Author: Meredith Beatty

This is another post in my series on lesser known believers, those Paul mentions usually at the end of his letters. I think we can learn a lot from the little that is said about them. Check out my other posts on Epaphroditus, Epaphras, and Onesiphorus.

Today I want to highlight Phoebe. She is mentioned prominently in Romans 16.

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.” Romans 16:1-2

Many have focused their study of Phoebe exclusively on what specific role she played in the church. I’m not going to get into that because others have done a better job, and I think that debate obscures Paul’s point. Yes, there are important issues and questions regarding the role of women in the church. But many times the discussion can devolve into a desire for power and recognition. That’s something Jesus warned his disciples of and Paul’s life was devoid of. He also takes great pains to warn the church of such things – see his letters to the Corinthians. Paul highlights Phoebe not to prove that women should have some distinct leadership role in the church but to highlight her character and her indispensable role in serving the saints.

When Paul wrote this letter he had been in ministry for a long time and had amassed a great and varied network of friends and supporters. Some of them were women like Phoebe. As was his habit, he closes his letter to the Romans by mentioning the saints who’ve partnered with him, sharing a multitude of greetings and, in Phoebe’s case, making an introduction. Mentioning her first in this list of greetings probably meant that Phoebe was the bearer of this letter to the Romans. Paul calls her a patron of many and of himself. Phoebe then was likely a very wealthy businesswoman. But notice what she is doing with her money. She is using it to further the gospel. Other translations call her a helper and a benefactor. She was from the church at Cenchreae, which was located near Corinth, but perhaps she heard Paul’s advice contained in his letter to Timothy at Ephesus:

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

Paul was in Corinth and needed this letter to get to Rome. Such an important letter wasn’t to be entrusted to just anyone. He needed to choose someone with the means to get to Rome but also someone who was trustworthy, someone who had proven character. Phoebe made the trip on his behalf, enduring the peril of travelling to Rome.

She leveraged the earthly wealth God had given her for greater spiritual ends, not to make a name for herself in her own church, but to spread the name of Christ to another church! Unfortunately, church members with earthly wealth have traditionally had more sway in their local churches. Sometimes they hold even more power than the pastor! Phoebe’s example should subdue any such practice in the gospel believing church. The only descriptors she’s given in this introduction are these: sister, servant, patron. A sister, servant, and patron are all other-centered ways of describing someone.

Phoebe is a sister, sharing the faith of all who believe. She is a servant in her own church. Yes, the Greek word for servant here is diakonos, from which we get the word deacon, but don’t get sidetracked into a debate about position and influence. What really matters is what she did. She served. That’s what diakonos means. It is not a position that you lord over others. It’s a position you use to serve others. And she served in such a way as to deserve a worthy welcome from the Roman believers.

How do we want to be described? And how are we using the earthly wealth God has given us? Do we desire position and influence, to make a name for ourselves, or do we desire to serve others in the name of Christ?

Since last year I’ve felt a great need and desire to get wisdom. I praise God for that because it’s evidence of his Spirit working in me. So I’ve been working on memorizing Proverbs chapters 1-4. I’ve memorized other passages but nothing like the wisdom literature in Proverbs. It’s been a little tricky but I’ve made it a little ways into chapter 2 so far.

Today I was working on Proverbs 2:9 which says, “Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path…”

Another list of virtues: righteousness, justice, equity. When I memorize I usually try to make some sort of mnemonic device to help me. I was about to do that with these virtues but then started thinking more about them. The list reminded me of another verse in chapter 1. Proverbs 1:3 tells us about the purpose of the book. It says, “To receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity.”

Justice and equity are two things that have been talked about a lot in the past year. Many throw these words around without defining them. Others define these words but only according to their preferred outcomes. But few include in their definition the virtue of righteousness.

According to Proverbs, righteousness is an integral and essential part of justice and equity. You can’t define justice or equity without it.

But the other thing you learn in Proverbs is that you can only understand righteousness, justice and equity within the context of a relationship with God in which you are actively seeking wisdom.

