Why did Jesus single Phillip out? And he did. we first meet Phillip the day after Jesus called Andrew, John, and Peter. John 12 gives us another insight into Philips character in, 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. January 14, 2018, Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing (John 1:43-51). The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee and He found Philip and said to him, Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. These men were part of Jesus' inner group. We want to point people to Jesus. All rights reserved. Though flawed, Nathanael was as honest and sincere as they come, and for his eagerness and willingness to embrace Jesus as his lord and king, Christ performed a mighty work in his life, taking an ordinary man and turning him into an outspoken leader and pillar of His church. After Nathanaels initial hesitancy and question, and Jesus statement that He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree caused him to take notice of this Rabbi. Or stoned to death. No one ever passed through Cana. Moses: The Old Testaments Greatest Prophet, Two of Johns disciples followed Jesus (John 1:3537), The Bible only tells us that one was Andrew (John 1:40), The encounters seem to happen in the same location, Jesus may have been actively looking for Philip. It is Elohim, a portion of Elohim. John relates the first, introductory meeting of Jesus with Andrew, John, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. But even a Galileans looked down on the Nazarene's. But there are several reasons why for centuries, many Christians have believed they were. Of Nathanael, Jesus said, behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no deceit! (John 1:47). But the Gospel of John and the early church fill in some blanks and help us understand a little more about who he was. Nazareth on the other hand was a rough town. 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. We can cut through a lot of the fog and smokescreens and side issues when we point people to Jesus and invite them to meet him here at our church. Nathanael (Hebrew , Greek: , "God has given"), also known as Nathaniel[1] of Cana was a disciple of Jesus, mentioned only in chapters 1 and 21 of the Gospel of John. Our Lord uses us as his instruments to invite others, so that they can hear Christs call to faith and discipleship. The disciple named Philip was, along with Peter and Andrew, from Bethsaida in Galilee ( John 1:44; 12:21 ). Lets look at his response to Phillip. . Some people won't hear a minister of a different race. He was also present at the Day of Pentecost, where he and the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Go and tell. But what does this actually mean, and why would Jesus compliment someone who had expressed such obvious prejudice? He simply says, Come and see. Thats it. Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me.. Jesus responds (seemingly harshly), Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:60). I cant think of anything better. He had the ability to read Nathaniel's heart. Despite his flaws, if there was one thing Nathanael wasnt, it was a hypocrite. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered: Dont you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? In other translations, Jesus refers to him as the one in whom there is no guile.. Or I know that you praise me all the way to work, 49 Then Nathaniel declared, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.. Let me tell you about him. All of this will be our focus in guiding your youth group through Episode . Nazareth is the same way. To challenge his friends blind bigotry, Philip responded with a simple invitation. Philip and Bartholomew are frequently mentioned together in the Synoptic Gospels, although Nathanael is never mentioned. 46 Nazareth! Maybe the excitement has worn off. Nathanael also became Jesus' disciple. In this instance, Nathanaels prejudice was confronted with the obvious, observable, and undeniable truth of who Jesus was. He is called Nathanael in John 1. Nathanael: It is believed that Bartholomew had ministered in Armenia and was flayed to death with knives in . Rabbit trail: 1 denari is equal to one day's wages. Come and see! (John 1:46). And presumably, if he did not use distinguishing details, the early church wouldve assumed he meant Philip the Apostlethe most well-known Philip. Well, Phillip has my job. The former is found in Numbers 1:8; 1Chronicles 2:14. Nazareth on the other hand is at a crossroads. Its culture was largely unrefined and uneducated. You are the King of Israel!. 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. John, however, refers to the apostle almost exclusively as Nathanael in his gospel. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. Nathanael was one of the 12 original apostles of Jesus Christ. After all Jesus didn't fit his picture of the messiah. That's why they responded so quickly to Jesus. In Church History Eusebius quotes Papias of Hierapolisa contemporary of the apostlesas saying that Philip was living in Hierapolis with his daughters. However, from the beginning to the very end, Nathanael proved to be a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, a keen student of Scripture, and a bold witness to the power of Gods grace and forgiveness. Now that doesn't say they Jesus didn't seek out the others and invite them to be part of the group, because they had been directed by John. 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. His response, displays Nathaniel's character. According to John, Nathaniel came from the small town of Cana in Galilee, the place where Jesus did his first miracle. . Well, thats all right. . Stromata. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. We've already looked at this passage in detail when we studied Andrew. 6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. Nathanael was one of the first to express belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God ( John 1:49 ). There's no reliable record about how he died. 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. Instead he says "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" So that would be pretty strange if that was Philip the Apostle.Much later in Acts 21:89, Paul and his companions stay at Philips house in Caesarea with his four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. We already looked at the passage were Philips says show us the father. How about you? Youll remember that John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to Peter, Andrew and John and then and they approached Jesus. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. John 1:43-46, He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life., Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? When Jesus spoke out against the religious establishment in Jerusalem, the religious leaders just chalked that up to his coming from lowly Nazareth. Thats wonderful! In fact, its possible that Philip the Apostle was confused with Philip the Evangelist as early as the first or second century. He knew his passion. Those are the great things that Nathanael will see in Jesus ministry. So when Jesus said these things to him, he might have questioned if Jesus was just flattering him? You would be lost and helpless and hopeless, headed to hell. Jesus finding you and saving you and leading you day by day, all the way into eternal lifethis is what life is all about. But now pause and consider where you are because of Jesus. To be a leader, you have to have a sense of vision. Even Nathanael, who was probably caught off guard by Christs compliment following a previously bigoted assumption, responded by asking Jesus, how do You know me? (John 1:48). Nathanael was willing to leave both job and long-held religious beliefs and follow Jesus. These were either God-fearing Gentiles, or full-fledged Hellenistic Jews on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. But Phillip is the first disciple whom Jesus physically sought out, as well as the first one to whom Jesus actually said, "follow me". 46Nazareth! 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 Peters case, make a foolish statement). In fact much of Israel rejected their messiah because of their prejudice. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Andrew and his brother Simon Peter sought to find Jesus, but in the case of . Matthew received his calling as Jesus was leaving Capernaum. The Gospel of John recounts Philip's calling as a disciple of Jesus. He wanted to go by the book all the time. Or to put it another way: Whom have you found? Most of the earliest traditions seem to point to him being martyred in Hierapolis. Jesus was the son of a carpenter, unknown name, from a town that didn't have any connection to prophecy. Thats life-changing! The principal obstacle to the identification of Philip as the Baptist's disciple is the failure of the Gospel to supply that identification. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Thats where we werelost, wandering aimlessly, not looking for God. As a Bible scholar, he could have said, but wait, the messiah comes out of Bethlehem not Nazareth.. (Micah 5:2) or he could have said, But scripture tells us that he rules from Jerusalem, not Nazareth. The Acts of Philip provides the earliest, most detailed account of his martyrdom, but again, its hard to say how much we can trust it. Nathaniel is also called Bartholomew, which is a Hebrew name meaning God has given". James and John: the two sons of Zebedee, who were called next: Philip and Bartholomew; the latter of these is by some thought to be Nathanael. Hear his personal care for you. . He was familiar with what the prophets had said. The ugly. Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? John 14:610. Nathaniel was a genuine spiritual child of the Abraham. Yes, the Lord just may use our mouth to do the inviting! Their tomb is there, and that, too, of their father.. Because his heart was sincere his faith was real. Thats how it went with Philip and Nathanael. Again let me say that it is probable that they were all friends or co-workers. Imagine the amazement of the disciples as they participated in this miracle and saw the crowd fed, with a dozen baskets left over from the overflow.Philip was good about bringing people to Jesus. In Luke and Matthew, an unnamed disciple asks Jesus if he can bury his father before following him. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us no details about Nathaniel's background, character, or personality. It was then that Jesus made a statement concerning his own death, using the grain of wheat dying in order to spring forth to bear much more grain: He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25).Philips request, Show us the Father brought forth a mild rebuke: Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? Cana wasn't a prestigious town. People may say: St. While hanging there, Philip preached, and the crowd was moved to release them. And this business about the angels of God ascending and descending? Does the we in Philips declaration mean that he, Andrew and Peter (who may have already known each other in Bethsaida) had found the Lord? Like Andrew, Philips first reaction after meeting Jesus was to go tell someone about him. Jesus cross is our Jacobs ladder. Christ came down from heaven, for us men and for our salvation. Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city as his friend Andrew. The formal training of the 12 was over and yet their faith was still weak. Church tradition holds that Philip preached the gospel in Scythia (a region in central Eurasia), Syria, and Phrygia (Turkey). 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. They were fisherman and worked alongside James and John. Cana, Nathaniels home town was a side trip from everything. Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? You have the word of God as your anchor and stay. All four of these disciples of Jesus were from the town of Bethsaida. You are the Son of God! This is where he can be found. But ultimately, above all, when we talk about our church, we want to talk about the one who is the very heart and center of our church, the churchs whole reason for existence. It should be noted that James and John had the same father, Zebedee (Matthew 10:2) and Peter and Andrew were brothers (Matthew 10:2). Nathanael declares, Rabbi, you are the Son of God! Houses could get full smoke and stuffy. Here are the facts, you can only drawl one conclusion. While it's easy to gloss over this quick interaction, a few key insights into Nathanael's character can be gleaned from this verse. In John 6, we read the story and of the feeding of the 5000. He had witnessed creative and recreative miracles. Its worth noting that Nathanael is rarely mentioned apart from the listing of the twelve disciples. Because this is where he has promised to be present. He knew his prejudice. Same thing today. He knew who look for. Cana itself is located only a few miles north of Jesus hometown in Nazareth and just a few miles west of Bethsaida, where Nathanaels good friend Philip was from (John 1:44). This was one Jesus could transform and equip for His glory. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He didn't know what to do. And like the other apostles, Nathaniel stands to prove that God can use anyone, from any place, provided he has an open heart to build his kingdom. That's group two. We see that Philip and Nathanael were faithful servants of Jesus who had questions and concerns, doubts and fears. Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. How can you say, Show us the Father? John's gospel is the only one that mentions a man named Nathanael, who appears to be an apostle (John 1:43-51).John also never mentions Bartholomew. He is the way and the truth and the life for everyone, include you. Now you dont have to dump the whole load in the first conversation, but you can at least say something, just like Philip did when he basically told Nathanael: We have found him, the one who makes all the difference in life.. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. In fact, the only time Nathanael is featured is in John 1 when he is first called to follow Jesus, and John 21:2, where he is mentioned along with those who returned to Galilee to go fishing with Peter after the resurrection. Jesus is calling you to be his disciple. He had found the messiah. That is our starting point, and it is a dead end. Nathanael: Oh, Hello! In fact it isnt today either. Phillip told Nathaniel about the messiah from the standpoint of the Old Testament prophecy. Though not much is known about Nathanael beyond the gospels, church history suggests that Nathanael traveled beyond Judea to minister to parts of Persia and India, perhaps going as far as Armenia, whose church claims him as their saint and founder to this day. Jesus proved that in His interactions with these men. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. Wait There Were How Many Herods?! He leads the way, every step of the way, all the days of our life. Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 21:1-6. The three Gospel-writers who make record of the organization of the Twelve place Simon Peter first and Judas Iscariot last in the category; they agree also in the relative position of some but not of all . No? Virtually everything we know about Nathaniel comes from Johns account of his call to discipleship in the wilderness shortly after Jesus is baptized. Cana is off the beaten track, sort of like the little town pastor lives in. It bothered them that the messiah and all his apostles came from Galilee. They were companions and had probably known each other for years. Come and see is subjective. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. He also was among those surrounding John the Baptist when the . Nathanael appears.) Jesus wasn't physically present to see Nathaniel under the fig tree, and Nathaniel knew that. The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee and He found Philip and said to him, Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Change). And so it goes. 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Like we sang earlier: Love that found mewondrous thought! Come and see. Come and see if you too wont encounter the Messiah, the Savior sent from God, in this person Jesus I want you to meet.. 'Come and see,' said Philip." John 1:43-46 After Jesus tells the disciples hes preparing a place for them and that they know where hes going, Thomas asks, How can we know the way if we dont know where youre going?, Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. The Bible doesn't say Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. Isn't that just like us? 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 Jesusand they come to Philip (John 12:21). Bartholomew = son of Tolmai, probably to be identified with Nathanael. He knew their hearts. His prejudice caused him to be skeptical when Phillip told him that the messiah was the Nazarene. Jesus knew Nathanaels heart. Phillips closest companion is Nathaniel. It's no doubt that this is where Nathaniel went to study the scriptures and pray. The town was located on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee and meant "house of fish." We know Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. The Messiah has come! Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael. After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for him. They were both disciples of John the Baptist who preached to Israel of the coming deliverer. He reappears (as "Nathanael of Cana") at the end of John's Gospel, as one of the disciples to whom Jesus appeared at the Sea of Galilee after the Resurrection. Were about to discover that Phillip is not usually a very decisive person. Matthews? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Can anything good come from there?(I) Nathanael asked. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see!. Go to Romans 9:6-7, the apostle Paul says, "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are deceit and Abraham.". His response to Jesus and reveals his character. He hadnt put on a show or pretended to be something he was not to impress anyone, let alone Jesus. After Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John, he finds Philip: The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. [Jn 1:43] Philip is described as a disciple from the city of Bethsaida, and the evangelist connects him with Andrew and Peter, who were from the same town. Phillip eventually got the message. Phillip is the administrator -- the bean counter. Now of course, there are many things about our congregation we can talk about, positive things, the various aspects of our life together: the camaraderie and the fellowship, the friendliness of our members, the potlucks and the friendships we enjoy. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Prejudice cuts a lot of people off from the truth. Let's go! How he really died, we dont know. Let me just say a little about his name while you're turning there. )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. Apostles Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew . The remaining disciples were called at another time. Our final look at Phillip comes a short time after the Last Supper on the eve of the crucifixion. Nathanael (Hebrew , Greek: , "God has given"), also known as Nathaniel [1] of Cana was a disciple of Jesus, mentioned only in chapters 1 and 21 of the Gospel of John . Origin:Hebrew. Philip replied that it would take two hundred denari to buy bread enough to feed them (John 6:7). And at the same time, our Lord calls us to follow him in faith. Its possible that they knew him personally, or perhaps he spoke Greek better than the other disciples (he did have a Greek name after all). You will see greater things than that. 51He then added, Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see heaven open,(O) and the angels of God ascending and descending(P) on[d] the Son of Man.(Q). The Apostles Philip and Nathanael. They had the same background, the same experiences in following our Lord. No, he probably ran through a list of rules of regulation in his mind and tried to figure out whether Jesus should talk to these Gentiles. Save 15% for life on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. Nathanael is convinced by Jesus' knowledge of things He couldn't possibly know by any other means than they were revealed to Him by God. Aside from the lists of apostles in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts, Philip appears in four narratives in the Gospel of John. Notice that: Jesus finds Philip, and then Philip finds Nathanael. Jesus is the very Son of God, come in the flesh. Well, Nathanaels initial objection is overcome by Philips pleasant persistence and his clear invitation. Nathanaels story may not be chronicled in much detail. I have found the one who forgives my sins. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. That's why Jesus asked Phillip where they could buy bread. Many believers came to Christ under his preaching. The Bible doesnt tell us much, and even some of the most reliable early church writers were confused about who he even was. Philip was one of those people who could do math and his head. How do you know me? Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. This manifestation of divine knowledge sparks something in Nathanael. This time were going to look through Phillip's eyes. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.. You shall see greater things than that. 51 He then added, I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.. One of the best trees to plant near your house is a fig tree. 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. And so we follow, as he guides us out into the highways and byways of life, where we will find people for us to talk towhere we will find our own Nathanaels. By his death on the cross, Jesus bridges the gap between us and God. He doesnt get sidetracked. Hes one of four people named Philip in the Bible, and hes often confused with Philip the Evangelist, who plays a minor role in Acts. It is interesting to note how Andrew and John came to Christ through the faithful preaching of John the Baptist. 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. How well could you feed 5000 people? Does that have to do with Martin Luther King? Church? Lets see what happens when his friend questions his set of facts. All of your sins are forgiven. Prejudice is feeling base. This is as good as it gets! Join our email list, and well send you some of our best free resourcesplus well tell you whenever we make something new. Nathanael - The True Israelite Believed to Be the Apostle Bartholomew. While its easy to gloss over this quick interaction, a few key insights into Nathanaels character can be gleaned from this verse. After the resurrection, Nathanael would go on to be a key leader in the early church, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth as commissioned by his lord and savior. Let's see, one denari can buy 12 wheat biscuits. By and large he didn't see the whole picture, or the end of the road. Your changed life, your verbal witness, your faith evident in your lifethis becomes a witness to others. John 1:35-46 "Come and See"Real Discipleship They dont tell us much, but theyre all we really have to go on. Imagine that, this is the first time Nathaniel meets Jesus and Jesus calls him a true Israelite without deceit. The latter is preserved in the names Theodore and Dorothea. And they both probably had an earnest desire to see the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. 48How do you know me? Nathanael asked. He opens up heaven for us. So dont be afraid or ashamed to invite your friends and neighbors, your family membersanyone who needs Jesusinvite them to come and see. Come and meet Jesus here at St. Matthews. He wasn't what you would call foreword-thinking. But Jesus came and sought us out. His first response after meeting Jesus was to find his friend Nathaniel and tell him about a messiah. His answer shows us the contempt Nathaniel felt for the people of Nazareth. As we saw earlier we know that it was Phillip who introduced Nathaniel to Jesus. We put God in a box and when he doesn't respond the way we want him to, we demand miracles and signs that suit our image of what God should be and do. But why does John refer to his fellow disciple as Nathanael while the other gospel writers list him as Bartholomew? Was it the right thing to do? Its really saying the same thing. Heaven and earth meet here in Gods house, because Christ is present here. There was nothing fake or insincere about him. He was so engrossed in his commonsense calculation, that he couldn't see an opportunity for the supernatural. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?. I dont believe in organized religion. See, these are the modern version of Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Can anything good come out of St. Matthew Lutheran Church? People will raise objections, and quite often its because they want to keep Gods word at arms length. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Phillip had a lack of vision. It says in John 21:2 that Nathanael was from Cana not Bethsaida. If you are going from Chicago to Indianapolis, you might travel through Merrillville. (3) Philip is closely connected with Nathanael and also with Bartholomew.
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