Philipians Realization

I was reading a commentary by Ralph P. Martin, Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at Fuller Theological Seminary, today. I have come to the conclusion, after some heavy cross referencing, that Paul wrote the letter to the church at Philippi during an imprisonment in Ephesus. It is documented in Acts 20:18, and in 2 Corinthians 1:8 that Paul suffered hardships in Asia, the region Ephisus would be most logically belonging to.

In 1 Corinthians 15:32 Paul is explaining his reason for daily ascribing to the gospel, dying daily in his words. He says of his struggles "If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus." Upon first look, and for most of my Christian life I believed this meant that he was in true Roman fashion in a fight with wild beasts. But Martin points toward a more likely explanation. The 'beasts' as I understood them are a fate Paul, by his Roman citizenship, would have been exempt from, the literal 'ad bestias.' Martin points to the fact that Paul does not list beasts in his list of hardships in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. A figurative statement is cited that draws a better parallel to this phrase. Ignatious writes that "from Syria to Rome I am fighting with wild beasts... bound to ten leopards, that is, a company of soldiers." When I look at scriptures there are seven imprisonments Paul endured. Three of them are accounted four, which I am calling named imprisonments. These are Jerusalem,Caesarea, and Rome. Leaving room for four unnamed imprisonments, which I would, and others with me, say may be Ephesus.

This Ephesus imprisonment would line up swimmingly with the missionary plans and travels described by Acts, and enforced by history.

Also, one final note is that there are five journeys Paul speaks of during this letter.

-Timothy's journey to Paul's side (Philippians 1:1)

-A message's journey from the place of Paul's imprisonment to Philippi to say Paul was both in prison, and in need (Philippians 4:14)

-Epaphroditus' journey to Paul's side with a love offering from Philippi (Philippians 4:18)

-A message's journey from the place of Paul's imprisonment to Philippi saying Epaphroditis had fallen ill (Philippians 2:26)

-A message's journey from Philippi to Paul saying the Philippians had heard of Epaphroditis' illness (Philippians 2:26)

The journey from Philippi to Rome, is very simply too long to have happened that many times during Paul's imprisonment at Rome. It is much more likely that these trips would have been shorter, such as a trip from Philippi to Ephesus.

Also there is the subject matter of the Pratorian Paul speaks of. A sect of guard which the numbers Paul describes would be more logically found in Ephisus, as opposed to Rome.

It was unclear what the convictions of R.P. Martin were, but from these facts, this was my conclusion.