Pay attention to the context that surrounds that first verse I quoted above:

“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path…” Proverbs 2:1-9

One thing I’m loving as I hide these words in my heart is the emphasis not only on how much God wants us to have wisdom, but on how freely it is offered to those who cry out for it. I have never known a time when my need for wisdom has been greater than right now. Let’s all cry out for it. It’s right there for those who seek it.

Let me tell you a story. It’s about a small clan of people called the Rechabites. Never heard of them? That’s ok; most of us haven’t. You have to dig around the Bible to find out anything about them. Their forefather, Rechab, was a Kenite, related to Moses by marriage. So they were not direct descendants of Abraham. Another notable member of this people group was Jehonadab (or Jonadab). After the time of King Ahab, Jehonadab helped Jehu to rid Israel of Baal worship. (2 Kings 10)

The Rechabites were a nomadic people; they had no permanent place in the land of Israel. Jehonadab also put in place some strict rules for his people. They were to remain nomads, sowing no seed and planting no vineyards. They were also forbidden from drinking wine. No one is sure exactly why these oaths were taken.

From this obscurity, the Rechabites suddenly appear prominently in Jeremiah 35. Let me set the scene. About 200 years after Jehonadab, the kingdom of Israel is no more, those ten tribes having been exiled to Assyria. Judah is about to suffer the same fate at the hands of Babylon. Jeremiah has warned the people and the kings of Judah time and time again. But they continue in their sin and disobedience. They refuse to listen. Chapter 34 describes King Zedekiah’s disobedience and God’s promise to give him up to the sword. Chapter 36 is one of the starkest scenes of disobedience in the whole book. King Jehoiakim burns the scroll containing God’s words of judgment as it is being read to him. There is no fear of God in him and so God promises disaster on him and the people of Judah. The book of Jeremiah is not laid out in chronological order, but that’s by design. Chapter 35 is meant to stick out in comparison.

Jeremiah is instructed by God to call the Rechabites to the house of the Lord. They had moved into Jerusalem because of the siege of Nebuchadnezzar. They come to the house of the Lord and Jeremiah is told to offer them wine. God is testing them! But they categorically refuse, repeating the vow their father Jehonadab had made and they have kept these many years. They have obeyed their father and will continue to do so even when put on the spot by the prophet of God.

God then commands Jeremiah to speak to the people of Judah and Jerusalem and use the obedience of the Rechabites as an example against them. The Rechabites are nomads. They have no permanent place in Israel. The oath they’ve taken seems extreme. But they’ve kept it for hundreds of years. They have obeyed. The people of Judah have heard from God himself and his prophets for years, warning them of their idolatry and impending judgment. But they have not listened. They have not obeyed.

“I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, sending them persistently…but you did not incline your ear or listen to me.” Jeremiah 35:15

You might still have questions about this nomadic people, the Rechabites, but I want to focus on just a couple things: Obedience matters and God remembers.

What status did the Rechabites have in Israel? None. They were nomads and nobodies, not having a permanent place in the land or prominent position. But in God’s eyes they were worthy of attention because of their obedience. It stood out amidst the flagrant disobedience of the kings of Judah, the ones who should’ve known the Law and kept it with their whole heart.

Who remembered the Rechabites? God did. He was a witness to their obedience from the beginning. No matter why they took this oath, God saw it and God remembered. And God rewarded it.

Look at the end of Jeremiah 35. After God chastises the people of Judah using the example of the Rechabites, he speaks directly to them saying:

“But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.'” Jeremiah 35:18-19

The obedience of the Rechabites was seen and remembered by God and used hundreds of years later as a powerful example against the people of Judah. God sees and remembers our obedience as well. It doesn’t earn our salvation (Titus 3:4-7), but it does matter. The Rechabites’ obedience was directed toward their earthly father, Jonadab, but our obedience is to our heavenly Father who has given us his Spirit. So we can say with Paul, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

Have you ever thought a little critically and maybe uncharitably about someone else’s prayers? It’s hard to admit, but there have been times when I’ve scoffed a little when someone prays, “Lord, please be with them.”

My theological mind immediately sends out an alert. “Um, don’t you know about the omnipresence of God?” And then the critical and uncharitable part of my flesh secretly scoffs, “What a generalized prayer. What these people needed was more specific and targeted prayers that focused on their exact situation and struggles!”

