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Philip


Fil´ip

1 The “brother” of Herod (Antipas) and first husband of Herodias, mentioned in (Matt 14:3 and Mark 6:17, Luke 3:19). He may be Herod (Philip), son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II and half brother of Antipas. 2 Philip the tetrarch, son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra of Jerusalem, not to be confused with 1. According to the historian Josephus, he was granted rule over a portion of his father’s kingdom following the latter’s death in 4 BCE. He built Caesarea Philippi, named in honor of the emperor (and himself). 3 Philip the apostle, one of the Twelve whose name appears in the four apostolic lists (Matt 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). According to (John 1:43-51), Philip was from Bethsaida in Galilee, the home also of Andrew and Peter. When called by Jesus, Philip seeks out a skeptical Nathanael, who also responds to Jesus. Philip is also the disciple who responds to Jesus’s direct question concerning feeding the multitude, observing that it would take a large amount of money to feed so many (John 6:1-14). Later, it is Philip whom Greeks approach with their request to meet Jesus (John 12:20-22). In (John 14:8-11), it is Philip who says to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Philip later appears with the other apostles in Jerusalem after Jesus’s ascension (Acts 1:13). 4 Philip the evangelist, not to be confused with 3. This Philip first appears in the NT when he is appointed (along with Stephen and others) to supervise the daily distribution of food to the widows following the dispute between the “Hellenists” and the “Hebrews” (Acts 6:1-6). Later, Philip carries the gospel to Samaria (Acts 8:5-13), and he subsequently baptizes the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). The final NT reference to this Philip is in (Acts 21:8-9), where he and his four unmarried daughters, residing in Caesarea, are visited by Paul, who is on his way to Jerusalem.

  • Powell, Mark Allan, ed. HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Abridged Edition. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2009.