Epaphroditus.
I. HIS NAME MEANS "LOVELY." It was not uncommon; it was assumed by the dictator Sulla; it was the name of a freedman of Nero, the master of the philosopher Epictetus. It is derived from the name of the goddess ἀφροδίτη he like the corresponding Latin word venustus from Venus. But the character of this Epaphroditus was evidently:
1. "Lovely" in the Christian sense. He seems to have been, like Jonathan, lovely and pleasant in his life. Like Daniel, he was a "man of loves," full of love both towards St. Paul and towards his friends at Philippi. He was a man of very tender feelings, almost tee tender, we might think. But:
2. He was as brute as he was tender. St. Paul calls him his brother and companion in labor and fellow-soldier. He was not only a brother in love, a fellow-Christian, but he shared the apostle's labors; he threw himself, heart and soul, into the work of spreading the gospel at Rome; he worked hard, probably in an unhealthy season. He was also the messenger of the Philippians; he readily undertook the long journey, with all its perils and hardships, to minister to the apostle's wants. Doubtless he regarded those ministrations (as St. Paul himself regarded them; see note on Verse 25) as an offering offered gladly unto God. He knew that in ministering to the apostle be was ministering unto God. To relieve the necessities of the saints, to help them by alms, by sympathy, is a sacrifice well-pleasing to God. He was a brother in danger, too, a fellow-soldier. He hazarded his life; he shared the apostle's dangers; he willingly exposed himself to risk for the work's sake; his dangerous illness was in some way caused by his unselfish exertions. Yet he was very tender-hearted. He longed after the Philippians; he could not bear the thought of their sorrow and anxiety on account of his sickness and danger. He is an example of that union of seemingly opposite virtues which is sometimes conspicuous in Christ's saints, as it was in Christ himself.
II. HOW PRECIOUS IS THE LIFE OF HOLY MEN! Epaphroditus was evidently one of the bishops (see note on Philippians 1:1), possibly the presiding bishop of the Philippian Church. His life was valuable. "God had mercy on him." Perhaps his longer life was necessary for himself, to perfect his repentance; for the Philippians, to carry on the good work which He had begun; for St. Paul, lest he should have sorrow upon sorrow. "God had mercy on him." Sometimes in mercy God spares the life of his servants; sometimes in mercy he takes them to himself. We are in his hands, and he is the Most Merciful. He knows Letter than we what is for our real good. We may pray for health and longer life for our friends, for ourselves, if the prayer is offered in submission to the higher will of God.
III. SUCH MEN SHOULD BE HELD IN REVERENCE. St. Paul bids the Philippians to receive Epaphroditus with every joy—joy on every account, for his sake and for theirs. They were to honor him; for to honor good men is to honor God, the source of all goodness; and reverence for goodness elevates and refines the character,
Lessons.
1. Learn from the example of Epaphroditus that. to minister to God's saints is a high privilege; he risked his life to supply the needs of St. Paul.
2. His love for the apostle did not weaken his love for the Philippian Christians. We must love all God's people, not only his highest saints.
3. We may pray that our sick friends may recover their bodily health, if it be God's gracious will.
HOMILIES BY T. CROSKERY
Christian like-mindness.
It seems strange that the apostle, knowing the difficulty of getting a thousand minds to agree in the reception of intellectual truth, should yet counsel them to seek a unity of opinion. There is nothing strange in the fact when we consider how much the intellect of man is influenced by his moral nature.
I. THE NATURE AND CONDITIONS OF THIS LIKE-MINDEDNESS. "That ye be like-minded, having the same love, with accordant souls minding the one thing."
1. It must include a certain intellectual agreement as to matters of doctrine. It is not possible to understand what may have been the diversity of opinion on points of doctrine which made this counsel necessary. The Philippians are not censured for heresy; but the apostle knows that the "men of the concision" are not far off, and the warning to keep to "the sound doctrine" is neither premature nor unnecessary.
2. It includes an agreement as to methods and aims. There were symptoms of jealousy, leading to quarrel, manifest in the conduct of two ladies of this Church (Philippians 4:2), and it is difficult to say how far these women, holding an influential place in the little community, may have disturbed its unity.
3. It implies an agreement working along the lines of a common love. Love is a bond—"the bond of perfectness"—just as hatred separates man from man. It produces that harmony of feeling and interests that leads to unity of service.
II. THE TRUE GROUNDS OF THIS LIKE-MINDEDNESS. "If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies." The apostle grounds his appeal to the Philippians upon their undoubted possession of certain spiritual experiences.
1. "Consolation in Christ." What stores of consolation are in Christ! "I will not leave you comfortless."
2. "Comfort of love." Love has comfort in it, especially when it has a sure resting-place.
3. "Fellowship of the Spirit." This fellowship involves "the fellowship of the Father and the Son," and carries with it all the experiences and fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, Galatians 5:23). It involves unity as one of its essential ideas.
4. "Bowels and mercies." A tender and compassionate spirit is helpful to unity.
III. THE MINISTER'S JOY PROMOTED BY THE LIKE-MINDEDNESS OF HIS FLOCK. "Fulfil ye my joy." As nothing so depresses the mind of a minister as intellectual or social dissensions among the members of his flock, so his joy is fulfilled alike in their unity of thought and in the harmony of their feeling and affection.—T.C.
The qualities of Christian like-mindedness.
I. Warning faction and VAIN-GLORY. "Let nothing be done through faction or vain-glory." True unity of spirit is inconsistent alike with the exaltation of party and the exaltation of self. Faction carries men beyond the bounds of discretion, and rends the unity of the brotherhood. "The beginning of strife is as the letting out of water" (Proverbs 17:14). It should be "an honor for a man to cease from" it (Proverbs 20:3). Vain-glory, personal vanity, carries men into many follies and sins. "For men to search their own glory is not glory" (Proverbs 25:1-28 :29). "There is more hope of a fool than of" such a one (Proverbs 26:12). We ought, therefore, to pray, "Remove far from me vanity and lies."
II. THE ESTIMATE OF A HUMBLE-MINDED MAN. "In humbleness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." This implies:
1. That we have modest thoughts of ourselves. (Proverbs 26:12.)
2. That we have a just idea of others' excellences. (1 Peter 2:17.)
3. That in honor we are to prefer one another. (Romans 12:10.) The reasons for this command are:
III. AN UNSELFISH INTEREST IN THE WELFARE OF OTHERS. "Not regarding your own interests, but also the interests of others." There is nothing here said inconsistent with the most careful and conscientious discharge of the duty we owe to ourselves. The injunction of the apostle is profoundly Christ-like. It implies:
1. That we are to desire one another's good. (1 Timothy 2:1.)
2. That we are to rejoice in one another's prosperity. (Romans 12:15.)
3. That we are to pity one another's misery. (Romans 12:15.)
4. That we are to help one another in our necessities. (1 John 2:17, 1 John 2:18.) It reiterates the command of Christ: "Love one another." No other command can be performed without this one (Romans 13:10); we cannot love God without it (1 John 2:17); and this is true religion (James 1:27).—T.C.