By Dr. Don Bierle, FaithSearch President
The apostle Philip is known only from the Gospels. The Bible says he was from Bethsaida in Galilee, the same hometown as Andrew and Peter (John 1:44). He is listed as one of the twelve apostles in all four accounts in the Bible (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13). He is not to be confused with Philip the evangelist, identified as a deacon in Acts 6:5.
Philip may have had some difficulty comprehending the teachings and deity of Jesus. For example, before Jesus fed the 5,000, the Bible says He specifically asked Philip (as a test) how they could possibly feed all those people (John 6:5‑6). Philip’s answer suggests it had not yet occurred to him that as the Son of God, Jesus would be able to do it miraculously. Likewise, in the Upper Room on the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, Philip again revealed that he had not yet comprehended the full meaning that Jesus is the “I AM.” Jesus informed him on that occasion that to see Him (Jesus) is to see the Father (John 14:7-11). They are one “substance.”
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