Who are Euodia and Syntyche in the Bible?

Answer

Euodia and Syntyche are two women mentioned in only one brief passage in the Bible: “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, to help these women since they have struggled at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3).

It appears that Euodia and Syntyche had collaborated directly with Paul to spread the gospel throughout the city of Philippi, although the exact nature of their work is unclear. The church had its beginnings at a women’s prayer gathering (Acts 16:11-15), and it is plausible that Euodia and Syntyche were part of that original group. What we do know for certain is that these two women were in conflict with each other. It is probable that the dispute was public, given that Paul had been informed about it even though he was then in a Roman prison “in chains” «so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; », (Philippians 1:13). Two women engaging in such a conflict would have endangered the unity of the believers in Philippi, making it crucial for Paul to address the quarrel in his letter to the church.

Unity among believers is a recurring theme in the Bible (see Psalm 133:1;John 17:23;1 Peter 3:8). Paul himself discussed unity in several of his letters (1 Corinthians 1:10;Ephesians 4:11-13;Colossians 3:13-14). In fact,Paul’s plea for addressing the problem was for each member of the church at Philippi to be united in helping Euodia and Syntyche live peaceably with one another: «Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. », (Philippians 2:3).

What can we learn from Euodia and Syntyche? Their example shows that even those who have worked together for the cause of Christ can have disagreements. It also shows the importance of treating one another with love, compassion, and longsuffering (Ephesians 4:31; John 13:34-35). A church warring with itself is in danger of losing its testimony to outsiders. Euodia and Syntyche needed to be “of the same mind in the Lord,” and the other church members were to do all that was necessary to heal the breach. They were all fellow laborers in the Lord’s work, and their names were all part of the book of life.

Because the church is made up of sinners (albeit forgiven ones), there will be times when division occurs. In these cases, Scripture gives instructions on how to work toward peace. Some of those instructions are found in the very epistle sent to Euodia and Syntyche’s church: “Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:2-4). Never does God’s Word allow for gossip, arguing, and fighting over personal matters in the church. Instead, believers are to encourage one another as we prepare for Christ’s return «not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exExhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.” », (Hebrews 10:25).