By DR. LLOYD T. ANDERSON
These two women were to be of the same mind "in the Lord." This is the great meeting ground where all differences should be melted away. The Lord commands His children to live in harmony with one an other. The first way to do this is by being "like-minded." To achieve this means to have the mind of Christ (2:5). This refers to the very attitudes Jesus had in relationship to other people. He was always the mind of humil ity. He did not consider equality with God something to be re tained at all costs. Christ emptied Himself of His glory to die for the salvation of the world. Do we have such a spirit and determina tion in our own lives? This comes about by consistent growth in grace. One of the frequent problems of the church today is that believ ers are so often spiritual babies. We jump from one church to an other with the preaching more a popularity contest rather than a means of receiving spiritual nour ishment. How we need to mature in the things of Christ. When will we realize that the real purpose of the church is to win people to Christ, and to build them up in the Word of God? This all-impor tant goal can't be achieved unless there is unity of all believers. Page 47
Certainly an important lesson we should be anxious to learn is how to get along with other Chris tians. This is one of the great and unfortunate problems among church members today. There are some individuals who seem almost impossible to tolerate. It becomes all the more unbearable when we live or work in close proximity to them. Apparently there had been trou ble among several women in the church at Philippi. We know that the tendencies of the flesh are al ways present. The difficulty was between Euodia and Syntyche. It may have been that their disagree ment had grown to the point where it hindered the effective ness of the fellowship. Doubtless we have all seen circumstances like this. Paul included this warning of danger in his letter to the Philip pian believers (4:2). The important point is unity which he under scored. In fact we find that ex hortation mentioned earlier in the epistle (1:9, 27; 2:2; 3:16). He always approaches the subject with a great deal of tact. Very quietly he points to the means by which the breach can be healed. What a lesson for us as well. Chris tian unity can be experienced only among born-again believers who, by faith, have become members of Cod's family.
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