The Book of Philippians: Date

Sunday

The Book of Philippians: Date

Ralph P. Martin documents the establishment of the church in Phillippi as the entrance of the gospel of Jesus Christ onto the continent of Europe. Martin (17). Martin bases this on the description from Acts 16: 12-40. Martin (17). Phillippi was located in Macedonia, which is now in modern Greece.

The traditional dating of this Philippians epistle is associated with the Apostle Paul's time in prison in Rome. Martin (17). Therefore, it is considered one of the prison epistles. Robert Gundry dates the text at 62-63 A.D. Gundry (364).

Martin describes two theories, where Paul could have written the text:

One is the proposed captivity of Paul, near Ephesus, in 54-55. There is another Roman captivity from Acts 28: 30 which dates from 61-63 A.D. Martin (37), which is the classic view.

Hewlett states that the Acts 28: 30 theory of the later date is the historically held view. Hewlett (1440). However, the earlier view based on Paul's time in Ephesus has gained some support in more modern times. Hewlett (1440). Hewlett writes that there is no scriptural, documented imprisonment of Paul in Ephesus, although this might have taken place in 2 Corinthians 11: 23. Hewlett (1440). He reasons the evidence for the traditional Roman captivity view, later on chronologically, is the stronger view based on evidence. Hewlett (1440). Oxford's Browning opines that there is no clear evidence for the imprisonment of Paul at Ephesus. Brown (294). Therefore, an earlier dating for the text seems academically questionable.

BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

GUNDRY, ROBERT (1981) A Survey of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.

HEWLETT, H.C. (1986) 'Philippians' in The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.

MARTIN, RALPH P. (1987) Philippians, Grand Rapids, IVP.

***A note for those that may be excessively challenged with geography: The book of Philippians was not written in the Philippines and it is not specifically written to people in or from the Philippines.

Although I can admit that it would be handy if it was, so these both could have the same English spelling.