Editing Epistle to the Philippians (section)

===Place of writing===
{{Location map many|Mediterranean
| width=260
| float=right
| relief = yes
| caption= Rome, Philippi, and Ephesus in the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]]
| label=[[Rome]]
  |lat_deg=41.9
  |lon_deg= 12.5
  |mark=Red pog.svg
  |marksize=8
  |position= left
| label2= [[Philippi]]
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  |lat2_deg= 41.013056
  |lon2_deg= 24.286389
| label3= [[Ephesus]]
  |pos3= left
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  |lat3_deg= 37.941111
  |lon3_deg= 27.341944
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[[File:Ephesos amphitheatre.jpg|right|thumb|260px|Ruins of [[Ephesus]] amphitheater with the harbor street leading to the coastline (2004)]]
It is uncertain where Paul was when he wrote the letter(s) that make up Philippians. Internal evidence in the letter itself points clearly to it being composed while Paul was in custody,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Phil|1:7,13}}</ref> but it is unclear ''which'' period of imprisonment the letter refers to. If the sequence of events given in the [[Acts of the Apostles]] is [[Historical reliability of the Acts of the Apostles|to be trusted]], candidates would include the Roman imprisonment at the end of Acts,<ref>{{Bibleverse|Acts|28:30–31}}</ref> and the earlier [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarean]] imprisonment.<ref>Acts 23–26</ref> Any identification of the place of writing of Philippians is complicated by the fact that some scholars view Acts as being an unreliable source of information about the early Church.<ref name=Hornik2017>{{cite book |last1=Hornik |first1=Heidi J. |last2=Parsons |first2=Mikeal C. |title=The Acts of the Apostles through the centuries |date=2017 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |isbn=9781118597873 |edition= 1st}} In the words of Hornik and Parsons, "Acts must be carefully sifted and mined for historical information." (pg. 10)</ref>

Jim Reiher has suggested that the letters could stem from the second period of Roman imprisonment attested by early church fathers.<ref>[[Clement of Rome]] (late 1st century) makes a reference to the ministry of Paul after the end of Acts. Clement, To the Corinthians, 5. In J. B. Lightfoot (ed), The Apostolic Fathers (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1978) 15. The author of the [[Muratorian Canon]] (late 2nd century) says that Luke recorded mostly that which he himself witnessed and therefore that is why he did not include ‘the journey of Paul, when he went from the city – Rome – to [[Spain]].’ The Muratoriun Canon. 2. The apocryphal [[Acts of Peter]] makes reference to the tradition that Paul reached Spain. Paul is described in prison in Rome, receiving a vision from God that he would go to Spain. Acts of Peter, Verscelli Acts 1 and 3. Eusebius (early 300’s) recorded that Paul did more ministry after his first jail time in Rome. Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, II, 22, 1–8, in Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (editors), A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church 2nd series. Vol.1. Eusebius: Church History, Life of Constantine the Great, and Oration in Praise of Constantine (Edinburgh: Eerdmans, 1997) 124–125.</ref><ref>Jim Reiher, “Could Philippians have been written from the Second Roman Imprisonment?” [[Evangelical Quarterly]]. Vol. LXXXIV. No. 3 July 2012. pp. 213–233. This article summarises the other theories, and offers examples of different scholars who adhere to different theories, but presents a different option for consideration.</ref> The main reasons suggested for a later date include:
# The letter's highly developed [[Ecclesiology]]
# An impending sense of death permeating the letter
# The absence of any mention of [[Luke the Evangelist|Luke]] in a letter to Luke's home church (when the narrative in Acts clearly suggests that Luke was with Paul in his first Roman imprisonment)
# A harsher imprisonment than the [[house arrest|open house arrest]] of his first Roman imprisonment
# A similar unique expression that is shared only with [[2 Timothy]]
# A similar disappointment with co-workers shared only with 2 Timothy