Philippians - Introduction

      It was written from the city of Rome, during the first imprisonment of Paul, and probably towards its close, perhaps in the year A. D. 63. The mention of his bonds ( 1:12 ), of the Prætorian camp (see Revision in 1:13 ) of Cæsar's household ( 4:22 ), as well as other allusions ( Philippians 1:25 Philippians 2:24 ) all show that Paul was in the Roman capital at the time of writing. I will not take space to discuss the reasons which seem to point to near the close of his first imprisonment as its date.

      Concerning the genuineness of this epistle, there has never been any reasonable doubt. It has always been accepted by the church, is Pauline in doctrine, and in diction, abounds probably to a greater extent than other epistles in personal details, and is in full agreement with all the historical facts which can be gathered from the history of the times, and from the allusions in Acts and the other epistles. It bears every mark of having been written by Paul from the scene of his imprisonment to the beloved church which he had planted and for which he had suffered. It is not only contained in the Canon of Scripture dated A. D. 170, but is mentioned definitely by Polycarp, born in A. D. 69, in his own Epistle to the Philippians, and is quoted from in an Epistle of Ignatius of about A. D. 107.