"I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord." We have no idea what in the world these two women were quarreling about. Perhaps if we had had Entertainment Weekly or the National Enquirer or MSNBC or the investigative potential of the Internet we would have more information about the nature of the split. But we have no idea what had set these two women against each other.

Earlier in the letter, Paul had given some advice about trying to have the same mind in them that was in Christ Jesus. He urged them to be less selfish, to look to the interests of others ahead of their own interests. He gave them the example of Jesus Christ not grasping at equality with God but surrendering all that glory to come and to redeem us. Paul tells the church that they need to do all things wi…