Often find myself listening to the parts of a passage that I have overlooked in the past
This passage is a familiar one: “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice.”
“Do not worry about anything, but bring everything to God in prayer.” “The peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds always.”
Brent just preached on this earlier this year in our RE: series.
Here’s the bit I’ve skimmed over, I wonder if you’ve noticed it?
“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.”
Have you noticed that part before?
It’s an odd little aside. Paul often makes these asides, and they’re often little gems.
Euodia and Syntyche? Who were they? What’s this all about?
We don’t know anything about Euodia and Syntyche except for their names, the fact that they have been alongside Paul and Clement contending for the gospel, and for some reason they were at odds with each other. Paul spends the next several verses describing how to live in harmony with one another.
It’s all a bit odd, but there’s something there. So, I started digging. First of all, a bit of context:
Philippi was a Roman garrison in Greece: the local town had been taken over by the Roman army about 100 years before this letter was written. That led to a tense atmosphere between the Latin speaking elite, and the Greek speaking commoners.
Euodia and Syntyche are Greek names, Clement is a Roman name.
Philippi was also the first stop on Paul’s missionary journey to Macedonia. He travelled there with Timothy and Silas. You can read about their first converts: Greek women by the riverside – in Acts 16
We don’t know whether or not Euodia and Syntyche were able to sort out their differences, but it does seem that the church in Philippi took Paul’s words on living together well to heart. Around 50 years later, Polycarp had this to say about the church in Philippi: “they have followed the example of true love and have helped on their way, as opportunity offered, those who were bound in chains.” Then he adds, “I rejoice also that your firmly rooted faith, renowned since early days, endures to the present and produces fruit for our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We do not know the full details of the dispute between these two women, but it seems to me that so often things fall apart between us in the church when we get too caught up in the tension and detail of our current situation. We get so entrenched in our position on a particular topic, that we cannot move past it. I wonder if this is what was happening in Philippi?
It is also true that we do not resolve our disputes by establishing once and for all who is right, and who is wrong, but by looking past the problem and caring for the person who we find ourselves in conflict with.
Paul’s well loved advice in this chapter of Philippians establishes us in good habits for caring for each other, loving each other, seeing the good in each other and weathering the storms that life throws at us.
In these words, where the nature of the dispute is never even discussed, Paul and the church in Philippi lay the foundations for a future where they will be well known for their love for one another and their love for God.
Wouldn’t we love to be a church like that?
Perhaps to do so, we need to spend less energy fighting the battle of the day, and more energy forming habits that lay the foundations for the future church.
The witness of Euodia and Syntyche is not how they resolved the problem right in front of them, we simply don’t know that, but how their church formed habits that led to harmony in the long term
How do we form those habits that don’t focus on the day to day matters we face, but on the church we want to be in 10, 20, 50 years time?
Well, there’s some wisdom we can glean from the story of Euodia & Syntyche
What’s in a name? – Chose Christian names that reflect the virtues they wanted to live out in their lives: Syntyche= “with fate” aligned with God’s will. Euodia= “Fragrant offering” = v. 18 18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
Cultivate harmony across social divides – Greek vs. Roman; men vs. women
Help each other – appeals to Epaphroditus to help them
Rejoice in the Lord – not just good advice, but revolves around our celebration of faith in Jesus
Pray
Focus on the good stuff – stories of hope. Good not just in the world, but in each other.
Look for good examples. Who are your heroes in the faith?
As Paul preached to the Roman church – allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Not so things can go the way that we want in the here and now, but so we can lay the foundations of the church we want to be for years to come
“[Life Through the Spirit] Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” — Romans 8:1-2. Powered by BibleGateway.com.
