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. ~ Philippians 4:1-3
In v.1, Paul refers to the Philippians as his "brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown." Paul's relationship with this group has been solidified due to the fact that he had learned the key to all of life: "standing firm in the Lord."
Paul's ability to unconditionally love others was conditioned by him "standing firm in the Lord." In essence, it is the Lord loving the Philippians through Paul. When we love the lord, we will love people.
The words “longed for” are based on Paul's status as a prisoner. His inability to come to them personally has only pulled his heart strings even more. The word for “longed for” is found only here in this passage, and it signifies a “longing for with great affection.”
This phrase “stand firm” was used of soldiers who stood their ground in battle. Paul 's appeal to joyful unity is embedded in the exhortation "to stand firm in the Lord" by adopting the pattern modeled by Paul, that of knowing the Lord Jesus and looking for His return while practicing self-giving love.
When we find our identity in the Lord, we are granted a growing measure of security, that feeling of value that enables us to love unconditionally. If we do not find our security in the Lord and we discover it in anything else, we will be insecure and therefore immature in our ability to love others unconditionally.
In addition, by calling the Philippians his “joy,” Paul makes a clear statement about the fundamental source of his joy. His joy was founded in seeing God at work in the lives of his friends.
Paul also refers to the Philippians as his “crown.” The Greek word used here, stephanos, does not refer to a royal crown as on a king, but rather the wreath that was placed on the head those who won a game or a contest. It was a symbol of public honor. The Philippian believers were proof of the work that God had done through Paul in the lives of his friends.
In our text, the Apostle Paul speaks to two women, Euodia and Syntyche who were at odds with one another. Ironically, “Euodia” means “sweet fragrance,” and “Syntyche” means “pleasant.” And they were anything but. They had experienced a major conflict. And, everyone knew about their difference. People had likely taken sides. The conflict between these two women was a threat to the Gospel andtheir unity.
Paul pleads with these two women "to be of the same mind in the Lord." He addresses the arena of our sanctification, our souls, which are made up of our minds, our wills and our emotions.
Having the same mind doesn't have so much to do with the content that we believe, it has our attitude. We are to consider others first before we consider ourselves. The humility of Christ is the ultimate example of how we are to think.
Paul isn't suggesting these two women come to the same conclusion. He is pleading with them to relate to each other, in the midst of their difference. To be of the same mind in the Lord is not arriving at the same conclusion, it’s about treating each other like Christ has treated us. This is God's pathway toward joyful unity.
In our text, the Apostle provides us with a novel approach to conflict resolution: “think the gospel.” Let the gospel inform the way we treat others, especially those who we are at odds with. In the gospel, we have something that’s bigger and more important than any of our conflicts. And, it screams no one deserves God's favor, yet He extended it to us while we were yet His enemies.
Whereas the potential joy stealer in Philippians 1 is our prisons, and in Philippians 2 is the people in our lives, and in Philippians 3 is our pedigree and/or possessions, in Philippians 4 the potential joy stealer is our problems. Our problems create in us a certain measure of anxiety.
A real issue in our text is resisting bitterness which is destructive, because it is an appetite of the flesh. In order to experience, together, the life that the Lord Jesus died to provide us, we must daily choose His definition of all things. The love of Christ has been applied to us and we should yield to it's flow in our lives. We don't even have to manufacture this love.
You will remember that in every chapter Paul accentuates something unique about the Lord Jesus. When put together, we have His definition of joy. In Philippians 1 it is the life of Christ, in Philippians 2 it is Christ's way of thinking and living, in Philippians 3 it is that Christ is our pursuit, and here in Philippians 4 it is Christ our contentment or satisfaction.
So, the stage is set with an unnamed conflict between two prominent woman in the church at Philippi. Now, everybody's got problems. Job said, "Man is born for trouble." The question is not, "Who's got problems?" The real question is, "How do I get victory over problems?" This is the subject of Philippians 4.
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