Philippians - Unity is Vital
Philippians
4:1-3 –
UNITY IN THE BODY
“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and
crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 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.”
Before we
get into our passage (v. 4-7), its important to look into the context of what
Paul was saying directly before the verses that we want to study. Paul deeply
loves the Philippian body, as evidenced by his tender introduction in this
passage with the phrases found in verse 1: “whom I love and long for, my joy
and crown”. Although he dearly loves them, he also is not afraid of confronting
areas of sin in their lives because he knows that disunity in the Body is
dangerous and ungodly. Richard R. Melick, Jr. states that the problem of unity
“is the first specific problem of the church, but Paul may have been concerned
with it from the beginning of the epistle.”[i] (He
is referring to the church in Philippi.) This can been seen with Paul’s pleas
in 2:1-4 about thinking of others more highly and before yourselves. Do you
find it interesting that the disagreement that is happening is between two
women in the church? What is encouraging about this mentioning is that these
women could have been important and influential leaders in the church, and this
possibly may have been why Paul thought it necessary to bring up the matter of
their arguing. He wanted them to be right before the Lord and each other so
that they could effectively lead and serve in their local body. What is not
encouraging is the fact that their personal problems were negatively affecting
the church. Let us not be the kind of believers that stir up trouble, hold
grudges, or harbor bitterness that can be poison to the Body of Christ!
TRUTH #1: Paul deeply loved his fellow
believers, and as an overflow of that love, he made a grand effort to encourage
them in the faith, even if it meant pointing out areas of sin in their lives.
TRUTH #2: The Church should work to help
its members be reconciled and restored to right fellowship with each other and with
the Body.
APPLICATION: How are you doing in the
area of encouraging the brothers and sisters in your life? Do you shy away from
confronting someone with hard truths that they may need to hear? Although it is
hard for us (especially those of us who struggle with wanting to be
people-pleasers) to confront others because that can be uncomfortable, if it is
done in a loving, gentle, and Christ-like way, it can be beautifully healing
and very loving. What are some ways that you can lovingly encourage other
believers in your life?
FURTHER STUDY: Read Philippians 2:1-4. What
specific attitudes and actions did Paul call the Philippian believers to
implement? How can you personally be obedient to God in these areas?
[i] Robert R. Melick, Jr., Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, New
American Commentary, Volume 32, (Tennessee: Broadman Press, 1991), 146.
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