One of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
About Philip
An apostle of Jesus. Philip's name is fifth in each of the lists of the twelve after the two pairs of brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14). John the apostle writes that when John the Baptist spoke about Jesus, saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" two of his disciples began to follow Jesus. One of these two was Andrew, who then declared to his brother Simon Peter, "We have found the Messiah," and brought him to Jesus. (The other unnamed disciple was quite probably John himself, the writer of this account.)
On the next day Jesus went to Galilee and there found Philip and called him: "Follow me." John adds that Philip was from Bethsaida. Philip in turn found Nathanael and told him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote." Philip invited Nathanael, who had doubts that any good could come out of Nazareth, to come and see for himself (John 1:35–51). This story shows that Philip was one of the first to follow Jesus and that he quickly began to tell others to do the same.
Like the other apostles, Philip still had much to learn about the person and the power of Christ. When Jesus fed the 5,000, Jesus asked Philip a question to test him: "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" Confused, Philip replied that even 200 denarii (a large sum, roughly half a year's wages) would not buy a small portion of bread for each person (John 6:5–7). The miracle that followed taught him the Lord of all creation was able to feed a large crowd of people.
Philip’s next appearance is in Jerusalem after Christ’s triumphal entry into the city. "Some Greeks" (Greek-speaking non-Jews) approached him with the request "Sir, we want to see Jesus." Philip told Andrew, and together they bring them to Jesus (12:20–22). This indicates that Philip was a person whom others found easy to approach, and also that he spoke Greek.
On the night before he was arrested, Jesus met with his followers in a room upstairs (the upper room). During this meeting, Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." Jesus used this moment to teach Philip more. Philip was very devoted to God. He may have hoped that Jesus would show him something amazing about God. This was similar to when Moses asked to see God's glory in Exodus 33:18. But Jesus taught him that he himself, the incarnate Son, is the all-sufficient revelation of the Father to humanity (John 14:8–10).
There is a tendency to confuse Philip the apostle with Philip the evangelist (#2 below). It is likely that Philip preached in various areas before he settled in Hierapolis, a city of the Roman province of Asia until his death. Whether he died of natural causes or was martyred (killed for his faith) is unknown.
See also Apostle, Apostleship.
Key References
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
All Scripture References (15)
Matthew (1)
Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
Mark (1)
Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,
Luke (1)
Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;
John (11)
The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
“How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
When Jesus looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?”
Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”
They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested of him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
Philip relayed this appeal to Andrew, and both of them went and told Jesus.
Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus replied, “Philip, I have been with you all this time, and still you do not know Me? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Acts (1)
When they arrived, they went to the upper room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.