THE MAN WHO LIVED FOR OTHERS
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on March 12, 2025 under AM Bible Study |
AM Bible Study Group: March 12, 2025 from Philippians 2:25-30
Theme: A life devoted to the work of Christ is a life given over to sacrifice for others.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
It’s no easy thing to be ‘poured out’ as a ‘drink offering’ for others.
But that’s what the apostle Paul had been writing about to the Philippian believers. He had told them that he had been willing, if the Lord so called, to be completely ‘poured out’ like an Old Testament drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of their faith—to give of himself completely in order that their faith in Jesus could be advanced. He had already proven this to them by being willing to suffer imprisonment for the cause of bringing the gospel to them while he was among them (see Acts 16). And now, with the possible threat of execution looming over him in a Roman prison cell, he was ready to submit to the Lord’s will if it meant that they would be rewarded in heaven for their faith and devotion to Jesus.
As we’ve seen in this section of Philippians, one of the reasons Paul was saying all of this to the Philippian believers was because he wanted them to respond to his example. He wanted them also to be willing to sacrifice their own rights and privileges and aspirations for earthly comfort and prosperity if it would advance the cause of the gospel to those around them. He had told them in Philippians 2:14-16;
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain (Philippians 2:14-16).
For that reason, he set himself before them as an example to follow:
Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me (vv. 17-18).
But Paul didn’t hold himself up as the only example. There were others that the Philippians would have known whose example of devotion would have also been an inspiration to them. First, he mentioned Timothy—a man whose concern for the Philippians’ growth in Christ made him someone that Paul was willing to send in his place; saying,
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly (vv. 19-24).
In our last time together, we considered the example of Timothy. He was a man who had been taught and trained by Paul so faithfully that he could be trusted to show the same kind of pastoral care for them that Paul himself would show for them. And in this morning’s study, we’ll consider the second man who stands as an example of sacrificial service for the cause of Christ—Epaphroditus. In verses 25-30, Paul wrote;
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 (vv. 25-30).
Timothy was someone Paul trusted to teach and shepherd the Philippians in his place. And he could only hope to send Timothy … if it was possible. But it was a different matter with Epaphroditus. He was someone who was actually with the Philippians even as they read Paul’s letter. It appears that Epaphroditus was from the church in Philippi. And the outstanding feature of his ministry is the level to which he was willing to sacrifice himself in providing practical care and ministry—on behalf of others—in the name of Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters; how willing are we to give of ourselves for the advancement of the faith of one another in Christ? Sadly, many professing Christians are scarcely willing to be inconvenienced for one another at all. But if we truly follow the example of the devotion that our Lord showed for us—He who was willing to leave the glory of heaven and die the death of the cross for our future glory—then shouldn’t we also be willing to be ‘poured out’ on the sacrifice and service of one another’s faith in Him?
Epaphroditus was an example to us of a profoundly ‘others’-focused servant of the church. And from him, we learn the valuable lesson that a life devoted to the work of Christ is a life given over to sacrifice for others.
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So; first, let’s consider …
1. WHO THIS OTHERS-FOCUSED SERVANT WAS (v. 25).
In verse 25, Paul wrote, “Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus …” In other words, even though he hoped one day to send Timothy to the Philippians, he considered the circumstances to be such that Epaphroditus must be sent to them. His name tells us something important about himself. It’s a name that means “lovely,” and it’s drawn from the worship of the false goddess Aphroditus. This would most likely mean that he was a man of a paganistic upbringing—whose parents might have chosen to give him the name of an immoral deity but who had, somewhere along the way, come to believe in Jesus. Perhaps his name was retained in order to show that the Lord Jesus can truly save anyone from any background.
And we can also know a great deal about him from the ways that Paul identified him. He called him “my brother”; which would affirm to the Philippians that Paul considered him to be a fellow follower of Jesus—and of the same spiritual family as him. For a devoted Jew like Paul to say this about a man who had a paganistic background truly shows the power of the gospel. And more, Paul called him his “fellow worker”; which indicated that he was considered a valued partner in the cause of the gospel with him. And even more still, Paul called him a “fellow soldier”; which indicated that he considered Epaphroditus someone who fought in the same battle for the Lord with him—and with the same mentality of sacrifice. Paul once encouraged Timothy to be that kind of a partner in ministry with him, telling him,
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3-4).
He had to encourage Timothy to be this. But he didn’t have to encourage Epaphroditus. He already was such a fellow-soldier with Paul.
And consider also what Paul said about Epaphroditus’ ministry to himself on behalf of the Philippians. Paul went on to tell them that he was “your messenger and the one who ministered to my need …” In other words, the Philippians had sent Epaphroditus to go to Rome, find the prison where Paul was being held, and minister to his needs on their behalf. In Philippians 4:10, Paul wrote to the Philippians and said,
But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity (4:10).
