1st century AD · disciple of Jesus around AD 28-30
Philip in the Bible
The One Who Said, “Come and See”. Name meaning: From the Greek Philippos, “lover of horses”: a Greek name borne by a disciple from Galilee, a native of Bethsaida
A native of Bethsaida, like Andrew and Peter, Philip is called by Jesus himself: “Follow me” (John 1:43). At once he brings his friend Nathanael, with the words “Come and see.” We meet him again before the hungry crowd, when he counts the denarii; before some Greeks who want to see Jesus; and then at the table of the Last Supper, where he asks, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (John 14:8).
Key moments
- Jesus calls him: “Follow me” John 1:43
- He brings Nathanael: “Come and see” John 1:45–46
- Jesus tests him before the hungry crowd John 6:5–7
- He passes on the Greeks’ request John 12:21–22
- “Lord, shew us the Father” John 14:8
- “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” John 14:9
- He continues in prayer in the upper room Acts 1:13–14
Strengths
- Simple witness
- Practical sense
- Candor
Weaknesses
Before the crowd, Philip reasons in numbers: two hundred denarii would not be enough (John 6:7). After a long time with Jesus, he still asks to see the Father, and is told, “hast thou not known me” (John 14:8-9). Like the others, he flees at the arrest (Matt 26:56).
Lessons for today
- Witnessing means inviting rather than debating: faced with Nathanael’s doubt, Philip simply says, “Come and see” (John 1:46).
- Human calculations don’t measure what Jesus is about to do: he knew what he would do when he tested Philip (John 6:6-7).
- Being a go-between to Jesus is a real ministry: Philip and Andrew bring the Greeks who are seeking Jesus to him (John 12:21-22).
- Seeing Jesus is seeing the Father: “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).
The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
People around Philip
- Andrew — Apostle from the same town, with whom he brings the Greeks to Jesus
- Nathanael — A friend he brings to Jesus
- Peter — Fellow townsman from Bethsaida
- Jesus — The Master who calls him and gently corrects him
- Philip the Evangelist — Namesake, one of the seven (Acts 21:8): not to be confused with him
Stories with Philip
Quiz: how well do you know Philip?
What town was Philip from?
“Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” Nathanael, by contrast, was from Cana in Galilee. John 1:44
What did Jesus say to Philip when he found him?
Jesus “findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.” “Come and see” is what Philip would say next to Nathanael. John 1:43
Whom did Philip bring to Jesus?
“Philip findeth Nathanael” and tells him he has found the one of whom Moses and the prophets wrote. Andrew, for his part, had brought his brother Simon. John 1:45
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