Philippians 4:3 Names in the scroll of life

I Yes, I am asking you also, genuine yokefellow, be adding them, these women who compete together with me in the evangel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the scroll of life.

Paul asks his “genuine yokefellow” (Epaphroditus?) to be helpful to the two women mentioned in their unity. They competed with Paul in the Gospel and not only them, but also Clement and the “other co-workers”. Just like Euodia and Syntyche (:2), Clement must also have been known in Philippi, but we do not encounter him in the Scriptures either. By the way, Clemens is a Latin name and our word ‘clemency’ (= gracious benevolence) is directly related to it.

Of all these co-workers, Paul notes that their names are recorded in “the scroll of life.” It is the only time in Paul’s letters that this scroll is referred to. In this scroll are recorded the names of the righteous (Ps.69:28), that is, of the believers. After all, God counts faith as righteousness (Gen.15:6). Only the righteous will inherit the life of the eons to come in which Christ reigns. Surely the rest, too, will eventually be made alive, but that will not be until the end of Christ’s reign, when He will destroy death as the last enemy. Everything in GOD’S time.

Delen: