Philippians 4:1-3 – Don’t leave conflict unresolved

Paul affectionately remembered the Philippians for they were his joy. It seems that he had a wonderful fondness when he thought about them. Collectively they were his crown, for they reminded him of his achievements in the ministry. Therefore in remembering them, he was greatly delighted. Here he called on them to remain steadfast in the Lord. Being steadfast and firm in the Lord would ensure the flow of God’s peace in one’s life.

Verses 2-3 suggest to us that Paul had a great concern over a matter that had brought grief to his heart. There was a rift between two women in the church. Their names were Euodia and Syntyche. These two sisters were in discord. According to verse 3, they apparently had shared in the work of the Gospel. They could very likely be from the group of women whom Paul met at the riverside, when he first entered Philippi.

By allowing their conflict to continue, Euodia and Syntyche were living in disobedience to the Lord. Paul did not mention the issue of their conflict but the Apostle was greatly concerned. Earlier in this epistle, he had called on the Philippians to emulate Christ and have His mind. So he now urged the two women to have the same mind in the Lord. In other words, they should live in harmony and agreement. Notice this is to be done “in the Lord,” for it is only in Him that believers can find the strength to erase all bitterness in the heart. Disunity has a way of undermining the testimony of the church of God. It would create a chink in the armor against the enemy and the world, and discredit the very nature of the church. Since the Christian message could be badly hampered by those women’s dissension, Paul wrote to the church to mobilize them to help them resolve their conflict.

Was Paul referring to one person in particular when he used the term “true companion” in verse 3? He was probably not referring to any particular person. In all likelihood, he was referring to anyone among them who would be willing to step forward to help to resolve the conflict. He expected them to also share his concern.

A lesson which we can learn from Paul’s instruction here is that we cannot afford to remain uninvolved in resolving conflicts in the church. Conflict unresolved is a sure sign of disunity. Go for unity, seek to resolve any conflict. A fractured relationship will not help the cause of Christ. Let’s live in harmony with one another, and let the peace of Christ reign and rule in our midst.