I ask you also, TRUE COMPANION, help Euodia and Syntyche

[tonychanyt]

Philippians 4:

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

companion
σύζυγε (syzyge)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Singular Strong's 4805: From suzeugnumi; co-yoked, i.e. as noun, a colleague

Strong's Greek: 4805. σύζυγος (suzugos) — 1 Occurrence

"Co-yoked", Paul was serious about this person. Who was this unique, co-yoked, true companion that Paul addressed to in vocative?

Ellicott suggested some guesses:

The word is never elsewhere applied by St. Paul to a fellow-Christian, and must denote some peculiar fellowship. Many guesses as to its meaning have been made. Some refer it to St. Luke, who seems to be in the history closely connected with Philippi; others to Lydia, the first-fruits of the gospel in that city. Perhaps the most likely supposition is that it may refer to Epaphroditus, the bearer, perhaps the amanuensis, of the Epistle, who had certainly come to help St. Paul to bear his yoke of suffering, and in whose case the sudden address in the second person would cause no ambiguity.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges:

This person can only be conjecturally identified. He may have been a leading episcopus (Php 1:1) at Philippi. He may have been Epaphroditus, as Bp Lightfoot well suggests; charged with this commission by St Paul not only orally, but thus in writing, as a sort of credential.

Benson:

Php 4:3. I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow — St. Paul had many fellow- labourers, not many yoke-fellows. In this number was Barnabas first, and then Silas, whom he probably addresses here; for Silas had been his yoke- fellow at the very place, Acts 16:19.

Barnes:

All that is known is, that it was someone whom Paul regarded as associated with himself in labor, and one who was so prominent at Philippi that it would be understood who was referred to, without more particularly mentioning him. The presumption, therefore. is, that it was one of the ministers, or "bishops" (see the notes at Philippians 1:1) of Philippi, who had been particularly associated with Paul when he was there. The Epistle was addressed to the "church with the bishops and deacons" Philippians 1:1; and the fact that this one had been particularly associated with Paul, would serve to designate him with sufficient particularity.

Philippians 1:

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

He was probably a prominent local believer that everyone respected, an overseer of Philippi. He could talk to Euodia and Syntyche face to face. He had congregational authority over them. He could stop their arguing. He was so well-known by the locals that Paul assumed the Philippians knew whom he meant specifically.