Philippians - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

personal conflicts. Apparently even the church was unable to resolve the problem. Although
believers may have distinctive personalities and will naturally have differences of opinions, they
should strive for unity in spiritual issues. (R. Gromacki)
These were rival women in the same church, perhaps bickering or causing some form of friction.
(A.T. Robertson) Paul refuses to take sides, but makes the same appeal to both … Their discord,
whatever its precise nature, was a threat to the unity of the church as a whole … It is an appeal to
Euodia and Syntyche to be at one in their mental attitude and so in the basic aim, direction, and
orientation of their behavior. Undoubtedly this would involve their having right attitudes towards
each other and thus an ability to work together in harmony. (P. O’Brien) All that can safely be
assumed is that the disagreement was not one of a day or a week but of long standing, otherwise
Paul would have passed it by. He teaches us a bit of practical theology by the way in which he
handles this case. He applies brief, gentle admonition to the women themselves, and he asks one of
the esteemed members of the congregation to lend aid. (R. Lenski)
Alas, when Paul puts on his crown, he finds there is a thorn in it. The thorn hurts and gives pain and
discomfort; it grieves the heart and the soul of the apostle. Two women in the Philippian church
have been carrying on a longstanding feud. Paul specifically addresses the two women by name. The
sad thing about Euodias and Syntyche is that they have let a personal grievance disrupt and divide
the assembly in Philippi and have refused reconciliation with each other to the point that news has
spread from Philippi all the way over to Rome where Paul is when he writes this epistle. Paul has to
try to reconcile these two women. The difference that has arisen, sad to say, is evidently not among
new babes in Christ, spiritual infants. It has come from among those who were mature enough to
have labored with Paul in the Gospel. Spiritual maturity does not prevent such manifestations of the
flesh. This is a sober and serious warning. (J. Pentecost)
The reason for their quarrel is not given, but it is clear from the wording that it was more than a
personal disagreement; their quarrel has ecclesiastical repercussions. (F.F. Bruce) Each of these rival
women had church assemblies in their homes, one a Jewish-Christian church, the other a Gentile-
Christian church. Even slight bickering would make a real disturbance. (A.T. Robertson) Apparently
these two ladies were not speaking to each other. We have already seen this when he admonished
the Philippian believers to be of the same mind in the Lord. He did not mean they must be carbon
copies of each other. They may have differences of opinion about many different things, but that will
not separate two people who have the mind of Christ. It is one of the glorious truths about the body
of Christ that each member can be different and yet all are one in Christ. (J. McGee)
Philp. 4:2 I urge (parakale,w, PAI1S, Aoristic; call upon,
request, implore urgently) Euodia (Acc. Dir. Obj.;
"prosperous journey") and (connective) I urge (parakale,w,
PAI1S, Aoristic) Syntyche (Acc. Dir. Obj.; "pleasant
acquaintance") to be of the same (Attributive Acc.) mind
(frone,w, PAInf., Durative, Purpose/Result; thinking) in the
Lord (Loc. Sph.).