unity — Faves of Dave - Bible Study

Phil. 4:2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of the things I love about Paul’s letters is their personal nature: writing to a group of friends and including messages directly to, or concerning, certain individuals. Here, we see Paul appealing for Euodia and Syntyche to “agree in the Lord.” Wow! There’s some good advice for us today. People are so divided over so many things. But in the church, our common unifying factor is the Lord. Jesus prayed that his disciples would “all be one” (John 17:20-23). This doesn’t mean we have to compromise our convictions and agree on everything. It means that since this other person or people have placed their trust in the person and work of Jesus on the cross, we need to look past our differences for the purpose of working together for God’s mission to the world. Paul adds a subtle, but clear, emphasis to remind them of the importance of this unity. They had “labored side by side with me (Paul) . . . and with Clement and . . . (other) fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Paul is drawing from Old Testament passages speaking of a “book” in which are the names of people God has declared righteous and will receive eternal life. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans that God demonstrated his love for us by sending his Son (Jesus) to die for us “while we were still sinners” (enemies) (Rom 5:8, 10). God didn’t wait for us to fix ourselves because it never would have happened.

Paul returns to his exhortation to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4). When our focus is on the Lord and his love for us, what else can we do? If we cannot rejoice in that, there is something we are just not getting. When we rejoice in the Lord and believe that he is near, it allows us to let down our pride and our petty divisions, and it makes room for being “reasonable” (Phil 4:5).

It occurs to me that anxiety comes with conflict. When Paul writes, “do not be anxious about anything” (Phil 4:6), he can speak with some authority since he is incarcerated and is aware that he could be executed. But he is confident in the Lord. He knows his name is in “the book of life.” Therefore, he gives his readers helpful advice to pray, give thanks to God, and express their concerns and requests to God. The promise is that God will deliver peace to them that cannot be explained and calm their anxiety. The focus on Christ guards our thoughts and emotions. That is an encouraging itself.

Phil. 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

In chapter one, we have read about the apostle Paul’s source of joy and rejoicing. The support that the believers in Philippi have given him from the beginning of his ministry to the present has been a source of joy. Knowing that the gospel was spreading on account of his imprisonment caused him to rejoice. He rejoiced in the hope of release from his imprisonment in order that he might bring the Philippians joy as he helps them progress in their faith.

Now he asks them to “complete my joy” (Philippians 2:2). The way they are to do that is by being of “one mind.” That can be a difficult thing to accomplish. There are plenty of stories out there about churches that have split over a wide range of disagreements and dissensions. Why is that? Simply put, we are still in the flesh and struggle with pride.

The good news is that Paul doesn’t just tell them to get along. He tells them how to do that. Paul understands the challenge. He and Barnabus disagreed over whether to take John Mark on their second missionary journey, after he had earlier abandoned them. (Acts 15:36-41) They weren’t of the same mind at the time. Paul tells them to first think of Christ (Philip. 2:1). Find encouragement in the person and work of Jesus. Consider his love and how the Holy Spirit is what establishes our fellowship. In the opening verses of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he directs his readers to thank God for the many ways he has blessed them, including the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13-14) The idea here is that if they are thinking about Christ and mutually letting the Spirit lead them, their thoughts and concerns should be toward others, and showing love and compassion to each other.

In contrast to that kind of mindset is “selfish ambition or conceit” (Philippians 1:3). Paul instructs them to lay aside their pride, be humble before others, and actively consider how each of them can serve their brothers and sisters in the faith. I believe what Paul is saying here is that if they each think and act in a way that demonstrates their concern for others, even over their own needs and desires, they will be unified.

What sound advice! Perhaps we can reflect upon that advice and apply that. How about if we begin by praying, “Lord, help me think about your love for me and help me set aside my own interests in order to concern myself with the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Episode 339 - "Be anxious for nothing . . ." - Philippians 4:2-7

Episode 330 -"Be of one mind" - Philippians 2:1-3