The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 99

'l'hie wns the necessity of the case. The Philippinns had hea.rd of his sicknes~; nppnrently they had not hmm! of his recovery. This somehow cominO' to the know- ledge of l~pnphroditus, threw him into a sta.tc of sore t;ouble or dividedn°'ess. He knew how he stood in their affection, and that they would be ~nxious about him. How could he remain lo~ger nway from them? He must go and relieve their anxiety. And so he took a longrng for them-what ie known as home-sickness. 3. Information i·egarding his siclcness and recovery. "For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: b1Jt God had mercy' on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that] miO'bt not have sorrow upon sorrow." 'l'he report of his having been sick was correct, and°his sickness had been of a very serious nature-ho had been sick nigh unto death. But God had recovered him, aud, in recovering him, had mercifully considered, not one but two. The Philippinns nre not included, been.use they were not on the spot. Paul writes as one who was with EpnphrodituR through his sickness, or was kept regularly informed of his condition. And therefore we are to think of the locality of the sickness as Rome, and not on board ship on his way to Rome. God mercifully considered Epaphro:litus, who was more immediately concerned, to whom he gave more life, even as he gave to King Hezekiah. He who has the ordering of all lives in his hands suffered him not to be stricken down a.way from his home. He set this mark of his favour on his servant, that he brought him back from the gates of death, so that he could say with one in like circumstances, "'l'be sorrows of death compassed me. I was bron!!:ht low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul, for the Lord bath dealt bountifully with thee." But God also mercifully coasidered Paul. It would have been a. severe blow to have had one of his companions stricken down. It would have been the sorrow of 11 peculiar bereavement upon the sorrow of imprisonment. But as God considered the children of Israel when they sighed by reason of the bondag-e, so he considered his bond-servant Paul, and ordained that it should not be that Epaphroditus should die, were it only for Paul's sake. No additional burden must be laid on him, already burdened enough. And so, not to increase but to alleviate his sorrow at that sick-bed in Rome, be who ma.de the seven stars and Orion mercifully turned the shadow of death into the morning. 4-. Reason for his return in Paul's state of mind. "I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful." The Philippians, he felt, were to be considered. He entirely entered into the feelings of Epaphroditus regarding them. Personally, he would very gladly have kept him with him at Rome for a. time, until perhaps the time of the liberation, when he would have returned to Philippi with the news. But, however useful and comforting he found him, he must deny himself for the sake of the Philippians. He must give them the pleasure of seeing their pastor again after all their anxiety about him. .And, while giving them pleasure, he would really be alleviating his own sorrow. With more haste, therefore, than he would in other circum- stances have shown, he sent him to them. 5. He bespeaks for Epaphroditus a good reception. "Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy ; and hold such in honour : because for the work of Christ he came nigh unto death, hazarding his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me." There is no reflection ou the Philippians in the concluding words. They had done their utmost in service in giving Paul what he characterizes as an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well- 1ileasing to God. What was lacking in their service was what they could uot supply in the distance, viz. personal service to Paul. They supplied it representativel11 iu Epaphroditus. It was the very height of their interest in Paul that they could deny themselves the service of their pastor for a considerable time, in order that, besides supplying him with money for his personal use and for currying on the work, tl1ey might have the luxury in him of personally waiting upon him in his imprisonment. Epaphroditus was the substitute of each l'hilippian, who would gladly have taken his turn in waiting upon the apostle. And it was in seeking to render in the fullest measure what was thus lacking in their service, that he brought on au illness which proved well-nigh fatal. He is called a soldier, and he had the spirit of the true ~oldier in heroic devotion. A soldier must not consult his easo, be must uot linger Leside wife and children, be must not count his life dear unto himself. He must, at the call of his .::ommander, be willing to undertake difficult and even pl'rilous service, to form one of o. storming party who have to march" i' the cannon's mouth." Verily ho must endure  96 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS. [cu. u. 1-30,