Of One Mind in the Lord

1Therefore, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 2I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord. 3Yes, I beg you also, true partner, help these women, for they labored with me in the Good News, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” 5Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. 9The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

If Matthew, Mark, and Luke record Jesus who came as the Son of Man, the Gospel of John was written to emphasize his divine nature.

Read the Gospel of John and you find that it treats spiritual matters in depth in order to proclaim Jesus, who became flesh. Its date of writing is estimated at AD 80–90, and it is thought to have been written before John was exiled to Patmos. John introduced himself as one whom Jesus greatly loved, yet when Jesus faced the crisis of the cross, John was afraid of death and fled. Perhaps, when the Lord spoke of his atonement for sin and his resurrection, John believed in a vague way but never imagined it would actually happen. Had the disciple Jesus loved so dearly trusted in him to the end, the Lord would have given him a way of escape.

How astonished the apostle John must have been to see Jesus — who had been beaten by people without resisting and had died a wretched death — seated on the throne! As he saw the humble Jesus he used to follow now enthroned, he would have looked back on the past and confessed his sin. Sin is not forgotten with the passing of time. As faith grows, and as love for the other person deepens, the sins we have committed come into sharper view. Since the pain only grows as time passes, we must strive not to sin.

John had vowed never to betray Jesus, but when he saw the men who came with swords and clubs to seize him, his courage vanished. As Judas Iscariot, who had worked so hard in charge of the money, handed Jesus over, John was too young spiritually to stand firm and tell them to take him too. Judas Iscariot shows us how much the faith of those who go before others matters. Judas had carried a great deal of work at Jesus’ side, and what he did must have had a great effect on the other disciples. To be sanctified, we must meditate more deeply on the word we have heard, live by it, and so build our own faith; the disciples, however, were busy simply following Jesus around.

At that time the disciples were still leaning on mortals who had no power to help, and they still feared the death of a body that returns to dust the moment its breath is gone. But once their faith had grown and they met the Lord seated on the throne, they would have regretted, with shame, that they had not shared in his sufferings from the beginning. Jesus, abandoned by everyone and dead in misery, was now there as the Christ, the King of kings, and the Judge; seeing this, they would have realized how great a sin it was that they had failed to make a decision of faith.

Revelation 20:11-12

11I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them. 12I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.

When John watched Jesus perform miracles, he believed Jesus was the Messiah, but he did not grasp it deeply in his spirit. When he met Christ face to face, seated on the throne, he came to know how hard Christ had labored for their salvation, and his heart overflowed with gratitude. Because John was certain that God’s kingdom truly exists, he could endure persecution until the moment of his death. He saw the book of life, in which the names of the saved are written, and the books in which people’s lives are recorded, lying open. That words and deeds were written down suggests that these were books recording their sins, for by the standard of God’s word, a life not lived by that word is sin. And by that same standard, the rewards of those who spoke and acted rightly would also have been recorded there.

Seeing all these books, he remembered what Jesus had told them. He realized that every word was true: the hour would come when those in the tombs would hear his voice, and those who had done good would come out to the resurrection of life, and those who had done evil to the resurrection of judgment. God had been watching all that people in the world said and did.

It is also true that when Jesus told them to rejoice that their names were written in the book of life, they could not rejoice with all their hearts, because they were not sure such a book existed. The disciples did not even know what it meant for a name to be written in the book of life.

Do you know what a blessing it is that your name is written in the book of life? If you believe it is true that your life is now being recorded in detail in the books laid open before the throne, the shape of your life ought to change. We have not seen with our own eyes Christ seated on the throne, nor the book of life, but the Holy Spirit is making them known to us as though we had seen and heard them. The apostle John met Christ, saw the book of life, and heard the word directly, so we must believe what our brother experienced. If we believe the wisdom the apostle John came to understand as though we had seen it ourselves, Jesus Christ, who is wisdom, will keep you and glorify you.

Many of the apostles, in the midst of suffering, recorded in Scripture what they had seen and heard and the heavenly mysteries they had come to understand. The apostles wrote down faithfully everything they saw in heaven; anyone who still cannot believe the Bible and doubts it will become a chief cause of strife and division in the church. Without wisdom we cannot be honest, nor can we give thanks in all things. Because God gives an inheritance and power to his people who fear him, so that he may keep his covenant with them, we must have a true faith. If we too meet the God whom the apostle Paul met, we will be able to call God’s people our beloved brothers and sisters. Even if we suffer harsh hardship to lead them to heaven, we will be able to say, as Paul did, that they are our joy and crown.

