Being Like-Minded {Souled}: But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly... For I have no one like-minded {souled}... Philippians 2:19-20. ...that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind {soul} striving together along with the faith of the gospel Philippians 1:27. The word likeminded is the translation of a Greek word, ἰσόψυχος isopsuchos, made up of the words equal and soul. The Greek word for mind νοῦς nous, is not used here. In considering Philippians 1:27, in the Greek the word translated stand firm, στήκω stēkōthe, has the ideas of firmness or uprightness are prominent. It means to stand firm and hold ones ground. The implication is clear that when one holds ones ground, he does it in the face of enemy opposition. They are to stand fast in one spirit. The word spirit here, πνεῦμα pneuma, refers to the unity of spirit in which the members of the church should be fused and blended. The Greek word spirit is used at times of the disposition or influence which fills and governs the soul of anyone. It is so used here. This unity of spirit when present among the members of a local church, is produced by the Holy Spirit. The word mind is the translation of the Greek word, ψυχή psuchē, soul. The soul is that part of man which on the one hand receives impressions from the human spirit, and on the other hand, from the outer world. It is the sphere of the emotions, the reason, and the will. It is that in and by which the exertion here spoken of would take place. Striving is the translation of a Greek word, συναθλέω sunathleō, used of an athletic contest. We get our words athlete and athletics from it. A prefixed preposition implying co-operation, makes the total meaning of the word refer to an athletic contest in which a group of athletes co-operates as a team against another team, working in perfect co-ordination against a common opposition. Paul is exhorting the members of the Philippian church to work together in perfect co-ordination just like a team of Greek athletes. This illustration was not lost upon the Greek readers of Pauls letter. This is the first intimation in the latter that there were some divisions in the church. Paul had somehow gotten out of a possibly reluctant Epaphroditus, that all was not well in the Philippian church. The words, ὁ πίστις ho pistis, the faith, are a technical term referring to Christianity. So, in actuality, the book of Philippians deals very much with the soul of believers. We must strive together with one soul in the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27); we must be joined in soul, thinking the one thing (Philippians 2:2); and we must be like-souled, genuinely caring for the things of the Lord (Philippians 2:20-21). In the gospel work, in the fellowship among the believers, and in the Lords interests, our soul is always a problem. Hence, it must be transformed, especially in its leading part, the mind (Romans 12:2), that we may be of one soul, joined in soul, and like-souled in the Body life. In order to care for the people of God, who make up the Church, we must be one with others. Otherwise, the more concern we have for the church, the more problems we shall cause. One example who be the various problems caused when the serving ones within a Church body become LEADING ones in a fleshly sense in a local Church and are not like-souled. As a result, piratically every time they came together for an elders or deacons meeting, they argued, yelling and banging fists. They did not argue over worldly things, but over the Church affairs. Even though the elders in this Church declared they loved the Lord and experienced Christ in the Spirit, they were not able to be one in the soul. My wife Rita Atterson discussed this one last night. The problems between husband and wife also arise because the two are not one in soul. In loving the Lord and experiencing Him, they have no problems. The brother experiences Christ in his spirit, and his wife experiences Him in her spirit. However, when they talk over certain matters, the husband has one concept, and his wife has another concept. In other words, the husband and wife each have different souls. They are not truly like-souled.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 16:55:43 +0000
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