Could Paul’s moving and powerful letter to the Philippians actually be *two* letters that were later cut and spliced together?

In my previous post I answered, in short order, a series of questions that a reader had about the “original” text of Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  I will now take several posts in order to address some of the questions at greater length.  Here was the first one:

 

QUESTION:  Would you agree that the letter written to the Philippians was an original writing of Paul?

The short answer is Yes – it is one of the undisputed Pauline letters.  The longer answer is, well, complicated.  Scholars have long adduced reasons for thinking that this letter of Paul was originally *two* letters (or parts of two letters) that were later spliced together into the one letter we have today.  I explain the reasons for thinking so in my textbook, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings.  Here is what I say there.  (If you want to follow the argument particularly well, I’d recommend reading the short letter of Philippians, and then reading what follows by looking up the passages referred to.   But my comments should make decent sense if you don’t have the time or inclination to do that much work…)

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The first two chapters of Philippians sound very much like a “friendship” letter written by Paul to his converts.  The occasion of the letter is reasonably evident (see esp. 2:25-30).  The Philippians had sent to Paul one of their stalwart members, a man named Epaphroditus, for some reason that is not yet disclosed (and won’t be until chapter 4).  While there ministering to Paul, Epaphroditus had taken ill; the Philippians had heard of his illness, and had grown concerned.  Epaphroditus in turn had learned of their concern and became distraught over the anxiety that he had caused.  Fortunately, his health had returned, and he was now set to make his journey back home to Philippi.  Paul wrote this letter to keep the Philippians informed of his situation and to express his pleasure that all had turned out well.

He sends the letter from prison (1:7).  We do not know where he is imprisoned or why, except that it is in connection with his preaching of the gospel.  He uses the letter to comment on his adversity and to reassure his congregation that it has turned out for the good: as a result of his bonds, others have become emboldened to preach (1:12-18).  Paul uses his own situation to explain that suffering is the destiny of Christians in the present age (1:29-30) — a message comparable to that which he proclaimed in the Corinthian correspondence.  He continues by providing some general words of admonition (as was common in friendship letters): the Philippians are to be unified, serving one another rather than themselves, and thereby following the example of Christ (2:1-11).

One of the most striking features of this letter comes after these general exhortations.  For the friendly and joyful tone that characterizes the letter’s first two chapters shifts almost without warning at the beginning of chapter three.  Indeed, if one didn’t know that there were two more chapters left in the book, it would appear that the letter was drawing to a close at the end of chapter two.

Paul has explained his own situation, given some admonitions, stated the purpose of his writing, and provided his concluding exhortation:  “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord” (3:1).  Why does he say “finally,” but then change the subject completely and continue writing for another two chapters?

Indeed, the words that follow are hard to understand in the present context: “To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard” (3:1).  Why would anyone find his exhortation to “rejoice” troubling?  Paul immediately launches into a vitriolic attack on people, presumably in Philippi, who are his enemies, people whom he calls “dogs,” “evil workers,” and “those who mutilate the flesh” (3:2).  He then defends his own understanding of the gospel against these false teachers (3:3-11).  A peaceful letter of friendship has now become a harsh letter of warning.

Moreover, the issue of Christian unity takes on an additional twist in these chapters.  We learn that there are two women in particular, Euodia and Syntyche, who are at odds with one another and causing something of a disturbance in the community (4:2-3).  No longer does Paul deal in the abstract with the need for unity; now he actually puts some names on the problem.  What is particularly interesting is that Epaphroditus is again mentioned in these closing chapters.  But if you didn’t know better, you would think that he had just arrived, not that he had been with Paul already for an extended period of time (see, e.g., 4:18, “I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent”).  In any case, it is now clear why Epaphroditus has come and why Paul is penning this letter.  The Philippians have sent him to bring a financial contribution, and Paul is writing a thank-you note.

But this is puzzling.  If Epaphroditus has been with Paul for such a long period of time — long enough for him to take deathly ill, for the Philippians to get word of it, for him to learn that they were distressed, and for him then to recover — why is Paul only now writing to tell them that he has received the gift?  Surely he was in communication with them before this (they have heard that Epaphroditus arrived, and that he later became deathly ill).

Scholars differ on how to evaluate these various pieces of the contextual puzzle.  One solution is that there there are two or possibly even three letters that have been edited together here, letters that come from different times written for different occasions.  For simplicity’s sake, I’ll assume that there are two letters and explain how the theory works.

After Paul established the Philippian church, he left to pursue his apostolic work elsewhere, although we don’t know exactly where he was when he’s writing this letter, or series of letters (Rome?  Ephesus?) — only that he was in jail.  The Philippians learned of his needs, and sent him a gift of money through the agency of one of their leading members, Epaphroditus.  Paul thankfully received the gift and learned (from Epaphroditus himself?) about two major problems in the community: some false teachers had begun to stress the need to keep the Jewish Law (see 3:3-6), and two women in the congregation had argued over something in public (4:2-3).  He wrote the Philippians a letter, partially embodied now in chaps. 3-4, thanking them for the gift, warning against the false teachers, and urging Euodia and Syntyche to get along.

After Paul sent this letter, Epaphroditus became ill; the Philippians learned of it and became concerned; Epaphroditus heard of their concern and became distraught; and finally, he recovered.  In the course of the communication that was obviously going back and forth, Paul learned of the improved situation in Philippi.  When Epaphroditus became well enough to travel, Paul sent another letter back with him, a friendship letter explaining how things now fared with him and providing some renewed (but general) exhortations to maintain their unity in Christ.  Most of this letter is now found in Philippians 1-2.

Some such scenario would explain why there are such differences between the first and second parts of the letter.   Someone later compiled a letter made up of “Paul’s Greatest Hits” (to the Philippians) by splicing parts of the two letters together.