In the first two chapters of Philippians we see the fellowship, the spiritual traffic, between the apostle and the believers. As we have pointed out, the third chapter is concerned with two kinds of dealing—the dealing with the soul and with the body. According to Philippians 3, to deal with our soul in a proper way is to count as loss, even as refuse, all religious, philosophical, and cultural things. We may not realize that such things have been wrought into our soul. Our soul is not only filled with these elements, but even constituted of them. These things may be useful for society, but they are damaging to the Christian life. They are rocks occupying room in our being that belongs to Christ. Although you have received Christ, you may confine Him to your spirit and not allow Him to spread out into your soul. In your soul there may be no room for Christ. Your soul may have been filled with the things of religion, philosophy, and culture, in particular with your national characteristics. Both in the Orient and the West, I have seen that every saint has been constituted of these things in the soul. But Paul was rescued by counting these things to be refuse. No longer would he treasure anything of religion, philosophy, or culture. In order to gain Christ, he was absolute in counting other things to be refuse.
As we have indicated, in Philippians 3 Paul deals with the body as well as the soul. He points out that the believers should not have excessive enjoyment in physical things.
After writing chapter three, Paul’s burden was discharged. Therefore, chapter four serves as a conclusion. In this conclusion, Paul does not present any additional main points. The contents of chapter four are related to what Paul has already written and are a confirmation of these points. Furthermore, the points in chapter four function as a charge to the believers.
Philippians 4:1 says, “So then, my brothers, beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand firm in the Lord, beloved.” The words so then indicate that what Paul is about to say is a conclusion.
Here Paul speaks of the brothers as the “beloved and longed for,” his “joy and crown.” These words indicate that Paul was filled with emotion, full of feeling. Twice he uses the word beloved. After referring to the believers as his beloved, he again addresses them as beloved ones. The believers were his joy within and his crown without. Joy is inward, whereas a crown is manifested outwardly. In this verse Paul was saying that the believers were both his inward happiness and his outward glory.
In 4:1 Paul charges the believers to “so stand firm in the Lord.” The expression “so stand” means to stand in a particular way, in the way presented in the foregoing chapters. In this verse Paul was urging the believers in Philippi to stand in the way he had shown them.
In verse 2 Paul continues, “I beseech Euodias, and I beseech Syntyche, to think the same thing in the Lord.” This verse indicates that these two sisters were dissenting from one another. They were not of the same mind. Hence, there was the exhortation to strive together with one soul for the gospel (1:27), to be joined in soul, thinking the one thing (2:2), and to have the same mind to pursue after Christ (3:14-15).
According to verse 3, these were very good sisters who had been helpful to Paul. Paul says of them that they “contended with me in the gospel, with both Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” The Greek word rendered “contended” is an athletic term; it means to labor with, to strive together for, to wrestle in company with, as a team of athletes. These sisters were a help to Paul and the other workers, contending with them in the gospel. However, even these sisters needed help to be one by thinking the same thing in the Lord. According to the foregoing chapters, to think the same thing is related to pursuing Christ in order to gain Him and enjoy Him in full. Euodias and Syntyche were not pursuing Christ to the uttermost. Any who are tempted to be dissenting should heed Paul’s word to these sisters to think the same thing.