However, I thought it necessary to send back to you
Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier
(literally "fellow soldier") whom you sent to help me with my needs.
[Epaphroditus was Paul's co-worker in Philippi. His name means "beautiful," and the word comes from the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. His parents were probably pagan Greeks who thought it was a fitting name. Since no temple to Aphrodite has been found in Philippi, it is likely that he was not born in the city but moved there later. Paul calls Epaphroditus a fellow soldier even though Paul himself was not a soldier in the Roman army. There may be a double meaning in this statement, suggesting that Epaphroditus may have been a retired soldier.]
