Philippians 4:2 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Php_4:2 f. Unity and Helpfulness. In particular the apostle has exhortations for three people. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, seem to be not quite friendly towards each other; he exhorts them to come together, by realising that they are both in Christ. Possibly the Greek word rendered yoke-fellow (Php_4:3) is a proper name, Syzygus, although no such name has been found in Greek literature or inscriptions. If so. in addressing him as true Syzygus Paul's meaning is that the person is rightly named, for he is a genuine yoke-fellow. There is an inscription in which a gladiator is described as the yoke-fellow of another gladiator who has killed him. If the word is not a proper name we do not know who is referred to. Various persons have been suggested, viz. Paul's wife (!), the husband of one of the two women previously mentioned, Epaphroditus, and the bishop of the church if the latter, to be compared with Archippus at Colossæ (Colossians 4:17; Philemon 1:2). The true yoke-fellow is to help the women. They had laboured with Paul at Philippi along with Clement (who is not to be identified with the author of a letter from Rome written c. A.D. 95; the name was not uncommon), and others whose names are in the book of life. The expression the book of life occurs often in Rev. but nowhere else in NT except in this passage (cf. Luke 10:20). It is based on the idea of a roll of citizens, and it means God's roll of those who have the gift of life. There is nothing to suggest a reference to departed saints.