Philippians 4:3

Philippians 4:3. Yea, I beseech thee also, true yokefellow. Here St. Paul addresses some man whose influence was likely to have weight in bringing about peace and unity in the Philippian sisterhood. As the apostle does not name the person meant, there has been much speculation as to whom he is addressing. Some have thought that the name was here, and that the word rendered ‘yokefellow' (Synzygos) might be not a common but a proper noun. Thus St. Paul would be playing on the word, as he does on the name Onesimus in the letter to Philemon. ‘Thou Synzygos, who art a yokefellow truly, in name as well as in nature.' But as the word is not found elsewhere as a name, this explanation may he dismissed. Others have applied the words to St. Luke, from the language of the Acts, in which the writer employs ‘we' in the journey from Troas to Philippi (Acts 16:10-17), the drops into the third person, until (Acts 20:5) St. Paul returns through Philippi to go into Asia. Hence it is thought that St. Luke may have been left in charge of the Philippian Church, and he may have been intended by the expression ‘true yokefellow,' of which we cannot doubt that ‘the beloved physician' would be deemed worthy by St. Paul. But Luke seems to have been at Rome at this time. See Lightfoot, Introduction, p. 10. Others, again, and perhaps with more probability, have applied the words to Epaphroditus, who was to be the bearer of the letter. He may have been the amanuensis, and the words may represent St. Paul's direct appeal to him, which he has put down just as it was made, and that he might be able to do so, has left out his name, only giving the affectionate title which the apostle applied to him. But whoever may have been intended, neither the apostle nor the amanuensis thought the mention of a name of any consequence. The appeal was intelligible by him to whom it was made, and charity (such as he was to use and foster) ‘vaunteth not herself.'

help these women. That is, Euodia and Syntyche. ‘Those' in the Authorised Version makes the woman to be helped other than these two, which is not correct, as is shown by the following relative.

for they laboured with me in the gospel. The verb is only found again in Philippians 1:27, ‘striving for the faith.' These women, like the apostle, had entered on the heavenward struggle, and like him were zealous that the Gospel should be spread abroad. The expression seems to imply that even in the early days of the apostle's visit, the women at Philippi had been accepted as fellow-workers in Christian undertakings.

with Clement also. This may be joined with what immediately precedes, thus including Clement among those who with the women had joined St. Paul in his preaching and labours at Philippi, but it seems better to couple it with the words ‘true yokefellow.' ‘Do thou along with Clement help these women.' Of the Clement here mentioned we have no further knowledge for certain. He may have been the same who afterwards became bishop of Rome, and whose Epistles to the Corinthians are preserved among the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. For Philippi was a colony of Rome, and probably in close communication with the capital. But the name was far too common for this to be at all certain.

and the rest of my fellow-workers. We might judge from this language, that even before the apostle's departure from Philippi the converts had become numerous. But in such a work every scholar becomes a teacher. The youngest true believer must tell what has been done for him, and so becomes a preacher.

whose names are in the book of life. Compare the passages in the Book of Revelation where this expression occurs. The conception is of God's record of all those who are striving to serve Him. It is clear from the language of St. John that the names were not considered to be written there unchangeably, but if found unworthy to continue, they might be blotted out. Those are in the Book of life in scripture language who have begun to walk in the way of salvation. St. Paul makes no list of names. They are known to God, and would know that they were appealed to without being named, for they were walking after the apostle's example, and so would be ready to strive for that unity in the church which he longed to see.