Phil. 2:1-4; Gal. 5:13-18, Gospel Conduct (3)

First I would like to give you another literal translation of Phil. 2:2:

Make my joy full so that you might think/mind the same thing, having the same love, souls together, being one-minded.

Again: Paul is not just calling for unity in terms of organization but for a true oneness that is deep in the inner man.  When we are not one soul there is a problem, a problem that cannot just be covered up with words or with better organization, a problem that must drive us to the Lord to seek His help.

Second, I would like to reflect on this souls together kind of relationship using Peter and Timothy, Epaphroditus and Paul.  Note the references to the soul in these paragraphs.

·        Why did Jesus call “Satan”? (Mt. 16:23)  Because Peter minded the things of man rather than the things of God.  God told Jesus He would suffer many things, be killed and then be raised the third day.  Peter took Jesus aside and said: “this shall not happen to you.”

·        Peter minded the flesh rather than the things of the Spirit (Rom. 8:5).  Peter had a high view of himself rather than a humble view; he was wise in his own opinion (Rom. 12:12).  Like all enemies of the cross Peter set his mind on earthly things (Phil. 3:18-19).

·        On the other hand, Timothy was equal-souled (literally) with Paul; he did not seek his own but the things of Christ (Phil. 2:20-21).  Epaphroditus risked his own soul in service to the body of Christ (Phil. 2:30).  Paul not only gave out the gospel; he gave his own soul (1 Thess. 2:8).  Faithful saints are those who do not love their own souls to the death (Rev. 12:11).

Before we consider what will enable us to be “souls together” (that is in the next post) let us consider what is at war against our soul.  Peter learned the answer to this question and spoke of it in one of his epistles:

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. (1 Peter 2:11)

The soul is the inner man of all humans.  Embattled souls are regularly beset by discouragement, doubt, frustration and defeat.  The cause is fleshly lusts, the selfish desires that call us to put ourselves first.  Paul spoke of this in Phil. 1:15-16 referring to the preachers whose motive was selfish ambition, whose energy came from envy, and whose method was to cause strife.  Now, in 2:3, he refers to the same lusts in any believer.  Selfish ambition is rivalry, the desire to get ahead though at any cost.  Conceit is the desire for empty glory, the glory of men’s applause.  These work against our soul and because they are of the flesh they cannot co-exist with a soul that is led by the Spirit.  It leads to what we call the Meshech frustration (read Psalm 120).  Let us do some Spirit-led evaluation of ourselves and our fellowship before we move on.