We may gather from the rich abundance of motives which the Apostle
suggests before he comes to present his exhortation, that he suspected
the existence of some tendencies in the opposite direction in Philippi,
and possibly the same conclusion may be drawn from the exuberance of
the exhortation itself, and from its preceding the dehortation which
follows. He does not scold, he scarcely even rebukes, but he begins by
trying to melt away any light frost that had crept over the warmth of
the Philippians' love; and having made that preparation, he sets before
them with a fulness which would be tautological but for the earnestness
that throbs in it, the ideal of unity, and presses it upon them still
more meltingly, by telling them that their realisation of it will be the
completion of his joy. The main injunction is 'that ye be of the same
mind,' and that is followed by three clauses which are all but exactly
synonymous with it, 'having the same love, being of one accord, of one
mind.' The resemblance of the latter clause to the main exhortation is
still more complete, if we read with Revised Version (margin) 'of the
same mind,' but in any case the exhortations are all practically the
same. The unity which Paul would fain see, is far deeper and more vital
than mere unanimity of opinion, or identity of polity, or co-operation
in practice. The clauses which expand it guard us against the mistake of
thinking that intellectual or practical oneness is all that is meant by
Christian unity. They are 'of the same mind,' who have the same wishes,
aims, outlooks, the same hopes and fears, and who are one in the depths
of their being. They have 'the same love,' all similarly loving and
being loved, the same emotion filling each heart. They are united in
soul, or 'with accordant souls' having, and knowing that they have them,
akin, allied to one another, moving to a common end, and aware of their
oneness. The unity which Christian people have hitherto reached is at
its best but a small are of the great circle which the Apostle drew,
and none of us can read these fervid words without shame. His joy is not
yet fulfilled.
That exhortation to be 'of the same mind,' not only points to a deep and
vital unity, but suggests that the ground of the unity is to be found
without us, in the common direction of our 'minds,' which means far more
than popular phraseology means by it, to an external object. It is
having our hearts directed to Christ that makes us one. He is the bond
and centre of unity. We have just said that the object is external, but
that has to be taken with a modification, for the true basis of unity is
the common possession of 'Christ in us.' It is when we have this mind in
us 'which was also in Christ Jesus,' that we have 'the same mind' one
with another.
The very keynote of the letter is joy, as may be seen by a glance over
it. He joys and rejoices with them all, but his cup is not quite full.
One more precious drop is needed to make it run over. Probably the
coldness which he had heard of between Euodias and Syntyche had troubled
him, and if he could be sure of the Philippians' mutual love he would
rejoice in his prison. We cannot tell whether that loving and careful
heart is still aware of the fortunes of the Church, but we know of a
more loving and careful heart which is, and we cannot but believe that
the alienations and discords of His professed followers bring some
shadow over the joy of Christ. Do we not hear His voice again asking,
'what was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way?' and must we
not, like the disciples, 'hold our peace' when that question is asked?
May we not hear a voice sweeter in its cadence, and more melting in its
tenderness than Paul's, saying to us 'Fulfil ye My joy that ye be of
the same mind.'