Philippians 4

One thing I have learned from Paul’s letter to the Philippians is when others make special sacrifices to meet the needs of those in positions of vocational ministry; they should be honored in special ways by the local church as well.

Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me (Philippians 2:29-30, NIV).

This is similarly pictured in the way the apostles showed their appreciation to Barnabas when he exhibited unusual generosity to the church in Jerusalem (Acts 4). They obviously changed his name to conform to his generous attitude. Being called “son of encouragement” would be a lasting reminder to ever one he met how Barnabas reflected the unselfishness of Jesus.

Epaphroditus is, in the local church, what Barnabas was to the leadership in general. He went beyond the call of duty to help Paul, and he did it for those people who made the local church he pastured.

So many ministers dedicate large portions of their lives serving others. They do so often neglecting their own families to take care of the people God has entrusted them to shepherd. They are always on call. They work long and mostly unnoticed hours each week. They lead public lives that, for the most part, belong to those they serve. The pay rarely matches the time, education, dedication, and experience they have, and this part is often the same for Christian business people as well. Most of the minister I come in contact with rarely complain or feel sorry for themselves. They have voluntarily chosen to follow Jesus, and serve Him and others.

However, these ministers are often the last to be recognized or shown special appreciation. They are often taken for granted, misunderstood, and criticized when they try to take time off. If they ask for a raise, they are called materialistic. Church members are often quick to point out the bad apples in the ministerial bunch who have abused their roles, and taken advantage of others. With the bad ones clouding their view, they paint all ministers with the bush of contempt.

There are exceptions, and some churches are very generous toward their pastor and other ministers. The church, in general, needs to take a look at what Paul said about Epephroditus and how the Philippian church was supposed to honor his efforts.