Philippians 2:27

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“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 “sorrow upon sorrow” mean?

Phil 2:25 shows that the “he” of Phil 2:27 was Epaphroditus, a man beloved by the Philippian Church (Phil 2:26 shows he did not want the Philippians to grieve) and one who ministered greatly to Paul (Phil 2:25). The sorrow that Paul did not want to have was that of this man’s death. However, God spared Epaphroditus, and therefore Paul from sorrow (Phil 2:27). This sadness would have been on top of Paul’s already-existing sorrow—that he was in prison at this time (Phil. 1:13, 4:22).

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