Philippians 2:19-24
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
I include this lengthy passage together here because it is all one cohesive thought. It is about Timothy, whom Paul hopes to send to them because he actually cares about them and how they are doing. Paul and Timothy were like a father and son. A father and son often worked together, the son taking training from the father in the business. In this case, it is the gospel that is their business. Paul has helped train Timothy in the gospel and Timothy has been a faithful steward of his training. He cares for others as we should, so Paul is sending him so he can bring back some good news about them to Paul.
Philippians 2:25
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
Sending Timothy is something Paul would like to do in the future. However, he feels that in the present situation Epaphroditus needs to be sent to them. He is their messenger, no doubt caring messages to and fro the church. He was also sent by the church to tend to Paul’s needs. Paul calls him a brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. He was certainly a brother in Christ and co-worker in the spread of the gospel and a soldier for the gospel. A soldier fights and defends and based on the next information Paul gives, Epaphroditus was certainly a fighter.
Philippians 2:26-30
For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
Epaphroditus longs to see them now that he has been healed. We are not sure what his illness was but we know he was close to death. Paul sees this healing as a two-part mercy. Mercy on Epaphroditus for healing him but also on Paul as his death would have been very painful and sorrowful for him. This is why Paul wants to send him sooner rather than later. He encourages the Philippians to welcome him with a greeting in the Lord and to show him honor and respect since he almost gave his life for the gospel. The situation involved helping Paul and falling ill in some way but that is all we know. So Paul sees it fitting that he go to them soon so they can be encouraged as well as Epaphroditus.
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