Women Keeping Silence: What I Teach

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

What does women LABORING in the gospel look like?

They wrestled together, they jointly sought the same things together. Why should we try to downplay the role that women have in the church?

We labour by the side of every man, not usurping any authority. We can be used in the same way without taking away from the role of a man.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4866: συναθλέω

συναθλέω, συνάθλω; 1 aorist συνήθλησα; to strive at the same time with another: with a dative commodi (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 31, 4), for something, Philippians 1:21; τίνι ἐν τίνι, together with one in something, Philippians 4:3. (universally, to help, assist, Diodorus 3, 4.)

have labored
συνήθλησάν (synēthlēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 4866: From sun and athleo; to wrestle in company with, i.e. to seek jointly.

συναθλέω
sunathleō
soon-ath-leh'-o
From G4862 and G118; to wrestle in company with, that is, (figuratively) to seek jointly: - labour with, strive together for.

G4862 - sun
soon
A primary preposition denoting union; with or together (but much closer than G3326 or G3844), that is, by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, instrumentality, addition, etc.: - beside, with. In compounds it has similar applications, including completeness.


G118 - ἀθλέω
athleō
ath-leh'-o
From ἄθλος athlos (a contest in the public lists); to contend in the competitive games: - strive.

Assuredly, this is no picnic and we are not counseling on how to change diapers and set a table!

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Those women . . .—It should be, help them (Euodia and Syntyche), inasmuch as they laboured with me. The word “laboured” signifies “joined with me in my struggle,” and probably refers to something more than ordinary labour, in the critical times of suffering at Philippi.

Benson Commentary
Help those women who laboured together with me — Greek, συνηθλησαν μοι, literally, who wrestled, or contended together, with me.

Here Barnes, as other Commentaries try to downplay the intensity of word "labored"

Barnes
The kind of "help" which was to be imparted was probably by counsel, and friendly cooperation in the duties which they were called to perform.