Text: Philippians 4:1-9
Topic: Conflict resolution

• One of my favorite Bible stories is the account of Joseph in the Book of Genesis.
• Joseph's 11 brothers resent him because of the favor he has with men and with God—and because he's a bit too vocal about it all.
• Their resentment turns to enmity, which turns to malice, which turns to vengeance, which turns to betrayal, and they sell Joseph into slavery.
• Late in the story, when Joseph has attained great riches and power despite his hardships, he reunites with his brothers and reconciles with them.
• Joseph's story point out an important lesson for us: Between reconciliation and reunion, settle your differences, drop your weapons, choose peace.
• This is virtually the same thing the apostle Paul says to two women in the church in Philippi: Euodia and Syntyche.
• In Philippians 3, Paul talks about the great reconciliation that has been won for us through Christ's death, and then he talks about the great reunion that awaits us because of Christ's resurrection.
• In Philippians 4:1, he urges the brothers and sisters to stand firm in the Lord. How? By holding onto the great reconciliation and the great reunion.
• The contending as one man for the faith of the gospel is destroyed when we contend as two people squabbling over some petty difference.
  • Illustration: Buchanan explains the difference in fighting styles of horses and donkeys.
• For some reason, the church has an uncanny ability to turn on each other when the pressure's on.
• Twice in the passage, Paul mentions peace, which translates the lovely word shalom from the Hebrew. Paul wants the shalom of God—and the God of shalom—to rule in this situation of conflict.
• Embedded within this text is an entire manual of conflict resolution. Paul offers step-by-step instructions for restoring peace in the face of animosity and bitterness.

• Paul has just reminded the church—including Euodia and Syntyche—that they are citizens of heaven, eagerly awaiting a Savior. He reminds them their names are written in the Book of Life.
• What Paul is doing is reorienting them to ultimate reality, because it's impossible to maintain petty grudges in the face of that reality.
• The ultimate reality is this: Christ has redeemed you by his blood and written your name in his book—not by any merit of your own, but purely out of his grace
• This silences the issues Euodia and Syntyche are arguing about. To be squabbling about something so petty in the face of the greatness of God is embarrassing.
• If we mastered the art of getting ultimate reality in focus, we would do much less quarrelling on the way.
• Paul also puts this issue in the context of the church. The conflict between these women is not a private matter. It hurts everyone, and it damages the credibility of the gospel.
• Finally, Paul puts this issue in the context of the Lord, when he calls on them to agree with each other in the Lord.
• Paul knows that, aside from a few issues of a moral or doctrinal nature, there are few things that can divide us, and nothing that is bigger than the Christ who unites us.

• Listen to the language he uses: Rejoice always. Let your gentleness be evident to all. Do not be anxious about anything. Whatever is true. If anything is excellent. Whatever you have learned from me.
• The tendency in conflict is to absolutize the terms of war. Paul pushes us toward pursuing and embracing absolute joy, absolute gentleness, absolute trust in God, absolute celebration of the good, the right, the true, and the lovely.

• Though it might feel like it, what Paul writes in verses 4-9 are not random thoughts unrelated to anything else he's said in Philippians.
• We often cut and paste these verses and make them into mush sentiments for wall plaques, but they are Paul's practical counsel on how to help Euodia and Syntyche to "agree with each other in the Lord."
• Rejoicing in the Lord is a refusal to let conflict blind you to God or steal your joy in him.
• Letting your gentleness be evident to all means a life of clemency—literally, a refusal to act out the anger or retaliation to which you may be entitled.
• When you let your requests be known to God, you let God know your problems, and others know your peace. You vent to him and not to others.  
• To be clear, Paul is not saying we can never address the situation with another human being. He's just saying we need to do that in a gentle way, the way of clemency.
• To focus on whatever is true, is to embrace the power of positive and critical thinking. You see the good in everything and everyone, and you begin seeking virtues and not shortcomings.
• We need depth of insight to discern what is best, especially because we live, as Paul describes it in Philippians 2:15.
• Paul tells us to renew our minds according to the word of God, discern what is best according to the character of God, and then fill our minds with these things by help of the Spirit of God.
• Finally, when we focus on what we have seen, heard, learned, and received, we take part in what God is reconciling in Christ.

• Illustration: A dispute about the star on top of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem started the Crimean War.
• What if a reconciled people had been the star everyone looked to in that situation in Bethlehem? That's the star that should shine from our church.