Thankfully, my God renews his mercies every day and has gently convicted me over the years of this ungracious and unkind reflex of my flesh. But lately I’ve come to realize there’s more dimension to this prayer than I had thought. Many of us might grasp for these words out of a kind of desperation, hampered by a stilted prayer vocabulary, but I think these words are much richer than we have imagined. Let’s examine the phrase and the meaning behind it.

One of the first places we see this language of God being with someone is in Genesis 21. Abimelech declares to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do.” Abimelech wasn’t making a kind of geographical observation. He was admitting to Abraham that God was prospering him, that God was for him. God was on Abraham’s side. Abimelech recognized the effects of the covenant God had made with Abraham in Genesis 15.

This language is repeated to Isaac and Jacob. In Genesis 26:24 the Lord says to Isaac, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” The same effects of the covenant are stated – blessing and multiplication. In Genesis 28:15 God declares to Jacob, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Again, we see that God being with someone is so much more than geography.

Let’s fast forward to Joshua. Moses has died without entering the promised land. Joshua has been picked as his successor. What does God tell him? Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” This is covenantal language friends. God being with someone is an expression of his steadfast commitment, a promise of his everlasting faithfulness.

This covenantal language becomes even more beautiful and powerful through the words of the poets. David tells us in Psalm 18 what it means for our God to be with us, for the Lord to be on our side:

“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies…In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” Psalm 18:1-3, 6

And how does our covenant God respond to David’s cries for help? David goes on to speak of the whole earth reeling and rocking in response to the Lord’s coming. (v. 7) He bows the heavens and comes down (v. 9), he rides on a cherub (v. 10), he thunders from heaven (v. 13) and sends out his arrows. (v. 14) The foundations of the world are laid bare. (v. 15) The Lord acts powerfully on behalf of his people.

In Genesis 21, Abimelech acknowledged that God was on Abraham’s side. This picture of what it means for God to be with us is repeated in Psalm 118:

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.” Psalm 118:5-6

The Lord is on our side. God is for us. I hope that drives you straight to Romans 8 where we find ourselves awestruck by the grace of God. What was hidden in shadow in Genesis comes to a glorious climax through Christ:

“What shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:31-32

This is what it really means for God to be with us. I am going to start praying these words more often, being aware of their deeper meaning, and I hope you will too, because they sit atop a glorious mountain of covenantal truth.

Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;  he adorns the humble with salvation.
Let the godly exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their beds.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written!
This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 149 is part of the praise filled crescendo of the book of Psalms. It speaks of two of the great themes of the book – the joy of God’s people and the judgment to come on those who refused to take refuge in the Lord. I thought I’d share my reflections below.

What inestimable joy the children of God have! What freedom they experience in making much of their Creator! Have you ever thought about why music exists? The ultimate purpose of music is to praise our Lord. He commands it! He commands it for his glory but also for our good! An old saying written on the outside of a German opera house says, “God gave us music that we might pray without words.”

Let us rejoice in our King! He is gloriously good and worthy of praise! I chuckle a little when I read of praising his name with dancing. This is very foreign to some of us, especially Baptists! Imagine dancing before the Lord with pure unbridled joy. David did it. (See 2 Samuel 6)

And then look at verse 4 – “For the Lord takes pleasure in his people.” Oh how sweet this is! He smiles on his beloved children as they take joy in their heavenly Father. When they come to him with contrite hearts he adorns them. Stop and sink into that truth, ponder that image. God Almighty adorns his people, he crowns them and beautifies them with salvation! What grace! Isaiah 61:10 repeats the image: “I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Then I love how the Psalm transitions. It picks up the theme of Psalm 2. The kings and rulers of the earth in Psalm 2 represent the enemies of God. From the beginning, in Genesis 3, there have always been those who come against the Lord and his people. The Israelites would’ve thought of Psalm 2 and Psalm 149 as referring to their human enemies – the Canaanites, the Philistines and the Babylonians. But now, on this side of the Cross of Christ, we know that we don’t battle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and the authorities of this present darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:10-20) Our weapons aren’t like theirs. We wield the sword that is the Word of God. We take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10) And we conquer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12)

This is truly honor for all his godly ones. To rejoice in our King and, because of the triumph of his Son, join in his victory over evil, sin and death. The only thing left to say is: Praise the Lord!

“You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me – may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day! – and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.” 2 Timothy 1:15-18

This is the third in my series of posts on lesser known saints, those mentioned in Paul’s letters who so often go overlooked. I wrote about Epaphroditus here and Epaphras here. Today I want to talk about Onesiphorus. While it may be difficult to pronounce or spell his name, it’s not hard to see how he lived up to its meaning. Onesiphorus means “bringing profit.”

2 Timothy is the last letter Paul wrote before he died. He’s writing from a prison cell in Rome. In the letter, he talks of several people by name who have deserted him, but Onesiphorus stands in stark contrast. Paul pronounces a blessing of mercy upon his friend who was determined to serve and refresh the one who had brought the gospel, the message of mercy, to him and his household in Ephesus.

What does it mean to refresh others? It means to give rest and to restore strength. Onesiphorus often refreshed Paul and wasn’t ashamed of his chains. Why would others be ashamed? Perhaps they saw Paul’s chains as a sign of weakness or were afraid of the risks Paul took in proclaiming the gospel. Whatever the reason, Onesiphorus didn’t care. He didn’t let the indignity of Paul’s situation deter him from serving him in a way that gave him rest. We’re not told specifically what this service was but whatever he did, it eased Paul’s burdens and made his struggle more bearable.

And do you notice his courage and commitment? Keep in mind that Onesiphorus had to travel from Ephesus to Rome. The trip itself would’ve been filled with potential peril. But then Paul says that when Onesiphorus arrived in Rome, he sought for him earnestly until he found him. What must it have been like to search earnestly for a prisoner in Rome? A Christian prisoner for that matter? I’m sure that task also involved great risk and difficulty. Onesiphorus showed an enormous amount of commitment in seeking out his friend who was condemned to die. In good times and in bad, he stuck with Paul.

This little passage is a great example of sacrificial gospel friendship. I pray that I can be that kind of friend to others and, in my own hour of need, that I will have such friends.

One of the reasons why I love memorizing Scripture is that in reviewing a passage, God many times graciously reveals more truth. The Spirit gives more light. This morning I was on the treadmill reviewing Romans 8. This is a passage many Christians are familiar with. Allow me to share my reflections on Romans 8:19-27.

“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Have you ever considered that the creation itself is longing for something? Of course, the creation isn’t a person. But in this passage the creation is waiting. The creation is longing with an eager anticipation. For what? For the revealing of the sons of God.

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

The creation encompasses not just natural things – mountains, trees, oceans – but everything in creation. The natural state of things is brokenness and decay, chaos and disorder. The struggle we all face every day is to put things back in order again. Cars break, children disobey, earthquakes occur and wars break out. This passage is emphasizing the desire of the whole creation to be set free from its corruption. Sin didn’t just infect and pollute the human heart.

“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

Do you know this? Do you know that throughout the entirety of human history the creation has been groaning like a woman in the pains of childbirth? What does that look like? Any woman knows that labor pains come in waves, they intensify and then dissipate. This is why it’s so important to know history. The graph of history isn’t linear, it’s more cyclical, with each cycle gaining intensity like a woman’s contractions.

“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Just like the creation, we groan as well. No one denies this. We are all burdened with the troubles and sufferings of this world. But don’t miss this! This is what God showed me this morning and caused my face to light up as I ran on the treadmill. There is a glorious flip side to our groaning – we groan in hope! If this world was all we had to look forward to, we would be in a sad state, but focus on this – we have the firstfruits of the Spirit – and that causes us to wait eagerly for something glorious as we groan.

What are firstfruits? In an agrarian society, they are the first indication of a future harvest. We have the firstfruits of the Spirit, a down payment that guarantees a future reality and a future glory, a freedom from the corruption of sin that affects the creation and our earthly bodies.

