Philippians 2:29
“Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Paul urges them to welcome Epaphroditus joyfully and to honor faithful servants like him.
What Does Philippians 2:29 Mean?
Paul gives a final instruction about Epaphroditus. Receive him in the Lord with all gladness, he says, and hold such people in honor, esteeming those who serve so faithfully.
Epaphroditus had risked everything for the work, and Paul wants him welcomed home not with suspicion but with full joy and high regard. More than that, Paul makes a general principle of it: people who pour themselves out in service are to be honored. The church is to value and celebrate such faithfulness, lest it go unrecognized. This guards against the sad tendency to take selfless servants for granted. Paul ensures that Epaphroditus, and all who labor like him, receive the esteem their devotion deserves. To honor faithful service is itself an act of love and a way of encouraging more of it.