Main Point
Because the Lord is Near in His presence and return, we pursue reconciliation, and live with joy, peace, and gentleness.
Passage - NIV
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Kittel
epieikḗs means “what is right or fitting,” “what is serviceable,” then “equable,” “moderate,” “reasonable,” “gentle.” In the LXX the group is used for God’s “kindness” as supreme ruler (1 Sam. 12:22; Dan. 3:42), as well as that of earthly rulers or the righteous, e.g., Elisha (2 Kgs. 6:3). Josephus has epieikḗs for kings and prophets, as does Philo. epieíkeia denotes legal “clemency” or “leniency” in Plato and Plutarch, and cf. the papyri.
In 2 Cor. 10:1 Paul proposes the “meekness” of Christ as a model. As king, Christ has the gentleness that only one with full power may display (Phil. 2:5ff.). epieíkeia is thus a complement of heavenly majesty. The weak want to assert their dignity; Christ, having divine authority, shows saving clemency. The community shares his glory and should thus display the same epieíkeia. This comes out clearly in Phil. 4:5. Since the Lord is at hand, and the dóxa of the community will soon be manifest, it may show forbearance to all. Faith in its heavenly fullness of power finds expression in saving gentleness as the earthly outworking of an eschatological possession (cf. Phil. 2:15–16). As Felix ought to show a clemency befitting his high office (Acts 24:4), Christians should be epieikeís in virtue of their divinely given calling. In Jms. 3:17 wisdom is gentle because the attributes of rule are appropriate to it. In 1 Tim. 3:3 the bishop, acting with eschatological assurance as a representative of the community, must also be epieikḗs in virtue of its eschatological endowment. On the other hand, the term has a more general reference in 1 Pet. 2:18 (where it refers to non-Christian as well as Christian masters) and Tit. 3:2 (where it comes in a conventional list of virtues). [H. Preisker, II, 588–90]
epizētéō → zētéō; epithyméō, epithymētḗs, epithymía → thymós; epikaléō → kaléō; epikatáratos → ará; epilambánomai → lambánō; epilýō, epílysis → lýo; epimartyréō → martyréō; epiorkéō, epíorkos → horkízō
LXX Septuagint
ACC
Chrysostom: Do you see how great the virtue of these women, according to his testimony? As great as that which Christ told his apostles…”your names are written in the book of life.” …Did they toil with him? Yes, he says. They contributed in no small part. Even though there were many fellow workers, yet in many affairs they also took a hand. Great therefore was the cohesion of the church at that time when the most respected, whether men or women, enjoyed such honor from the rest. There were many good consequences.
Marius Victorinus: For when you are joined in heart you rejoice in the Lord, and when you rejoice in the Lord you are joined in heart and stand together in the Lord.
Chrysostom: This rejoicing is not separable from grief, for indeed it is rather deeply connected with grief. The one who grieves for his own wrongdoing and confesses it is joyful. Alternatively, it is possible to grieve for one’s own sins but rejoice in Christ…On this account he says “Rejoice in the Lord.” For this is nothing if you have received a life worthy of rejoicing…He is right to repeat himself.
Marius Victorinus: Forbearance is individual patience that observes due measure without straining beyond its station. When we live among strangers and live in a way commensurate with our lowliness, God will lift us up. So it is here; we do well to recognize our lowliness. “Therefore let your moderation be known to all.” Why does he tell us this? So that we may make a pleasing show here? No, but so that when Christ comes he may raise up our lowliness and exalt our moderation.
Chrysostom: It is comforting to know that the Lord is at hand…Here is a medicine to relieve grief and every bad circumstance and pain. What is it? To pray and to give thanks in everything. He does not wish that a prayer be merely a petition but a thanksgiving for what we have received…How can one make petitions for the future without a thankful acknowledgement of past things?...So one ought to give thanks for everything, even what seems grievous. That is the mark of one who is truly thankful. Grief comes out of the circumstances with their demands. Thanksgiving comes from a soul that has true insight and a strong affection for God.
Marius Victorinus: When the peace of God has come upon us, we shall understand God. There will be no discord, no disagreement, no quarrelsome arguments, nothing subject to question. This is hardly the case in worldly life. But it shall be so when we have the peace of God, wherein all understanding shall be ours. For peace is the state of being already at rest, already secure.
Chrysostom: “The peace of God” which he imparted to us, “passes all understanding.” For who could have expected and who could have hoped for such benefits? It transcends every human intellect and all speech. For his enemies, for those who hated him, for the apostates—for all these he did not refuse to give his only begotten Son, so as to make peace with them…The peace which will preserve us is the one of which Christ says, “My peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” For this “peace passes all human understanding.” How? When he sees that we should be at peace with enemies, with the unrighteous, with those who display contentiousness and hostility toward us, how does this not pass human understanding?
