Epistle to the Philippians, Research Paper Example

Date of Creation

Although biblical scholars often disagree, the exact creation date of the Epistle to the Philippians is not known. Most however agree that it was written between 60 and 62 C.E. during the time when the author Paul was in captivity. ¹ This seems to be supported by references in the Book of Acts (28:30) as found in the New Testament. As Lawrence R. Farley points out, the date of the creation of the Epistle to the Philippians was about thirty years after the crucifixion of Jesus which occurred sometime around 35 C.E.

Authorship

Almost all biblical scholars and historians agree that the Epistle to the Philippians was written by the apostle Paul. This is confirmed through records and documents of the early Christian Church and by modern-day scholars who believe that “internally, the letter reveals the stamp of genuineness,” and that “many personal references of the author fit what we know of Paul” from other descriptions provided in a number of New Testament books. Most also agree that the Epistle to the Philippians was composed while Paul was in prison which might have been in Ephesus sometime around 53 C.E.

As a “Pauline” document, the Epistle to the Philippians was first referenced in what is known as the Polycarp to the Philippians which states that Paul, “being personally among you, taught you exactly and surely the word of truth” and while absent, “wrote you letters. . . which you have only to study to be edified in the faith.” Contextually, the Epistle to the Philippians is “self-attested and has. . . the usual Pauline blessing and thanksgiving.” It also reflects II Corinthians in that the “personality of the apostle is so strongly stamped on it as to leave little room for doubt” that Paul is the actual author of the epistle or letter. In addition, due to the way in which the text is written, the language that is used, and the character expressed in the words, the epistle is undoubtedly the handiwork of Paul. ⁵ Mark A. Copeland adds that one particular early Christian Church father known as Polycarp gave testimony before other church fathers that the epistle was indeed written by the apostle Paul.

Setting & Historical Context

According to Peter Kirby, there is little doubt that the apostle Paul was in prison at the time of writing his Epistle to the Philippians. As Kirby explains it, the years in which Paul had wandered about the vast Eastern Mediterranean, “carrying the Christian gospel far and wide,” were now in the past. Basically, it appears that Paul ended up in

prison because of what had happened in the city of Jerusalem, where he was attacked by a mob, arrested, and sent to Caesarea. Since Paul was considered as a Roman citizen, he was able to appeal his conviction in the court of the Emperor which indicates that his trial occurred in Rome. Therefore, it, and finally, when he appealed as a Roman citizen to the emperor’s court, had been removed to Rome for trial.

Paul’s relationship with the people and the city of Philippi was apparently quite good, due to the fact that representatives or his “faithful friends” from the city were ready to stand by his side. This is supported by noting that the people of Philippi “had sent money more than once for his needs” and that “no church but theirs had helped him.” The people of Philippi even sent a man named Epaphroditus to “wait on Paul, attend to his various wants, and stay with him until his matters were settled.” Furthermore, when Paul was living in Rome in rented lodgings, the Philippians presumably paid the rent.

A more literary or poetic description of Paul’s relationship with the Philippians is provided by A.Vander Heeren, writing in 1911 for the prestigious Catholic Encyclopedia:

“The Philippians who were much endeared to St. Paul had already on former occasions and under various circumstances sent him pecuniary aid, and now on learning of his imprisonment at Rome, they sent him. . . Epaphroditus, one of their number to bear  him alms and minister to his needs.”

Vander Heeren adds that when Paul became seriously ill, he gave Epaphroditus “a letter to the faithful and the heads of his Church” in Philippi. Possibly then, Paul’s epistle was dictated to his companion Timothy who helped Paul to “express (his) sentiments of joy and gratitude which he cherishes in regard to the Philippians.” In addition, if indeed the epistle was dictated to Timothy, he most certainly captured Paul’s “outpouring of the heart,” and his “affectionate tone, sincerity, and delicacy” which must have greatly affected the Philippians.

