But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed, 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. Therefore, I am even more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad, and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me. (Philippians 2:25-30).

After commending Timothy to the Philippians, Paul turns his attention to Epaphroditus who gets even more space than Timothy and a commendation even grander than Timothy’s because of the things he endured for the sake of the gospel. He was probably a convert since he was named for the goddess Aphrodite.

Roman prisons made little, if any, provision for the prisoner’s food, clothing, bedding, or hygiene. Such things would need to be brought into the prison by family and friends. The church at Philippi, having heard that Paul was imprisoned in Rome, sent Epaphroditus with money and other gifts and charged him to remain and tend to all of Paul’s needs on their behalf.

As he was fulfilling this service, Epaphroditus became deathly ill. But through God's grace he recovered. Paul now wants to return him to Philippi, an act which will relieve the anxiety of the church (which has heard of Epaphroditus' illness), and of Epaphroditus himself (who has been distressed that the church was distressed).

No doubt much of the church’s anxiety was not only concern for the health of the messenger but also frustration over what seemed a failed mission. Epaphroditus was sent to serve Paul, but as it turned out, Paul ended up caring for a deathly ill co-worker. Paul wants to relieve all such anxieties and to pave the way for a joyful return.

The mission had not failed. Epaphroditus became a servant to Paul in his need, and just as Christ Jesus “became obedient to death—even death on a cross”, so Epaphroditus came near death in faithful service for Christ. Just as God, in response to Christ’s obedience, exalted him to the highest place, so Epaphroditus should be welcomed back to Philippi with joy and honor because of his obedience and sacrifice.

In relation to Paul, he is a brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier; in relation to the church, he is their messenger and servant. As to his performance while with Paul, Epaphroditus almost died for the work of Christ. In a hostile environment he did not retreat but risked his life to minister to Paul. The church should not doubt him but follow his example of willing sacrifice.

Therefore, says Paul, let no cloud of doubt or disappointment spoil his home coming. Welcome him with the joy and honor appropriate to his selfless and sacrificial ministry. Epaphroditus risked his life for the sake of Christ. He is to be respected for this.

Who do you know who risked or risks much for the sake of the gospel and the coming kingdom? We should all know such a person, whether they have already passed into glory or still here on this earth. They inspire our faith. They inspire our sacrifice. In the early church, there was a society known as ‘the gamblers’, who risked their lives to care for the sick and imprisoned and to give martyrs and even enemies an honourable burial.

The work of the indwelling God changed both Timothy and Epaphroditus into the likeness of the great Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. They were varied characters, with varying gifts and diverse temperaments; their backgrounds could not have been more dissimilar; but they were each coming to resemble the Saviour; they loved him and followed his example. What was true of them can be true of us; God has not changed.

As you journey on go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

“I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 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. 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” (Philippians 2:19-24).

In our text for today, Paul is doing something very practical. He is commending to the church in Philippi one of his co-workers in the gospel, a young man named Timothy, in anticipation of his visit, and the hope that Paul himself will also eventually return to them.

But Paul’s commendation of Timothy isn’t only practical. It is an indication of the ways in which Timothy serves as an example to the church of the kinds of things Paul has been exhorting them toward in the first part of his letter. Paul had encouraged the believers to look “not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4). In our text for today, he speaks of Timothy as showing “genuine concern for [the church’s] welfare.” As we have seen repeatedly, Paul emphasizes the importance of relationships among believers as key to demonstrating the gospel message of grace.

Paul also indicates that the Philippian church is aware of Timothy’s character in the context of his relationship to Paul, which he compares to a son with his father. Again, think of earlier in Philippians 2 and the way that Jesus is described as obedient to the will of his Father, being humbled and then exalted. Paul’s description of Timothy as a son is an indication of Timothy’s own Christ-like character.

So Paul sends Timothy with encouragement and, in doing so, invites the Philippian church to welcome him with gratitude and graciousness and to imitate his example. He identifies himself with Timothy, speaking of him as a co-labourer. While he hopes he can visit the community again one day, he entrusts their welfare to Timothy in the event he cannot.

This kind of sending and receiving is part of the way that churches continue to do kingdom work today. It’s one of the ways we embody the mission of God that we are committed to as a church.

Immanuel has its own relationships with people it sends and receives, including various Faith Promise and missionary partners we believe are advancing the kingdom alongside us, but in other contexts. As a church committed to this work, we have a similar responsibility to Paul: To send these people with encouragement, and to cheerfully and prayerfully receive their reports about the work we have commissioned them to do. We are called to identify ourselves with them as co-labourers, and with the local and global church communities to which we send them, whether or not (like Paul) we get a chance to visit ourselves. We are one body, all of us together, and to tangibly live that out is part of the commitment a sending and supporting church makes.

So when is the last time you prayed for or intentionally encouraged those this church has committed to sending and receiving, or the communities to which you have sent them? Perhaps consider doing so today. This is part of the missional task God has given to the church, and I can speak from personal experience about how meaningful it is to receive this kind of support as a missional worker. And, as Paul himself anticipates, you may find yourself cheered by this effort too!

So as you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text is 2 Kings 5:1-16. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

Dive In Questions:

1. What question from 2 Kings 1 lies in the background to this chapter?
2. What is unique about the young servant girl? Why is she a true Israelite? How does she stand in contrast to both Naaman and the king of Israel?
3. What might God ask you to give up if you fully commit to him?
4. How do the waters of the Jordan hint towards baptism?
5. Do you believe that God is able?