Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. Christ came down from heaven, for us men and for our salvation. He doesnt get sidetracked. Papias also refers to the Philip in Acts 21 as an apostle, and that title was usually (but not always) reserved for the Twelve. Bartholomew literally means "son of Tolmai." Imagine that, this is the first time Nathaniel meets Jesus and Jesus calls him a true Israelite without deceit. Let's go! This suggests that both Phillip and Nathaniel knew the Old Testament prophecy. In fact, it is your life! Bartholomew = son of Tolmai, probably to be identified with Nathanael. Nathanael was doubtful at first. 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. You will see greater things than that. 51He then added, Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see heaven open,(O) and the angels of God ascending and descending(P) on[d] the Son of Man.(Q). By the grace of God, Nathanael was chosen to follow Christ. In fact much of Israel rejected their messiah because of their prejudice. Jesus responds (seemingly harshly), Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:60). The Holy Gospel for today, from John 1, takes place very early in Jesus ministry, when he was first gathering his disciples. He went and found someone he could share his joy with. And they both probably had an earnest desire to see the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. How about you? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. . They even tried to take them to a cliff and throw him off. Be prepared for that, but then be pleasantly persistent. Nathaniel was prejudice. Well, Phillip has my job. Those are all good. Despite his flaws, if there was one thing Nathanael wasnt, it was a hypocrite. Nathaniel was able to overcome his prejudice. He didn't need to see any further proof. Why do you think the Greeks would seek out Phillip? Prejudice is feeling base. ., Caius the Presbyter (a Christian writer in the third century) wrote: And after this there were four prophetesses, daughters of Philip, at Hierapolis in Asia. No one comes to the Father except through me. He gives me meaning and purpose and hope in life. Meaning:God has given. James (son of Zebedee and John's brother) was called as he was mending nets inside a boat on the Sea of Galilee. And so the church then is our Bethel, the house of God where we find Christ, where heaven is opened to us. Hes one of four people named Philip in the Bible, and hes often confused with Philip the Evangelist, who plays a minor role in Acts. What am I talking about? But while the Judeans often looked down on the Galileans, it seems even the Galileans had a particular disdain for the rough, uncultured, and uneducated people of Nazareth. (1) St John, who twice mentions the name of Nathanael, never mentions that of Bartholomew; (2) the three Synoptists mention Bartholomew but not Nathanael. The earliest reference in the West is in Rupert of Deutz (d. 1129). Nathanael declares, Rabbi, you are the Son of God! Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me.. Follow me, learn from me, as my disciples. Well, thats all right. We see that Philip and Nathanael were faithful servants of Jesus who had questions and concerns, doubts and fears. He knew his prejudice. Nathanael: Oh, Hello! And so Jesus not only is the King of Israel, he is the king who ushers in the everlasting kingdom of heaven in our midst. Johns gospel features Nathaniel in 2 passages: John 1 where his call is recorded, and John 21:2 where he is named as one of those who returned to Galilee and went fishing with Peter after the resurrection and before the ascension. 6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. That is the most important thing in your life. Phillip doesn't like maybes. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Did you see that Jesus sought Phillip out? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. (John 14:8-9).Philip and Nathanael were ordinary men with an extraordinary calling. Of Nathanael, Jesus said, behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no deceit! (John 1:47). And regardless of the fact that Jesus came from Nazareth, he was omniscient. We already looked at the passage were Philips says show us the father. [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. I know I shared with you in an earlier study how each time I minister on one of the apostles I see a little bit of my own character in each of them. Jesus is calling you to be his disciple. Like many in Israel, this was something (or someone) they were eagerly waiting and even searching for. We know Jesus called them all before the foundations of the world. Instead he says "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" "Come and see," said Philip. The Apostles Philip and Nathanael. He played an active role in leading another apostle to Jesus. Like the Apostle Thomas, Philips only significant mentions come in the Gospel of John (and theyre still not that significant). That is our starting point, and it is a dead end. How can you say no? So Nathanael is the son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmei. So dont be afraid or ashamed to invite your friends and neighbors, your family membersanyone who needs Jesusinvite them to come and see. Come and meet Jesus here at St. Matthews. John 12 gives us another insight into Philips character in, 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. 