were the churches instructed
to ordain apostles and furthermore none would be able to fulfill the
criteria necessary for one to be a true apostle of Jesus Christ.
Minister
(3011)
(leitourgos
from léïtos = of the people + érgon = work > English = liturgy) a person in service of
state who held public office
who was so passionately dedicated to his duties that he discharged
them at his own expense.
Need
(5532)
(chreia
from chréos
= debt) from
chraomai = to use, make use of or chreos = a debt) means a
necessity, what is needed or the occasion of need. Here it refers to
something lacking and needed. In other words it refers to
Paul's necessities.
Barclay elaborates
"In secular
Greek this was a magnificent word. In the ancient days in the Greek
cities there were men who, because they loved their city so much, at
their own expense undertook certain great civic duties. It might be to
defray the expenses of an embassy, or the cost of putting on one of
the dramas of the great poets, or of training the athletes who would
represent the city in the games, or of fitting out a warship and
paying a crew to serve in the navy of the state. These men were the
supreme benefactors of the state and they were known as leitourgoi
."
In the
Septuagint (LXX)
leitourgos was used
primarily in reference to the
Old Testament priestly service to God and of service to man. Similarly
the most common NT meaning of leitourgos describes
service to the Lord by believers. (Click
the 5 NT uses)
Wuest
adds that
"the service of
Epaphroditus in ministering to the needs of Paul while the
former was in Rome, was looked upon by the apostle as a ministry
having as much sacredness about it as one would meet with in the
ministry of the priests in the Jewish temple services." |
