Philippians 4:3

“Yea,. beseech thee also, true yokefellow, help these women, for they labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life”

“Yea,. beseech thee also”: “Yes, and. ask thee” (Knox). “True”: Genuine, that is, one who truly lives up to the name of being. yokefellow. “Yokefellow”: Co-yoked,. colleague. “It is supposed by some that the word rendered ‘yoke-fellow' is. proper name (Synzygus), and that ‘true' is to be explained as ‘rightly so called'” (Vincent p. 455). “Lit., joiner-together” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 465). “Help these women”: Help them to patch up their differences. “Help them! You must!” (Hawthorne p. 180). “Yokefellow,. person who pulls well in. harness for two” (Hendriksen p. 191). Christians are expected to work together. Sometimes we forget that unity, growth, and all those other good things that can be found in. local congregation are the result of many Christians working hard (Ephesians 4:16). Every Christian needs to be very conscientious about doing their fair share, because it is unfair to another brother or sister to make them assume the full load. Slacking off is selfish, for it only places. greater weight upon the shoulders of the very Christians that. profess to love.

Carefully note that Paul is bending over backwards to give these women the most favorable circumstances possible for reconciliation. He calls upon another Christian in Philippi to help these women resolve their differences. It's not that these women could not work it out on their own, but rather, every moment of strained relations in the church is. wasted moment.

“For”: The reason for this urgent help. When talented, knowledgeable, and zealous Christians cannot get along, they have been rendered ineffective. All of. sudden the gospel they preach lacks credibility. “They”: Both of them. “Labored with me”: “They toiled by my side'”(TCNT). “Lit., strove as athletes” (Vincent p. 456). “They exerted themselves and eagerly cooperated” (Muller p. 139). “To fight side by side with is. metaphorical word drawn from the games or the gladiatorial arena. It implies. united struggle in preaching the gospel, on the one hand, and. sharing in the suffering that results from the struggle, on the other” (Hawthorne p. 180).

Unfortunately, some try to argue that the expression "labored with me", infers that these two women were preachers. How soon people forget that the very same writer also wrote 1 Timothy 2:12 ff.

“In the gospel”: At some time in the past, possibly when Paul was at Philippi. “With Clement also, and the rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life”: See Revelation 3:5; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8; Revelation 21:27. Christians may never be famous upon this earth, or get their names in the papers, yet something is far more important than the magazines and books written by men. “Their names have. glory greater than that of historical renown” (Muller p. 139). “When earthly citizens die, their names are erased from the records; the names of the spiritual conquerors will never be blotted out. Christ Himself will publicly acknowledge them as his very own (Matthew 10:32)” (Hendriksen p. 192). Seeing that the Bible is. very brief book, the very mention of this quarrel indicates that God views strife among Christians as. very serious matter. Therefore, let's avoid it or resolve it and get over it, at all cost. Note what God considers to be important. Nothing else is known about the Clement mentioned in this verse. Yet what is said, is more important and relevant than all the volumes that have been written concerning the heroes of this world. Clement was. fellow-worker and his name was written in God's book of life. Hence, the one line that is said concerning this obscure Christian is worth more than all that has been ever written concerning Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, or any other famous person.

The repeated call to rejoice