Cohick
We cannot overemphasize Paul’s conviction concerning the unity of the local church body, that in Christ, believers think with a renewed, transformed mind-set that privileges others above themselves.
Paul calls on Euodia and Syntyche “to be of the same mind,” repeating the phrase used in 2:2. We cannot overemphasize Paul’s conviction concerning the unity of the local church body, that in Christ, believers think with a renewed, transformed mind-set that privileges others above themselves.
David’s thoughts -> Don’t be focused on earthly things, but press on toward the heavenward goal.
As to themes, while some argue that the situation described in 4:1-3 about Euodia and Syntyche is minor, unimportant, or incidental, most recent commentators hold that Paul’s concern for unity between these believers is central to the letter, if not the primary reason for sending it…Osiek and Fee argue that Paul has been building up to this culminating plea for unity made from the beginning of his letter…Any possible factions must be resolved and reunited so that Christ’s body might be whole.
Stand fast in the hope of Christ, and stand together in the Spirit. United in the single cause of the gospel, Paul desires taht they model his focus and passion, desiring to know Christ deeply and reflecting Christ’s obedience in service to God and the church.
Paul gives us only tantalizing hints about who “Euodia” and “Syntyche” are, and from those commentators try to fill out the picture.
Both are well-attested Greek names and suggest a background of poverty, low status, and perhaps even slavery.
While patrons often held great informal power within a community, and it is possible that these women were patrons of Paul or of the Philippian church, most commentators believe they were (also) part of the group of episkopoi (“overseers”) and diakonoi (“deacons”) (1:1) Philippians is the only letter in which Paul notes these groups in his greetings. This unusual feature, along with mentioning these women by name, likely indicates that the women belong in one of these categories. The fourth-century church father Chrysostom claimed that these women were the “chief” or “head” of the church in Philippi.
The term episkopoi is found in Acts 20:28 in Paul’s address to the leaders of Ephesus (see also 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:7; cf. 1 Pet 2:25 [as a title for Jesus]). Here and in Acts 20, Paul uses the plural. Deacons include Paul himself, Phoebe, Timothy, Epaphras, and Tychicus; Paul speaks more generally about deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8, 12. Twice Paul refers to Christ as a deacon or servant (Rom 15:8; Gal 2:17, although in Galatians he speaks rhetorically).
We have no single person other than Christ named as overseer in the New Testament.
While we can speculate as to whether Euodia and Syntyche were overseers or deacons, there is no doubt that Paul calls them his “co-workers,” who have labored alongside him in efforts for the gospel. Other people identified as Paul’s coworkers include Timothy, Titus, Priscilla and Aquila, Apollos, Philemon, Urbanus, Epaphroditus, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. Within this group, some traveled and preached, some remained in towns to disciple and lead house churches, and some served as Paul’s liaisons with the churches. Indeed the variety of responsibilities evidenced in this category suggests that if Euodia and Syntche were deacons, we still might not know exactly what they did! Such fluidity is consistent with the wider Greco-Roman world’s assemblies and trade guilds.
What differences might these two women have had with each other? The only inference we can draw is from Paul’s explicit concern, which suggests the situation is serious. Thus those who think it is a petty difference cannot adequately explain why Paul “calls them out” in front of the whole church.
Most likely, Euodia and Syntyche have disagreed on how to live out their faith in Christ. Several possibilities present themselves.
Perhaps they are at odds over how to best relate to the wider imperial environment.
Or perhaps they struggled in how to accommodate their social class or rank with their Christian walk.
Third, a related possibility is that these women are in a court battle.
Finally, perhaps these women disputed over administering social aid to the poor in their midst.
Whatever their differences, Paul “pleads with” them, a verb that carries the sense of encouraging, consoling, even begging…Paul uses this verb when sounding the call to holy living as he challenges the Thessalonians to walk worthy of God, the one who called them into his kingdom and glory (1 Thess 2:12; 4:1).
Paul is appealing to Euodia and Syntyche to put aside their personal ambitions or agendas and serve the other as they serve Christ together. It is not unheard of for believers to clash over ministry goals. Paul and Barnabas did so over whether to include John Mark on their second missionary journey.
The reconciliation effort will not challenge the women’s dedication to the gospel, nor will it question their membership in God’s family. Rather, it will embolden them to serve each other as they serve Christ This posture would serve the church well in Philppi—and today. Each local congregation should look within their own ranks for a syzygos to heal wounds, restore relationships, and refocus service selflessly to one another as unto Christ.
