Jesus is asked by Philip on how to feed the 5,000 people. Wait… There Were How Many Herods?! (The other two Philips are both sons of King Herod the Great.) The disciple named Philip was, along with Peter and Andrew, from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44; 12:21). Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. [14] Other symbols assigned to Philip include: the cross with the two loaves (because of his answer to the Lord in John 6:7), a basket filled with bread, a spear with the patriarchal cross, and a cross with a carpenter's square. Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?’” —John 14:6–10. Philip the Apostle (Greek: Φίλιππος; Aramaic: ܦܝܠܝܦܘܣ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲗⲓⲡⲡⲟⲥ, Philippos) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Add to that the legendary accounts from the Acts of Philip and Letter from Peter to Philip, and it becomes difficult to separate fact from fiction, too. Philip the Apostle (Greek: Φίλιππος; Aramaic: ܦܝܠܝܦܘܣ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲗⲓⲡⲡⲟⲥ, Philippos) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. [8] This text begins with a letter from St Peter to Philip the apostle, asking him to rejoin the other apostles who had gathered at the Mount of Olives. He’s also clearly one of the Twelve in the Gospel of John, though John never explicitly lists them.This means Philip was one of the people who was closest to Jesus, and that he spent about three years living with him, witnessing his miracles, and hearing his teachings. Apostle whose name is placed fifth in each of the lists of the 12 after the two pairs of brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:14). He was one of the original twelve apostles of Jesus (Matt.10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14). Philip was possibly martyred. )Most scholars believe that either Papias was talking about Philip the Evangelist (due to the reference to his daughters) and using the term apostle more broadly, or else Papias confused the two. Following the resurrection of Jesus, Philip was sent with his sister Mariamne and Bartholomew to preach in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria. This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. The Acts of Philip provides the earliest, most detailed account of his martyrdom, but again, it’s hard to say how much we can trust it. John seems more interested in telling us who said what, and using Philip’s answer to set up Jesus’ miracle. He first comes before us as one of the seven chosen by the early Church at Jerusalem to take charge of the daily ministration of charity to the poor widows (Acts vi. Like the Apostle Thomas, Philip’s only significant mentions come in the Gospel of John (and they’re still not that significant). He played an active role in leading another apostle to Jesus. Saint Philip the Apostle was from Bethsaida, a town in Galilee (John 1:43; John 12:21). The story of St. Philip the Apostle Philip was a native of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee, as were Peter and Andrew. However, this tradition largely originates with Acts of Philip, a dubious fourth-century text which intermingled true accounts with legends, including a narrative involving a dragon. No one comes to the Father except through me. … He also was among those surrounding John the Baptist when the latter first pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. Saint Philip the Evangelist, also called Philip The Deacon, (born 1st century; feast day June 6), in the early Christian church, one of the seven deacons appointed to tend the Christians of Jerusalem, thereby enabling the Apostles to freely conduct their missions. The New Testament lists all twelve apostles four times—Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, and Acts 1:13-16. Manage your subscriptions to local churches; Don't have an account? While there are some variations in the order the apostles appear and even the names they went by, Philip is listed in all of them. It’s hard to say how Philip died, especially since he was confused with Philip the Evangelist early on, and there are conflicting accounts. Papias also refers to the Philip in Acts 21 as an apostle, and that title was usually (but not always) reserved for the Twelve. There’s really not much we can say about Philip without speculating. Accounts of Philip's life and ministry exist in the extra-canonical writings of later Christians. Still, there are some things we can learn about Philip the Apostle from the Bible, and we can glean a few insights from the early church as well. Muslim exegesis, however, more-or-less agrees with the New Testament list and says that the disciples included Peter, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Andrew, James, Jude, John and Simon the Zealot.[18]. Philip knows the Old Testament. Allegedly, he converted a proconsul’s wife, which angered the proconsul enough to have him and Bartholomew crucified upside down. Such crosses appear on the wall of our building and in the grounds. [6] As early as 1260, Jacobus de Voragine noted in his Golden Legend that the account of Philip's life given by Eusebius was not to be trusted. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Frequently, the disciples have no idea what Jesus is talking about, and someone has to stick their neck out and ask a clarifying question (or often in Peter’s case, make a foolish statement). In fact, it’s possible that Philip the Apostle was confused with Philip the Evangelist as early as the first or second century. What we do know is this: as one of the Twelve, Philip certainly held an important role in the early church, and he likely played a key part in spreading the gospel somewhere in ancient Eurasia. 1 May GRC 1954, Anglican Communion, Old Catholics, ECLA, LCMS Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. [3] Later he appears as a link to the Greek community. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia. St. Philip the Apostle. Feast Day: May 3 (Roman Catholic Church) Feast Day: Nov 17 (Armenian Church) Nov 18 (Coptic Church) Canonized: Pre-Congregation Philip and James were both Apostles, chosen by Jesus to follow him and to continue his work of building the Kingdom of God. For an example of Eusebius identifying Philip the Apostle with the Philip mentioned in Acts, see Eusebius of Caesarea, List of biblical figures identified in extra-biblical sources, Saint Philip the Apostle, patron saint archive, "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Philip the Apostle", The Apostles – Saints & Angels – Catholic Online, Descriptions in antiquity of the execution cross, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philip_the_Apostle&oldid=1015822362, People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2020, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 April 2021, at 19:27. