By: Albert Gran
(An unveiling grace alternative study in view of traditional Physical-supernatural direct intervention in this age of grace)
Philippians 2:25-30
King James Version (KJV)
25Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but YOUR MESSENGER, and HE THAT MINISTERED TO MY WANTS.
26For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.
27For indeed HE WAS SICK NIGH UNTO DEATH: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
28I sent him therefore THE MORE CAREFULLY, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
29Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:
30Because for the work of Christ HE WAS NIGH UNTO DEATH, NOT RAGRDING HIS LIFE, to supply your lack of service toward me.
Beholders of signs often quoted these verses to really prove that God was still directly and supernaturally intervening in the physical realm. This traditional view was determined already upon preponderance of its supposed general accepted fact and also their supposed right basis of doctrine pertinent to the supernatural miraculous presentation per se by which God acted in this age of grace.
Let me expose to you brethren this very scenario in the situation which for me a very common situation which have had happened in reality of our existence in this age of grace. A great deal of consideration of what was really the reality in the present life, something must have been also a truthful basis in the mystery truth which was revealed to the apostle Paul. First of all let me point your attention to some basic truths pertinent to the significant doctrine distinctly classified as unique in our present age, the dispensation of Grace which was also unknown in the previous dealing of God in TIME PAST. This is the information where Christ through Paul charged us to give importance as to what was the ever will of God in this current dispensation which He wanted us to inculcate in our minds. It’s also a means to educate our recent generation relevant this issue prior the rapture period.
In this case of Epaphroditus, let make it clear what was transpired in this particular situation seeing if there was supernatural direct intervention as was commonly and majority believed. Mine was to show to you what’s the real truth behind it. Please bear with me in the foregoing presentation.
In verse 25,we can clearly understand the background of Epaphroditus as a brother, companion of Paul in labour, a fellowsoldier , a Corinthian messenger for Paul’s wants. It suggests his perfect characteristic as a faithful man of God as always behind Paul’s affliction being a prisoner of Christ.
This Paul-Epaphroditus ministerial companionship has gone along way of experiences to what was the real scenario of life as also related to our present service for Christ. As reality of physical deterioration and as being prone for sickness, Epaphroditus met a circumstance in verse 26 as no record of intention as whether it’s for a matter of divine testing or punishment as what some preachers allegedly accused those who are sick Christians especially those who are cold wax in serving the Lord in their respective spiritual service much more those believers who are in the backslidden state. There was no superstition whatsoever in this real scenario of Epaphroditus’s case. In light with the natural situation of our devastated world supported in Romans 8, Epaphroditus’s illness was a common natural physical agony or infirmity which could happen to any believer in this present time of grace. In Rom. 8:23 it says, And not only they, BUT OURSELVES ALSO, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves GROAN WITHIN OURSELVES, WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION, to wit, the REDEMPTION OF OUR BODY.
Paul on the other hand attested the veracity of this prone natural condition to all present believers in this age of grace concerning the fact of our outer man. In 2 Corinthians 4:16 it says: For which cause we faint not; but though our OUTWARD MAN PERISH, YET THE INWARD MAN IS RENEWED DAY BY DAY.
Clearly sickness was a matter of reality in confirmation of this doctrinal acknowledgement which I believed per instruction from our Lord Jesus Christ himself. It thrive not refute, however admit that in truth it’s our natural common situation even you are serving the Lord in this spiritual ministry. Folks our outward man perish and this is the prone condition not by means of probability but with due certainty. What gets my attention in this verse was the daily renewal Paul described which caused me not only to think but to believe THIS IS HOW GOD INTERVENED in the area of our lives. The renewal process was also a thinking process wherein spiritual inputs of doctrines directed for us would mean a cause to live victoriously in this arena of life’s reality. Romans 12:2 says, And be not conformed to this world: but BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOU MIND, that YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD, AND ACCEPTABLE, and PERFECT WILL OF GOD.
Having this performing capacity as the instruction called for our obedience, Jesus Christ through facets of our spiritual blessedness (Eph. 1:3) have already put a designed confidence in believing and doing this direct command to renew our mind as this was the acme of God’s inner interventional dealing. This capacity of doing has the powerful basis from God’s interventional tool, His Holy Word known as the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16-17). This was far fetch different from a traditional idea that God can directly give you wisdom or guidance only by traditional cliché of doing much prayers, inner promptings, feeling spiritually fulfilled even not spending effort to read the source of wisdom which is the Word of God that effectually worked in us that believed (I Thes. 2:13).
THE BONE OF CONTENTION BETWEEN PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL INTERVENTION
What caught my fellow ministers to support their claim that God directly and spiritually caused physical intervention was found on verse 27 and I quote; For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: BUT GOD HAD MERCY ON HIM; and NOT ON HIM ONLY, BUT ON ME ALSO, lest I SHOULD HAVE SORROW UPON SORROW.
