Euodia and Syntyche
“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my coworkers, whose names are in the book of life.”
Philippians 4:2-3, NRSV
How do you think you would feel if, at this coming Sunday’s church service, the sermon ended with the preacher mentioning you by name along with someone with whom you haven’t been getting along? I think most of us would be mortified, but something like that happened to women in Philippi.
From all accounts, the church at Philippi was a relatively healthy place. Paul doesn’t have to spend time in his letter to the Philippians correcting them for ethnic division (like the Romans) or for putting up barriers to the Lord’s Table (among many other issues he addresses in 1 Corinthians). The Philippians are commended for their faithfulness and their generosity.
And yet, despite everything that was going on in the world, Paul felt it necessary to reach out to two women who seemed to not be able to get along. Euodia and Syntyche were apparently having such a spat that news of it had reached the Apostle.
We don’t know what their disagreement was and, frankly, we’re better off not knowing. Why? Because the point of Paul’s plea to these two to get along was not to discover who was right and who was wrong, but to put aside their differences. He tells them to be of the same mind. Other translations render his instructions as “live harmoniously.” The great thing about harmony is that you don’t have to be singing or playing the same note to make music with someone else.
“But,” we may ask, “does this mean that we give up on truth for the sake of getting along?” Of course not! It means that the unity we find is unity found in submission to Christ. Euodia and Syntyche have worked together with Paul in the past. They (and we) have a common source to look to for truth. Being of the same mind means living lives of humility. Sometimes, we are going to disagree, but being of the same mind means keeping short accounts with one another because we have been forgiven and set free.
As we approach the weekend, pray and ask God to recall any old grudges that you need to set aside. Look for ways that you can live more harmoniously with others in your life. Forgive those who have wronged you and seek forgiveness from those whom you have wronged. (And come to church on Sunday; no one is going to call you out publicly. Not this week, at least!)
