“I entreat Euodia and I entreat 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.” Philippians 4:2-3
Unity in the Lord (Euodia and Syntyche): Philippians 4:2-3
Sometimes, I think we view the early church through rose-colored glasses, thinking that everything was great between believers, while church life nowadays is often messy and fraught with conflict. However, in Philippians 4:2-3, Paul gives us a little glimpse into the life of the church at Philippi in its less than perfect moments.
Faithful women in conflict
Euodia and Syntyche are faithful women in the church. They have been laboring along with Paul and the other ministers to spread the Gospel. Obviously, they are having trouble agreeing on something. This conflict between the two women has grown bad enough for Paul to address it in his letter to the church.
Come into agreement
He desperately wants the two women to come into unity in the Lord. He even asks his “true companion” to help them come into agreement.
Paul seems to want this unity for the sake of the church as a whole. However, he also wants to protect the testimonies of these women. They have done so much good in the past and are destroying their reputations through their conflict. Also, the reputation of the church in the community could be damaged by a lack of unity and love between Christians in the church. After all, Jesus Himself said:
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13: 35
Bring it Home
God calls us to be a part of our local churches, serving the body of Christ and spreading the Gospel. We are supposed to be the love of God on display for our communities. They should look at our unity and love for one another and know that we are followers of Jesus.
ACTION STEP:
Do we live in agreement and unity with the people in our churches? Are we helping others resolve conflict and love one another or do we perpetuate problems between our fellow believers? How can we facilitate a spirit of agreement, unity, and peace in our own circles of believers? Find a tangible way today to reach out and bring unity to the body of Christ today.
Please post your thoughts and pics under the Unity in the Lord post in the Facebook group @DevoInAction (https://www.facebook.com/devoinaction) or post on Instagram and tag me @devoinaction!
PRAYER:
Dear God, help us to be agents of Your peace, living in unity with other believers. Bring us into agreement with one another. Help us to refrain from gossip and instead help others agree. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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