Their hermeneutical understanding with this verse was that there was a direct supernatural healing happened in response to the ailing condition of Epaphroditus when God had mercy on him. Let’s take some Pauline verses in the Bible how and in what manner God show His mercy to the believers in this age of grace.
Ephesians 2:4
But God, who is RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us,
1 Timothy 1:2
Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, MERCY, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Timothy 1:16
Howbeit for this cause I obtained MERCY, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
2 Timothy 1:16
The Lord give MERCY unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:
Sincere student must deeply appreciate what’s that significant concept and common understanding as far as the demonstration of God’s mercy in this age of grace. Ask yourself what was the commonality of the sense or idea of God’s mercy? I found and believed this was as an extraordinary notion apart from what was traditionally believed especially in the case of Epaphroditus to mean Physical supernatural direct intervention. The mercy of God was placed on the account of the substitutionary work of Christ where God’s motivation of love and comfort was demonstrated to all and for all those who believe in order to produce joy and blessedness without ignoring the reality of sufferings. This is the inner comfort of God in us to remain consistent amidst the presence and power of sin that worked in the devastated creation and from among the evil corrupt nature of man. The mercy of God resulted to fruit of righteousness to respond in obedience after His plan and wise counsel.
Considerable facts stated below were believed to be nowhere Physical supernatural direct intervention occurred:
1. Both Epaphroditus and Paul received the same mercy of God to mean Paul didn’t have any physical sickness required for healing.
2. The verse didn’t show any proof that there was physical healing with Epaphroditus while Paul had his spiritual healing.
3. The commonality of God’s mercy even as also stated from the verses above were significant that it was for inner comfort in result of Christ’s substitutionary work through the Father’s love and kindness to us ward as per written in the Pauline epistle. I stressed Pauline epistle particularly on the account after the completion of the entire Scripture because God’s mercy in the past was by means of direct Physical intervention since they were called to hope for physical or material blessings.
STRONGEST PROOF WHY THERE’S NO PHYSICAL AND SUPERNATURAL INTERVENTION:
In verse 28 it says I sent him therefore THE MORE CAREFULLY, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.
Let’s all be made clear in this matter brethren to consider the phrase as highlighted above. There was a long process of recovery which I believed happened in the case of Epaphroditus for the fact that when he was ready to render service and have got to go back to the Corinthians, though determined to see them, yet PAUL WAS ALL THE MORE CAREFUL TO SEND HIM THERE. If there was direct supernatural healing happened at the instance when he received mercy from the Lord then Paul would not care to send him THE MORE CAREFULLY or BEING FULL OF CARES to send him. Same as true today the gradual process of recovery took place after we stayed on bed for several times and when you’ll allow him to travel far place you would be worried much for his physical condition. Folksthere’s no superficiality and superstition in this present age of grace. Let’s all face the real scenario that God was still actively involved in our physical realms but not in view of direct supernatural physical intervention. God worked in our inner man where God’s mercy shall produce joy despite sufferings and hardships.
CONCLUSIVE STATEMENTS
Having this most appealing thought in appreciating His will over the entire creation and by applying what was transpired as not though only by word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God which worked in you that believe, it would far lead you to obtain life and peace in the reality of our life’s existence. This book of Romans is one of the most fascinating epistles of Paul which points out God’s distinctive program from ages past classified to our current spiritual ministration with the resumption of future prophetic truth concerning earthly plan through the conditions of physical if-then principle which had been prophesied and spoken by the mouth of His holy prophets since the world began. Let’s read Romans 8: 18-28.
18For I reckon that the SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.19For the EARNEST EXPECTATION OF THE CREATURE WAITETH for the manifestation of the sons of God.
20For the CREATURE WAS MADE SUBJECT TO VANITY, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered FROM THE BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
22For we know that the WHOLE CREATION GROANETH AND TRAVAILETH IN PAIN together until NOW.
23And not only they, BUT OURSELVES ALSO, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves GROAN WITHIN OURSELVES, WAITING FOR FOR THE ADOPTION, to wit, the REDEMTION OF OUR BODY.
24For WE ARE SAVED BY HOPE: but HOPE THAT IS SEEN IS NOT HOPE: for WHAT A MAN SEETH, WHY DOTH HE YET HOPE FOR?
25But if WE HOPE THAT WE SEE NOT, then DO WE WITH PATIENCE WAIT FOR IT.
Let this truth a more justifiable basis in view of your honest review and consideration. I hope and pray that this information will shed more light what’s that God's desire to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery in this present Gentile grace of God.
Grace and Peace
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