Striving Together in Christ - Philippians 1:27-2:4

In this particular passage, Paul is writing to the believers in Christ Jesus who are in

Philippi. He is thankful for these men and women as they have formed a partnership in the

gospel. The church that Paul established in Philippi was multi-ethnic, with varying

socioeconomic classes. It was primarily made up of Gentiles, but also a small population of

Jewish-Christians. It’s very beautiful – and somewhat striking - to see a church functioning

without the dividing walls of race and economic background.

Paul pleads with this body to stand firm in one spirit and one mind, and to stride side by

side for the faith of the gospel (Phil. 1:27). The Greek word sunathleo means to strive at the

same time with another. The image in Greek culture is drawn from the idea of an athletic contest. Usually, athletes competed against other athletes in Greek games. In contrast, Paul is here encouraging the Philippians to compete together as a team of athletes working towards the common goal - advancement of the gospel. I played the position of catcher in baseball. I know how important it is for the pitcher and catcher to be on the same page and work together. When this connection is in tune, everything about the game flows better!

Paul then reminds them to not be frightened at all by their opponents. In fact, he tells

them that this a clear sign to their enemies of their own destruction, but of the salvation of the believers – but outcomes coming from God Himself (Phil. 1:28). If God is for us, then who can be against us (Rom. 8:31). This is not the time for God’s children to shrink back and be silent. We need to be ready to take a stand for Jesus even when it’s not popular in our culture today. Let’s be honest with ourselves for a minute. Living a life set apart for Christ will cost you something. It may be your popularity – people you thought were your friends, your job, or in some places in our world today, your very life. According to the book of Acts, Peter and the other apostles were beaten for their bold stance. Acts 5:41 tells us that they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ name.

We are challenged in this passage to strive for unity and be in full accord with believers,

and to not let our differences tear us apart! We are living in very challenging times for the body of Christ. We are still in the Covid pandemic, and I believe that Satan would love nothing more than to divide believers through the fear, frustration, and fatigue that accompany this disease. Be encouraged and take heart by remembering the words of Matthew 16:18: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” (NKJV).

We can be sure that God is good and working on our behalf for those who trust him!