y. For even if it was written first among
those Epistles, it was written more than three years after Romans. And
the Epistle contains several indications of being written late in the
captivity. If "praetorium" means the imperial guard, some time would
have to elapse before such a large body of men could know much about
St. Paul; and if it means the imperial court, the verse implies that he
had already appeared before his judges. Phil. ii. 24 shows that he was
expecting a speedy decision on his case. Epaphroditus, probably not
the Colossian Epaphras who was with St. Paul at Rome (Col. iv. 12), had
come as a delegate from the Philippians, bringing their alms to the
apostle (ii. 25; iv. 18). After his arrival in Rome he was ill and
homesick, and now he is returning to Philippi bearing this letter of
thanks. This all seems to imply that Philippians was written a
considerable time after the apostle's imprisonment began, and we can
therefore reasonably place it after Colossians and Ephesians, and date
it early in A.D. 61.

[Sidenote: Character and Contents.]

With the exception of 2 Corinthians, this is the most personal and
intimate of St. Paul's writings. In both he lays bare his heart. But
the tone of the two Epistles is absolutely different. In 2 Corinthians
he writes as a man who has been bitterly injured; he asserts his claims
to fickle believers whose ears have been charmed by his unscrupulous
opponents. In Philippians we chiefly observe a note of frank and
loving confidence; buffeted by the world, the apostle finds refreshment
in the affection of his friends at Philippi.

After a salutation to all the "saints" at Philippi, including
especially the _episkopoi_ and deacons, the apostle speaks of the joy
which he feels in praying for them, and begs of God that their love may
abound, and that they may approve the things {192} that are excellent,
being filled with the fruits of righteousness (i. 1-11).

Then St. Paul tells how his captivity has been a means of spreading the
gospel in the praetorium and elsewhere. Even the malicious activity of
his opponents has been a means of proclaiming Christ, and with true
grandeur of soul the apostle rejoices in the fact. So far as he is
concerned, death would be a more attractive prospect than life, for
death would mean admission into the presence of Christ, but for the
sake of the Philippians he is glad to live. With wonderful
cheerfulness he says that he is glad i