Philippians 4vv2-9 study questions

Some study questions on Philippians 4vv2-9 ahead of our midweek meeting on Wed 15th. There's no expectation that people prepare but just in case these are helpful in taking a look in advance:

STUDY QUESTIONS:

What can we tell (or not) about the conflict between Euodia and Syntyce from the letter?

Presumably Paul doesn’t necessarily want Euodia and Syntyce to agree about everything, so what do you think he is really asking them to do in v2?

Is there anything else in the letter that would help / motivate them to “agree with each other in the Lord?”?

What have we already seen from our studies that would relevant to the theme of Christian unity / how Christians should relate to one another?

What does this passage teach us about how to treat / resolve conflict / fallings out in the church?

Is there a Christian with whom you need to be reconciled?

Or Christians whom you might be able to help to be reconciled?

What steps might you take in the light of this passage?

What might it mean / look like to “rejoice in the Lord always” (v4)?

On rejoicing Cf. 1v18; 2v17-18; 3v1

This is a striking command. Why / how can we rejoice whatever our circumstances, even when we don’t feel like it?

What reasons do we have for doing so (from the letter)?

How might we rejoice in the Lord more fully / often?

How can we help one another in this?

(How might rejoicing in the Lord always help with the conflict described in v2?)

Are you anxious? What about? Why?

(What things threaten your joy or peace?)

How do you cope with anxiety?

What antidotes to anxiety does the passage suggest? (Why / how so?)

What difference might the nearness of the Lord make? (v5)

Can you think of examples of the things mentioned in v8?

(How would you sum them up / put them into your own words?)
How can we “think about such things” more?

(What would be the opposite of the stuff listed in v8? Are there ways we can avoid that stuff?)

Think about v9. Do you have any idea of the things Paul might particularly have in mind here? Can you think of things which the letter might have suggested Paul was exemplary in? (cf. 3v17. Arguably he also held up Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples in 2v19ff)

What could we “put into practice” (v9) from this study or from the letter as a whole so far?

How would you sum up this passage?

How might it be turned into praise, thanks and prayer?

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NOTES:

We know that conflicts and fallings out can sometimes take place between Bible believing Christians and can do damage to a church and / or to its witness.

Commendable Christians can sometimes fall out! (vv2-3)

Paul obviously thinks this conflict is pretty serious – important enough to write to the whole church about.

We might be tempted to ignore / avoid / belittle conflict. Paul thinks it needs to be sorted out.

He doesn’t treat their conflict as merely private.

He seems to think that Euodia and Syntyche might need some help to agree and he wants Syzygus to get involved.

Paul doesn’t tell us what the conflict is about.

And he doesn’t take sides.

Maybe both sides need to change / forgive?

V2 agree, lit. think the same things

Gentleness / reasonableness / forbearance / moderation perhaps an undervalued virtue? (v5)

V5 - “The Lord is near” – cf. Ps 145:18 – “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth”

Cf. Ps 34:18 – The Lord is near the broken-hearted

V7, guard = garrison, cf. the garrison of Roman soldiers based at Philippi