Chuck Larsen

Paul wanted the two women that he addressed by name to come to an agreement by entreating each to embrace the mind of Christ. Understanding human nature, he calls for “a true companion” to assist with settling the dispute between them and restoring the peace in the church at Philippi. Philippians 4:3 says, “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.”

Paul has already focused some attention on the need for unity in the church at Philippi. He knows how crucial it is to the health and growth of the body and the individual members of the body. When unity goes the calling and purpose of the individual parts as well as the whole is unhealthy and cannot function as God intends. Thus Paul calls on help from others to work out the difficulties between the two parties. We don’t know who the “true companion” that Paul addresses is. There are numerous suggestions, but regardless of your view we cannot miss the main point that Paul wants the two who are at odds with each other to resolve their differences and get back on the same page.

As members of a family we live in homes with others. As members of a society or neighborhood we share community services and utilities with others. As members of the Body of Christ we live with others and share wonderful spiritual truths with each other. Although we see much dissent and confusion around us we are to live differently in the church. As believers we must love side by side. We must learn side by side and we must live side by side. We are all saved by grace through faith. The ground before the cross is perfectly level on which we all stand. No one is better than anyone else. No group or individual can claim to better than anyone else. But pride in our personal opinions and preferences always undermine the purpose and work of the church and destroy the joy God intended. In the next verse Paul exhorts us to “rejoice in the Lord always.” We won’t have much true joy peace, harmony and unity in our homes or churches.

My ex-brother-in-law died last week. I had the privilege of performing his youngest daughter’s wedding a couple years ago. He was not there. I asked her why and she said she didn’t want him around. He had broken, in one way or another, every friendship or every relationship he had in life. Later, I saw my other three nieces and nephews (his children) at a birthday party and he was not there. I asked them how he was doing and none of them had any idea. He had just deserted them. They wanted nothing to do with him. I remember him well and can remember his abusive behavior to my sister and his abusive behavior towards others as well. He was not a very nice man! All his life he lived alienated from those who had loved him the most. There will be no funeral for him.

He was not a very happy man either. Nothing will kill our joy in life more than to live with animosity and bitterness towards another. In Philippi there were two women who were at odds with each other over some issue. We don’t know what that was, but according to many commentators these two women lead a serious division in the church and Paul knew the pain and misery they were causing to all involved. God’s love can’t exist in an environment where hatred and animosity exist. So before he finishes his letter he addresses these two women by name in Philippians 4:2. They have gone down in history for thousands of years because of their disagreement. He says, “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.” Their names are both hard to pronounce but Harry Ironside called them, “Odious and Soon-touchee!”

They were probably both right at some point. That’s usually the case. Proverbs teaches us that when we hear one side of the story it sounds right until we hear the other side. The problem is each party focuses solely on their own “rightness” and refuses to hear the other side. I often tell married partners “You can be right or you can be married. You take your pick.” Yet both parties are always wrong when the problem festers and becomes divisive. Paul implores each of them not just one. He entreats each one individually. He had spent some time talking about how Christ’s mind worked and called on these women to think like Christ. It is clear to me that Paul is not calling them “in the Lord” to agree on each detail of their debate but for both to take the mind of Christ. Christ’s mind is a humble mind. It’s the mind of one who did not cling to his glory as God, but emptied Himself for us. It’s a plea for humility and self-sacrifice in our relationships with others. No marriage will survive without it. No family will survive without and no Church will survive without it.

I’ve suggested that the “enemies of the Cross” that Paul is referring to are those who add rituals, customs, performances or sacrifices as necessary ingredients to salvation. If the Cross is not sufficient in and of itself then whatever must be added becomes a “work” which saves us. This contradicts the major teachings of the New Testament that “it is by grace you are saved, through faith. It is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). But when Paul goes on in Philippians 3:18-19 to describe these enemies of the cross he says, “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” Many misunderstand this passage. They say it pictures the enemies of the cross as sexually immoral, gluttons, whose only interests are the pleasures, possessions and privileges to be had in this world. The “end” of such people may very well be “destruction.” But that destruction will not be because of their immorality or gluttonous behavior. It will be because they did not avail themselves of the grace of God offered at the cross of Calvary.

