“Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus” (2 Timothy 4:20 ESV).
It may seem disconcerting to read how Paul the Apostle “…left Trophimus behind in Miletus, where he was sick” (NTE). This is especially true when we stop to consider how God used Paul to miraculously heal others on numerous occasions. One commentary makes a thought-provoking observation concerning Paul, his traveling companion Luke (a physician), and Trophimus in this respect: “This interestingly enough, happened despite the presence of a doctor and an apostle…” (1)
While it is true that God may often protect us from accidents or physical ailments, the Scriptures also identify a number of God-honoring men and women who suffered from various illnesses (see Philippians 2:25-27 and 1 Timothy 5:23 for some examples). There are several factors that may explain why God might allow such things to enter our lives. For instance, physical infirmities may serve as a disciplinary measure, as a catalyst for spiritual growth, or they may simply reflect the consequences of life in a fallen world.
This difficult topic is worthy of a lengthy except from the following Biblical scholar…
“Numerous verses in Scripture substantiate the view that physical healing in mortal life is not guaranteed in the atonement and that it is not always God’s will to heal. The apostle Paul couldn’t heal Timothy’s stomach problem (1 Tim. 5:23) nor could he heal Trophimus at Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20) or Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:25–27). Paul spoke of ‘a bodily illness’ he had (Gal. 4:13–15). He also suffered a ‘thorn in the flesh’ which God allowed him to retain (2 Cor. 12:7–9). God certainly allowed Job to go through a time of physical suffering (Job 1–2).
In none of these cases is it stated that the sickness was caused by sin or unbelief. Nor did Paul or any of the others act as if they thought their healing was guaranteed in the atonement. They accepted their situations and trusted in God’s grace for sustenance. It is noteworthy that on two occasions Jesus said that sickness could be for the glory of God (John 9:3; 11:4).
Other Scripture reveals that our physical bodies are continuously running down and suffering various ailments. Our present bodies are said to be perishable and weak (1 Cor. 15:42–44). Paul said ‘our outer man is decaying’ (2 Cor. 4:16). Death and disease will be a part of the human condition until that time when we receive resurrection bodies that are immune to such frailties (1 Cor. 15:51–55).” (2)
(1) New International Bible Commentary, Copyright© 1979 by Pickering & Inglis Ltd [pg. 1492]
(2) Norman L. Giesler and Ron Rhodes, When Cultists Ask A Popular Handbook on Cultic Misinterpretations [note on Isaiah 53:4–5] Baker Books, 1997