LIVING IN HARMONY
/“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.” (Philippians 4:2)
How many of us have just skipped over this verse and seen it as “not essential” to our Christian life as I have many times? After all, I’m guessing there aren’t too many of us named either Euodia or Syntyche. So, why would this verse be relevant to me?
Many books in the New Testament of the Bible were written by Paul, including the book of Philippians. He wrote letters to other believers in churches in other cities. He knew the people in those churches. Many times, he listed individual people in his writings. His letters were probably read aloud to the entire church.
Wouldn’t you feel special if Paul had written your name in one of his letters, especially if you had done something good and praise was being given to you?
Can you imagine sitting in church today and having your pastor read aloud a letter from a missionary that had worked and taught in your church and city? Your name is read by the pastor, and everyone there hears it. Instead of praise, however, all the people hear an admonition to get along with another believer who is also called out by name.
How did Paul know about the squabble between Euodia and Syntyche? Well, we all know how ugly things are spread—by word of mouth. So, Paul had probably heard about these two women from someone in the Philippian church who had witnessed their disharmony. Hopefully, the person was concerned and not just gossiping. Either way, Paul thought it important enough to write about it; and God thought it important enough to include Paul’s sentence in the Bible.
Can you imagine this admonition being read for centuries and centuries by people everywhere? Your reputation is written down somewhere in many languages for anyone and everyone to see.
So, the relevance of this verse is to make me stop and think about my name and reputation and the effect of my actions every day. I am to live in harmony in the Lord with other people, especially other Christians.
Why? God’s reputation depends on my actions.
I should be giving glory to God as I run around every day doing my stuff. If people see me living in disharmony with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, why in the world would they want to meet Jesus? Euodia and Syntyche had been working for the spread of the Gospel, but something happened between them; and now their reputation is harming the Church.
Paul had a purpose for calling out these two women. He wanted them to be reconciled to each other. He encouraged those around them to help with the reconciliation between them. Isn’t that what we as Christians are called to do? “Yes” is the correct answer.
“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19
More importantly, God wants us to be reconciled to Him through His Son, Jesus, who paid our price for sin.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21
Thank you, Euodia and Syntyche, for teaching me an important lesson. Live in harmony with other people. I would much rather my name be written down in the “Hall of Faith,” like all those saints listed in Hebrews 11, than be admonished for being cantankerous with a fellow Christian.
Handle today like it will be remembered forever.