Are we only focused on the groaning? Is our experience of the daily decay of this corrupt world the only thing we’re focusing on? Beloved, don’t let that be your experience. Remember the glorious flip side to our groaning. We groan in hope of future glory. This is what sets us apart from the unbelieving world. Let us be honest about the hardships but just as sure of the promised future glory.

But there’s more. The Holy Spirit himself helps us.

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Are you only familiar with these verses in relation to prayer? This has been my experience too, but do you see how the broader context makes such a difference in our understanding? The key word is this – likewise. That connects these verses about the Holy Spirit to our groaning and waiting. We are weak, we are burdened and groaning. Sometimes we just don’t know what to pray. But the Holy Spirit comes alongside us! He intercedes for us. He groans with us. That is grace. And in that gracious intercession we can be confident, because he always intercedes for us according to the will of God.

We are all groaning, but as believers, we alone can groan in eager expectation of that future glory, confident that the Spirit himself is closer than we know, praying along with us and for us.

This is the second post in my series about lesser known believers mentioned in Paul’s epistles. Today I want to talk about Epaphras. He is not to be confused with Epaphroditus mentioned in Philippians. I wrote about him here. Epaphras is introduced in the following passages in Colossians:

“just as you learned it [the gospel] from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.” Colossians 1:7-8

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis.” Colossians 4:12-13

He then is mentioned at the end of Philemon:

“Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you…” Philemon 23

First, Paul calls Epaphras a faithful minister, a servant of Christ Jesus. The Greek word for minister is diakonos, from which we get our word deacon. In certain denominations, a deacon has come to mean something different than what it actually is. If you grew up in some Southern Baptist circles, the deacons were the decision makers, they were the ‘yes men’ surrounding the pastor. This is not the original meaning of the word. A deacon is a minister who serves. He cares for the needs of the church of God. Notice the object of Epaphras’ service – he is a faithful minister on their behalf, working hard for them. He isn’t working for his own sake. He does not desire power or a platform. His goal is to serve the needs of the saints. The first need they have is to be taught. Paul describes how Epaphras taught the Colossians the gospel. And this gospel Epaphras taught was bearing wonderful fruit in them. They truly understood the grace of God and their love and faith was evident to all. Epaphras had made that known to Paul and the others.

We also see that Epaphras shared in the risks of the gospel. In Philemon we learn that he is a fellow prisoner with Paul. Just as Paul risked his life in bringing the gospel to others, Epaphras is following Paul’s example and incurring the same risk. They both have the same goal, which Paul states in Colossians 1:28 – “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Epaphras worked for the good of others, teaching them and suffering on their behalf. But there’s even more to this man. At the end of Colossians we learn another characteristic of a faithful servant and minister of the gospel. Remember, Epaphras was in prison with Paul when this letter was written. So he is not with the saints he has been ministering to and serving. What does he do while absent from them? He continues to serve them by praying for them. Paul was a witness to and participant in these prayers and it’s plain that Epaphras learned how to pray from Paul. In this little verse, Colossians 4:12, we learn that the substance and strength of his prayers align perfectly with Paul’s. His aim in praying for the Colossians was that they would stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God, just like it says in Colossians 1:28. His prayers were full of the kind of Pauline language we see in the beginning of the letter:

“…that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father…” Colossians 1:9-12

The strength of his prayers also match Paul’s. Distance hasn’t cooled their fervor. He struggles in prayer on their behalf. The Greek word for struggle means to strive and toil, to contend as with an adversary, to compete so as to win a prize. In Colossians 2, Paul tells them how much he has struggled on their behalf, and on behalf of all he has not seen face to face. In Romans 15:30, he appeals to the saints to strive together with him in prayer on his behalf.

Paul regarded prayer as hard work and Epaphras has yoked himself with the great apostle and learned how to compete in prayer for the souls of the saints. I am convicted and encouraged when I ponder the example of Epaphras. What is the substance of our prayers for others? Do we struggle in prayer on their behalf? Do we even know our fellow saints well enough to be able to do this? Struggling and toiling on behalf of others in prayer presupposes a certain depth of relationship. How deep are our relationships?

These are questions certainly worth pondering as we look at the example of Epaphras. Like Epaphroditus, we see another co-laborer of Paul’s learning the ways of Christ at his side, and emulating his example. This is pure discipleship, working and praying side by side for the furthering of the gospel in the lives of others.

