4:1
The Philippians were under pressure, and when we are under pressure we seek to find a way of coping with the situation. There are many options we try, some become aggressive, some retreat into a shell, some become defensive. Paul has shown them the way they should seek to cope. This is also the way we should seek to cope. See how Paul addresses them, he has not speaking to them as a sergeant-major or as a hard taskmaster, but as people he has genuine affection for. They are his joy and crown. Why does he say this? Because he sees the fruit of the gospel in their lives. There were dangers that needed warning against, and there were attitudes that needed correcting, but basically Paul was pleased with their progress. Finally in this verse he calls them “dear friends”. So they are to stand firm with love, joy and humility.
4:2,3
We now get a plea from Paul regarding a specific situation. Euodia and Syntyche are both female names and evidently there was some form of dispute between them. As an aside it is worth noting that they probably had some reasonably prominent position for it to merit Paul talking about in the letter. The situation with Paul and women, and indeed with women and church roles, is more complicated than we are sometimes led to believe. Paul was most definitely not a misogynist, and women had an active role in the development of the church in the New Testament. The women mentioned had worked alongside Paul for the cause of the gospel. The Clement mentioned is almost certainly not the Clement of Rome who was prominent in the church in the post-apostolic era, Clement being a very common name.
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