by Edwin Crozier<\/p>\n
In one little paragraph, we find the rubber hitting the road for Paul’s letter to the Philippians:<\/p>\n
“I entreat Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 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<\/em>” (Philippians 4:2-3 ESV).<\/p><\/blockquote>\nIt’s probably a bit much to say this entire letter was written in order to get to this paragraph. However, everything Paul has said informs what he wants Euodia and Syntyche to do.
\nAs we read of these two sisters and fellow workers, let us see ourselves. Are there any brothers or sisters with whom we have disagreements, disharmony, and strife? Paul would write this exact same letter to us and call us by name to “agree in the Lord.”\nBe aware, when Paul in Philippians 4:2 asked these sisters to “agree in the Lord<\/em>,” he used the same words as he did in Philippians 2:2 when he told the whole congregation to complete his joy by “being of the same mind<\/em>.” The word translated “agree” is the same one as the “mind” we are to have among ourselves in Philippians 2:5. It’s also the same word used to talk about the “minds” the ambitious teachers have set on earthly things in Philippians 3:19 and explaining how the mature are to “think” in Philippians 3:5.<\/p>\n
In other words, Paul was not simply telling Euodia and Syntyche to come to an agreement over some doctrinal disagreement or even preferential dispute. He wasn’t asking them to pull out scriptures and cross-reference verses to figure out the answer to some Biblical question. He was telling them to view each other the way Christ views them.<\/p>\n
Euodia and Syntyche needed to have the mind of Christ. Each was to abandon any envy, rivalry, or selfish ambition she had toward the other. Each was to view the other as more significant than self. Each was to seek the interests of the other above her own interests. Each was to humble herself before the other. Each was to be willing to die to serve the other. Each was to count serving Christ in this relationship as greater than any other thing they thought to be gain to self.<\/p>\n
Grudges and hurt feelings can arise for numerous reasons within a congregation. Paul takes this seriously. So seriously, he called these sisters out by name in a publicly read letter. Can you just imagine how these sisters felt as this letter was read to the congregation for the first time? Paul thought this was so important, he included it so it would be repeated every time this letter was read from then on, even after the women had reconciled, which I hope they did.<\/p>\n
Paul takes our disharmony with others in the congregation seriously. Let us take seriously Paul’s instruction to be of the same harmonious mind in Christ with our brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Edwin Crozier In one little paragraph, we find the rubber hitting the road for Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “I entreat Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 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…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[1200,231,456],"class_list":["post-95290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-disagreements","tag-strife","tag-unity"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":83126,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/working-together\/","url_meta":{"origin":95290,"position":0},"title":"Working Together","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 10, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Doy Moyer The people of God are characterized by work. This is not a drudgery but a blessing demonstrating God's fellowship with His people and His people with one another. Salvation is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), yet God's grace teaches us to \"renounce ungodliness and worldly passions,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Men-Working-300x200.avif","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":63260,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/personal-sacrifice-and-service\/","url_meta":{"origin":95290,"position":1},"title":"Personal Sacrifice and Service","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Download Audio by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Philippians 2:17-18 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul often discussed the topic of unity in his letters to the various churches. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Unity based having the same goals and the same standards - Romans 15:5; I Corinthians 1:10; II Corinthians 13:11; Ephesians 4:1-3; I Thessalonians 5:11-15 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul\u2019s letter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95302,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/prayers-and-thoughts\/","url_meta":{"origin":95290,"position":2},"title":"Prayers and Thoughts","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 29, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edwin Crozier As Paul continued to instruct the Philippians in the wake of calling out Euodia and Syntyche, he addressed two important aspects of maintaining harmony. First, recognize that a great deal of disharmony comes from anxiety. Let's face it. Viewing others as more significant and prioritizing their interests\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":95748,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/running-from-church-problems\/","url_meta":{"origin":95290,"position":3},"title":"Running from Church Problems","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"by Richard Blackford When a church has problems, the first inclination is to run from it and find a perfect congregation that doesn't have problems. I know that feeling. I've had it too. Of course, honesty compels us to admit that this is the easy way out. \"After all, my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":84977,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/women-in-gods-scheme\/","url_meta":{"origin":95290,"position":4},"title":"Women in God’s Scheme","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 An Amalekite, one of the people Saul had been commanded to destroy utterly (I Samuel 15:3), told David that he had killed the wounded Saul (II Samuel 1). David, acting hastily, ordered him slain without ascertaining the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":54350,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-review-of-recent-arguments-for-women-preachers\/","url_meta":{"origin":95290,"position":5},"title":"A Review of Recent Arguments for Women Preachers","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 4, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne Jackson Every significant movement within society will eventually, to some degree, make itself felt in the church. The phenomenon of \"women's liberation\" is no exception. 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