What does it mean to have your belly be your god? I’d argue that this is a reference to the Jewish ritual eating habits. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he had a large section dedicated to eating habits. When God called Peter to go to Cornelius’ house, Peter wouldn’t go because of the pagan eating habits. But God showed him three times that all foods are clean. In Mark 7:18-19, Jesus was doing battle with the religious leaders who attacked him for what Jesus may have eaten. He says, “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” The most important part of this passage is what follows. Mark adds a meta-comment. He said, “Thus he (Jesus) declared all foods clean.” In Romans 16:17-18, Paul is again doing battle with those who are upsetting the believers with their teachings about legalistic observations. He says, “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.”

The next phrase in the Philippians passage says that the enemies of the cross “glory in their shame.” Moises Silva, in his exegetical commentary understood that the Greek word for “shame” has been “interpreted with specific reference to Jewish practices. According to this interpretation, the term alludes to the sexual organs and thus indirectly to circumcision.” At the beginning of Chapter 3, Paul made it clear that the circumcisions of the legalists were actually their mutilations. Their mark of pride became their mark of shame! Paul counted his own circumcision as rubbish. Finally, the passage says their “minds are set on earthly things.” Paul’s mind is on the “upward call of God.” His whole purpose and passion in life as expressed is clearly to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. Earthly things are rituals, rules, and religion!

Paul calls the believers in Philippi to keep their eyes on those who walk (conduct their lives) in the light of the grace of God and focus their attention on Jesus. They will live a certain kind of life. The most important characteristics that you should look for is evidence of the Holy Spirit. That’s seen in the fruits of the Spirit as Paul records them in Galatians. The first three are really obvious in people. They are love, joy and peace! People that live their lives loving God and loving others have joy filled lives. Those whose lives are filled with love and joy live in peace with God and with others. One might not think that Paul lived in peace with others because of the constant attacks on him. But that would be to misunderstand Paul. Jesus also was actually the “Prince of Peace” but he had many enemies also. Paul tells us in Romans to be at peace with all men as far as it depends on us. It wasn’t Paul or Jesus who disturbed the peace. It was those who hated them and the Gospel message.

It broke Jesus’ heart that there were so many who rejected Him and he even wept over Jerusalem knowing what was to befall the city because of its rejection of Him as their Messiah. It broke Paul’s heart to see how many people in the Jewish world as well as the Greek and Roman world rejected the Good News about Jesus. There were many who hated Jesus because of His message. There were many who hated Paul because of His message. There have always been enemies of the Gospel. Paul tells the Philippians and all Christians of every generation to keep an eye on those who preach the Gospel of salvation by Grace apart from the law and see the fruits of the spirit and follow them. But in Philippians 3:18 he tells them to look out “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”

“Enemies of the cross of Christ” is a fascinating term and is often misunderstood. In the Old Testament, especially in the book of Psalms, as well as in much early Jewish literature the enemies of God’s people were referred to frequently as goyim, or dogs! Paul intentionally turned this phrase on the legalists. He said that they were the true “dogs” (Philippians 3:2). The major controversy in the entire early church as seen in the book of Acts as well as most of the epistles is the role of “law” in a Christian’s salvation. Paul finds it essential to continually repeat his message of salvation by grace through faith alone. To Paul, Jesus paid it all on the cross of Calvary. Enemies of the cross are those who continually try to add something to the free gift of salvation through faith! Anyone who adds a ritual, a custom, a performance or a sacrifice to the cross as a necessity for salvation becomes an enemy of the Cross. Jesus either paid it all, or he paid none! This understanding assures that God alone gets the glory!