By now the reader is hardly surprised to hear the call to rejoice, for Paul rings this bell consistently throughout the letter.
Paul begins his concluding remarks in a manner similar to 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17: “rejoice always, pray without ceasing.” Interestingly, both passages speak about church unity just before the charge to rejoice. While our tendency today is to individualize this message, Paul speaks here to the church, perhaps in a worship context.
The source of the Philippians’ joy is participation in God’s unfolding story of redemption. Paul noted in the previous chapter that such participation includes suffering (3:10), a reality he pointed to in 1:29—that the Philippians are called not only to believe in Christ, but also to have the privilege of suffering for him. The joy that comes from participation in witnessing to the gospel is not an end in itself, but a by-product. It is the fruit of life in the Spirit (Gal 5:22). This joy comes not from achievements but from abiding with God, no matter what.
Gentleness - 1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 3:2; James 3:17; and 1 Peter 2:18, as well as the cognate noun’s use in Acts 24:4 and 2 Corinthians 10:1. The Psalmist in Psalm 85:5 Septuagint uses this word group to speak of God’s compassionate character.
Osiek postulates that Paul might be using this word group to define the appropriate posture of endurance to be demonstrated by the Philippians in the midst of public harassment. Furnish likewise suggests that the Christians’ livelihood was continually threatened by the wider community’s hostility toward the new faith, and that Paul is counseling them to forgive those who are hostile (see also 1 Thess 5:15). Reumann notes that the term, while hard to translate, as a comfortable home in Greek, going back to Aristotle, where the word suggests reasonableness or fitting.
Most likely Paul intends that the Philippians engage their neighbors with mercy and compassion.
Reumann argues that this phrase is eschatological, underpinning Paul’s ethics. “Because the Lord is near, exhibit patient steadfastness, stop being anxious about everything.”
However, since Paul mentions prayers in verse 6, the spatial sense of God’s presence attending a believer’s prayers should be considered. In this sense, Paul’s words are similar to Psalm 145:18, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (see also 119:151).
“Don’t worry, be happy” might be a catchy phrase sung to a zippy tune, but it is far from Paul’s serious injunction against worry or anxiety. For Paul, the lack of anxiety is rooted in the conviction that the Lord is near.
Worry is a signal that our gaze has shifted to the swirling clutter of events at our feet. WE must lift our head and raise our eyes to the throne of God, to the figure of Jesus present with us. This act of faith must be repeated and strengthened.
Jesus encouraged his listeners to remember that God cares for them, for he knows they need food, clothing, and shelter (Matt 6:25-34).
The prayers that Paul envisions should be characterized by “thanksgiving”...The thanksgiving Paul has in mind is an act of the will, a conviction of the heart. It is a defiant claim against the powers of this world and its idols, declaring that God is on the side of his people; nothing life throws at them will sever that bond (Rom 8:31-39). Fee notes that when we thank God in all things (not for all things), we are declaring our dependence on him.
So, too, the peace of Christ brings the Philippians together, for the one mind and the singular love that is to be their focus (Phil 2:2) is that same collective mind that is guarded by God’s peace.
He knows that the world never stops its relentless efforts to shift a believer’s focus from God’s kingdom to its own values and ideals, putting self first.
Paul speaks for the Philippians’ hearts and minds being guarded by God’s peace.
The key terms in verses 6-7 include joy, prayer, thanksgiving, and peace—these represent Paul’s vision of spirituality, as they are all subsumed “in Christ.”
The believer’s joy is rooted in the truth of the gospel; Christ’s death and resurrection assures us of new life in new heavens and a new earth. The church’s prayers testify to the conviction that God hears and answers and works for our good, the good of his church, and the good of his creation. The believer’s attitude of thanksgiving is a testimony to the belief that God will accomplish his promises, and the believer’s peace is the matrix of the church here and now, the glue that holds the body of Christ together.
The Gospel transforms villages: learning the gospel of peace.
The Gospel transforms lives: receiving the gospel of joy.
Guthrie
Rather than an act of public shaming, the apostle’s exhortation should be read as firm but warmly encouraging, especially in light of the strong commendation in verse 3 of Euodia and Syntyche as fellow workers.
All that we know about Euodia and Syntyche stems from our current passage, but the context tells us a good bit. Given the strategic placement of this reference to these two women, it seems that their conflict was at the heart of Paul’s heartfelt concern about the Philippians’ unity.
They are to align their perspectives, or “see eye to eye,” based on their common relationship with the Lord, which is the most important frame of reference for the exhortation to unity.