This close relationship between Paul and the Philippians is further strengthened by Paul’s own words as found at the beginning of his epistle which incidentally confers some relevance to the suggestion that Paul dictated his letter to Timothy. First of all, Paul refers to the people of Philippi as “saints in Christ Jesus” which shows that at the time of the letter, the Philippians were Christians. Paul continues by reminding them that “I thank my God whenever I remember you. . . .for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now.” Paul also declares that because of the Philippians, his belief in the word of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ have been strengthened, thus leading to his confession that he holds them in his heart as true and faithful Christians who welcomed his “Good News” concerning Jesus Christ.

However, some biblical scholars from the past have noted some difficulties related to Paul’s letter to the Philippians. W.C. Van Manen observes that since Paul was a prisoner in Rome, it seems rather odd that he was able to freely communicate with his captors, being the Praetorium or imperial guard. Therefore, Van Manen questions Paul’s true relationship with the people of Philippi, due in part to the “circumstances by which he and they (the Philippians) were surrounded” and the “occasion for writing or sending the epistle.” Van Manen’s conclusion is that a considerable part of the contents of Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians has been excised, meaning that at some point, an unknown translator or chronicler deleted parts of the letter, either on purpose to alter its context or by mistake.

Purpose & Recipients:

According to Allan Turner, although Paul’s letter cannot be easily placed in an outline format, there is sufficient information within it to define its overall purpose. First of all, Paul wrote his epistle in order to show his deep appreciation for the fellowship of the Philippians during some very rough times; secondly, Paul wished to express his “confidence in their progress, and his ambition for them to report his circumstances, hopes, and fears” to his fellow Christian brethren in Greece, Italy, and elsewhere in the immense Roman Empire; third, Paul wished to encourage the people of Philippi to practice “unity, humility, and consistency” as Christians in a political landscape that did

not support them; fourth, Paul wanted to tell the Philippians of his “purpose to send Timothy and Epaphroditus to them” as a way of warning them of the activities of the Judaizers and the antinomianists; fifth, Paul wanted to express his personal appeal for the “reconciliation of Euodia and Syntyche; sixth, Paul wished to “admonish the Philippians joyfulness, prayerfulness, and the pursuit of all that is good;” seventh, Paul simply wanted to express his gratitude for the Philippians’ generosity related to their gift-giving and monetary assistance.

As to the recipients of Paul’s epistle, who exactly were the Philippians? Geographically, the city of Philippi, then a part of Macedonia, was located on or near the Egnatian Road which led to other Roman cities like Amphipolis, about thirty-three miles distant, and Acontisma near the great Aegean Sea. The city itself was positioned in a wide plain that was “bounded on the East and North by the mountains” and lying between the rivers Zygactes and Nestus. In the south, there was Symbolum over which “ran the road connecting Philippi to Neapolis,” a large and prosperous Roman colony and major seaport.

As noted in a treatise written in 1900, Robert Rainy describes the ancient city of Philippi as one of “some importance (that) had the position and privileges of a Roman colony.” Physically, the city was situated in a “fruitful district” or one that catered to trade and commerce; it was also located near several important gold mines and, due to being almost on the coast of the Aegean Sea, often served as a “depot for a good deal of Asiatic commerce” and trade between other Roman colonies.

As to the citizens of Philippi, Peter T. O’Brien describes them as being rather typical of the people who lived in the Roman Empire and in the geographical area of Greece and Macedonia. Socially, although always under the influence of Roman culture and politics, the religious lives of the people of Philippi at the time that Paul wrote his epistle were “quite mixed in their backgrounds,” an indication that most of the people were from other parts of the Roman Empire. Philippi also exhibited a “remarkable variety of divinities and cults,” much like its neighbor to the south, being Greece. Based on surviving monuments, some of these cults were devoted to the Greek gods like Jupiter (Zeus), Minerva and Mars (Ares), and according to the Greek historian Herodotus, there was great devotion to the goddess Artemis which “mainly concentrated on fertility rites in an agricultural community.”

