How can Christians experience genuine unity in authentic relationships? Paul gives us the answer, beginning with our passage today. Five “givens” are laid out and assumed to be true—in Greek this is called a first class conditional statement.  If these things are true of the Christian community, then what follows comes naturally. These then lead to a number of action items.

First, in Christian community there is (or should be) encouragement in Christ. This could also be translated “comfort.” It is the same word used to describe the Holy Spirit elsewhere, the Comforter. Paul has in mind the inner strengthening in Christ that comes from the community of believers. As individuals are strengthened, they have the where-withal to strengthen each other,  fleshing out God’s activity of encouragement.

Second, the consolation of love. This is the assuagement that comes from the self-sacrificing attitude and actions among God’s people. Christians know inherently that love is to override everything, because the love of God has so overwhelmed our own souls. We set a high standard for this in others and we castigate ourselves when we give in to our own selfishness. Third, fellowship of the Spirit. Christians have been brought into a deep, personal relationship with the God of the universe, the author of grace and mercy. We long for and expect that kind of relationship with other believers.

Finally affection and compassion make up the last two “givens” of Christian community, which deepen the intimacy of fellowship on an emotional level. These five things, variously related to Christ, love and the Spirit, are the deep desire of all Christians in community with each other. We desire them, we expect them, we fret over the lack of them.

So Paul built on such thinking (it is the joy that compels him to prompt the Philippians to a higher standard) and wrote that if these things are the true ideal that we all agree upon, what can we do to make genuine fellowship happen? In a word, work toward unity: same mind, same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. To be sure there is diversity among Christians, but we must work toward a comprehensive unity and be satisfied with nothing less. The one thing standing in the way is an unrelenting selfishness. That is why the apostle next reminds us of what is true about Christian fellowship.