Now days He would have been accused of spying on the brothers instead. Of course, this was not a racial or ethnic prejudice, as many Jews would have had for the Gentiles or, as we see from the disciples later in the gospels, the Samaritans. 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?. 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 it does seem clear that the mention of Nazareth was an initial obstacle in Nathanaels mind. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Prejudice effectively causes people to remain cut off from the gospel. Yes, the Lord just may use our mouth to do the inviting! In fact it isnt today either. In other translations, Jesus refers to him as the one in whom there is no guile.. Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me. Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Jesus responds (seemingly harshly), Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:60). 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. [8] The earliest reference to this theorywhich is based on Bartholomew being properly a surnameis found in Ishodad of Merv (c.850). Who was Philip in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. The latter is preserved in the names Theodore and Dorothea. Remember how the people of his hometown felt about him? Nathanael does come and he does see. 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. Blog at WordPress.com.RSS 2.0Comments RSS 2.0, Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing (John1:43-51). Bartholomew is a Hebrew surname meaning "son of Tolmai.". (LogOut/ Bartholomew literally means "son of Tolmai." However Nathaniel was not impressed at first glance with Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. What am I talking about? The twelve apostles opted out of this position, and then a man named Philip was chosen to be one of the Seven (Acts 6:5). [2] The first disciples who follow Jesus are portrayed as reaching out immediately to family or friends: thus, Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.[3]. The Lord Jesus Christ is here in his church, where his gospel is preached, his word is taught, and his life-giving sacraments are administered. Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 21:1-6. He loved God with a pure heart and desired to see the messiah. He was familiar with what the prophets had said. Wait There Were How Many Herods?! (1) St John, who twice mentions the name of Nathanael, never mentions that of Bartholomew; (2) the three Synoptists mention Bartholomew but not Nathanael. Nathanael: the man who saw for himself - British Bible School What we do know is this: as one of the Twelve, Philip certainly held an important role in the early church, and he likely played a key part in spreading the gospel somewhere in ancient Eurasia. Or I know that you take your devotion time every day before you go to work to study the scriptures. You are a dear child of your heavenly Father. After all Nazareth didn't exist in the Old Testament. The cooking was done inside, so a fire was burning even in the summer. Go and tell. He said we have found him. John says this was to test him because Jesus already knew what he would do. But theres good reason to believe there are probably two different people named Philip. [9], "John Wesley's Notes on the Gospel according to Saint John: Chapter 1", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nathanael_(follower_of_Jesus)&oldid=1149908118, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 05:57. But why does John refer to his fellow disciple as Nathanael while the other gospel writers list him as Bartholomew? Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. How did the Twelve Apostles die? - NeverThirsty Follow me, learn from me, as my disciples. Nathanael was doubtful at first. Because he had a Greek name. [2] We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. They were both disciples of John the Baptist who preached to Israel of the coming deliverer. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Before Philip invited his brother, already Jesus had an intention of calling the young man. Most Bible scholars believe Nathanael and Bartholomew were the same person. He wasn't what you would call foreword-thinking. While it's easy to gloss over this quick interaction, a few key insights into Nathanael's character can be gleaned from this verse. 'Come and see,' said Philip." John 1:43-46 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. 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. Obviously Phillip knew that scripture was important to Nathaniel. NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Revelation, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process. Now, let's go on and look at group two, and we're going to cover two of them this time, and two of them next time. Notice, by the way, Philip says, We have found him, even though in reality its the other way around. Phillip & Nathaniel - Faithlife Sermons Who Was Herod? Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us no details about Nathaniel's background, character, or personality. Thats how it was for Philip. Its hard to say how Philip died, especially since he was confused with Philip the Evangelist early on, and there are conflicting accounts. Can anything good come from there? Nathaniel asked. Common Men, Uncommon Calling: Nathanael - Grace to You The earliest reference in the West is in Rupert of Deutz (d. 1129). This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. James (son of Zebedee and John's brother) was called as he was mending nets inside a boat on the Sea of Galilee. Saw Nathanael Jesus certainly did. 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). 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. Found me when I sought him not.. Yeshua in its Aramaic form. Prior to this eventful day, however, none of the Twelve had been ordained or set apart to their sacred office. We know this because after the resurrection these apostles returned to Galilee with Peter and resumed their fishing trade (John 21 ). Join our email list, and well send you some of our best free resourcesplus well tell you whenever we make something new. What have you found that you can tell others about? 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. You would have no meaning, no purpose in life. Nathanael would be an Apostle, too. Never-the-less Phillip had a good heart and took the Jews to Andrew. Hi, What proof do you have that Philip and Nathanael were brothers? He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. He also was among those surrounding John the Baptist when the . These men were called the 12 Disciples. We know Jesus called them all before the foundations of the world. No? Their association with the Lord made them disciples who learned from Him, but their faithfulness and commitment sent them forth as apostles to proclaim the good news that Jesus is Lord. The one who died for me and rose again, that I might live. Second Sunday after the Epiphany Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? John 14:610. He told them to free Bartholomew, but not to take him down. It is interesting to see Jesus characterization of Nathaniel, 47 When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.. He had found the messiah. And this business about the angels of God ascending and descending? A second difficulty is the way in which Philip's name is introduced. 