Philip, The Evangelist

PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

Scripture references:
Acts 6:5; 8:5–40; 21:8

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Several Philips are mentioned in the New Testament, including one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Our Philip, however, was one of the early converts in Jerusalem in the first days after Pentecost. That he retained his Greek name indicates he was a Diaspora Jew—a Jew who had lived outside of Palestine but had probably come to Jerusalem to attend one of the religious festivals and stayed on after his conversion to Christ. Unlike the disciple Philip, Philip the evangelist was an “ordinary” Christian whose conversion launched him on a course that gave special significance to his life.

PHILIP’S ROLE IN SCRIPTURE

Philip was one of seven men who had so gained the trust of the Christian community that they were appointed to oversee the distribution of food to Christian widows and orphans. When most Christians were forced out of Jerusalem by persecution, Philip preached Christ to the people of Samaria and started a revival there. Later, God led him away from the revival he had started, to speak with one individual, an official of the queen of Ethiopia. Later, Philip traveled and preached in the coastal cities along the Mediterranean and settled in Caesarea, the seat of the Roman governor. The apostle Paul stayed briefly with Philip, who by then had four daughters who prophesied.

EXPLORING PHILIP’S RELATIONSHIPS

While relatively little space is given to Philip in the New Testament, we can tell much about the man from the relationships he had with others.

Philip’s relationship with other Christians (Acts 6).Jerusalem was noted for its care of widows and orphans, which was administered through the temple. As the Christian movement grew, the temple authorities cut off Christian widows from this support. The believers rallied, and, through gifts provided by individuals, they set up their own system to care for the needy Christians. Trouble developed when the newcomers felt that their widows were being treated unfairly and that the long-time residents of Jerusalem were receiving favorable treatment.

The apostles suggested that the Christian community select seven men “of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3) to supervise the distri-bution. Strikingly, each of the seven chosen, including Philip, bore a Greek name. These men were Greeks and would be expected to be most sensitive to the problem.

Philip’s relationship with the Samaritans (Acts 8:1–25). After Stephen’s martyrdom at the hands of an angry mob, the Christians of Jerusalem were actively persecuted, and most of them were forced to leave the city. Acts tracks the impact of this dispersion through the story of Philip, who traveled to Samaria proclaiming Christ. Despite the deep hostility that existed between the Jews and Samaritans, Philip eagerly shared the gospel with them. Through Philip’s preaching, many Samaritans believed; so many believed that Peter and John came to check out the reports of mass conversions.

Although Philip was not one of the apostles, and was in effect a layperson, Philip felt an urgency to share Christ with others. That he was so willing to preach the gospel to the Jews’ ancient enemies tells us much about the kind of man Philip was.

Philip’s relationship with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–39). God led Philip away from the revival he had begun so he could meet one man. The man was a high official in the court of Ethiopia, and possibly a Jew who had also come to Jerusalem to attend one of the festivals. While called the “Ethiopian eunuch,” this title does not necessarily mean that he had been castrated. In the ancient Middle East, rulers tended to rely on men who had been castrated to fill important posts, reasoning that without families they would not have divided loyalties. By the first century, “eunuch” often functioned as a title of high court officials and might be borne by those not physically mutilated.

Whatever the case, Philip struck up a conversation with the Ethiopian official who was reading Isaiah 53. Philip explained the meaning of the passage and showed how Jesus Christ had fulfilled Isaiah’s every prediction. The Ethiopian believed, was baptized, and returned to his homeland a believer.

All too many would have resented being called away from a great movement he had initiated to witness to one man—and a stranger at that. Philip, however, was as happy to have a part in helping one individual turn to Christ as to be the well-known focus of a mass movement.

Philip’s continuing witness (Acts 8:40). The text tells us that after his meeting with the Ethiopian, Philip “preached in all the cities” along the Mediterranean coast until he reached Caesarea, and settled there. There is no indication in Acts that the major revival Philip had stimulated was ever duplicated. Yet, Philip remained an active witness wherever he went. This witness was so active that in later years he was known as “Philip the evangelist” (Acts 21:8).

PHILIP: AN EXAMPLE FOR TODAY

Philip is best understood as an ordinary Christian. Much of what he did was exceptional, but what made him special was his commitment to godliness and an eagerness to share the gospel with others. We may never achieve the ministry of someone like the apostle Paul, but every Christian can realistically aspire to be like Philip the evangelist.

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