Philippians 1:13

“So that my bonds in Christ, etc.] What he had more darkly hinted before, he more clearly expresses here; the things that happened to him were his bonds; he was now a prisoner at Rome and in chains; though he had the liberty of dwelling alone in his own hired house, and of his friends coming to see him and hear him, yet he was bound with a chain, and under the care and guard of a soldier continually, who held one end of it. These bonds of his were not for debt, which he took care not to run into, but chose rather to work with his own hands, and so ministering to his own and the necessities of others, that he might not eat any man's bread for nought; nor for any capital crime, as murder, or…”

“my bonds in Christ--rather as Greek, "So that my bonds have become manifest in Christ," that is, known, as endured in Christ's cause. palace--literally, "PrÃ&brvbrtorium," that is, the barrack of the PrÃ&brvbrtorian guards attached to the palace of Nero, on the Palatine hill at Rome; not the general PrÃ&brvbrtorian camp outside of the city; for this was not connected with "CÃ&brvbrsar's household," which Phi 4:22 shows the PrÃ&brvbrtorium here meant was. The emperor was "PrÃ&brvbrtor," or Commander-in-Chief; naturally then the barrack of his bodyguard was called the PrÃ&brvbrtorium. Paul seems now not to have been at large in his own hired house, though chained to a soldier, as in Act 28:16,…”

“So that my bonds in Christ - Margin, “for.” The meaning is, his bonds in the cause of Christ. He was imprisoned because he preached Christ (see the notes, 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 had he not been a Christian, he would have escaped all this. The manner of Paul’s imprisonment was, that he was permitted to occupy a house by himself, though chained to a soldier who was his guard; Acts 28:16. He was not in a dungeon indeed, 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…”

“My bonds in Christ - Endured for his sake. Have been made manifest - Much taken notice of. In the whole palace - Of the Roman emperor. Philippians 1:14”

“1:13 The whole palace guard were workers in the emperor’s or provincial governor’s official residence (see 4:22). • Paul was in prison because of Christ—that is, because of preaching the Good News of Christ (cp. Acts 21:26–28:31).”

“Act 20:23, Act 20:24, Act 21:11-13, Act 26:29, Act 26:31, Act 28:17, Act 28:20; Eph 3:1, Eph 4:1, Eph 6:20; Col. 4:3-18 in Christ: or, for Christ, Pe1 4:12-16 the palace: or, Caesar's court, Phi 4:22 in all other places: or, to all others, Th1 1:8, Th1 1:9 Philippians 1:14”