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. Phillip had the heart of an evangelist. We see that Philip and Nathanael were faithful servants of Jesus who had questions and concerns, doubts and fears. Who are you? Can anything good come from there? Nathaniel asked. The Call of the Four Disciples in John 1 - JSTOR [1] "Come and see," said Philip. Phillip eventually got the message. 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. John writes, Philip found Nathanael and said to him, we have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (John 1:45). Invite the folks you knowyour friends and neighbors and your family membersinvite them to come and see. And here's Nathaniel meeting Jesus for the first time and Jesus says this about him. 01/14/18 "Call and Response: Philip and Nathanael" If you remember back to our study of Peter, Jesus didn't actually say follow me to Peter until the end of his earthly ministry (John 21:19) after his failure on the night of Jesus the trail. It was inconceivable to Nathaniel that the messiah would come from a tacky place like Nazareth. You are the King of Israel! Jesus replies: Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? Despite these thoughts and feelings, however, they continued to be positive instruments in the hands of God. Peoples ears are closed to the gospel by many kinds of prejudice. Nathanael is described as initially being skeptical about whether the Messiah could come from Nazareth, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth? As a result, the church has doubted Eusebius account of Philip for nearly a millennia. That's group two. 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Its easy to read the gospels and Acts and not even notice that there are two different Philips. People may say: St. You are the King of Israel!. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing. Now today let their story become your story also. Come and see, said Philip. John 1:4346. Their branches are low and spread as far as 25 for 30 feet. Jesus cross is our Jacobs ladder. Phillip doesn't like maybes. Of course. After all Jesus didn't fit his picture of the messiah. His Greek name is Bartholomew. 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? If you are traveling from the Mediterranean to Galilee you would pass through Nazareth. 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. As we discussed earlier, these Greeks may have come to Philip because they knew him, or simply because he had a Greek name and spoke Greek the best. The cross of Christ is our Jacobs ladder. So when Jesus said these things to him, he might have questioned if Jesus was just flattering him? Did you see that Jesus sought Phillip out? of [5] Some scholars hold that Jesus' quote "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you", is based on a Jewish figure of speech, referring to studying the Torah. Yes, Jesus is here, present in our midst. Thomas says, We dont know where youre going. He saw numerous demonstrations of Jesus divinity. John 1:45 Commentaries: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We If you are going from Chicago to Indianapolis, you might travel through Merrillville. We find their names together side-by-side as companions. He is here to open heaven for us. Unless you looking for the shrine built upon the supposed location of where Jesus turned water into wine you probably wouldn't want to go there. It was. The Bible doesn't say Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. Fun fact: Johns desire to tell us who said what is the reason Thomas got stuck with the infamous moniker, Doubting Thomas. For some reason Practical Philip didnt catch on, though. Jews in Jesus day looked down on the Galilean's. He didn't know what to do. Nathanael, also referred to as Bartholomew in the gospels, was one of Jesus original twelve disciples. His response to Jesus and reveals his character. I would like to have a deeper walk with God through the study of the Bible. In Johns gospel, the author mentions that Jesus had sought out Philip shortly after calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be His disciples (John 1:43). Well, thats what happens now in Jesus. Those are all good. Nathanael (Bartholomew) was called after Philip told him about the Lord. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. We dont learn much about Philip from the synoptic gospels or Book of Actsin fact, pretty much all we learn is that hes always listed with Bartholomew. When Jesus spoke out against the religious establishment in Jerusalem, the religious leaders just chalked that up to his coming from lowly Nazareth. Jesus called Philip, who had been a disciple of John the Baptist's ( John 1:43 ), and then Philip went and found Nathanael and told him about Jesus. Just short and sweet, Come and see. Philip doesnt engage Nathanael in a prolonged argument about the merits of Nazareth. And so the church then is our Bethel, the house of God where we find Christ, where heaven is opened to us. Jesus is calling you to be his disciple. In Nathanael, Christ had found a genuine and authentic believer. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Nathaniel however did not receive the message well. 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. Now Phillip had seen Jesus created wine out of water in Cana. In Luke and Matthew, an unnamed disciple asks Jesus if he can bury his father before following him. In most instances, Nathanael is listed among the twelve disciples as Bartholomew (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). Sir, they said, we would like to see Jesus. Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. John 12:2022. 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. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. He found Nathanael, presumably someone he knew or had some kind of relationship with. Jesus proved that in His interactions with these men. The differences between John's account and the Synoptics' account are easily explained. 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. After this, Nathanael would return with the remaining apostles to the upper room in Jerusalem, joining with them in prayer as they selected Matthias as a replacement for Judas Iscariot, who had recently hung himself (Acts 1:12-26). Some people are so afraid of others religions that they closed themselves off from branches of the body of Christ. He was not a hypocrite. Philip answered him, It would take more than half a years wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite! John 6:57, Jesus already knew exactly what he was going to do, but he asked Philip what it would take to feed these peopleperhaps as a joke, or possibly, to illustrate that it would take a miracle to feed this many. These men wanted an audience with Jesus. Here are the facts, you can only drawl one conclusion. How well could you feed 5000 people? 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.
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