Albert Barnes Commentary Philippians 1:13

"so that my bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole praetorian guard, and to all the rest;" — Philippians 1:13 (ASV)

So that my bonds in Christ. The margin says for. The meaning is, his bonds in the cause of Christ. He was imprisoned because he preached Christ (see Barnes on Ephesians 6:20) and was really suffering because of his attachment to the Redeemer. It was not for crime, but for being a Christian—for if he had not been a Christian, he would have escaped all this. The manner of Paul's imprisonment was that he was allowed to occupy a house by himself, although chained to a soldier who was his guard (Acts 28:16). Indeed, he was not in a dungeon, but he was not at liberty, and this was a severe mode of confinement. Who would wish to be chained night and day to a living witness of all that he did, to a spy on all his movements? Who would wish to have such a man always with him, to hear all he said and to see all that he did? Who could well bear the feeling that he could never be alone—and never be at liberty to do anything without the permission of one who also probably had little disposition to be indulgent?

Are manifest. That is, it has become known that I am imprisoned only for the sake of Christ. Grotius observes that the true reason why I am thus accused and imprisoned begins to be understood, and this has awakened sympathy for me as an injured man. They see that it is not for crime, but that it is on account of my religious opinions. The conviction of my innocence has spread abroad and has produced a favourable impression regarding Christianity itself. It must have been very important for Paul to have the knowledge of the real cause of his imprisonment spread abroad. Such knowledge would do much to prepare others to listen to what he had to say—for there is no one to whom we listen more readily than to someone who is suffering wrongfully.

In all the palace. The margin says, "or Caesar's court." In Greek, en holō tō praitoriō, in all the praetorium. This word properly denotes the general's tent in a camp; then the house or palace of a governor of a province; then any large hall, house, or palace. It occurs in the New Testament only in the following places: Matthew 27:27, where it is rendered common hall; Mark 15:16, rendered praetorium; John 18:28, 33; 19:9; Acts 23:35, rendered judgment hall; and in Philippians 1:13. It is employed to denote:

1. The palace of Herod at Jerusalem, built with great magnificence at the northern part of the upper city, westward of the temple, and overlooking the temple;
2. The palace of Herod at Caesarea, which was probably occupied by the Roman procurator; and
3. In the place before us, to denote either the palace of the emperor at Rome, or the praetorian camp, the headquarters of the praetorian guards or cohorts.

See Robinson's Lexicon. Bloomfield, Rosenmuller, and some others understand this of the praetorian camp and suppose that Paul meant to say that the cause of his imprisonment had become known to all the band of the praetorians. Grotius says that the usual word to denote the residence of the emperor at Rome was palatium—palace, but that those who resided in the provinces were accustomed to the word praetorium and would use it when speaking of the palace of the emperor. Chrysostom says that the palace of the emperor was called praetorium, by a Latin word derived from the Greek. See Erasmus in loco. Calvin supposes that the palace of Nero is intended. The question about the meaning of the word is important, as it bears on the inquiry into how extensively the gospel was made known at Rome in the time of Paul, and perhaps on the question of why he was released from his imprisonment.

If the knowledge of his innocence had reached the palace, it was a ground of hope that he might be acquitted. If that palace is intended here, it is an interesting fact, showing that in some way the gospel had been introduced into the family of the emperor himself. That the palace or residence of the emperor is intended here may be considered at least probable from the following considerations:

1. It is the name that would likely be used by the Jews who came up from Judea and other provinces to denote the chief place of judgment or the principal residence of the highest magistrate. So it was used in Jerusalem, in Caesarea, and in the provinces generally to denote the residence of the general in the camp or the procurator in the cities—the highest representative of the Roman power.
2. If the remark of Chrysostom, referred to above—that this was a common name given to the palace in Rome—is well founded, then this goes far to determine the question.
3. In Philippians 4:22, Paul, in the salutation of the saints at Rome to those of Philippi, mentions particularly those of Caesar's household. From this it would seem that some of the family of the emperor had been made acquainted with the Christian religion and had been converted. In what way the knowledge of the true cause of Paul's imprisonment had been circulated in the palace is not now known.

There was, however, close intimacy between the military officers and the government, and it was probably by means of some of the soldiers or officers who had the special charge of Paul that this had been communicated. To Paul, in his bonds, it must have been a subject of great rejoicing that the government became thus aware of the true character of the opposition that had been excited against him; and it must have done much to reconcile him to the sorrows and privations of imprisonment, that he was thus the means of introducing religion to the very palace of the emperor.

And in all other places. The margin says, to all others. The Greek allows for either construction. But if, as has been supposed, the reference in the word praetorium is to the palace, then this should be rendered "all other places." It then means that the knowledge of his innocence, and the consequences of that knowledge in its positive influence in spreading religion, were not confined to the palace but were extended to other places. The subject was generally understood, so that it might be said that correct views of the matter pervaded the city, and the fact of his imprisonment was extensively producing the most positive effects on the public mind.