In Philippians we see Paul do something rarely seen in any other letter. Near the end Paul specifically names two individuals, exhorting them toward unity. He writes in Philippians 4:2-3:

“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.”

Here is the challenge: we are one in Christ, but we often don’t live like it. And that challenge grips the church in Philippi.

We do not know exactly who these two women, Euodia and Syntyche, were, but they were evidently pillars in the Philippian church. Because of how Paul earlier addresses the various pressures believers in Philippi faced, it is most likely these two Christian leaders were in disagreement about how to live out the gospel in the face of external pressures or even persecution.

This situation also highlights something else about conflict and unity in the church: disunity is not just a problem for those who are young or immature in the faith, but also for those who are mature in the faith.

These two women were leaders within the church—even deemed co-workers with Paul—as it says in verse 3: “they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.” They were friends and co-workers called by name by Paul who knows them and cares for them, as well as the entire church in Philippi.

Friends, this is not that different from our own day. Because of the pressures on us during this incredibly divisive time, as Christians we are struggling to figure out what it looks like to live out the gospel in our day and time. We wrestle with what that means and sometimes we disagree with one another about that. This is not necessarily a maturity issue…but it is a real unity issue.

We are one in Christ, but we often do not live as one. The situation in Philippi, a church which Paul joyfully thanked God for daily, should not be surprising to us. Challenges to unity are normal… …but we must actively uphold unity with love.

[This post was drawn from my message, “Becoming One: the developing unity of the church as the community of Christ.”]