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Bible chapter guide
Philippians 1
Paul thanks God for the Philippians' partnership in the gospel from the first day. His imprisonment has helped the gospel spread through the whole praetorian guard. 'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain'; he expects to stay for their progress.
Summary written for the Labs; read the chapter itself for the full text.
See it in the Labs
Also in this chapter
The letter: who wrote it, where and when
These questions are debated; the views are shown side by side with how sure each is, as in Paul's Roads.
- Textually stated
Philippians was written from prison, but which prison is debated.
Paul writes in chains (1:7, 13). Rome is the traditional answer; Ephesus and Caesarea are serious alternatives. The lab sets the three side by side.
- Plausible
Philippians written from Rome
The traditional view: Acts 28:30–31 has Paul two years under guard in Rome, free to receive visitors, and the letters mention Caesar's household and the praetorian guard (Philippians 1:13; 4:22).
- Plausible
Philippians written from Ephesus
Paul speaks of many imprisonments and of deadly peril in Asia (2 Corinthians 1:8; 11:23), and Ephesus lies close to Colossae and Philippi for the many journeys the letters assume; but Acts records no imprisonment at Ephesus.
- Plausible
Philippians written from Caesarea
Paul was held two years at Caesarea (Acts 24:27) with friends allowed to visit him (24:23); a minority reading places some prison letters there.
How sure can we be?
- Textually stated
Timothy is named as co-sender of six of Paul's letters.
2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Philemon open with Paul and Timothy (with Silas in the Thessalonian letters).
- Speculative
Paul was released from his first Roman imprisonment, about AD 62.
Philippians and Philemon expect release; the Pastoral Letters describe travels that do not fit Acts; 1 Clement 5 and Eusebius tell of a later ministry and a second imprisonment. None of this is certain.