Commentary on Philippians 2.28–2.29

“So I have sent him the more speedily.” He has distinguished his sendings. For of Epaphroditus he says, “I sent.” Of Timothy, he says, “I hope to send to you quickly.” And yet above, “I thought it necessary to send to you,” is not about one he is going to send, but one already sent. Hence he concluded here: “I have sent him to you, so that when you see him you may rejoice again, and I may be without sorrow.” He joined this reason too, why he sent him. Above, therefore: “I sent,” because he longed for you and desired you: now to the Philippians themselves, “so that you may be glad,” and rejoice again, when you see him. What is “rejoice again”? So that, though you were in sorrow—for so it was said above, “you had heard that he was ill”—now again you may be glad when you see him. Or “again,” because after a grave illness they heard that he had been made well, and rejoiced, and now, if they see him, they will rejoice again? And as to his adding, “and I may be without sorrow”: since above he said that Epaphroditus was the minister of his desire, surely when he sends him he could seem sad: but since he too longed for them, and they will rejoice if they see him, Paul can be without sorrow.

“Receive him, then, in the Lord with all rejoicing; and hold such men in honor. For because of the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life, so as to supply what was lacking in your service to me.” This is a commendation, that they should receive Epaphroditus. He gives grace and a reason to the commendation: “in the Lord,” he says, “receive him”; that is, him who is a minister of the Lord: you who are already in the Lord, love the Lord’s minister, and love him with all rejoicing. And he wishes this to be shown generally to all who are such. Those, he says, receive who are of this kind. And what is “receive him”? “Hold him in honor.” He also gives the reasons why he wants these things shown to such people: “since because of the work of Christ he came near to death.” This is surely of Epaphroditus; because, while he wishes to satisfy the gospel with labor of mind and body, that is, to preach the word of the Lord, he labored much, and by a grave sickness came near to death. At the same time he shows both what happened to Epaphroditus and what we ought to do. And how much did he labor? He came near to death, he says, “and risking his life.” Not uncertain about what he was doing for you, but uncertain in that he labored even to danger, so that he was now uncertain whether he would live, because of his labor. And what did he do for you? “So as to supply what was lacking in your service to me”: so that, since I was occupied, he completed what was lacking of my service. For in truth, since the preaching is one, and the teaching is one, only the labor can differ in individual apostles and evangelists; yet what they teach is one. Then what did Epaphroditus the apostle himself fulfill? This service, he says, which was lacking to you, he completed.