404 Introduction

tradition, and no contrary evidence has been forthcoming strong enough to refute it. Of course the matter must be determined by comparing what we gather concerning Paul’s circumstances from the Epistle itself with our information from other sources. The Apostle isa prisoner. He is residing in some centre of activity where the preaching of Christ has extended with amazing rapidity. His trial is about to reach a critical point. There is still the possibility that he may have to suffer asa martyr. But, on the whole, his outlook is very hopeful, and he can speak with joyful confidence of the speedy prospect of seeing his friends at Philippi again. Incidentally he mentions that the real character of his offence is now known in the “ Prztorium,” and he concludes his letter by sending greetings from the Christians of Czsar’s household. It seems to us that this situa- tion can only correspond to one particular epoch in the Apostle’s history, that the beginning of which is outlined in A. xxviii. 16, 30-31. The only alternative hypothesis which has ever been seriously put forward is that of Ca@sarea. This was first done by Η. G. Paulus (in a Programm, Jena, 1799), and later, more acutely, by Béttger (Beitrdge, ii., p. 47 ff., Gétt., 1897). Béttger lays stress on the point that prisoners at Rome could not have experienced the delay which is presupposed in this Epistle in the case of Paul. This argument is invalidated by the fact that processes of appeal were peculiarly sub- ject to protracted delays. These were caused in particular by the necessity of having all the declarations of witnesses, informations, etc., handed in writing to the appellant before the higher court heard the appeal (see Geib, Geschichte d. rom. Criminalprocesses, esp. pp. 688-690). Béttger also tries to show that πραιτώριον (ch. i. 13) and οἰκία Καίσαρος (ch. iv. 22), almost the only local references in the Epistle, apply equally well to Caesarea. This argument is emphasised by O. Holtzmann (Th. LZ., 1890, col. 177), who adds these others, (a) that we know nothing of a sojourn of Timothy at Rome, (0) that the bitterness against the Judaisers is far more intelligible on the sup- position that Paul’s experiences of the Jews at Jerusalem were fresh in his remembrance. No one would deny that πραιτώριον is used of an Imperial residence outside Rome. And possibly οἰκία Καίσαρος might be equivalent to πραιτώριον, i.¢., in this case, according to Holtzmann, τὸ πραιτώριον τοῦ Ἡρώδου (A. xxiii. 35). This supposi- tion Holtzmann believes to be the best explanation of μάλιστα (ch. iv. 22), for he considers the use of that word to point to those in Paul’s immediate neighbourhood. But the assumption is quite gratuitous. He has already sent greetings from oi σὺν ἐμοὶ ἀδελφοί, and in adding those of the ἅγιοι he singles out οἱ ἐκ τῆς Καίσαρος οἰκίας. This was