Philippians 4:1-5
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Philippians 4:1-5
Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long {to see}, my joy and crown,
so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.
Indeed, true comrade, I ask you also to help these women who have shared
my struggle in {the cause of} the gospel, together with Clement also, and
the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let you gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Gentleness in our society often means weakness or prissiness. This is not
what Paul is asking here. This command relates to the running feud between
Euodia and Syntyche. We must see "gentleness" here in the context
of division in the local church. It deals with how we treat other people.
LET YOUR GENTLENESS
The Greek word is broader than our English word "gentleness."
There is no single English word which can translate this word adequately.
The word conveys ideas such as graciousness and clemency. Probably the
closest English word is "forbearance." It is sweet reasonableness
toward others. After all is said, the word involves the willingness to
yield our personal rights. This word connotes the willingness to show consideration
to others. This person is reasonable when they look at the facts of a case.
It is the opposite of self-seeking and contention.
Euodia and Syntyche tried to remold each other. They were two different
people. Each person wanted the other to be like them. They tried to put
the round peg in a square hole. The issue was personal preference or personal
taste, not principle. These two women were trying to remold each other into
their own image. Each lady had a mold into which they were trying to pour
other person. If the mold does not fit they try to force her into it.
Euodia may have had a square mold. She was particular and punctilious.
Syntyche had a round mold. She tried to make Euodia fit the round mold.
The word "gentleness" submits the need for flexibility, pliability.
We are not married long before flexibility becomes an important mode of
operation. We cannot always have our own way. When that little baby comes
along, we develop yet more flexibility. It does not take long till we become
very relaxed. That baby interrupts our program; we have to change our schedule
frequently. Our time is not our own. We have to yield to the desires of
someone else.
Are you sensitive? Touchy? Do you take things the wrong way? Are you
always spoiling for a fight? People at your work are like that. They are
quick to take offense. Soon you do not dare open your mouth to them because
they take every thing personally. They misinterpret everything. They cannot
take a joke. You avoid them and they wonder why. We have to carry their
feelings around on a pillow.
PRINCIPLE: A forbearing person does not treat people on the basis of what
they deserve.
APPLICATION: Some husbands try to remake their wives. Some wives try to
remake their husbands. They have tried it for thirty years and they still
have not succeeded yet. We cannot make everyone comply with our pattern
of life. We set up the pattern. If everyone does not fit into that pattern
we conflict with them. Everyone has preferences. We have rights about
which car to buy, style of dress. That is a matter of personal taste.
Some women wear ghastly hats. That is their choice. We have to learn to
keep a poker face in these things! Keep neutral. Make allowances.
LET YOUR GENTLENESS BE KNOWN
Forbearance means to think grace toward other people. It means to have
a gracious mental attitude. A person who thinks grace will not treat people
on the basis of what they deserve. If we did, we would be in conflict very
quickly. We will constantly knock heads with other people.
Gentleness was a trait of Christ's character, "Now I, Paul, myself
and pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ..."
(II Cor. 10:1) It is the third of the qualities of God's wisdom in James
3:17, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable,
gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality
and without hypocrisy." It is a characteristic of a Christian leader,
(I Tim. 3:3).
The word "known" means knowledge that is experienced. Let this
forbearance manifest itself in your experience. Don't hide it; let it out,
advertise it. Be noted for your forbearance. May everyone know that the
characteristic of your life is to give deference to others. This is foreign
to the way the world operates. It may shock them if they see it.
"I don't mind working in that department but I won't work with her."
"I'll work here but I won't work with him. He is too sticky. He
wears his feelings on his sleeve." If you are the kind of person who
people must carry around on a pillow because you bruise easily, you are
a baby Christian.
TO ALL MEN
It is one thing to release our rights to some people but it is another thing
to relinquish them to "all men." A spirit which does not demand
its own way disarms others.
Most people in our day believe in the strong arm, the power to influence.
Non-Christians can be agreeable if, if, if they have their own way. If
you cross him--look out. Sad to say many Christians act just like them.
PRINCIPLE: God wants us to make known to others our attitude of giving deference
to other people. This is a gracious mental attitude.
APPLICATION: Are you a reasonable person? Maybe you are an obstinate individual?
A "forbearing" person is fair and goes beyond the letter of the
law. The grace of giving up one's rights for a greater cause will resolve
conflict in the church. Someone took the initiative. Someone was willing
to yield for the sake of the ministry. Are we willing to look at a problem
from the other person's point of view. Are we willing to give up our rights
out of deference and love? This is the exact opposite of contention and
self-seeking of Euodia and Syntyche. They reacted to each other in a harsh
way.
THE LORD IS AT HAND
This is a reference to the coming of Christ. Verse four set forth the impact
of the presence of Christ in our daily lives. This verse presents the impact
of Christ at his coming. Christians have a glorious prospect of meeting
Jesus face to face in time on earth.
When Jesus comes and we stand before him at the Judgment Seat of Christ,
he will judge truly. He will settle all differences. That will make our
differences seem like trifles.
James 5:8,9 combines the long suffering spirit and the coming of Christ,
"You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the
Lord is at hand. Do no grumble against one another, brethren, lest you
be condemned. Behold the judge is standing at the door!." Jesus is
right at the door. He may lay hold of the door knob at any minute. We wait
for a Savior. Do not grudge against your brother. If we do, we may have
to bury the hatchet publicly. Now we can do it privately.
The words "at hand" mean near, imminent. This means more than
the Lord is omnipresent. The idea is Lord may come while we are giving
someone a piece of our mind. He may come at any minute. He may come and
catch us red handed telling someone what we think of them. We may get caught
right in the act. Because the Lord may come, we need to keep short accounts
with other people and with the Lord.
How gracious are we with other Christians? How much flexibility is there
in our lives? Can we get along with other people? We all have different
personalities. No two of us are alike. Can we accept the differences of
other people on that board upon which we serve? Does everything have to
be done your way? Are you always negative at the board meetings? Are we
willing to put our differences in the Lord's hands at the Judgment Seat
of Christ? The greatest incentive for holy living is the imminent return
of the Lord Jesus to earth.
Many of us are nice as long as we can have our own way. As long as your
husband can have his own way he oozes with personality. When you cross
him, he acts like a spoiled child. Some Christians have a case of arrested
spiritual development. How do we act when someone crosses us? We act
like a spoiled child. As Christians we live far below our privileges.
Are you a flexible, pliable person? Are you flexible where there is no
fundamental doctrine or principle at stake? Do you have the capacity to
give? Are you hard to get along with? Do you drive a hard bargain? Must
you always have your own way? There is far too much of that in all of us.
Whether we like it or not, it is difficult to be honest with ourselves.
It is easy to be honest with other people. We can see their problems quickly.
It is difficult to see our own flaws. We cannot see ourselves as others
see us.
People have us catalogued. They know whether we are easy to get along with.
They know if we are a difficult person to serve on that committee.
PRINCIPLE: If we live our lives in the light of the coming of Christ, we
will forbear other people.
APPLICATION: Are you sensitive? Do you carry a chip on your shoulder?
Are you touchy? Are you always spoiling for a fight? Some folks are born
that way. They are quick to take offense. They always take things the
wrong way. Soon we do not dare open our mouth for fear we may offend them.
They misinterpret everything. They cannot take a joke. We avoid them
like the plague and they wonder why.
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