We are all familiar with the giants of the New Testament, the apostles like Paul, Peter, John and others. But what about the lesser known saints? You know the ones I’m talking about. These are the ones usually mentioned at the end of Paul’s letters, the parts of the letters we tend to gloss over, the parts we certainly don’t memorize. These are the ones whose names we struggle to pronounce. Who are they? I think we can learn a lot from them, even if our knowledge is limited. In these series of posts, I want to highlight a handful of these obscure believers.

In comparing the New Testament epistle writers, Paul takes much more time mentioning his friends and co-laborers, and in only a few words, much is communicated. These verses might not be pregnant with doctrine, but they are certainly pregnant with example. And example is important for us, as Paul says in Philippians 3:17-18:

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”

Let’s start with Epaphroditus. He gets a prominent mention in the middle of Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

“I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” Philippians 2:25-30

If we’re brutally honest, this may be a passage we skim over to get to the ‘good stuff’ in Philippians 3. But I think there’s a lot here and that’s why it’s included. Remember that all of it is God’s word and is profitable. (2 Timothy 3:16)

So what can we see right off the bat? First, Epaphroditus was a brother of Paul, not biologically of course, but spiritually. They are fellow believers and so brothers in the faith. He’s also a fellow worker in the gospel. But not just a worker, but a fellow soldier. The word soldier is only mentioned a few other times in the New Testament in reference to another person. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he encourages his child in the faith to endure suffering as a good soldier of Christ. In Philemon, Paul mentions Archippus in his greeting as a fellow soldier. Paul mentions many as fellow workers but only a few as fellow soldiers. Does this have to do with suffering? Maybe so, and we learn more about how Epaphroditus has suffered in the remaining verses.

But before we can talk about the suffering of Epaphroditus, we need to figure out what he was doing in the work of the gospel. Remember the circumstances of Paul. He was in prison, in Rome, without a way to support himself. So he is dependent on other people and other churches to supply his needs. The church in Philippi has sent Epaphroditus to help. If you look at a Bible atlas, you can see the distance between Philippi and Rome. It wasn’t easy travel, even in the days of the Roman Empire and their extensive network of roads. So Epaphroditus is taking a great risk in bringing these gifts of the Philippian church to Paul.

Going back to verse 25 we learn that Paul is sending him back to the Philippians. He has fulfilled his mission, he has supplied Paul with the gifts the Philippians had sent. But look at verse 26. Here we learn more about the suffering Epaphroditus has endured. He has been ill, and very ill at that. But is he worried for his health? No! He is concerned because the Philippians were concerned about him. Here we learn of Epaphroditus’ great love for the body of believers to which he belongs. He has been longing for them.

Then in verse 28, Paul says he is eager to send Epaphroditus back to Philippi and instructs them to honor such men because he nearly died in his service to him, which was above all a service to Christ.

So in only six verses we learn a lot about this man. We learn that his identity is rooted in the gospel in two key ways. First, he is invested in gospel relationships. He is a part of the church, the family of faith. He is called a brother. He is dearly loved by Paul and by his fellow believers back in Philippi. It’s obvious that he has invested much time in building relationships. In reading a little between the lines, we can deduce that this man is a man of humility. He isn’t so much concerned about his own life, but about the worry his illness is causing his fellow brothers and sisters. His life is an example of obedience to Paul’s admonitions in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Second, he is invested in gospel work. He doesn’t just believe in the message of the gospel, he is invested in the mission, at the risk of his life. He knew of and maybe had witnessed Paul’s own example of suffering for Christ, (see Acts 16), and so was motivated to do the same. Someone needed to get these gifts from Philippi to Rome, and I can imagine Epaphroditus being the first to raise his hand.

If you look at the book of Philippians as a whole you can see why Paul chose to highlight the life of Epaphroditus. There had been doctrinal problems in the church, but also relational strife. We learn a little about that in the beginning of chapter 4. When you read the whole book in light of the relational strife going on, you see Paul pointing out several different examples for the Philippians to follow. He mentions himself in chapter 1 and how he is not bothered by others’ selfish motivations in preaching the gospel. In chapter 2 he exhorts them to be unified and humble and uses the Lord Jesus as a powerful example. But then he points out an example closer to home, their own brother Epaphroditus. This is the kind of man he wants them to keep their eyes on. Paul calls on the Philippians to imitate not just him but others like him. Like Epaphroditus.

