| Epaphroditus | |
|---|---|
| Feast | 22 March |
Epaphroditus is a saint of the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, first Bishop of Philippi, and of Andriaca in Asia Minor, and first Bishop of Terracina, Italy. There is little evidence that these were all the same man.
Epaphroditus was a fellow Christian missionary of St. Paul's and is mentioned only in Philippians 2:25 and 4:18.
His name was a pagan one, meaning loved by Aphrodite, or in translation, “charming.”[1] The name corresponds to the Latin Venustus (= handsome), and was very common in the Roman period. "The name occurs very frequently in inscriptions both Greek and Latin, whether at full length Epaphroditus, or in its contracted form Epaphras."[2] Nevertheless, this individual must not be confused with the Epaphras of Col 1:7, 4:12 or Phlm 23.[3]
Epaphroditus was the delegate of the Christian community at Philippi, sent with their gift to Paul during his first imprisonment at Rome or at Ephesus.[4] Paul, in 2:25, calls him "my brother and fellow-worker and fellow-soldier." "The three words are arranged in an ascending scale: common sympathy, common work, common danger and toil and suffering."[5] He is described also as authoritative delegate (αποsτολος, more than messenger, yet not an Apostle, although playing upon the idea of one sent on mission) from the Philippians to Paul (2:25). He was sent also as minister (λειτουργος) to Paul's need (2:25), doing for Paul what the Philippian community was unable to do (2:30). The designation leitourgos derives from Greek civic use, indicating “public servant,” often one with financial resources to fulfill his functions, so Epaphroditus may have been not only an official of the Philippian church, but a person of means, able to supplement that community's gift to Paul (4:18).[6]
On his arrival, Epaphroditus devoted himself to "the work of Christ," both as Paul's attendant and as his assistant in missionary work. So assiduously did he labor that he lost his health, and in the words of Paul:"he was ill, and almost died." He recovered, however, and Paul sent him back to Philippi with this letter to quiet the alarm of his friends, who had heard of his serious illness. Paul besought for him that the church should receive him with joy and 'honour men like him'(2:29).
Hippolytus' list of the Seventy Disciples includes "Epaphroditus, bishop of Andriace."