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.. Go to Romans 9:6-7, the apostle Paul says, "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are deceit and Abraham.". Nathanael is a boy's name of Hebrew origin that means "God has given." In the Bible, Nathanael came from Cana in Galilee and was an early follower of Jesus. Phillip should have known better he had lived with Jesus day in and day out, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for over 18 months. So we know that like Philip, Andrew and Simon, Nathanael was from the region of Galilee, and specifically he was from the town of Cana. The ugly. He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for him. Learn how your comment data is processed. One of the best trees to plant near your house is a fig tree. Of course, no reliable record exists of how Nathanael died. He was nothing but a carpenter son. We have found him! The story begins with Jesus finding Philip and saying to him, Follow me. Notice that: Jesus finds Philip. We do know that Nathaniel was to faithful to the end, because he was faithful from the start. Nathanael was from Cana in Galilee ( John 21:2) and was brought to Jesus by his friend, Philip, who also became one of Jesus' disciples. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered: Dont you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Excitedly, he tells Nathanael, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote." In other words, Philip is telling his fellow Jew, Nathanael, "We have found the Messiah." They were both disciples of John the Baptist who preached to Israel of the coming deliverer. There's no reliable record about how he died. To challenge his friends blind bigotry, Philip responded with a simple invitation. My friends, this is surely good news! I suppose we would be equally surprised if Jesus said, I know what a faithful servant you are because I know that you get up every morning at 6:30 and go into the family room to pray. Peter and Andrew were early followers of John the Baptist. So its very strange to see Phillip eagerly accept Jesus offer to follow him. Besides if Andrew got in trouble that would be Andrew's problem. He was a man who worshipped God in spirit and in truth without deceit or hypocrisy. Second Sunday after the Epiphany We need to take a little rabbit trail here in so that you can get the scope of his prejudice. And thats Jesus. Cana is off the beaten track, sort of like the little town pastor lives in. Blind and dead in our sins, enemies of Godthat is our natural state. Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 21:1-6. John relates the first, introductory meeting of Jesus with Andrew, John, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. Did the citizens of Nazareth hold the same view of those from Cana? I am going there to prepare a place for you. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." After all Nazareth didn't exist in the Old Testament. Nathanael, also referred to as Bartholomew in the gospels, was one of Jesus original twelve disciples. At this point Phillip speaks up and says, 8 Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us., How could Phillip say such a thing immediately after Jesus had just told them that he and the father were one? No? Start for FREE. Nathanael would be an Apostle, too. Nathanael recognizes Jesus as "the Son of God" and "the King of Israel". While there are some variations in the order the apostles appear and even the names they went by, Philip is listed in all of them. Eusebius also quotes Polycrates of Ephesus, a bishop who lived during the second century, as saying: For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the last day, at the coming of the Lord, when he shall come with glory from heaven and shall seek out all the saints. Okayalthough you can reclaim at least some of that joy. 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. And so we follow, as he guides us out into the highways and byways of life, where we will find people for us to talk towhere we will find our own Nathanaels. Come and see. This is as good as it gets! He belonged to the town to which Jesus was going (Cana of, Galilee, John 21:2 ). Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you., 49Then Nathanael declared, Rabbi,(L) you are the Son of God;(M) you are the king of Israel.(N), 50Jesus said, You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. I cant think of anything better. Simon and, probably, James were brought to Jesus by their brothers. Saw Nathanael Jesus certainly did. He's not questioning his friend Philip, but a true Bible scholar would be sure to test the spirits. Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael. Now was late in the day, and there were no fast food franchises. Cana wasn't a prestigious town. By his being lifted up on the cross, he raises us up from the depths of sin and death. Does God Really Work All Things Together for Good? 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. You have a sure hope to carry you through all the trials and afflictions of this life. What is known is that Nathanael was almost certainly martyred for his faith like the rest of the apostles, with the exception of John. Thats why we invite people. All rights reserved. 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. 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Nathaniel was a genuine spiritual child of the Abraham. He opens up heaven for us. Well, Nathanaels initial objection is overcome by Philips pleasant persistence and his clear invitation. And this business about the angels of God ascending and descending? In fact, the only time Nathanael is featured is in John 1 when he is first called to follow Jesus, and John 21:2, where he is mentioned along with those who returned to Galilee to go fishing with Peter after the resurrection. Hi, What proof do you have that Philip and Nathanael were brothers? Despite these thoughts and feelings, however, they continued to be positive instruments in the hands of God. Philip and Nathanael, on the other hand, are listed jointly in John's tale. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. First is verse 3: "Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector.". It wouldnt taken long for him to get past his prejudice and acknowledge Jesus for who He really was. In fact, Jesus was saying I know where your heart is, because I saw you under the fig tree. He was in charge of arranging meals and logistics for Jesus and his disciples. Come and see! (John 1:46). If we stretched the metaphor, we might consider it to be the wrong side of the tracks. Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 'Nazareth! However Nathaniel was not impressed at first glance with Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. Nathanaels name is never directly mentioned again in the New Testament. Did the fig tree reference indicate his occupation, as a fig-gatherer? And at the same time, our Lord calls us to follow him in faith. 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. Let me tell you about him. Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. In Christ, the kingdom of heaven comes down to earth. 50 Jesus said, You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. (LogOut/ Another tradition says that he was crucified. Follow me, he says to each one of us. Matthews? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He said, 45 Philip found Nathaniel and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.. After all Jesus didn't fit his picture of the messiah. Like Andrew, Philips first reaction after meeting Jesus was to go tell someone about him. He had found the messiah. This was one Jesus could transform and equip for His glory. 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. The Bible doesnt tell us much, and even some of the most reliable early church writers were confused about who he even was. Logos Bible Software 10 review: Do you REALLY need it? [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]. Hes just pleasantly persistent, inviting Nathanael to find out for himself. New International Version (NIV). In the Gospel of John, Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip, from Bethsaida (1:43-44). Notice, by the way, Philip says, We have found him, even though in reality its the other way around. For one thing, its evident that both men had been students of the Old Testament prior to meeting Jesus. He would walk with Jesus during His subsequent forty days on earth, witness His miracle on the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-8), eat breakfast with Jesus on the shores of Galilee (John 21:9-14), receive Christs great commission (Matthew 28:19-20), and observe Jesus final ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). In a letter to Pope Victor, Polycrates of Ephesus said: I speak of Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who is laid to rest at Hierapolis. Phillip eventually got the message. But Jesus just couldnt be contained in Phillips book. John says this was to test him because Jesus already knew what he would do. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis, and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus.. There he is called, "Nathanael of Cana in Galilee.". )Most scholars believe that either Papias was talking about Philip the Evangelist (due to the reference to his daughters) and using the term apostle more broadly, or else Papias confused the two. And when they come, what they will find here is Jesus giving out his gifts. "It can't be done.". Ive already said that Phillip was a student of the Old Testament. After Nathanaels initial hesitancy and question, and Jesus statement that He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree caused him to take notice of this Rabbi. Maybe he didnt think very highly of that town, we dont know. He puts me right with God. Jesus brings Philip to Himself personally and then Philip witnesses to Nathaniel and brings him to the Lord. In all likelihood they probably studied scripture together. After Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John, he finds Philip: The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,(A) he said to him, Follow me.(B), 44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing. Now today let their story become your story also. Jesus was the son of a carpenter, unknown name, from a town that didn't have any connection to prophecy. What did Andrew do? Geneva Study Bible Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES) Meyer's NT Commentary Luke 6:14-16. He did things by the book, and was practical minded. Phillip had a lack of vision. The remaining disciples were called at another time. Can anything good come out of St. Matthews? Oh, yes! You would have no meaning, no purpose in life. However, John's account makes it very clear that each of the disciples had to encounter Jesus personally. Nazareth was the smallest, most unimportant town I could think of. They walked with Jesus while he was upon earth. You are a dear child of your heavenly Father. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Thats where we werelost, wandering aimlessly, not looking for God. We know this because after the resurrection these apostles returned to Galilee with Peter and resumed their fishing trade (John 21 ). What we know about Bartholomew/Nathanael comes primarily from the account of . Philip the practical did not yet know the power of Jesus the miracle worker to multiply the five barley loaves and two fish Andrew found that the little boy was willing to share. Philip was from Bethsaida, the same city as his friend Andrew. One record says he died of natural causes. He hadnt put on a show or pretended to be something he was not to impress anyone, let alone Jesus. Or crucified upside down. So Jesus finds Philip and calls him to follow. We have to remember that even though he had a Greek name, he was still a Jew and would have heard Jesus say that he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Let me just say a little about his name while you're turning there. Save 15% for life on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. Another suggests Nathanael died by crucifixion. It bears wonderful fruit and gives good shade. (LogOut/ If we look at that phrase in the Greek, its translated as truly, genuine Israelite. Nathaniel however did not receive the message well. Phillip was good at finding ways to get out of doing things?
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