“And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.”
Neither Euodia nor Syntyche would take the first step to solve their running feud. They had been in their bitterness too long. No doubt they exaggerated the other person’s injury upon them. As they studied and brooded over it, they thought about their rights. Each person believed she was justified in dividing the church. Therefore, Paul had to take a measure beyond challenging them to “be of the same mind” (v. 2). He challenged a mediator to intervene.
“And I urge you also, true companion, help these women”
Since Euodia and Syntyche could not work out their problems by themselves, Paul asked a mediator in the Philippian church to intervene between them. The word “urge” means to ask or request. It means to petition someone who is on an equal level. Paul needed someone with a cool head. This “true companion” is not named. The word “true” means genuine. This man possessed genuine Christian character. True character will not take sides. He will not subjectively judge who is right. He will examine the facts independent of friendship.
Paul challenged this third-party intermediary to “help” these women. The word “help” means to take hold of together or bring together. Paul was asking this individual to bring these women together to resolve the conflict. There are times in Christian life when we cannot help ourselves. We need help from others when we are so far apart that it appears we cannot come together.
Jesus views the work of a peacemaker with high regard:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called the sons of God” (Matt. 5:9).
Jesus Himself was an intermediary and understood the importance of that role (Eph. 2:14).
PRINCIPLE:
Mediation is necessary at times when there appears to be an irresolvable conflict between believers.
APPLICATION:
Have you allowed a long-standing conflict to stalemate a relationship in your life? Why not seek help from a qualified mediator? Are you humble enough to recognize that you need help?
Hi brother love your works and your love to the Words of God. I am up to book of Colossians after two years started from Book of Genesis, I am a slow reader, but so blessed with His words.
I have question regarding the verse 3b, about book of life.
With that in our mind, to which we are as a born again Christian are written in the book of life, as Jesus said that those who are born again shall see the Kingdom of Heaven in John 3.
My question is , as believer who strive with un-ceased prayer and unending dependencies to the Lord Jesus Christ along with awareness of sinful nature and the continual attacks from the enemy, would it be biblical to think that eventhough we know and believe that our names are written in the book of life,that we regard it as a long life goal? Not as gift we already attain (truth about names written in book of life?) My goal is to please Him ( with the power Holy Spirit and He who lives in me) to make my flesh as slave so that I will not be disqualified when I preach the gospel. Is it unbiblical to think that I don’t know that my name is written in the book of life, but I faith that my name is there, so that I will not boast and I will live and strive in hope of salvation.
My questions are also regarding to this article about three different book of life in the bible, what do you think about this man ought to say.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/revelation/related-topics/names-blotted-out.html
[Book of Life generally results in the proposal that Scripture describes at least two and as many as three books associated with life:
Book of the Living – A book which records all those who attain a long life physically. Being blotted out of this book results in premature physical death (Ex. Ex. 32:32-33; Ps. Ps. 69:28).
Book of Life – A book which records the name of every individual ever born. Those who fail to exercise faith prior to death are “blotted out” of the book. Being blotted out of this book results in spiritual death and eternal damnation.
Book of Life of the Lamb – A book which records only those individuals who are predestined to salvation. None of the names written in this book is ever blotted out (Rev. Rev. 13:8+; Rev. 21:27+).] taken from http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/revelation/related-topics/names-blotted-out.html
Thank you brother.. my dad Paulus send his regards.
God bless you
John 1:12
Daniel,
It is great to hear from you. I remember the outstanding job of translating for me last year in Indonesia. You are gifted.
The article that you indicate is carefully argued, however, it appears to me that this commentary seems to me to exercise the fallacy of interpolation (reading the doctrine of election into passages rather than letting the passages speak for themselves) rather than using exegesis per se. It seems to me that they are straining at a gnat to negate free moral agency or human volition.
The online article to which you refer says this: “It is our view that attempting to explain the various passages by using two or three different books is overly complicated and imposes distinctions between the books which are not derived strictly from the Biblical text.” However, note that Revelation 20:12 clearly distinguishes between at least two books. The text says “another book” was opened:
http://versebyversecommentary.com/revelation/revelation-2011-12/
Here are other comments by me on the subject:
The names of two born again women are in the book of life (Euodia and Syntyche). The context implies they have eternal life.
http://versebyversecommentary.com/philippians/philippians-43b/
The book of physical life:
http://versebyversecommentary.com/revelation/revelation-35/
A registry of human beings here:
http://versebyversecommentary.com/revelation/revelation-177-18/
There is a book were non-Christians have their works recorded and God uses it as the basis for their judgment:
http://versebyversecommentary.com/revelation/revelation-2011-12/?dropdown_book=60
There is a distinctive book where only those who have eternal life are recorded. Those not written in this book are cast into the Lake of Fire.
http://versebyversecommentary.com/revelation/revelation-2015/
Only believers who are written in the Lamb’s book of life will have eternal life with God.
http://versebyversecommentary.com/revelation/revelation-2124-27/
Here is an article by the famous scholar F. F. Bruce:
BOOK OF LIFE (Heb. sēp̱er ḥayyîm; Gk. biblos or biblion zōēs, ‘the roll of the living’).
1. It is used of natural life, Ps. 69:28, where ‘let them be blotted out of the book of the living’ means ‘let them die’. cf. Ex. 32:32f., where Moses prays to be blotted out of God’s book if Israel is to be destroyed; Ps. 139:16 (‘in thy book were written … the days that were formed for me’); Dn. 12:1, where all the righteous who ‘shall be found written in the book’ will survive the eschatological tribulation.
2. In later Judaism and the NT it is used of the life of the age to come. Thus Is. 4:3, where ‘every one who has been enrolled for life in Jerusalem’ refers to natural life, is re-interpreted in the Targum as speaking of ‘eternal life’. So in the NT the book of life is the roster of believers, e.g. Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 22:19, etc. At the last judgment everyone not enrolled in the book of life is consigned to the fiery lake (Rev. 20:12, 15); this is the book of life of the slaughtered Lamb (Rev. 13:8; 21:27), in which the names of the elect have been inscribed ‘from the foundation of the world’ (17:8). The same idea is expressed in Lk. 10:20, ‘your names are written in heaven’; Acts 13:48, ‘as many as were ordained (i.e. inscribed) to eternal life believed’.
F. F. BRUCE.