Those who fear Yahweh hate evil; they keep away from pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech. Because of this they do not stir up strife as the church in Philippi did. The more power such good people gain, the more they give thanks, and they delight in caring for the poor and in honoring their brothers and sisters; through people like this, the church thrives.

The Bible says that those who do not know how to be thankful are stingy in giving, which is why one day they will betray. That is why God works with people who fear him, who are humble, and who obey honestly, even if they fall a little short.

Philippians 4:2

2I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord.

Euodia and Syntyche had come to different judgments while working for the church, and, standing on their pride, they were quarreling. The apostle Paul exhorted the two women to think the same way in the Lord. To think the same way in the Lord means to set aside one’s own thinking and first consider how the Holy Spirit judges the matter, and how one must act so as not to stir up trouble in the church.

When Christ, the head, gives a command, the members must obey his will. Had these two women thought as Christ commanded, they would not have quarreled. Unless they consider, before they quarrel, what serves God, the mistaken belief of such people that they are working for the church will end up dividing it. Their clash of opinions came from differing ways of working, and each of them must give a little ground. Since both had a faith that wanted to work hard in its own way, each must have insisted that her own thinking and judgment were right. Of course, in church work we sometimes collide emotionally, and because our own ideas and methods seem right, we judge one another and take opposing sides.

But if I may exhort you as a pastor, the first thing to ask is whose work this is. It is not a personal matter, so if we yield and show gentleness, we will be commended by God and by the church. The church is not a place to prop up our pride, to show off our knowledge and possessions, or to insist on our own ideas and methods. In the church, problems can never be solved by the world’s methods and knowledge, so we must humbly follow the decisions of those who have gone before us in faith. The apostle Paul therefore told them to think the same way in the Lord. Instead of spending their time quarreling, he told them to help Clement, who was laboring in the gospel, and the others who were serving faithfully. Their quarrel had grown out of a mistaken faith; what they needed was to watch the others who served without a word, and learn from them. When one of us acts wrongly, a grave matter arises — another soul who sees it may waver between heaven and hell — so we absolutely must lay down our own righteousness.

Because the two women did not give thanks to God, they had no joy; and having no joy, they had no intention of bending their will. When it looked as though their quarrel might split the church, the apostle Paul at last wrote them a letter, bringing up the book of life and urging them to show gentleness and be reconciled.

Strife arises in the church because human thinking looms larger than God’s authority, and it spreads into emotional quarrels. People feel that accepting another’s opinion would mean losing, so they stand on their pride and press their own view until in the end they sin. At such a time, someone must hold the center with the word and mediate. What is truly heartbreaking is that the church ends up divided because, around such people, foolish ones with even less discernment take sides.

As I always tell you, unless it is a matter of salvation, let us yield. Quarreling out of hurt feelings in the church does nothing to build up the other person, and it does nothing for your own faith either. If you wait quietly and patiently, looking to God alone, God will resolve it in his time. Protesting that we have truly been wronged, or that our opinion is right, will not solve every problem or win people over. We must ask whether our conviction that we cannot yield is truly for God and for the church, or whether we are simply digging in our heels because we do not want to bend. When those who long for heaven will not listen to God’s word, in the end they are sinning.

At such times we must listen to the apostle Paul’s exhortation without condition. To think the same way means to think as Christ thinks. Even if only to save another person’s soul, we must have the mind of Christ, take up the yoke, and keep a good heart that sacrifices itself. I hope you will keep in mind that only then can we live a mature life of faith, and only then will the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your thoughts.

Let us understand rightly what the apostle Paul meant when he told them to rejoice in the Lord always and to show gentleness. He does not mean that we should forgive unconditionally even when someone sins, put up with anything even when treated unjustly, or smile even when we are troubled. We must keep the faith, coming to know the wisdom that is gained by entrusting every problem of this world to the Holy Spirit and enduring. What he said is that if we live by the word, the worries of the world are not ours in the end, which leaves us free to live a life of constant joy. Believers matured by the word, then, will not lead the church into strife, nor will they dig in their heels at the cost of the church’s unity.

First of all, we must let go of the thought that nothing can be done without us. Believers who have become the new body of Jesus Christ must each work in the place they have been given, but they must also know when to stop. If greed keeps us from stopping when we should, we cross the line, and we can wound our brothers and sisters and throw the church into confusion. The hand cannot tell the foot that the hand alone is enough and the foot is not needed, nor can the eye tell the hand that, since the eye sees and judges, the hand is not needed. Only when all the members are in harmony with one another can they fulfill their mission.

