Philippians 2:27

For indeed he was nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow.

Paul's ascription of Epaphroditus' recovery to the special providence and mercy of God is characteristic. All healing is of God; but there are some recoveries which give every evidence of having been granted by the Father in answer to prayer; and so, it seems, was the case of Epaphroditus.

Again, on this passage, Hendriksen raises an important question: "Why did not Paul perform a miracle on behalf of Epaphroditus, instead of permitting the illness to continue?"[62] The answer lies in the purpose of miracles, which were never given for the personal needs of God's apostles and preachers, but only for the purpose of "confirming the word" (Mark 16:20). Timothy suffered from a stomach illness and Trophimus was left at Miletus sick, just as Epaphroditus was allowed here to suffer the normal course of his illness.