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Philip died sometime in the first century, possibly around 80 AD. Another legend is that he was martyred by beheading in the city of Hierapolis. Philip answered him, ‘It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’” —John 6:5–7, Jesus already knew exactly what he was going to do, but he asked Philip what it would take to feed these people—perhaps as a joke, or possibly, to illustrate that it would take a miracle to feed this many. Church tradition holds that Philip preached the gospel in Scythia (a region in central Eurasia), Syria, and Phrygia (Turkey). Jesus responds (seemingly harshly), “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). These cookies do not store any personal information. Logos Bible Software 9 review: Do you REALLY need it? By logging in you can: Access featured local businesses and churches in your area. Quick facts about the apostle Philip. Fun fact: John’s desire to tell us who said what is the reason Thomas got stuck with the infamous moniker, “Doubting Thomas.” For some reason “Practical Philip” didn’t catch on, though. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. As a result, the church has doubted Eusebius’ account of Philip for nearly a millennia. (Since Taco Bell wasn’t an option.). [1], Philip the Apostle should not be confused with Philip the Evangelist, who was appointed with Stephen to oversee charitable distributions (Acts 6:5). It was this Philip who before said to Nathaniel, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph". However, some can be misleading, as many hagiographers conflated Philip the Apostle with Philip the Evangelist.The most notable and influential example of this is the hagiography of Eusebius, in which Eusebius clearly assumes that both Philips are the same person. Luke writes: “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. The Apostle Philip is also often confused with Philip the evangelist. The feast of the Apostle is celebrated in the Roman Church on 1 May (together with that of James the Younger), and in the Greek Church on 14 November. Join our email list, and we’ll send you some of our best free resources—plus we’ll tell you whenever we make something new. Philip the Apostle. It was Philip who first introduced Nathanael (sometimes identified with Bartholomew) to Jesus. [3] During the Last Supper, when Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, he provides Jesus the opportunity to teach his disciples about the unity of the Father and the Son. Like Andrew, Philip’s first reaction after meeting Jesus was to go tell someone about him. Another says he was beheaded. Like the brothers, Peter and Andrew, Philip was a native of Bethsaida on Lake Genesareth (John 1:44). .’” —Stromata. [11] This non-canonical book recounts the preaching and miracles of Philip. When Jesus calls Philip, he tells his friend Nathaniel that he has found “Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote” (Jn 1:38–41). As a result of Philip's preaching the crowd released Bartholomew from his cross, but Philip insisted that they not release him, and Philip died on the cross. [1], Of the four Gospels, Philip figures most prominently in the Gospel of John. While Philip was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, little is known about him from the New Testament. Philip the Apostle () was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Philip the apostle, was one of the twelve disciples chosen and ordained by Jesus Christ (Mar 3:14). John says that when John the Baptist bore witness to Jesus with the words, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”, two of his disciples . [13] According to this account, through a miraculous healing and his preaching Philip converted the wife of the proconsul of the city. They knew each other though – Philip, as one of the apostles, prayed for and laid hands on Philip the evangelist (Acts 6:6) at the start of the latter's ministry. However, some can be misleading, as many hagiographers conflated Philip the Apostle with Philip the Evangelist. Who Was Herod? Philip obeyed and a little later told Nathanael about Jesus. One of the Gnostic codices discovered in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945 bears Philip's name in its title, on the bottom line. In Luke and Matthew, an unnamed disciple asks Jesus if he can bury his father before following him. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’” —Acts 6:2–4. The name Philip means “lover of horses.” When Did Philip the Apostle Live? [17], The Quranic account of the disciples of Jesus does not include their names, numbers, or any detailed accounts of their lives. Philip. Saint Philip the Apostle, (born, Bethsaida of Galilee—died 1st century; Western feast day May 3, Eastern feast day November 14), one of the Twelve Apostles. Polycrates seems to have clearly blurred the two Philips, and Eusebius never caught the mistake. After meeting Christ, Philip immediately went to Nathanael. The staff/cross of St Philip is also seen in works of art depicting the apostle, as in these details from works by Dürer and by de la Tour. Whether Philip’s statement was foolish or simply bold, it gave Jesus another opportunity to directly assert his divinity, and help us understand his relationship to the Father. In a letter to Pope Victor, Polycrates of Ephesus said: “I speak of Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who is laid to rest at Hierapolis. Not only did Philip follow right away, he did not hesitate to tell others about Jesus so we can say that he was responsible for leading the man (Nathaniel) to the Lord by sharing the truth of the gospel. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. This may seem like a trivial detail, but later, when Jesus and the disciples come to Jerusalem, some Greek men from Bethsaida want to see Jesus—and they come to Philip (John 12:21). The apostle Philip: the infographic. Jesus has just told them that his Father’s mansion has many rooms and he’s going to prepare a place for them and come back and get them. When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, some God-fearing Greeks want to see him, so they come to Philip: “Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. This Philip is explicitly identified as “the evangelist” and “one of the Seven.” If this were Philip the Apostle, it would be odd for Luke to provide two distinguishing details and not call him the apostle. Philip was called by Jesus to follow Him and did not hesitate to go because he had been searching for the Messiah and believed immediately that Jesus was Him. [16], Saint Philip is the patron saint of hatters. 3 May (Philip and James, Apostles) GRC 1969,[1] EKD He also was among those surrounding the Baptist when the latter first pointed out Jesus as … And presumably, if he did not use distinguishing details, the early church would’ve assumed he meant Philip the Apostle—the most well-known Philip. One of the first things we learn about Philip in the Gospel of John is that like Simon Peter and Andrew, he comes from Bethsaida, a town by the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44). Church tradition identifies Philip as the missionary to Greece, Syria, and Phrygia, but even early on, Philip the Apostle was frequently confused with Philip the Evangelist (also known as Philip the Deacon), which makes it hard to distinguish which details describe which Philip.