Such love, wisdom, and gentleness are needed not only in the church but in the world. We must help our neighbors with good hearts in the world as well, because if we break the law and damage relationships, we cannot share the gospel. Yet to sit still while being deceived, or to take whatever is done to us, is foolish. Only when we are armed with the world’s knowledge, equipped with God’s wisdom, and have the understanding to judge others rightly can we proclaim the gospel in the world.

People’s praise must be used as a tool for the gospel, and we must know that the good deeds we do in the world cannot bring us into heaven. Though every way of a person may seem right in their own eyes, God weighs the heart, so only good deeds done for the gospel become a reward.

Proverbs 21:3

3To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice.

God delights more in righteousness and justice than in sacrifice, but that does not mean we should stop offering sacrifice. Righteousness is one of God’s holy attributes, by which good is distinguished from evil. The righteous God judges what is wrong and what is right by his perfect and just law, adding nothing and taking nothing away, and he executes judgment. Since God judges his people by this standard of righteousness, the point is that they should live doing good according to his standard. Even a single gesture of a small child is enough to tell us whether that child is clean in conduct and honest. Just so, God, who searches every heart, can tell from the way a person lives whether their faith is honest.

Because outward acts done to win people’s approval are like differing weights, they cannot win God’s approval. Without a steady faith, people follow their feelings: at times they show a faith worth imitating, and at other times they turn sharp and dangerous like a dense thicket of thorns and wound the hearts of others in the church. When such people are in the church, it cannot settle, and because its members are hurt in spirit, quarrels will never cease. Believers whom God commends practice righteousness and justice and always live upright lives, so their very presence makes the church grow.

When Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices, God did not accept Cain and his offering, but he accepted Abel and his offering. He did not reject Cain because he offered grain, nor did he receive Abel because he offered a lamb. When the two brought their sacrifices, God looked with favor on Abel, who had always lived a good life, and on the offering he brought. God had approved of Abel’s life; his sacrifice and offering were therefore pure, and God received them.

The apostle Paul told Euodia and Syntyche to let their gentleness be known to all, and he added a most fearful word: the Lord is at hand. He was telling these two to give up the rights people naturally claim, to treat each other generously, and to endure spiritually. They had to live this way because God was watching their lives, just as he had watched Cain and Abel. They acted as though they were quarreling over God’s work, but God sees the work of the church as an extension of one’s life, so they had to take care. The church is not a place where individuals judge, decide, and act on their own. We must endure spiritually, then, and humble ourselves. What matters most in walking with God is guarding one’s own heart and thoughts. Believers who overcome human nature and hold on to their faith can discern rightly when fools stir up strife.

Even though Euodia and Syntyche were quarreling, Paul knew there was surely goodness in their hearts. The apostle sought to draw out the faith and goodness hidden in their hearts and to give them, once again, a chance to repent. That they had met in the church meant that they believed in Christ and hoped for God’s kingdom, so he told the two women not to ruin all those precious things over such a small quarrel. He told them to be anxious about nothing, but in everything to make their requests known to God by prayer and petition with thanksgiving; and he urged them not to grow impatient out of human judgment and greed, but to yield to each other with respect. If the two showed gentleness toward each other now, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, would guard their hearts and their thoughts.

When the Lord returns, everything in this world will come to an end; it would be shameful for those whose names are written in the book of life to waver spiritually. Failing to understand God’s word is what folly is. If the two return to the word, then, they can be reconciled.

You must always be true and honest, people worthy of honor who set an example of godliness, and you must live lives that are just, fair, and blameless. You must live lives that are pure, clean, and undefiled, lives of joy and good cheer; you must be lovely people, living holy lives of good report. When you act in faith with clear judgment and right values, you will not be put to shame. Satan is at work by every means to bring such people down. Using the doubting human heart as his tool, he tempts you to say and do with ease what a Christian must never say or do. So you must rely on the Holy Spirit, keep from flaring up in anger, and live in a way that guards your hearts and thoughts.

Friends, when opinions clash in the church, yielding is wisdom. If you yield a little and share in other people’s thinking as well, you can learn a great deal. Working together for good is certainly hard. But to let your gentleness be known to all is love. Even when your opinions differ, if you show humility toward one another from a lowly place, you will gain co-workers who will help you with all their strength when trouble comes.

Friends, in the end we will meet the Lord seated on the throne. If someone so precious is driven by Satan to shake the church, how could that sin be forgiven? If you forgive one another, embrace one another, and build one another up, God will glorify you, just as he clothed the apostle Paul with power from heaven, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will give you rest.