Who was Epaphroditus?

And, what’s he doing in the Bible?

Right in the middle of this marvelous letter to the Philippian church, Paul takes time to speak of his friends, Timothy and Epaphroditus. The immediate context in the letter is undoubtably important—why now does he mention these two? Why, after a beautiful articulation of the work of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11) and then a great assertion that we should follow the path laid out by Christ (Philippians 2:12-18), why now does Paul shift to talk of something so, well, mundane and personal?

Well, it helps to be reminded again of who Timothy and Epaphroditus were. Timothy shows up frequently in the New Testament. A close friend, traveling companion and disciple of Paul, Timothy was active in the spread of the Gospel ministry throughout the early decades of the Church. Some of the most emotionally moving sections of Paul’s letters are his words to his younger protégé (1 & 2 Timothy). As a co-author of various letters from Paul (including Philippians), it is not all that surprising to see Timothy mentioned so glowingly.

But, what about Epaphroditus? What’s his story? Epaphroditus is known in history only by his being mentioned in Scripture here in Philippians (2:25-30; 4:18). From Paul’s words, we can see that Epaphroditus was a messenger sent from the Philippian church to Paul when the church found out that Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Knowing of the difficulties he would be facing, the church sent an emissary, Epaphroditus, with a monetary gift to Rome in order to ease Paul’s sufferings.

The travel from the Greek lands to Rome would be no easy undertaking; Epaphroditus’ willingness to do this reveals much of his character. Unfortunately, once he arrived at Rome, Epaphroditus took ill, and while we have no idea what kind of illness he suffered from, it was clearly a significant sickness. Verse 27 tells us he was close to death. This illness might also have delayed Epaphroditus’s mission or his report back to the church in Philippi, arousing their concern and anxiety. In order to ease their concern, Paul sends Epaphroditus back to Philippi with his “thank you note,” the Epistle to the Philippians.

So, why does the Bible make mention of this man? In many ways, there is little remarkable about him. Epaphroditus was a messenger carrying a gift from one town to another. Though susceptible to illness, he brought both comfort and concern to his friends. He was faithful in what God had given him, even if it was something as small and mundane as carrying a gift from one city to the next.

In other words, Epaphroditus’s ministry was very similar to our own. Epaphroditus was a messenger, an encourager, a support for God’s people, who himself needed care, comfort and love. In these ways, Epaphroditus was like me and like you.

And then there is the Epaphroditus I want to be: Paul’s “brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier” ministering to the needs of others (verse 25), giving so completely of himself that he suffered even close to death itself (verse 27), and for the work of Christ, “risking his life” to fulfill God’s call (verse 30).

We are blessed to have Epaphroditus in the Scripture—as an encouragement to our own faith and a model of who we should be in Christ.

In preparation for our worship this Sunday please read Philippians 2:19-30.

  1. What is the description of Timothy in verses 19-24? Is there a person in your life whom this description reminds you of? Would anyone describe you in these terms?
  2. What about the description of Epaphroditus in verses 25-30? Again, remind you of anyone? How do these terms fit for you?
  3. In verse 21, what are the practical ways that one would “seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ?”
  4. Timothy is said to serve with Paul in the gospel “as a son with a father.” What would this look like? Why is it important to Paul to mention this?
  5. Verse 27 is especially interesting. How has God shown mercy to Paul by healing Epaphroditus? What does “sorrow upon sorrow” look like?  

By Henry Knapp