The exhortation to Euodia and Syntyche plays a critical culminating role in the letter’s structure. This exhortation to unity plays an important part in the closing of an inclusio around the book’s main body.
Verse 3 continues with further information about Euodia and Syntyche, as Paul refers to them as members of a broader ministry team. These women “have participated in gospel work” alongside their apostle. This verb communicating participation speaks of struggle alongside of others in a cause.’’
When Paul writes “whose names are in the book of life:, the relative pronoun “whose” probably refers to all those mentioned in the verse, including Euodia and Syntyche. That their “names are in the book of life” alludes to an image used earlier in the Old Testament (Exod 32:32-33; Ps 69:28; Dan 12:1; cf. Rev 3:5; 20:15). Though uncommon for Paul, the language here refers to those whose names had been recorded as recipients of eternal life. Just as there were civic registries of Roman citizens in Philippi, heavenly citizens had their names recorded in God’s “book of life”.
Structurally, this encouragement to “rejoice” at 4:4a forms a bracket (inclusio) with the same exhortation at 3:1, marking the beginning and ending of this major movement in the letter.
In this way Paul brings the great center section of Philippians to a close. The rolling, striking examples of sacrificial leadership—the Lord Jesus Christ (2:5-11), Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:18-3:1), and Paul himself (3:2-14)—culminate in a call to the Philippians—particularly specific leaders—to take decisive action to bolster church unity. Such unity will be achieved as the church remembers their common cause in living out the mission for their common Lord as citizens of his heavenly city.
Paul here moves into a series of exhortations, the first four primarily built around prayer. The first exhortation is a repetition of the call to rejoice.
To “rejoice” in the sense Paul means here has to do with being “deeply glad” or “expressing joy” about something or someone. The “someone” in this case is the Lord himself—who has revealed himself to be and what he has accomplished in the lives of his people.
This exhortation to joy calls for a depth of spiritual vitality and perspective, which offers the ability to discern God’s goodness and work in the varied circumstances of life. Whereas the exhortations to virtues such as forbearance and not being anxious overlap with Greco-Roman values, the call to an “unmitigated, untrammeled joy” is a distinctly Judeo-Christian virtue and the distinctive mark of a genuine follower of Christ. Since Christ is our Lord, we should not be emotionally or volitionally captive to circumstances in this often dark and difficult life.
In the NT, the word translated as “reasonableness” stands in contrast to violence (1 Timothy 3:3), slander (Titus 3:2), and harshness (1 Peter 2:18). As a virtue, it relates to being peace loving (1 Timothy 3:3; Titus 3:2), pure, and full of mercy (James 3:17). In its LXX contexts, this term (and the related word epieikeia) speaks of being just and merciful (e.g., Ps 86:5), demonstrating fairness toward other people. The word, therefore, describes someone who is thoughtful and considerate, one who relates with “good grace” toward others.
They are to live in such a way that their virtue is obvious to those in the surrounding culture.
The Lord’s nearness forms a basis for a life of peace, and the Lord’s people need peace in this fractious and fallen world.
Certainly, anxiety constitutes one of life’s greatest temptations, and the Philippians would have been tempted to it, given the cultural pressures they were facing.
Here Paul taps that part of the word’s semantic range that conveys unnecessary worry or apprehensiveness, the same sense communicated in Jesus’ words at Matthew 6:25, or at Luke 10:41.
There are five ways that the PHilippians are to “make” their requests “known”, which is the central exhortation of the verse. They are to do so:
In everything
By prayer and
Urgent appeal
With thanks
To God.
Second, the manner or posture in which we are to pray is “with thanks” an expression of gratitude, which serves as an antidote for merely focusing on our needs rather than on God’s faithfulness.
Resources Used
Cohick, Lynn H. The Story of God Bible Commentary: Philippians. Edited by McKnight. Scot, Zondervan, 2013.
Edwards, Mark J., and Thomas C. Oden, editors. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. InterVarsity Press, 2005.
Elwell, Walter A., editor. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Edition. Baker Academic, 2007.
Fee, Gordon D. Philippians. IVP Academic, 1999.
Freedman, David Noel, et al., editors. The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, Doubleday, 1992.
Guthrie, George H. Philippians. Zondervan Academic, 2023.
Kittel, Gerhard, Gerhard Friedrich, and Geoffrey William Bromiley. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume 1985
Motyer, J. A. The Message of Philippians. InterVarsity Press, 1984.
Wright, N.T, and Mike Bird. The New Testament in its World. SPCK, 2019.
Wright, Nicholas Thomas. Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters : Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. SPCK, 2004.