Epaphroditus, Wey Near Die

One man lie down for thin mattress, fever dey burn am, far from home. Beside am, one prisoner wey dey for chain sit down dey pray for am. And for house, one whole church don hear di news, and dem dey worry well well.

Soldiers dey guard Paul, and e dey wait to know whether dem go free am or dem go kill am. Most scholars think say e dey Rome. Hundreds of miles away, for di city of Philippi, one church dey wey e love with all im heart. Na di first church wey e plant for Europe. Di believers there want help am. So dem gather one gift, maybe money for food and care, because prisoners for dat time dey often depend on friends to feed dem. Then dem choose one of dem own to carry am. Im name na Epaphroditus. E go waka and sail di long road go meet Paul, and stay there to take care of am.

Epaphroditus make di journey. E find Paul, hand over di gift, and e stay to serve am. Paul call am three things: my brother, my fellow worker, and my fellow soldier. And to di Philippians, Paul talk say e be una messenger, di one wey una send to take care of wetin I need. Dat one na big trust to put for one man hand. E dey carry im church love for im hands.

Then something go wrong badly. Epaphroditus fall sick. No be small sickness. Paul talk am plainly say e sick, near to death. Dem no tell us wetin di sickness be. Maybe di hard journey wear am down. Paul only talk say e near die for di work of Christ, as e put im life for danger to give Paul di help wey di church no fit give with dem own hand. News travel go back to Philippi say dem messenger dey sick. And see di part wey dey touch heart. Epaphroditus, as e lie down weak and sick, no dey worry mainly about imself. E dey troubled because im friends for house don hear say e sick, and e know say dem go dey worry about am.

But God show am mercy. E recover. And Paul add, with warm heart, say God show mercy no be only to am, but to me too, so dat I no go get sorrow on top sorrow. Paul don already dey for chain. If e lose im friend, im heart for break. Now Paul make one decision. E go send Epaphroditus go home, and e go carry dis same letter with am. Paul talk, I dey eager to send am, so dat when una see am again una go rejoice, and my own worry go reduce. Then e give di church instructions. Receive am for di Lord with full joy. Honour people like am. E no fail una. E almost give im life as e dey serve. Paul talk di same thing about young Timothy, wey e hope to send soon: e truly care about una, and e no dey look only im own interest. Dis two men na di people wey Paul just finish to describe, people wey no dey look only dem own things, but dem dey look di things of other people too.

Why church go send money give prisoner? For di Roman world, you no fit depend on prison to feed or clothe di people wey dem hold there. Prisoners dey often depend on family and friends to bring food and other things wey dem need. Na why Paul fit thank di Philippians for one gift wey truly meet im needs. And Philippi itself no be ordinary town. Di book of Acts call am Roman colony, one small piece of Rome wey dem plant for northern Greece, on top di great road wey dem dey call Via Egnatia.

Epaphroditus, di messenger wey near die. You go find im story for Philippians chapter two, verse nineteen to thirty. E travel far, and e cost am well, to take care of one friend wey dey for need. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Who need make you look after im interest dis week, no be only your own?