Letter To Philippians Analysis

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The letter to the Philippians is a short one, but nevertheless it is one of the “most beloved by the church;” it is where we find a “high concentration of memorable passages that constantly challenge and encourage the people of God (e.g. 1:6, 21; 2:5-11; 3:7-14, 20-21; 4:4-7, 13, 19).” Its theological importance, however, should not be overlooked by the warm and pastoral tone; “Philippians is practical, but it is hardly ‘lightweight.’ It holds some deeply theological reflections, particularly about Christ (2:6-11).
Historical Issues
A plain reading of Philippians provides us with much of the information we need concerning the authorship and title of the letter. Paul declares himself the writer in 1:1, "an association that rarely has been challenged since it was first made.” Early church writers Iraneaus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian “not only quote from Philippians but assign the letter to Paul, as well.” It is also clear to whom he is writing; his recipients are the saints, overseers and deacons “in Christ Jesus who are …show more content…
While there are arguments for and against each of the locations “there is no compelling reason to overturn the early tradition that Paul wrote Philippians from Rome.“ There are a couple explanations for this; first, as a Roman citizen, Paul could not be legally executed away from Rome—he had the right of appeal to Caesar, so “if the death he feared when he wrote Philippians was death by execution (rather than by illness), then he must have been imprisoned in Rome and nowhere else.” Second, references to the “praetorium” and to “Caesar’s household” are best understood in view of a Roman imprisonment. If written from Rome, the letter would have been written towards the end of Paul’s life when he was being held there (Acts 28). This would place the letter somewhere in the early 60’s CE when Paul was in
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