The Book and the People

Series on Philippians

IX Exhortations to Steadfastness, Unity, Prayer and Proper Thought

B Euodia and Syntyche, Text: 4:2 and 3

Title: The Book and the People

Introduction

Tonight our visiting preacher begins his series of four seminars on communication. The focus is on marriage, but the principles apply across the board. How providential is that? Here we have a problem in communication in the church at large. I suspect that women played a prominent role in this church because it was started through a woman, Lydia, according to Acts 16. This was a letter to the church. Do you think it was read outloud? Of course it was. How would you like to be one of these two women sitting in the congregation? Verse 2 says, I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. The lady who was my wife’s business partner for many years used to recount her youth. She was from a Pentecostal background and her Father was the preacher. On more than one occasion he stopped the sermon to correct his children from the pulpit. I never had to do that. My wife was always in charge and she had a copyrighted pinch when a kid got out of line. I don’t think I would have singled out a child from the pulpit, but when we got home there would be serious repercussions. Obviously Paul cared more for the unity of the church in Christ than for the sensibilities of the women. We could use a little more of that in the modern church. We tend to pussyfoot around at the expense of the glory of Christ. In many churches sinful behavior does not even get a private rebuke let alone a public one. They want everybody to be happy. How different is this situation?

I The Problem

The first thing we need to clarify is that the persons addressed, Euodia and Syntyche, are clearly identified as believers. In fact Paul says that they contended for the Gospel along with others and with him. He also says that their names are written in the book of life, verse 3, Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. These ladies were solid Christians and they did not get along. Does it surprise you that genuine Christians don’t always get along? Do you suppose there might have been a personality conflict? We don’t know anything beyond what this text says about these women. They are never mentioned elsewhere. There is no evidence to suggest that their problem was doctrinal. Whatever their conflict was, Paul’s concern is that it would not get in the way of the progress of the gospel. We have no way to calculate how much has been lost in secular business or in the Church’s ministry because people did not get along. I appreciate the good humor that you all show in getting along with one another. In I Corinthians 3 Paul is dealing with divisions in the church. Some factions say we are of Paul, others we are of Peter, others we are of Apollos, and others we are of Christ. Paul addresses all of them as brothers in the Lord. He tells them that they are acting out of the flesh, their fallen sinful natures, and not for the glory of God. He calls them carnal because they have envying and strife and divisions, yet he calls them brothers. The disagreements in Philippi and in churches today require a remedy. Thus Paul makes a plea. Fix it.

II The Plea

Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers. The loyal yokefellow is not identified but most people assume it is Epaphroditus who is mentioned in Chapter 2 as a brother sent to them, and Paul’s companion in labor and fellow soldier. Clement is probably a local elder. And there are other faithful servants. Identifying all these people is not important. What is important is the request. Help these women! Of all the requests for help that I might receive, this is the last one I would like to fulfill. Proverbs says a foolish woman is clamorous. It also says as a jewel in the snout of a pig is a fair woman without discretion. I am not a misogynist. I have a wonderful wife and I love her dearly. And Proverbs also says that a faithful woman retains honor and a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. But if you are dealing with women who are clamorous and lacking in discretion you have a big problem. My old friend Rev. Dick Gray started a counseling center in the 1960’s at Willow Grove Presbyterian Church. He told me that the most frequent problem he had in marriage counseling was the husband abdicating his leadership role. Now these male leaders in the church have got to help. How do they do that? They must do it with patience and love, but also with authority. We find in many passages that the woman is to be subject to her husband as Paul says in Ephesians 5, and the church is to be subject to the elders as in Hebrews 13. Thus they must proceed on this difficult task of helping.

III The Promise

There is a promise here because Paul refers to all of these struggling saints as people whose names are written in the Book of Life. How quick some are to rush to judgment, and they suggest that the lack of sanctification in others is tantamount to being reprobate or lost. God is the judge of that and not even the great Apostle will say that about struggling saints. He is not shy about this when the gospel is at stake. In fact he writes to the Galatians If anyone preaches another gospel to you, let him be accursed. But here to these poor saved sinners struggling in their sanctification he assures them that their names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. What is the book of life? God mentions this book to Moses in Exodus 32. He says to Daniel in 12:1, At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble which never was since there was a nation.. and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. Jesus mentions it to his disciples in Luke 10. He says that they should rejoice not that the evil spirits are subject to them, but rather because their names are written in heaven. In Revelation 3:5 and 6, Jesus speaks through John to the Church in Sardis and says, He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. And in Revelation 13:8 the beast makes war upon the saints and overcomes all whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. I want you to hear some of the names in that book. Moses who failed to enter the promised land; Abraham who lied and betrayed his God; David who committed adultery and murder; Peter whose cowardice made him deny his Lord, and Euodia and Syntyche who could not agree. They all repented because their names were written in that book before the foundation of the world. They all repented because they were God’s chosen children. And their names were not written because they were so perfect, but because Jesus died for them as His sheep. Paul does not appeal to these people to solve the problem so that their names may appear in the book of life. He appeals to them to resolve their differences because their names are written in the book of life. As he says in Chapter 2:1-8 of this very letter, If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!