The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 98

II. Er_,rH.~0DITUB. I. 7"'! t'hristia11-, (1) In ,-elation to Paul. (a) Common ~ympafii,f/. ~ut. I counted 1t necessary to send to Jou Ep:1.phroditus, my brother," J'Aul was 110~ w1_thout natt~ral _aua?hmenls. ,vc do not road of his being mnrried ;· but 'II"<' N-ad of bis sister and his sisters son, Aud he seems to have interested himself in the highest form in his relations-; for we read of several of his kinsmen sendin•r their Christian salutations to the Church at Rome. But especially did ho form noble :uach• mcnts in connection with his work. If he had no brother after the flesh there were man:r _toward whom_ he exercised broth~rliness. ~p:1.phroditus, we may c~nclude, was a Ph1hpp1an, of a different race, of a d1frerent nation. 'l'hrown into contact with the apostle, and conve1t.cd to Christianity probably through his instrumentality, they wero closely drawn t-Ogcther on the ground of sympathy on the groat subject of salvation. Their acquaint:1.ncc had been renewed at Rome, and now, in parting with him, P11-nl affectionately names him to the Philippians ns his brother. And it is only on the ground of a common Christian sympathy that the idea of the Christian brotherhood can be wrought out. 'l'his sympathy must be real, active, else it will prove to be inefficient. It is only "'hen it is no mere matter of courtly phrases, but when, in all genuineness, we feel drawn to one another in Christ, that we shnll be able suc- cessfully, unmistakably, to get over difference of race, difference of class, difference of pursuit, difference of ecclesiastical connection. Let, then, the brotherly feeling be in us, with its roots deeply struck intG Christ. (b) Oommon work. "And fellow- worker." Christians are organized into a society, not merely on the ground of common sympathy, but for oommon work. Our impression of the apostolic Churches is.that all the mem hers were workers, male and female. If they did not. all preach the gospel or serve tables, they worked in trying to induce friends and acquaintances to go with them to hear the gospel. And it was because there was so much movement, interest manjfesting itself in all kinds of work, in those early Churches, that they prospered so wonderfnlly. Paul knew how to take advant.age of men who were fitted for special work. He called 611Ch a man as Epapbroditus to his side, and, with Epapbroditus at his side and working with him, he felt stronger and gladder. Union makes us stronger; we each count more th::-.n one when we all work side by side. Union makes us gladder. "What makes the harvest-field so cheerful a scene? Because each is cheered by the other's alacrity, word, and song." (c) Com'TTI/Jn warfare. "And fellow-soldier." We have to conquer men's hearts for Christ. We have to conquer the world's evils- sensuality, intemperance, mam.mon-worship, carelessness, infidelity. We must fight, for there is a subtle and powerfully aggressive influence from the world; and if we do not conquer the world, the world will conquer w;. It becomes, then, all who are true soldiers of the cross to stand side by side, that they may act to more purpose against the common foe. Paul felt more raised above his personal temptations, and a braver soldier against the heathenism of his day, when he had such soldiers as Epaphro<litus and Archlppw; at his side. We should come up to the idea of the Theban sacred band. Theuans, making common cause with 'l'hrasybulus and his Athenian co-patriots, set out to"ether, resolved to dethrone the Thirty Tyrants of Athens, or die in the attempt. "Thatis what God means his Church to be: a band, not of friends merely, but of brothers, united heart to heart and hand to hand, and going forth resolved never to yield up the waru.re till they are called to lie down in death or see victory crowning their efforts." (2) In rilation to the Philippians. "And yonr mP.ssenger and minister to my need." Epaphroditus seems to have been a Philippia.n offict:•bea.rer; we may think of him as a Phili ppian minister, with a gift of preaching as well as of administra- tion. .A.s 'fimothy was intended to be special messenger from Rome to Philippi, so Epaphroditus had come as special messenger from Philippi to Rome. He was undoubtedly, personally, in sympathy with the special object of hie mission-ministering to Paul's need. As the love of Christ, ae it takes possession, opens the heart to the need of all mankind, so it must have opened the heart of Epaphroditue to the need of his spiritual father, of the founder of the Phi!ippian Church, of the truest and bravest of Christ's servants. For his sake he was willing to leave beloved friends in Christ br::hind and to brave all the dangers of the deep. And it would be with peculiar t.:r.,de~ess that he would hand over to the chained apostle the contribution of tho Philippian C'hnrch. 2. Beawn for his ,-eturn in his own ,tate <!I mind. " Siuce he !r,I!;r:d afu,r you all, and was sore trouLlc<l, because ye had beiml that he waa sick," OH, II, 1-30.] THE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. 95