Euodia and Syntyche

Biblical Record

The two women appear only in Philippians 4:2–3. Near the close of his letter, Paul wrote, "I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord." He then asked his "true yokefellow" to help these women. Paul describes them as women who "laboured with me in the gospel" and says that their names, together with those of Clement and his other fellow laborers, are in the book of life.

Both are Greek feminine names. Scripture provides no further information about the women's origins, families, or lives. The church at Philippi was founded through Paul's preaching. Acts 16 records the women gathered at the place of prayer by the river and the conversion of Lydia; on this basis, women believers are understood to have played a significant role in this church.

Significance Within Scripture

Paul addresses the two women by name and urges them to be reconciled, yet he does not say which of them was right or wrong. He acknowledges both as coworkers in the gospel. The phrase "be of the same mind" echoes Philippians 2:2, "that ye be likeminded." For this reason, the women's disagreement is read in connection with the unity of the church, a theme emphasized throughout the letter.

Interpretations and Debates

• The nature of the conflict: The text does not reveal what caused the two women to disagree. Whether the dispute concerned doctrine, methods of ministry, or personal relationships is a matter of conjecture.
• The "true yokefellow": The text also does not identify this person. Epaphroditus, Luke, Silas, and others have been proposed. Some interpreters take the Greek word syzygos ("yokefellow") as a personal name.
• Position in the church: Because Paul describes them as those who "laboured with me in the gospel," some interpret the two women as leading workers in the Philippian church. This interpretation is sometimes cited, alongside the women coworkers of Romans 16:1–7, in discussions of women's ordination. Others hold that the text alone does not indicate any specific office.
• Meaning of the names: Preachers sometimes draw on the meanings of the two names, but the text offers no basis for connecting those meanings to the women's character or their conflict.