Six Disciples: Epaphroditus, The Character of Ministry Philippians 2:25-30 A sermon by Rev. Bob Kells Everyone likes being recognized for a job well done. Whether you work for a small private company or a big bureaucracy, people who perform well deserve some kind of recognition for their achievements. Sometimes it comes as an award or a bonus. Sometimes it s just a pat on the back in front of co-workers. But always and everywhere, there is a need to single out excellence and important contributions to an organization or a cause. One of the military traditions for recognizing heroic action in combat called mentioned in despatches. We used to do this in our military forces and the British still do it in theirs. Here s how it works: When commanding generals send their reports to headquarters, they would name officers and soldiers for their distinguished service. In some cases, no details of their feats were provided. In other cases, we get a glimpse of the value of the soldier s contribution from the report. Here s one example: In the opening days of the First World War, the commander of the British Army in France sent a despatch in which he mentioned the important work of a general officer with these words: I say without hesitation that the saving of the left wing of the Army under my command on the morning of the 26th August could never have been accomplished unless a commander of rare and unusual coolness, intrepidity [bravery], and determination had been present to personally conduct the operation. 1 Cool under fire. 1 Field Marshal Sir John French, Sir John French s First Despatch, The Long Trail, The British Army of 1914-1918 for family historians, article on internet, http://www.1914-1918.net/french_first_despatch.html, accessed 11 August 2015. 1
Intrepid, brave. Determined to carry out his mission. Personally present on the battlefield. Based on this report, it sounds like this man had all the character traits you would want in an officer. If I was going into battle, this is just the kind of person I would want on my side. When we read Paul s letter to the Philippians, I think we get the same sense about the character of Paul s companions in ministry as we just heard in this report. We learn about their contributions. And we learn about their character, what it was that made them effective helpers for Paul and the church. Paul has a lot of good things to say about most of the people that traveled with him. In today s lesson, he focuses on an obscure disciple named Epaphroditus. All we know about this man is contained in today s six scripture verses. What you see is what you get: - His name, Epaphroditus, means lovely, handsome or charming. It comes from the name of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, or Venus, who was the goddess of love. This tells us he was probably a non-jew before he became a follower of Jesus Christ. - We know Epaphroditus was from Philippi, a town Paul had visited and where he planted a church. - He was sent to help Paul while the Apostle was in prison, probably in Ephesus or possibly Rome. - At some point, Epaphroditus became sick. We don t know what this sickness was but Paul says it was life threatening. It was this brush with death that prompted Paul to send Epaphroditus back to Philippi because Paul knew they were concerned about him. 2
What did Epaphroditus do for Paul? He calls him a messenger from the Philippians, and a minister to Paul s needs. - Epaphroditus undoubtedly brought greetings from the church in Philippi. His very presence with Paul was an expression of the great care and concern the Philippians had for Paul. He may also have brought with him some money that was collected by the church to help sustain Paul in prison. - Epaphroditus ministry was probably to bring food and other needed items to Paul while he was in prison. This was very important in Bible times because conditions in the prisons were really harsh. Food and clothing were not always provided by the prisons, sanitation was nearly non-existent. As a result, families and friends had to bring these things to their imprisoned relatives. These are important services Epaphroditus performed for Pau. But what s more important is what the letter tells us about his character. Paul describes him as: brother, co-worker, and soldier. - Brother. Close relative. Member of the same family. Paul felt a kinship with Epaphroditus because they were one in faith in Jesus Christ. The same Holy Spirit that lived and breathed through the life of Paul also lived and breathed in the life of Epaphroditus and other Christians. They were kindred spirits in the Lord. - Fellow worker indicates Epaphroditus worked closely with Paul. They were co-workers in the vocation of spreading the good news about Jesus Christ. Some of the work they shared duties may have included teaching, preaching and serving those in need. - Finally, fellow soldier. A military image. There is a camaraderie among soldiers that is hard to reproduce outside of the military. By saying Epaphroditus was his fellow soldier, Paul indicates they shared in the same mission; enjoyed the same sense of satisfaction in spreading the Gospel; they rejoiced when someone accepted Jesus Christ as savior. Likewise, they ran the same risks. Epaphroditus likely experienced the prejudice, the persecution, the hunger, the long journeys, and the threat of imprisonment while serving the Lord. 3
All of these aspects of the relationship between the two men tell us that Paul valued the work and the friendship of Epaphroditus very highly. This is confirmed when at the end of the section, Paul tells the Philippian church how to treat him: Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honor such people, because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me (Acts 2:30). Yes, Paul respected Epaphroditus as a brother, co-worker and soldier with him in the cause of Christ. Mostly, I think he thought highly of him because Epaphroditus thought about others before he worried about himself. This is where the life of Epaphroditus has the most to teach us. Because as I see it, the central quality of his character was self-giving love. It all comes down to love. - Love is the central character trait for the Christian, in Philippi or anywhere else. - Love is the reason God sent Jesus to the world, to save us from our sins. - Love is what moved the Philippians to send Epaphroditus to Paul in the first place. They sent him because they loved Paul and all he was doing for the Lord. And they did not want him to be alone in a time of distress, in prison. - Love is what moved Paul to send Epaphroditus back to the Philippians. Paul knew how concerned they were about him. Even though it was painful for Paul because he d be alone again it was his love for the Philippians that sent Epaphroditus home. This may not seem like much to cover for the life of any one person. 4
But in these few words Paul gives us about this disciple of Jesus, I think we can see Epaphroditus models for us what it means to have the attitude of Christ: loving neighbor more than self. Epaphroditus demonstrated the character trait of sacrificial, self giving love in his ministry to Paul and in their work together. This story reminds us that it s risky business, loving other people like this. It makes us vulnerable to both the joys and the suffering of love. But when share the risks, we know we are not alone. In Christ, we know we are part of a larger community a kingdom, really that provides support and comfort through prayer and the presence of other believers. - We do this each week when we gather for worship and pray for each other and for God s world. - We share as brothers and sisters in Christ; as co-workers in the Lord; as fellow soldiers of the Gospel. For that is what we are. Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done. Everyone likes a pat on the back every now and then to let them know they re doing a good job. In the Letter to the Philippian church, Epaphroditus was mentioned in despatches by the Apostle Paul. He was cited for his self-giving love. What is the central feature of your life in Christ? How would you want to be mentioned in despatches to Jesus? Faithful, humble, grace-filled, obedient, brave, loyal the list is long. I can think of no better example than that of Epaphroditus who showed us the same attitude of humble service and self-giving love that was in Jesus Christ, our Lord. May God so form our lives by this example until we, too, have the mind of Christ. Amen. 5