By Mav Rosenthal
Strong-willed Individuals
A great deal of what the Bible teaches about Jesus is summed up in Scripture as the result of two women who were feuding. We don’t know what the women were feuding about, but we know it was important. They were believers, strong-willed, and members of the church at Philippi.
The apostle Paul heard about their grumbling while in prison, and in penning his letter to the Philippians, he dealt with the matter.
It is clear Paul knew the women personally, having founded the church at Philippi during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:7-12). He knew the women by name and noted they helped him in the ministry. Paul addressed the problem with great tact:
I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same
mind in the Lord. 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 (Philippians 4:2-3).
The Same Mind
Note the phrase, “the same mind in the Lord.” What does it mean? I suggest Paul deliberately tucked the answer to that question away earlier in his epistle. His purpose was not to only instruct the women, but to instruct all who have loved the Lord through the ages to have “the same mind in the Lord,” and then he used Jesus as the example of what “the same mind in the Lord” means.
In most of Paul’s epistles, he first shared doctrinal truth and then – based on that doctrine – gave instruction on responsibility. Responsibility is always based on doctrine. But the apostle’s letter to the Philippians is practical and not doctrinal – except for one passage of doctrine which suddenly appears almost out of context. Paul gave to all believers through all of time the most important Christ-centered text found in the Bible.
This doctrinal passage is Philippians 2:5-11. Bible teachers often call it the Kenosis, taken from the phrase in verse 7, “But made himself of no reputation,” which can be understood as “He emptied Himself.”
A closer look at Philippians 2:5-11 proves helpful.
- The exhortation: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (v. 5). Paul earlier encouraged the two women to have “the same mind in Christ” (4:2); this passage explains what it means to have “the same mind in Christ.”
- Christ’s eternal position: “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God” (v. 6). Jesus is in the “form” of His Father in essence and attributes. That is, He is Deity and equal with His Father. Therefore, it was not “robbery,” that is, it was not a thing to be grasped, seized, clutched, or embraced to be equal with God since, in reality, He is equal to the Father throughout all eternity, past, present, and future.
- The incarnation (becoming a man) of Jesus: Jesus “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (v.7 ). At His birth, Jesus took on human flesh, but without sin. In so doing, He “emptied himself.” The emptiness was not of His deity, but of His independent use of some of His attributes. For instance, on occasion, He would call upon His Heavenly Father in prayer.
- Jesus’ goal was successfully achieved: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (v. 8). Jesus was perfect humanity and infinite deity. For Jesus, there was no turning back. He went all the way to the cross and was always in control. He had said: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
- A glorious servant and “criminal”:God became a man, became a servant, and died a criminal’s death on the cross. Death by crucifixion was so horrible that Rome would not subject its citizens to it. By being reminded to have the mind of Christ, all believers are to esteem others above themselves. In the person of Jesus, God became a man, became a servant and died a criminal’s death on the cross. He did it for one overriding reason: He esteemed others above Himself. We, too, are to esteem others above ourselves.
- Jesus the Son exalted by His Father:
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him
the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth,
and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (vss. 2:9-11).
Because of what Jesus achieved through His incarnation and death, God the Father highly exalted His Son and gave Him a name which is above all other names. Once salvation through His death and resurrection was achieved, He was given by His Father the name Lord.
As believers in the Lord and Savior, we are to emulate Him by being of the same mind as Him. There should be no feuding among believers, nor divisions or hostilities. We are to love one another as “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
May we pray daily that we be found “of the same mind in the Lord” in our treatment and esteem for our brothers and sisters in Christ! May Christ’s example to us inspire us to be like Him in every way!
Marv Rosenthal, founder and President of Zion’s Hope, was an acclaimed international Bible teacher for almost 6 decades.
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