Philip

Thought I'd take you through a person study, a character study if you will. Phillip, one of Jesus' disciples.

Here's the full list of references pulled up on Bible Gateway. Read the passages in context (I almost linked to the entire chapter each time so you'd have to read it in context but you can do that, right?), make observations, take notes. Then put the pieces together and see what you can discover about this Christ-follower.

Here are some of my notes without any real digging:

Matt. 10:2-4, Mark 3:7-19, Luke 6:12-16, John 1:42-48,
Phillip was one of the 12 original disciple/apostles that Jesus called to follow him. He was with Jesus alot! Are there other implications? How did He choose His disciples? Through the stories of Jesus, when was Phillip there? What was he involved in? How was he involved? How did he interact with Jesus? How did he interact with the other disciples? How did he interact with people?

John 6:1-14, John 12:20-35, Acts 1:12-14 Make some observations about Phillip from these stories.I'm seeing Philip as a people-person. Did the gospels say anything about what work he was in?

John 14:6-14 It was Philip who said to Jesus, "Show us the Father" and what did Jesus say? (Come back and read this again after you look at what Phillip accomplished in Acts 8.) Phillip in Acts 8 Wow!

Acts 6:4-6 Was this the same Phillip who was one of the 12? A deacon, not an elder, and not even the first one on the list.


Acts 21:7-9 Paul stays at Philip's house while he's traveling.  He is a man who extends hospitality. Phillip has 4 unmarried daughters who prophesy...he has a family - 4 spiritually sensitive girls.

I'm not looking for speculation or even conclusions. So why do this? Why explore the characters of scripture? And this is without historical/cultural/social context or implications. This is just looking at the passages without digging very deep. Maybe a child, a teen, or even a grown-up can identify with one of these Christ-followers or "heroes" from the Old Testament. Maybe they can find something in common with a man or a woman of God.

Philip noticed people. He found Nathaniel. He was familiar with the Word. He didn't argue w/Nathanial. He said, "Come & see!!" He was quick to share a new friend with an old friend and visa versa.

Jesus asks Philip where to find food for them. Jesus also challenges what Philip thought he knew.

After Jesus was gone, deacons were ordained to work with people to free up the 12 for prayer & study of the Word. It seems that Phillip may have gone the people route if he is the same Philip listed with the deacons.

Philip performed miracles and people payed close attention to what he said. Philip is the disciple in the story of Simon the Sorcerer. Philip was the one who shared the gospel with the Ethiopian in his chariot.

It seems he was very much a people finder, a people winner, a people lover. God entrusted him with the Samaritans the way he entrusted Paul with the Gentiles. Oh, and by the way, Philip was preaching the gospel when Paul was persecuting the church.

Phillip had a home in Bethsaida/Caesarea. You can go back through and see what Jesus, and later Paul, did there. Philip opened his home to Paul when Paul was traveling with the word of God .Phillip had a family: 4 unmarried daughters who prophesyed...You and your kids can dig deeper if you want but this is just to get you started...Do you know anyone like Philip?