Epaphroditus serves as a great example for us as well, an example we should seek to imitate. Are we invested in gospel relationships, the kind of relationships that are committed to growing in the knowledge of God and love for each other? Are we invested in gospel work? Are we willing to take risks and suffer for Christ?

Seek to imitate this lesser known saint, Epaphroditus, even if you struggle to pronounce his name. You also might want to open your eyes to those lesser known saints around you, those who might not have a prominent platform, but certainly have a powerful example. Seek to imitate them. Better yet, seek to live a life worthy of being imitated.

As we read through the story of Scripture it’s not long before we encounter someone who is called to wait. Abraham and Sarah had to wait 25 years for the promised Isaac to be born. The children of Israel waited hundreds of years to be redeemed from their bondage in Egypt. David had to wait for years until he became king, all the while eluding Saul’s wrath in the wilderness.

Waiting is all too familiar, and our default position as fallen human beings is to seek to avoid it. We come up with all kinds of ways to do things more efficiently. We want to avoid delay and discomfort. Any parent who’s taken their children on an extended road trip has heard the whining question from the backseat, “Are we there yet?”

As a result, we quantify waiting as a bad thing. And in the Christian life, we can come to a mistaken conclusion that it’s a punishment, or the result of not enough effort on our part. Something must have gone wrong because I didn’t receive things when I expected. Did I not pray enough? What about fasting? How many times have I had these questions as I pray again for that unsaved loved one?

“Why have I been waiting decades God? Have I done something wrong?”

Waiting is not a punishment though, just like receiving something immediately is not an indication of some kind of merit. Any responsible parent knows this from experience. So I think we need to recalibrate our thinking and look at how God sees waiting. What is he doing in the interim?

I believe waiting is a tool God uses to test us and to reveal the condition of our hearts. You see that when you examine the interim periods in the lives of those I mentioned above. Abraham was given a great promise but in the interim years, as he waited, his dependence on the Lord faltered and he went along with Sarah’s idea to produce an heir through Hagar. God used this waiting period to further reveal Abraham’s tendency to trust in himself and as a way for him to recalibrate his faith. Abraham may have faltered for a time but he turned his eyes back to God. He continued to grow strong in faith as he gave glory to God and the promised Isaac was born. (Romans 4:18-22)

What happened in the interim years between Joseph and Moses? (Exodus 1 and 2) We don’t know a lot but we do know that some had their faith refined through testing, like the Hebrew midwives. And many learned endurance through prayer as they continued to cry out to the Lord for deliverance. God used their waiting to intensify their longing and refine their faith.

What about David? He was anointed by Samuel as king but spent years in the wilderness evading the death threats of Saul. The Psalms give us evidence of what happened to David in the interim. His knowledge of God deepened. (Psalm 18:1-3) His longing for God increased. (Psalm 63) He also learned to lament as a way to process his feelings of despair and zeal for justice. (Psalm 7)

So even though waiting confuses us, discomforts us and makes us feel we’re on unstable footing, we see through the Scriptures that God uses this interim period, this waiting, as a tool.

We’ve all been in an interim period since Covid changed everything last year. Impatience overwhelms us as we face the omnipresent question: “How long?”

But be assured that God is using this interim period, as he always has, as a tool. He is testing and refining us, seeing how we will respond. Will we, like Abraham and Sarah, look to ourselves and our own strength? Will we, like the Hebrew midwives, cling tenaciously to our faith when it is tested and allow it to be refined? Will we endure in prayer? And will we, like David, allow this interim period to increase our knowledge of and longing for God? Maybe we need to learn how to lament.

Waiting isn’t dead space and it isn’t a punishment. It’s a tool in God’s gracious hand. He uses it to gently reveal what’s in us and to make us stronger.

How will we respond in the interim?

“From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” Isaiah 64:4