In addition, H.C.G. Moule, also writing in 1900, declares that in the eyes of ancient Rome, the city of Philippi was a “miniature Rome” with its “pair of petty consuls” and their underlings. It also “faithfully reproduced Roman pride in the spirit of its military settlers,” many of whom were Roman soldiers and generals. There were also the Jews who “must have been few and despised,” due to having their simple house of worship on the banks of a river which presumably was the Zygactes.

Place of Origin

Most biblical scholars agree that the Epistle to the Philippians was written and composed in the city of Rome sometime around the reign of emperor Nero (54 to 68 C.E.), “the last of the Julio-Claudians to rule the Roman Empire. ¹⁸ Allan Turner refers to this time period as Paul’s “days in chains in the Praetorium” when he was obviously given permission to send his greetings to the Philippians from what he calls “Caesar’s household” or the Praetorium.

Therefore, according to most of the available literature and documentation from the time of the reign of Nero, Paul’s epistle to the Philippians was composed (or possibly dictated to Timothy) while imprisoned in Rome which most scholars agree lasted for about two full years. However, one must consider that Paul was confined most probably to a very dimly-lit cell    where he spent all of his time in chains. However, Paul was obviously given permission to either write his epistle to the Philippians by himself or to dictate it to Timothy. ²⁰ One other area related to the epistle is that despite all of the evidence, critics still “do not agree as to whether the epistle was written at the beginning” of Paul’s travels to Rome or near the end of his travels. There is also some disagreement over whether the epistle was composed “before or after the other three Epistles of the captivity.”

Overall, the apostle Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians is much more than a religious tract or document, for it also sheds light on the historical aspects of Rome and its culture and shows that the beginnings of Christianity were indeed hazardous and life-threatening as evidenced by Paul’s eventual death by crucifixion.

Bibliography

“Book of Philippians.” Last modified 2014. Accessed June 22, 2014. http://www.biblestudytools.com/philippians

Copeland, Mark A. “The Epistle to the Philippians.” Last modified 2001. Accessed June 22, 2014. http://executableoutlines.com/pdf/phil_sg.pdf

“Epistle to the Philippians.” Theopedia. Last modified 2014. Accessed June 22, 2014. http://www.theopedia.com/Epistle_to_the_Philippians

Farley, Lawrence R. The Prison Epistles: Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon. Chesterton, IN: Conciliar Press, 2003.

Herrick, Greg. “Introduction, Background, and Outline to Philippians.” Last modified 2014. Accessed June 22, 2014. https://bible.org/seriespage/introduction-background-and-outline-philippians

Kirby, Peter. “An Introduction to the New Testament: VII–The Letter to the Philippians.” Last modified 2014. Accessed June 22, 2014. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/goodspeed/ch07.html

Mark, Joshua J. “Roman Empire.” Last modified 2011. Accessed June 23, 2014. http://www.ancient.eu.com/Roman_Empire

Moule, H.C.G. Philippian Studies: Lessons in Faith and Love from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1900.

O’Brien, Peter T. The Epistle to the Philippians. Carlsile, Cumbria, UK: The Paternoster Press, 1991.

“Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.” Last modified 2008. Accessed June 22, 2014. http://ebible.org/web/Philip.htm

“Philippi.” Last modified 2009. Accessed June 23, 2014. http://bibleatlas.org/philippi.htm

Rainy, Robert. The Epistle to the Philippians. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1900.

“The Epistle to the Philippians.” Last modified 2013. Accessed June 22, 2014. http://biblehub.com/library/drummond/introduction_to_the_new_testament/the_e            pistle_to_the_philippians.htm

Turner, Allan. “A Study of the Book of Philippians.” Last modified 1999. Accessed June 23, 2014. http://allanturner.com/phil.html

Van Manen, W.C. “Epistles to the Philippians,” Encyclopedia Biblica. Vol. 4. New York: Macmillan, 1903.

Vander Heeren, A. “Epistle to the Philippians.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Last modified 2014. Accessed June 22, 2014. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12008a.htm