The Provenance of Philippians and Why it Matters: Old Questions,New Approaches 1

Abstract

Despite a growing consensus that Paul wrote Philippians from Ephesus, there are still some who argue that he wrote the letter while imprisoned in Rome. These arguments rely on interpretations of Paul’s phrase in Phil. 1.13 (ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ πραιτωρίῳ) as ‘Praetorian Guard’ or ‘Imperial Guard’, that is, as a reference to the Roman emperor’s personal bodyguard in Rome. I first explain the methodological problems with the Praetorian Guard interpretation, especially the misuse of canonical Acts. Then drawing from textual and lexicographical evidence along with material evidence, notably from Philippi’s sister colony at Dium, I show that Paul’s key term πραιτώριον (Phil. 1.13) referred to a common provincial building with various functions not limited to official, administrative work. This article thus argues that Philippians was written from the province of Asia, though not necessarily from Ephesus. In so doing the article opens up new interpretive questions for Paul’s letter.