When was Philippians written?

Now again Paul had received a gift from the Philippians. Paul instructed Epaphroditus, the bearer of the gift, to take this epistle to Philippi, after he had overcome a serious illness with God's help (Phil. 2:25 - 27; 4:18). The fact that it was Paul who wrote this letter has never been seriously called into question. However, in more recent times various presumptions have been made as to the place of writing the epistle (e.g., Ephesus or Caesarea). But the traditional view that Paul wrote this epistle from his imprisonment in Rome (as well as the epistles to the Ephesians, the Colossians and to Philemon) carries the greater weight. Paulus speaks only in this letter of the praetorium (Phil. 1:13), which appears to designate the imperial bodyguard, and of the believers of the emperor's house (Phil. 4:22). He also expresses the hope that he would soon regain his freedom (Phil. 1:25.26; 2:24). The epistle was therefore probably written towards the end of his two-year imprisonment in Rome, i.e., around the year 63. Polycarp (around 70 - 155), Irenaeus (around 140 - 202) and Clement of Alexandria (around 150 - 215) cite this epistle as being written by Paul.

That this Epistle to the Philippians was written by Paul seems almost impossible to doubt. "Indeed, considering its peculiarly Pauline psychological character, the total absence from it of all assignable motive for falsification, the spontaneity and fervor of its effusions of feeling--he must be a bold man who would call its authorship in question" (Alford). Yet the critics are bold and leave nothing unquestioned and some have questioned the genuineness of this document. Needless to say the Epistle has not suffered by this foolish criticism. The ancient testimony of Polycarp, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and others mentions this epistle as being Pauline and written by him in Rome, during his imprisonment, of which we read in Acts 28:30-31. The question arises at what time of his prison life he wrote this letter. It was not in the very beginning, but must have been to wards the end. The Philippians had heard of his imprisonment and had made up a sum of money which Epaphroditus carried in person to Rome. And Epaphroditus had fallen sick and the Philippians had heard of his severe illness "nigh unto death" (Phil. 2:30). This sickness of their beloved Epaphroditus had been in turn reported to them (Phil. 2:26) and the apostle heard how they had been grieved on account of it. All this necessitated a number of journeys from Rome to Philippi and back. This took a good many months. And furthermore, in the beginning of his stay in Rome he dwelt for two years in his own hired house and seemed to have perfect liberty (Acts 28:30). In his epistle to the Philippians he writes that he is in the praetorium and no longer in his own house. "But I would have you know, brethren, that the circumstances in which I am here turned out rather to the furtherance of the gospel, so that my bonds have become manifest as being in Christ in all the praetorium and to all others" (Phil. 1:12-13, revised translation). The praetorium was the place where the praetorium guards were kept, next to the palace of the Emperor Nero. He had now been put in stricter confinement and felt his bonds more severely (Phil. 1:18). The Epistle must therefore have been written by him after the Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon, that is, about the middle of the year 63 A.D.

The epistle was written when Paul was a prisoner at Rome, and probably near the close of his imprisonment, about A.D. 62, when he was expecting to be released and again to visit the Philippian saints.

62.-[Spring.] Epistles to Philemon, Colossians, and Ephesians written. [Autumn.] Epistle to the Philippians written.

63.-[Spring.] Paul acquitted and released. Epistle to the Hebrews written. Paul takes another journey, intending to visit Asia Minor and Greece (Philemon 22; Phil. 2:24).

Outward privilegeBut no approvalConversion of Paularound 36 AD?First Mission Journeyaround 46 – 49 AD“Council of the Apostles”around 50 ADSecond Mission Journeyaround 51 – 54 ADFirst Epistle to Thessaloniansaround 52 ADSecond Epistle to Thessaloniansaround 52 AD(Epistle to Galatians?)around 52 ADThird Mission Journeyaround 54 – 58 ADFirst Epistle to Corinthiansaround 57 ADSecond Epistle to Corinthiansaround 57 AD(Epistle to Galatians?)around 57/58 ADEpistle to Romansaround 58 ADImprisonment in Jerusalemaround 58 ADCaptivity in Caesareaaround 58 – 60 ADJourney to Romearound 60/61 ADCaptivity in Romearound 61 – 63 ADEpistle to Ephesiansaround 61/62 ADEpistle to Colossiansaround 61/62 ADEpistle to Philemonaround 61/62 ADEpistle to Philippiansaround 63 ADRelease of Paularound 63 ADFirst Epistle to Timothyaround 63/64 ADEpistle to Titusaround 63/64 ADSecond Captivity in Romearound 66 – 67 ADSecond Epistle to Timothyaround 66/67 ADPaul's Deatharound 67 AD?

It is thought that Paul first preached the Gospel in Philippi about twenty years after the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that this letter was probably written some nine or ten years later. We believe it was written from Rome, when he was a prisoner in his own hired house, with a soldier that kept him. Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon were, we believe, written during this same period. But it is easy to see how different is Philippians to either Ephesians or Colossians; and perhaps the contrast between it and Romans, Corinthians, and Galatians is even greater. The Epistle to the Philippians has been called "Paul's Love-Letter", and it is rather a sweet name for it. We may notice that Paul wrote letters to seven Gentile assembles, or churches; just as John wrote to seven assemblies in Asia. (Rev. 2 & 3). Perhaps this tells us that these Epistles combine to give us the whole truth of the Church, of which Paul was made a minister. (Col. 1:24-25). And in these seven, Philippians occupies a unique place. We may have cause to see that the Epistle to the Galatians shows the greatest contrast to Philippians.

During this time in Rome Paul wrote the so-called prison Epistles which are: Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. All these epistles have probably been delivered by Tychicus (Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7). Towards the end of his imprisonment followed the Epistle to the Philippians in which Paul expresses the hope of his soon release (Phil. 1:25-26; 2:24; compare also Philemon 22). – Nowadays some researchers, especially Bible critics, think that Ephesus or, according to some, Caesarea might have been the place of writing rather than Rome!

There can be no reasonable doubt, that The Epistles to Philemon, to the Colossians, to The Ephesians, and to the Philippians were written towards the latter part of Paul's imprisonment at Rome. He refers to his "bonds" in them all, and repeatedly to the expectation of his release. (Compare Philemon 22; Col. 4:18; Eph. 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; Phil. 1:7, 25; 2:24; 4.22) Besides he must have been long enough at Rome for the news of his imprisonment to have reached his affectionate Philippians, and for them to have sent him relief.

Rome, A.D. 62. (Eph., Col., Phil., written at same time.)

The letter to the Philippians was certainly from the metropolis (Timothy being with him: chap. 1:1); for it sends salutations from persons in Caesar's household, and mentions his bonds, but hopes for deliverance, and consequently to see them again (chap. 1:24 — 26), which he does not in 2 Timothy. We must place the epistle still earlier than that to Colosse, before any terrible burst of persecution; but, as I judge, after the close of the Acts, and when declension in the churches began to be apparent. (Phil. 2:21.) Be it remembered we are only for the present offering standing-ground for the feet.