“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 4:1-3NIV
In Philippians 4 the Apostle Paul is about to confront two women who are fighting. We don’t know anything about Eudia or Syntyche or the cause of their feud. They may have been prominent women in the church. To the Apostle Paul who they were and what they were feuding over didn’t matter. Instead, he pleads with each woman to stop fighting and reconcile. What’s interesting is that Paul confronts these two women in a letter that is to be read to the whole church. Apparently, their fighting and division had become a serious matter that affected the entire church. Paul does not tell us what the problem is, because what’s important is the solution. When we read Philippians 4:1, we get the idea that not only will we face conflict, but that we will not always agree with each other. Surprised? Not really. We all know that we will not always agree on everything; we will have disagreements. The real surprise in this verse is that Paul says the solution is very simple. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we do need to agree on Jesus. Paul is saying that whatever happens does not matter. He is also saying the conflict itself does not matter. However what does matter is that we are both connected to Jesus. Apparently, Paul believed that conflicts and divisions, no matter what they were, could be resolved if both parties could connect with the truth and grace of Jesus Christ. The kicker is that Paul is not telling these women to agree on everything or for there to be a winner and a loser in the dispute. He just says agree on Jesus, focus on Him, and continue to focus on kingdom work. That if they (and we) would do such things that we would stop fighting and start uniting. To God be the glory. -Vic
