Philippians 2:26
“For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Epaphroditus longed for the Philippians and was distressed that they had heard of his illness.
What Does Philippians 2:26 Mean?
Paul explains Epaphroditus' state of heart. He longed after the Philippians, his home congregation, and was full of heaviness, distressed not chiefly by his own sickness but because they had heard he had been ill and were worried.
The tenderness here is striking. Epaphroditus' sorrow was not for himself but for the anxiety his illness had caused those he loved. His thoughts ran homeward, troubled that his friends were grieving over him. This is the same outward-looking heart Paul has praised throughout, caring more for others' distress than for one's own. Such love binds a community together across distance, each member feeling the others' burdens. Epaphroditus' homesick concern moves Paul to send him back, that both he and the Philippians might be relieved. Genuine affection grieves to think of grieving others, and longs to set their hearts at rest.