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Living In A Culture| Day 2

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Unity In Leadership

There is a certain cultural tendency in America to confine religious action within local Christian assemblies. Some among us may even think that being unified only has to do with religious issues. One thing Paul teaches us here is that our shared faith in Christ extends into the heart of our relationships with each other. Whatever the insular tendencies of our culture, we who call Jesus our Lord share too much to allow ourselves to be at odds with each other.

 

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Philippians 4:1-3 

1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

What does Paul want from the two women he names?

Reflect

Once again, the starting word of verse 1 looks backward, and in this case the prior referent is our citizenship in heaven (3:20) that promises us a Savior who will transform us bodily to be like him (3:21).

Verse 1 is bursting with love for the believers in Roman Philippi. In its usual concession to English literary style, the NIV translates the same Greek adjective with the two different phrases: “you whom I love” and “dear friends.” The former is closer to the meaning and shows how strongly Paul feels about these people.

When Paul calls them “my joy and my crown” (verse 1), he is talking about the pride he will feel on the day of Christ to see their faith vindicated along with his own. Within this praise, Paul appeals to them to “stand firm in the Lord,” using a verb with a “military flavor.”[1] Note carefully that the place where they are to hold their ranks is “in the Lord.” Everything goes back to their relationship with Jesus. Hansen makes the keen observation that in Philippians, we are told to stand firm in relation to 1) our heavenly citizenship, 2) those who oppose the cross of Christ, and 3) adopting the same mindset.[2]

I commend the NIV for using the phrase “I plead with” twice in verse 2, because Paul makes his appeal to each woman absolutely identical. His point is not about their differences but about what he wants them to have in common. What is that? The NIV says: “to be of the same mind in the Lord.” Their shared relationship to Jesus supersedes everything else. The translation could have also been: “have the same mindset in the Lord.”[3] Once again we find the verb phroneo (meaning “set one’s mind on”), used here for the sixth time out of seven total uses in this letter. Mindset is a major theme in this letter.

There is little doubt that Euodia and Syntyche were influential women in the assembly and possibly leaders as well. Roman Philippi lay in the Greek region of Macedonia (also a Roman province). Fee informs us that women in this region had a much larger role in public life than in other areas under Roman control.[4] We also know that important women were among Paul’s first converts in Roman Philippi (Acts 16:13–15).

We do not know the identity of the “true companion” (verse 3) who Paul asks to help in the reconciliation, but plainly everyone involved does know. Paul speaks of the two women by saying “they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel,” using the Greek verb sunathleo. This verb gives us a military metaphor for troops fighting side-by-side in battle.[5] To those who keep wanting to see athletic metaphors in Philippians I say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” (smile)

You will also note in verse 3 that Paul says all who fought for the gospel with him have their names “in the book of life.” Bockmuehl explains, “The Book of Life is to be opened on the day of judgment, and only those written in it will enter the kingdom of heaven (e.g. Dan. 12:1; Rev. 21:27).”[6]

Is there any relationship between you and someone at Christ Fellowship that needs reconciliation for the sake of greater unity in Christ? What about believers who do not attend Christ Fellowship?

[1] Douglas Moo, Galatians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013) 320.

[2] G. Walter Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009) 281.

 

[3] Gordon Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), 391.

[4] Fee, Philippians, 390–391 and footnote 31.

[5] Fee, Philippians, 166 cites the Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, 3.296.

[6] Markus Bockmuehl, The Epistle to the Philippians, Black’s New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 242.