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Philippians 2:27
ESV Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
NIV 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.
NASB For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
CSB Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
NLT And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him — and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
KJV For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

What does Philippians 2:27 mean?

Epaphroditus had been sick to the point of death. Yet Paul stated that God's "mercy" had come in the form of healing. This mercy was not merely for the sick man, but for Paul as well. As his friend, and the recipient of Epaphroditus's help, Paul saw this recovery as a personal mercy from God. Paul was so close to Epaphroditus that he would have grieved deeply at losing this dear friend.

Interestingly, mercy is often associated with healing in the New Testament. In Matthew 15:22, a woman asked for mercy from Jesus for her demon-possessed daughter. In Matthew 17:15, mercy was asked for a son who was an epileptic. Two blind men called to Jesus for mercy in Matthew 20:30 (also Mark 10:47). Mercy is both a blessing from God and often connected with relief from sickness. Mercy is given for us to tell others how God has changed us (Mark 5:19). Even the Good Samaritan was focused on helping people see the need to show mercy to those in need (Luke 10:37).
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