Philip

Biblical Record

Philip the Apostle

Philip was one of the Twelve Disciples. He appears in the lists of the disciples in Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14, and Acts 1:13. His activities are recorded chiefly in the Gospel of John.

• John 1:43-46: He was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. After being called by Jesus, he introduces Jesus to Nathanael, saying, "Come and see."
• John 6:5-7: Before the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus asks Philip where they might buy bread. Philip replies that two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough.
• John 12:20-22: Greeks who wish to see Jesus come to Philip. Philip, together with Andrew, tells Jesus.
• John 14:8-9: He asks, "Lord, shew us the Father." Jesus answers, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

Philip the Evangelist

In Acts 6:5 he is named, along with Stephen, as one of the seven men chosen to oversee relief for the poor.

• Acts 8:5-13: He preaches the gospel in Samaria. Simon the sorcerer is also baptized at this time.
• Acts 8:26-40: On the road that goes down to Gaza, he meets a eunuch serving Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He explains Isaiah 53, which the eunuch had been reading, proclaims Jesus to him, and baptizes him. Afterward he appears at Azotus and preaches the gospel in the cities along the way to Caesarea.
• Acts 21:8-9: Paul and his companions stay at his house in Caesarea. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

Significance Within Scripture

In the Gospel of John, Philip the Apostle is portrayed as one who brings people to Jesus. At the same time, he appears as a disciple who has not yet fully grasped who Jesus is. The ministry of Philip the Evangelist illustrates the movement in the Acts of the Apostles by which the gospel spreads from Jerusalem to Samaria and then into Gentile lands. Both are to be distinguished from others of the same name, such as Philip the tetrarch, a son of Herod (Luke 3:1).

Interpretations and Issues

• Confusion of the two Philips: The two men are known to have been conflated even in early church records. A representative example is the tradition that Philip the Apostle was buried at Hierapolis together with his daughters. The account that Philip the Apostle was martyred there is likewise an extrabiblical tradition.
• "The seven deacons": The New Korean Revised Version renders the group in Acts 21:8 as "the seven deacons." However, the title "deacon" does not appear explicitly in the text of Acts 6. Presbyterians and a number of other denominations read this passage as the origin of the office of deacon. Others interpret it as a temporary appointment made in response to the circumstances of the time.
• Mode of baptism: The text says, "they went down both into the water… And when they were come up out of the water" (Acts 8:38-39). Baptists cite this as support for baptism by immersion. Other denominations hold that it merely describes going down to the water's edge (see Baptism and Immersion).
• The Samaritans' reception of the Holy Spirit: After being baptized, the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of the apostles' hands (Acts 8:14-17). Pentecostals view this as an example of baptism in the Holy Spirit as a distinct experience subsequent to conversion. Reformed interpreters regard it as a one-time event at the transitional moment when the gospel crossed over to Samaria.
• The prophesying daughters: Acts 21:9 is sometimes cited in discussions of the ordination of women as an example of women's ministry. The weight given to this verse varies by denomination.
• Acts 8:37 is absent from a number of the oldest manuscripts. For this reason, many modern translations place it in brackets or in a marginal note.
• Ethiopian church tradition sometimes links the origins of that church to this eunuch.

In the Korean Church

• Philip the Apostle's words "Come and see" (John 1:46) are frequently quoted in evangelism sermons and at events inviting newcomers.
• The account of the Ethiopian eunuch is commonly used as a text for sermons on personal evangelism and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
• In Sunday schools, Philip is usually introduced in connection with the story of the five loaves and two fish.