Apparently, they sent some kind of financial or practical support to Paul during his imprisonment. And how was it that they sent it? As Paul said in 4:18;
Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God (v. 18).
Epaphroditus must have been a very trustworthy man of God to be entrusted with such a gift. He doesn’t seem to have been an elder in the church. And if he was an official deacon in the church, this isn’t told to us. But it seems clear that he was a man who had experienced the life-transforming power of Jesus Christ; and now, he was a devoted servant to the cause of Christ—going on behalf of the church family to minister a gift from the church to the apostle Paul—ministering aid to him in whatever way he may need—all for the advancement of his ministry.
Epaphroditus was a true example of others-focused service. And that leads us next to consider …
2. HOW HIS FOCUS ON OTHERS WAS DEMONSTRATED (vv. 26-28).
Paul let his readers know why he felt it necessary to send Epaphroditus when he wrote in verse 26, “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 …” What was this ‘sickness? We’re not told. But it seems that—whatever it was—it was made worse by how he over-extended himself in labor for the Lord. In verse 30, Paul indicated that he came close to death “for the work of Christ”. The word that Paul used in verse 30 to describe how he didn’t “regard his life” is a word that suggests the idea of taking a risk in gambling. In other words, Epaphroditus knew that he was sick and yet gambled with his life to fulfill the needs of the church and of the apostle Paul … and he almost lost the gamble! You and I may think that this wasn’t a very wise thing for Epaphroditus to do—and maybe even Paul thought so, too. But apparently, Epaphroditus was so focused on others in the cause of Christ that he didn’t consider himself. He truly was prepared to be ‘poured out’ for the cause of Jesus in others … and almost was.
Paul went on to write in verse 27, “but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.” It could be that when Epaphroditus came to minister to the needs of Paul, Paul ended up having to minister to the needs of Epaphroditus! To say that God had mercy on Epaphroditus suggests that his life—hanging on the brink—was spared. It was a close call! And what’s more, Paul considered that God had mercy on himself also in sparing Epaphroditus because this brother, fellow worker fellow soldier had become very precious to Paul. Paul would have felt the loss terribly if his companion in the ministry had died. He had come to mean that much to the apostle!
And note further how much he had also come to mean to the Philippians. Paul went on to say in verse 28, “Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful.” It must have been that Epaphroditus’ illness had been prolonged for some time; since the Philippians had heard about it—not from Epaphroditus returning to tell them—but from some other source while Epaphroditus was unable to travel. The fact that they were distressed over the news—and that Epaphroditus was distressed over their distress—and that Paul knew that they would be encouraged by seeing him again—all go to show us how much of an ‘others’ impact Epaphroditus’ ministry had.
This leads us to one more thing to notice; and that is …
3. WHY SUCH A SERVANT SHOULD BE ESTEEMED BY OTHERS (vv. 29-30).
Paul instructed the Philippians in verse 29, “Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem …” Why would Paul have to say this? Some have speculated that it would be because the Philippian church would be surprised—and perhaps even a little disappointed—that Epaphroditus would have returned to them sooner than they expected. It may be that he had been sent, not just to bring a gift, but also to stay a long time and support Paul in his difficult trial. His return might have been seen by some as—though necessary—a bit of a failure.
We should never assume that because someone is ill, they’re somehow walking outside the will of God. In spite of what some teach, vitality and health are not guaranteed to us in the service of our Lord. Sometimes, God allows illness to accomplish His will in surprising ways; and perhaps even to help highlight something significant about His choicest servants. Paul apparently saw it that way. In verse 30, he told the Philippians to esteem Epaphroditus (and others like him), “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.” This may be—in part—why Paul had given them the assurance he gave in 4:18; “Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full …” He didn’t want the circumstance of Epaphroditus’ return to—in any way—detract from the remarkable demonstration of sacrifice he had made in the service of the Philippians to Paul.
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There’s one more thing that we should mention about Epaphroditus’ example of an others-focus in ministry. And that’s that we are reading this letter today. The fact that Paul stressed that he was sending Epaphroditus back to the Philippians suggests strongly that he carried this letter along with him on his return trip. It’s very likely that the people of God have been blessed throughout the centuries by this letter because of the sacrificial service of this redeemed man named Epaphroditus. He truly was—as his name suggests—“lovely”.
So; it’s true that it’s no easy thing to be ‘poured out’ as a ‘drink offering’. But the writer of Hebrews told his readers;
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:10-12).
Epaphroditus—the man who lived for others—would be just such a man for us to imitate.
AE
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