Dissension and its Remedy

Frank Binford Hole

Of all the early churches, of which we have any notice in the Scriptures, not one appears to have been in a healthier condition than that at Philippi. In the epistle that Paul wrote to them we do not find anything that would lead us to infer that they excelled in intelligence and understanding, nor is there any unfolding of the counsel of God. The personal note is prominent right through the epistle, for what specially marked them was their wholehearted love for, and identification with, the apostle who at so great a risk to himself brought the gospel to them, as Acts 16 records.

Paul could thank God upon every remembrance of them. They had him in their hearts — as the more accurate reading of Philippians 1:7 puts it — and consequently from the first day until the time of writing their fellowship with Paul in the gospel had been marked. Their large-hearted liberality was remarkable and exceptional as witnessed by chapter 4:10–18 and 2 Corinthians 8:1–5. This latter scripture — where the apostle was writing about them to others — shows that they were then marked by four things:

1. a great trial of affliction,

2. abundance of spiritual joy,

3. deep poverty, and

4. riches of liberality.

They gave to their power and even beyond their power, exceeding Paul’s expectations. Moreover, they began with that which is greatest, giving their own selves to the Lord. It is easy to give of our substance without giving ourselves whereas if we give ourselves to the Lord our substance is necessarily surrendered also, to be used henceforth as He directs. This the Philippians did.

It is evident, therefore, that love of a divine sort was very active among the Philippians, both towards the apostle and towards all saints. That love was to ‘abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment’ (1:9), for there is always room for enlargement in the divine nature; still, if love is the real measure of our spiritual stature, as 1 Corinthians 13 indicates, then the Philippians were to be reckoned amongst the spiritually great. Paul himself called them his ‘joy and crown’ (Phil. 4:1). Yet there was ‘a fly in the ointment’ even with these devoted Christians. Dissension had sprung up between two sisters in their midst, and this threatened their peace and their joy for it is a highly infectious complaint. Nothing is easier under these circumstances than for others to have their sympathies or prejudices awakened, so that they fly to arms and side with the contending parties; and so, the whole assembly may be convulsed over something that in its beginning was a very trivial matter. For the moment it may be but a disagreement between Euodia and Syntyche, but who can say where it may extend if not checked. So, they are to be ‘of the same mind in the Lord’ (4:1–3).

Paul evidently felt how important it was that these excellent Christian women should be lifted out of their dispute, and he entreats one whom he calls a ‘true yokefellow’ (probably Epaphroditus) to help them seeing that they were saints of no mean worth who had laboured with him, or shared his conflicts, in the gospel.

It looks, therefore, as if the dispute between them was not over some worldly matter, not a case of a quarrel based upon idle and foolish talkings such as are at all times so common, but rather a disagreement over something connected with the Lord’s interests and service. Now Paul himself had once been involved in a matter of this sort, as Acts 15:37–40 tells us, and the contention between himself and Barnabas had been of so sharp a character as to divide them asunder as far as their future service was concerned. With this in mind we can understand how acutely he felt the situation at Philippi, and how urgently he desired that they might be of one mind in the Lord. As a consequence of this the Epistle to the Philippians is pre-eminently the epistle of the mind. The very word itself occurs a number of times.

The first chapter might well be called the chapter of the devoted mind. In it Paul is led to speak of his own trying circumstances as a prisoner in Rome with his life hanging in the balance. He is, however, in no state of feverish anxiety to escape. He knew well, for he had already been caught up into the third heaven (see 2 Cor. 12:1–7), that to depart and to be with Christ is very much better than the life of service here, yet he was well content to stay and toil on if thereby the Lord’s interests in His saints should be served. He had before him one thing, and one thing only, that Christ should be magnified in his body, whether by life or by death. Such was his mind, a devoted mind indeed, and he exhorted the Philippians to the same when he urged them to ‘stand fast in one spirit, with one mind [one soul] striving together for the faith of the gospel’ (Phil. 1:27).

The second chapter is clearly the chapter of the lowly mind. A great deal of the difficulty which comes in amongst Christians lies just here. The apostle had just experienced most sweetly the ‘consolation in Christ’, the ‘comfort of love’, the ‘fellowship of the Spirit’, and the ‘bowels and mercies’ found in the saints of God (2:1) in connection with the visit of Epaphroditus, bearing the gifts of the Philippian assembly. All this was a joy to him, but he tactfully intimates to them that one thing remained if they wished to fill the cup of his joy up to the brim. They must be ‘likeminded, having the same love’. They must be ‘of one accord, of one mind’ — or, more literally: ‘joined in soul, the one thing minding’ (v. 2). Here we have that which lies behind the ‘one thing I do’ of chapter 3:13, for the secret of doing one thing is minding or thinking one thing.

