One of the Twelve apostles
c. AD 5 – c. AD 80 · New Testament
The apostle from Bethsaida who brought Nathanael to Jesus ('come and see' — John 1:46), who was tested at the feeding of the 5,000, and to whom Jesus said 'he that hath seen me hath seen the Father' (John 14:9).
Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Peter and Andrew (John 1:44). Jesus called him: 'Follow me' (John 1:43). Immediately Philip found Nathanael (Bartholomew): 'We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth' (John 1:45). When Nathanael was skeptical, Philip simply said: 'Come and see' (John 1:46) — a model of unforced evangelism. Philip is one of the Twelve listed in all four lists (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). The Gospel of John gives him several specific scenes. At the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus tested him: 'Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?' Philip answered practically: 'Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them' (John 6:5-7). He had not yet grasped Jesus' provision. When Greeks came seeking Jesus, they approached Philip, who brought them to Andrew, and together they brought them to Jesus (John 12:20-22). At the Last Supper, Philip asked: 'Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.' Jesus answered: 'Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father' (John 14:8-9). This is one of the most profound Christological statements in Scripture. Philip's last scene in the canon is the upper room (Acts 1:13). Tradition holds he ministered in Phrygia (Asia Minor) and was martyred at Hierapolis. Note: Philip the apostle should be distinguished from Philip the Evangelist (Acts 6:5, 8, 21) — one of the seven deacons who preached to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian eunuch. They are different people.
In Bethsaida
Model of evangelism
Practical but limited answer
Gentile inquiry
"He that hath seen me hath seen the Father"
Last NT mention
Philip's significance: (1) He brought Nathanael to Jesus — a model evangelist. (2) His invitation 'come and see' is one of the simplest, most effective gospel approaches. (3) His question at the Last Supper drew out one of Christ's clearest statements of his deity (John 14:9). (4) He stands among the foundational Twelve, witnesses of Christ's life, death, and resurrection. (5) Tradition holds he ministered in Asia Minor and was martyred — fulfilling Jesus' word that disciples would suffer for the gospel.
“Come and see.”— John 1:46
“Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”— John 14:8
Philip was one of the twelve apostles, from Bethsaida (John 1:44). Jesus called him with 'Follow me' (John 1:43). He brought Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus with 'Come and see.' He was tested at the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6) and asked Jesus 'Show us the Father' at the Last Supper (John 14:8), prompting Jesus' famous reply: 'He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.' Tradition holds he ministered in Asia Minor and was martyred at Hierapolis.
They are different people. Philip the apostle (John 1:43, John 14:8) was one of the Twelve. Philip the evangelist (Acts 6:5; 8; 21:8) was one of the seven deacons chosen to oversee the church's care for widows. He preached to the Samaritans (Acts 8:4-13), then to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). Don't confuse them in reading Acts.
John 14:8 — 'Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.' Jesus responded: 'Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?' (John 14:9). This is one of Scripture's clearest statements that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (cf. Colossians 1:15).
The New Testament does not record his death. Early tradition (especially Polycrates of Ephesus) holds that Philip ministered in Phrygia in Asia Minor and was martyred at Hierapolis, possibly by crucifixion or stoning. He is one of the apostles whose post-NT ministry is documented in early Christian sources, though details are not always reliable.