ONE OF THE TWELVE
Philip
“Sir, we would see Jesus”
From Bethsaida; the one who told Nathanael, “Come and see.”
VERSES THAT NAME HIM
15
RECORDS WITH JESUS
NAMED BESIDE HIM
14
SOURCES OUTSIDE SCRIPTURE on how it ends
HIS LIFE IN FOUR PARTS
How much does Scripture tell?
From Bethsaida; the one who told Nathanael, “Come and see.” Scripture gives no years for his life, so the ring is divided by how much is recorded: 7 records of what he did or what was said to him, one bead each. The last part is tradition and is drawn dashed. Choose a part to read it.
II · THE GOSPELS, IN THE HARMONY’S ORDER
With Jesus
- Called by Jesus; finds Nathanael: “Come and see” John 1:43–46
- Chosen as one of the Twelve Mark 3:13–19
- Sent out with the Twelve; fifth in Matthew’s list Matthew 10:1–5
- “Whence shall we buy bread?”: the feeding of the five thousand John 6:5–7
- Greeks come to him: “Sir, we would see Jesus” John 12:20–22
- “Lord, shew us the Father” John 14:8–11
CHAPTER BY CHAPTER
Where is he named?
One square for each chapter of the books that name Philip: 15 verses in 8 chapters. The darker the square, the more verses in it name him. Choose a chapter to read what happens there.
THE GOSPELS AND ACTS
JOHN 1
5 verses name him
¶ The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
WHAT HAPPENS HERE
- Of Bethsaida
- No family named
- Called by Jesus; finds Nathanael: “Come and see”
CHAPTER I · BEFORE THE CALL
Of Bethsaida
Home, trade and family · 3 records
SCRIPTURE · JOHN 1:44
Of Bethsaida
Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
“Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter” (John 1:44); John calls it “Bethsaida of Galilee” (John 12:21).
NAMED WITH HIM
Peter, Andrew
WHERE
Bethsaida
PASSAGE
John 1:44·John 12:21
CHAPTER II · WITH JESUS
“Come and see”
The Gospels, in the harmony’s order · 6 records
SCRIPTURE · JOHN 1:43–46
Called by Jesus; finds Nathanael: “Come and see”
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
NAMED WITH HIM
Peter, Andrew, Nathanael
WHERE
Bethsaida
IN THE HARMONY
§28 · Jesus makes his first disciples
PASSAGE
John 1:43–46
SCRIPTURE · JOHN 6:5–7
“Whence shall we buy bread?”: the feeding of the five thousand
Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
IN THE HARMONY
§72 · The first retirement. The Twelve return, and Jesus retires with them beyond the lake to rest. Feeding of the five thousand
PASSAGE
John 6:5–7
SCRIPTURE · JOHN 12:20–22
Greeks come to him: “Sir, we would see Jesus”
The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
NAMED WITH HIM
Andrew
WHERE
Bethsaida
IN THE HARMONY
§130 · The desire of some Greeks to see Jesus puzzles the disciples and leads Jesus in agitation of soul to interpret life and death as sacrifice and to show how by being "lifted up" he will draw all men to him
PASSAGE
John 12:20–22
SCRIPTURE · JOHN 14:8–11
“Lord, shew us the Father”
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
IN THE HARMONY
§149 · The farewell discourse to his disciples in the upper room
PASSAGE
John 14:8–11
CHAPTER III · THE CHURCH IN ACTS
One verse in Acts
Acts and the letters · 1 record
FROM THE TEXT · ACTS 1:13
In the upper room
And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
He is named fifth among the Eleven in the upper room (Acts 1:13). Acts never names the apostle again.
PASSAGE
Acts 1:13
CHAPTER IV · AFTER SCRIPTURE
After Scripture
Tradition, by who said it and when · 4 sources
SCRIPTURE FIRST
What Scripture says of his end
Scripture says nothing of Philip the apostle after the upper room (Acts 1:13).
From the text Acts 1:13
THEN TRADITION · 4 SOURCES, EARLIEST FIRST
- early 2nd c. Papias, as reported by Eusebius (3.39.9) Early church
- c. 190 Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, quoted by Eusebius (3.31.3; 5.24.2) Early church
- c. 200 Proclus, in the Dialogue of Gaius, quoted by Eusebius (3.31.4) Early church
- 1924 The Acts of Philip (apocryphal), 107–125 Later tradition
Each is labelled with who said it and when; none is blended into Scripture.
THE PEOPLE AROUND HIM
Who was with him?
Every record of Philip in Scripture, in story order (the Gospels in the order of Robertson's harmony, then Acts and the letters). A person counts as "with him" only where a verse of that record names them both. 14 people in all.
named in the passage from first to last mention Point at a column to see what happens; click it to keep it (click again to let go); choose a name to follow that person.
II · WITH JESUS
Called by Jesus; finds Nathanael: “Come and see”
¶ The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
NAMED WITH HIM HERE
- Peter John 1:44
- Andrew John 1:44
- Nathanael John 1:45
SIDE BY SIDE
One moment, several accounts
2 moments of his story told by more than one book, each in its own words in the King James Version. His names are marked; switch on "only here" to underline the words that just one account has.
FIFTH
Matthew
Matthew 10:2–4
10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
FIFTH
Mark
Mark 3:16–19
3:16 And Simon he surnamed Peter;
3:17 And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
3:18 And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
3:19 And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
FIFTH
Luke
Luke 6:14–16
6:14 Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,
6:15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphæus, and Simon called Zelotes,
6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
FIFTH
Acts
Acts 1:13
1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
NEAR AND FAR
Where was he?
3 places named in his story, with what happened there and how far each lies from Jerusalem. Tradition's places are dashed, with who placed him there and when. Choose a card or a pin.
Scroll to zoom · drag to move · the map stays on his places Land outline: the Atlas (Natural Earth)
OPEN QUESTIONS
What readers still ask
4 questions the reviewed sources leave open for Philip, with the answers given and who gives them, and 3 things Scripture does not say, in italic. Choose one.
VIEWS, WITH WHO HOLDS THEM · THIS PAGE
Which Philip lived and was buried at Hierapolis?
The apostle
Polycrates of Ephesus (about 190); Clement of Alexandria (about 200)
Polycrates calls him “Philip, one of the twelve apostles”, with daughters. Clement names Philip with Peter among the married apostles.
Early church Eusebius, 1890·Eusebius, 1890
The household of Philip the evangelist
Proclus (about 200), whose description matches Acts
Proclus speaks of “four prophetesses, the daughters of Philip” at Hierapolis. Acts gives Philip the evangelist “four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy” (Acts 21:8–9). Eusebius sets the two reports side by side without comment.
Early church Acts 21:8–9 Eusebius, 1890
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