4:2 Euodia ("Success") and Syntyche ("Lucky") were evidently two women in the Philippian congregation.145
"For the Pauline letters, this is a remarkable moment indeed, since Paul does here what he seldom does elsewhere in conflict' settings--he names names."146
God did not reveal the reason for the estrangement that existed between these two women. Regardless of the reason the will of God for them was to establish a harmonious relationship. Unanimity in the church is not always possible, but unity is. Paul urged each of these two women individually perhaps so neither would feel that responsibility for healing the breach lay with the other. Urging was all Paul felt he had to do, not commanding (cf. 1:27-2:4). He assumed they would respond to gentle persuasion. The addition of "in the Lord"would remind them that they were under His authority and had much in common as sisters in Christ.147
"Having the same mindset in the Lord' has been specifically spelled out in the preceding paradigmatic narratives, where Christ (2:6-11) has humbled himself by taking the form of a slave' and thus becoming obedient unto death on a cross, and Paul (3:4-14) has expressed his longing to know Christ, especially through participation in his sufferings so as to be conformed into the same cruciform lifestyle. The ways such a mindset' takes feet is by humbly looking out for the interests of others' within the believing community (2:3-4)."148
4:3 Paul appealed to another person in the Philippian church to help Euodia and Syntyche restore their fellowship. Most translations interpret suzuge("comrade"or "yokefellow") as a description rather than as a proper name. Probably it referred to the leading elder (pastor) in the church.149
Euodia and Syntyche had evidently labored for the Lord with Paul (cf. Acts 16:13-15). Here the main theme of the epistle comes out clearly again as partnership in the gospel. Clement had been a partner in the gospel as well. The Scriptures do not identify who he was. Clement was a common Roman name. Others had also worked with Paul, probably in Philippi and perhaps elsewhere. The fact that their names appeared in the book of life seems to be an allusion to their honored status among the citizens of heaven.
"Practically every city of that day maintained a roll or civic register of its citizens, and in that record was entered the name of every child born in the city. If one of the citizens proved guilty of treachery or disloyalty or of anything bringing shame on the city, he was subjected to public dishonour by the expunging of his name from the register. (The name was, in any case normally obliterated at death.) He was deemed no longer worthy to be regarded as a citizen of the city. If, on the other hand, a citizen had performed some outstanding exploit deserving of special distinction, honour was bestowed upon him, either by the recording of the deed in the city roll or by his name being encircled in gold (or overlaid in gold) in the roll."150
