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Lesson #8 - The Apostle Philip
Series: The Fourteen ApostlesLESSON #8 – THE APOSTLE PHILIP
The New Testament mentions three men named Philip.
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¡ Philip the tetrarch, one of the sons of Herod the Great and Cleopatra of Jerusalem and a brother of Herod the tetrarch.
Philip's former wife, Herodias, had married Herod and directed her daughter to request the head of John the baptizer.
cf. Mt.14:3f; Mk.6:17f and Lk.3:1f & 19
¡ Philip, one of “the seven” (Acts 6:5-6), who was also an evangelist (Acts 8:5ff and 21:8).
He ministered to the Grecian widows; preached to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian treasurer; and resided in Caesarea.
¡ Philip, one of the twelve apostles (Mt.10:3; Mk.3:19; Lk.6:14 and Acts 1:13).
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT PHILIP?
~ Philip was a Jew who was given a Gentile/Greek name, which means “lovers of horses”.
Philip the tetrarch had honored Philip's home town of Bethsaida (Jn.1:44) by raising it to the status or rank of a city.
Bethsaida was also the hometown of Peter and Andrew. Philip may have also been a fisherman.
In Bethsaida (house of fish), this city on the shores of the Sea of Galilee was home to not a few fishermen.
PHILIP IN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN
~ Although Matthew, Mark and Luke each include Philip in their list of The Twelve, they tell us nothing more of him.
Philip was rescued from obscurity by the record provided by John's Gospel. It is there Philip's personality is revealed.
~ Jn.1:43f tells of Jesus' calling of Philip - - “Follow Me.”
Jn.1:45 notes the Philip found Nathanael and said to him - -
We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Some has speculated that Philip and Nathanael were brothers, but this is only conjecture.
~ We also encounter Philip when Jesus fed the 5,000. Desirous of comforting the multitude,
Jn.6:5f, records that Jesus quizzed Philip, Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?.
The next verse (Jn.6:6) notes that Jesus said this to TEST Philip.
Jn.6:7 may indicate that Philip, as he summarized the funds on hand, was an early “keeper of the purse”.
They only had “200 denarii worth of bread”. A denarius was the equivalent of one day's wages.
We can be certain that Philip wasn't the only apostle who showed a lack of insight regarding “feeding the multitudes”.
~ Philip is also highlighted in Jn.12:20f.
Certain Greeks who were going to Jerusalem to worship came to Philip and ask him, saying, Sir, we wish to see Jesus.
Philip told Andrew, and the two of them went together to tell Jesus of this inquiry.
It seems implied that Jesus met with these Greeks.
An ancient church historian, Eusebius, mentions a tradition that these men had been sent by the Syrian King
Edessa with a commission to invite Jesus to come to his realm, assuring Him a hearty and princely welcome.
Whereas the leaders among the Jews sought to kill Jesus, the Gentiles were seeking to know him.
~ Finally we read of Philip one last time in the upper room - - detailed in Jn.14:1-9.
Here Philip joins with Thomas in questioning Jesus. Thomas said, Lord, we do not know where you are going (Jn.14:5).
Philip said to Jesus, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us (Jn.14:8). Jesus' response to Philip is laden with sadness: Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father...
Philip may have been too practical, overly cautious, and perhaps too analytical, but he followed Jesus as a willing disciple.
Keep in mind that he came from a city populated with many who were non-penetant and hard-hearted (Mt.11:21).
