We thus are inclined to place Philemon before Philippians, and therefore it will fall not αὐτὴν as
late in St. Paul’s first captivity as thac Lpusue. The determination of the year of writing will depend on the system of Pauline chronology which is adopted (see CHRONOLOGY, vol. i. p. 420). 10 is
perhaps most probable that it was written in the
ear A.D. 61. r vi. The conditions of social life which form the
background of the Ep. are deeply interesting to
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834 PHILETUS
PHILIP
the student of history, and the letter derives a peculiar importance from the light which it throws on the attitude of the early preachers of the gospel to the institution of slavery. It is not condemned, nor (as has been said already, § iii.) does St. Paul even advocate directly the emancipation of Onesi- mus. Christianity did not attempt all at once to abolish an institution which was so deep rooted in Roman social life, however inconsistent it was with the religion of the Incarnation. Indeed the revelation of the brotherhood of men in Christ made it eee necessary to emphasize (as the apostles did) the fact that social differences were not thereby obliterated. Even if (which is doubt- ful) St. Paul was so much in advance of his age as to have grasped the idea that no man has a right to own another, to have proclaimed the iniquity of slavery to a world which was not pre- red ἫΝ it would have exposed society to the ightful dangers of a bellum servile, on the one hand, and would, on the other, have done more to arouse the pee! of the Roman imperial authorities than any other proclamation could have effected. Christians had to show at the very out- set that Christianity was not inconsistent with good citizenship, and that the reforms which it oped to promote in social life would not be im- violently from without, but that they would the outcome of the development of the national conscience, in which the seed of the gospel was to grow and satire secretly but surely, as the leaven spreads in the meal. And the event has justified the policy. Slowly and steadily, as Chris- tianity spread, did the condition of the slave im- prove in imperial Rome; until at last the time came when it was possible for the Church, with a fuller recognition of the implications of the creed, and without danger to her own corporate life, to preach emancipation. And the letter to Philemon is the first indication in Christian litera- ture that the problem of the relation of master to slave must be seriously affected by the new con- ception of the brotherhood of man, which Christ’s apostles had set themselves to proclaim.
Lrreraturs. — Lightfoot on Colossians and Philemon is the best; von Soden (Hand-Commentar) and Vincent (Internat. Crit. Comm.) are also valuable; and Abp. Alexander’s comm. in the Speaker's Comm. is picturesque and full of matter.
J. H. BERNARD.
PHILETUS (Φίλητος) is mentioned along with Hymeneus in 2Ti 2” as sharing in the same heresy regarding the resurrection. The nature of that heresy has been already explained in the article on Hymenzus (which see), and it is sufficient to state here that it consisted in doing away with ey ching in the nature of a bodily resurrection, and resolving all Scripture references to such a state into figure or metaphor. For full particulars regarding the men and their heresy, reference may be made to J. G. Walch, Miscell: Sacra, Ρ. 81 ff. ; and to F. R. Walch, Hist. der Ketzereien, i. 125 ff. See also Ellicott on The Pastoral Epp. in loc., and Burton, Bampton Lect., Note 59, p. 428.
The names of Philetus and Hymeneus occur apeslely among those of Cvzsar’s household whose relics have been found in the Columbaria at Rome, G. MILLIGAN.
PHILIP (®)crros).—4. King of Macedonia, B.c. 359-336, and father of Alexander the Great (1 Mac 11 6’). 2. A Phrygian, who was left by Antiochus Epiphanes as governor of Jerusalem, after he had pneperedt the temple in B.c. 170 (2 Mac 5%).
hilip is described as being ‘in character more barbarous than him that set him there,’ and he showed his cruelty by burning certain fugitive Jews, who had taken refuge in caves, and scrupled to defend themselves on the Sabbath (id. 6"), e was
the first to take measures against Judas Maccabeus (ib. 8°), and is often identified with—3, A ‘fmend’ and foster-brother (σύντροφος) of Antiochus ἘΣ
y
nhanes (2 Mac 839), This view is supported Zéckler, but the grounds of the identification are somewhat precarious (cf. Rawlinson in Speaker’s Comm.). Epiphanes on his deathbed gave his ring to Philip, and appointed him chancellor an ardian of his son, Antiochus Vv. (1 Mac 6}*-), Fveina, however, gained possession of the young king, and seized ie supreme power. Philip, re- turning with the army from Persia, occupied Antioch, whereupon Lysias, who with Antiochus Eupator was prosecuting the war in Palestine, hastily made terms with Judas Maccabeus and returned to Syria (ib. 6°), Lysias took Antioch, and according to Josephus (Ant. XII. ix. 7) put Philip to death. The statement that, on the death of Antiochus Epiphanes, Philip took refuge in Egypt with Ptolemy Philometor (2 Mac 9”), cannot te reconciled with our other authorities ; and 2 Mac alludes elsewhere (13%) to Philip’s attempt to establish his authority as regent. 4. Philip v., king of Macedonia, B.C. 220-179. His overthrow in battle is mentioned as one of the great achievements of the Romans (1 Mac 85). An able and energetic monarch, he extended his power in Greece and Epirus, and in B.C. 215 made an alliance with Hannibal. The war with Rome, however, was not carried on with much energy, and after some years a hollow peace was made. In the year 200 the Romans again declared war, but gained little advantage till the supreme com- aa was entrusted to T. Quinctius Flaminius, by whom Philip was completely defeated at ynoscephale in Thessaly (B.C. 197), and forced to accept humiliating terms. During the remaining years of his life he attempted to recover something of his former power, but his cruel and suspicious conduct alienated his subjects, while he was con- tinually troubled by disputes between his two sons. He was at last induced to put his younger son Demetrius to death, and dying shortly afterwards was succeeded by Perseus (which see). Η. A. WHITE. PHILIP (Φίλιππος, Philippus).—1. THE APOSTLE. One of the Twelve, belonging to Bethsaida of Gali- lee (Jn 12”), the fourth of those who attached themselves to Christ as followers, and the first whom our Lord directly called (1). He had prob- ably been, like his fellow-townsmen Andrew and Peter, a disciple of John the Baptist ; for his call took place near ‘Bethany beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing,’ on the day after Christ’s in- terview with Simon Peter, when Jesus purposed (ἐθέλησεν) to leave the district for Galilee (138: 48). Himeelf ‘ masterfast,’ Philip, either at Bethany or on his arrival, along with Jesus, at Cana, com- municates his discovery of the Messiah foretold in the OT to his friend Nathanael, describing Jesus (in accordance with his defective information at the time) as the son of Joseph (1). Unable to meet directly Nathanael’s objection to an alleged Messiah sprung from Nazareth (see NATHANAEL), Philip wisely falls back on experimental evidence, invites Nathanael to ‘come and see,’ and is the means of his friend’s coming, not only into the Master’s presence, but under His saving power (1%), hen the Twelve are chosen, Philip be- comes one of the second quartette, at whose head, in each list, his name stands (Mt 10%, Mk 318, Lk 6%). He appears thrice otherwise in the Gospel history ; and all the references to him (except the bare statement that he was one of the Twelve) are made by his fellow-townsman John, who, writing probably after all his fellow-apostles were dead, appears anxious, in the case of Philip and Andrew, to rescue from oblivion or obscurity, through a few