We all feel at once how desirable a thing this is. If we have any knowledge of ourselves and of the state of affairs generally among the people of God, we know that it is to all appearance an impossible thing. Yet there is a way by which it may be achieved, and verses 3 and 4 of chapter 2 show us that way. Nothing is to be done in the spirit of contention or vainglory, but everything in that lowliness of mind which leads one to esteem others above themselves and consider the things of others and not only the things of self. The ‘one mind’ of verse 2 is certainly to be achieved if the lowly mind of verse 3 is produced in us all. A difficulty, however, would still be felt if the lowly mind were to us only an abstract conception. We want it to be a living reality before our eyes, and we have it thus in Christ Jesus. If there is to be only one mind, whose mind is that one mind to be? — ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus’ (v. 5).

At first sight it would seem strange that to the carnal Corinthians the apostle should write ‘we have the mind of Christ’ (1 Cor. 2:16), whereas he exhorts the devoted Philippians to have in them the mind that was in Christ Jesus. The two scriptures are, however, perfectly consistent, as the words used for ‘mind’ differ. To the Corinthians he says, ‘we have the thinking faculty of Christ’ — inasmuch as ‘we have received … the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God’ (v. 12). To the Philippians he says, ‘Let this way of thinking be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus’. 

And what was His way of thinking? The succeeding verses 6–8 present it to us — a passage wonderful beyond all words. The first man, Adam, conceived the idea of exalting himself in the scale of creation, to become even as gods: and he fell. The whole Adamic race inherits by nature that way of thinking. And here is Christ, who before incarnation was ‘in the form of God’. It was to Him no unlawful thing to be equal with God for He was God, and therefore it was impossible for Him to be higher than He was. Before Him were only the two alternatives of staying exactly where and as He was, or of coming in incarnation upon a downward path that would not stop short of the death of the cross. His way of thinking was to come down and humble Himself. Adam’s way of thinking has filled the earth with sin and strife, and there remains with each of us the tendency to think as Adam, inasmuch as the flesh is still within us. Christ’s way of thinking is life and peace, and having His nature, His Spirit, we have the capacity to think as He thinks. We infinitely prefer Christ to Adam. The contemplation of His mind fills us with adoration and worship. Let us then think as He thinks. With our present imperfections of understanding we might even then not see exactly eye to eye about everything, but the element of dissension would be eliminated from our differences.

The third chapter is the chapter of the heavenly mind. The Christ, who in His downward path of humiliation is so excellent an example to us, is glorified on high as an excellent object before us, and the knowledge of Him as in that glory is the thing to impart a heavenly direction and character to our lives and energy and decision on our way. Paul’s first sight of the heavenly Christ on the road to Damascus led him to discard all his natural advantages as worthless (v. 7), and now writing long years after, with an enlarged experience of ‘the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus’ his Lord coupled with suffering and loss for His sake, he more than ratifies his early decision (v. 8). He had but one desire — to reach Him in His resurrection glory even if it meant martyrdom to do so (vs. 10–11). He calls upon us all to follow him in this (vs. 15–16). If we are ‘thus minded’ with him we, as well as Euodia and Syntyche, will find it more possible to be ‘of the same mind in the Lord’ (4:2)

The fourth chapter is the chapter of the contented mind. Paul himself in a Roman prison is no more disposed to grumble than when he first made the acquaintance of the Philippians and sang praises in their local jail. He had learned in whatsoever state he was to be content; but then he practised what he presses on the Philippians. In verse 6, he bids them to unburden their minds of care by freely making known their requests to God, with thanksgiving. This would keep or garrison their minds with peace. Then having unloaded their minds of care he bids them fill their minds up to the brim with all that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely and of good report, of virtue and of praise. ‘Think’, he says, ‘on these things’ (v. 8). One thing further remains, ‘Those things … do’ (v. 9). Let all those lovely things that fill our minds work out into action and practice, and ‘the God of peace shall be with you’ — and with us. Dissension dies in the presence of the God of peace. The choicest believers and the choicest assemblies have all too often been overcome by dissension. Let us therefore pay diligent heed to the remedy.

From: Truth and Testimony, 2021