That is our starting point, and it is a dead end. Rabbit trail about a fig tree: houses in that culture were mostly small -- generally made up of one room. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. This was not flattery. He didn't need to see any further proof. They even tried to take them to a cliff and throw him off. Jesus is the very Son of God, come in the flesh. And by his resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven, he guarantees our own resurrection and eternal life in heaven. After Philip finds Nathanael and tells him they have found the Messiah, the One who was promised in the Law of Moses and the Prophets, Nathanael makes his way to see this Jesus. And presumably, if he did not use distinguishing details, the early church wouldve assumed he meant Philip the Apostlethe most well-known Philip. How well could you feed 5000 people? Imagine that, this is the first time Nathaniel meets Jesus and Jesus calls him a true Israelite without deceit. Like Andrew, Philips first reaction after meeting Jesus was to go tell someone about him. Some scholars speculate that Philip may have also been a disciple of John the Baptist, since: Before Jesus famously fed the crowd of more than 5,000 people, he decided to test Philip: 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? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Obviously Phillip knew that scripture was important to Nathaniel. 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. Come and see. Okayalthough you can reclaim at least some of that joy. In both stories, the character of Philip (who in The Chosen is a disciple of John the Baptist) plays an important role as a kind of mentor/counselor, inviting Nathanael and Matthew to come and see the paradoxical Outside-In logic of the Kingdom of God and the meaningful role they can play in following the call of Jesus. Do you have the excitement and joy of a Philip? Either that or because he was the administrator of the group. So if you wanted to escape the noise and the stifling atmosphere the house, you could go outside and rest under the fig tree. As John relates how the disciples were called, Philip and Nathanael were the 3 rd and 4 th men named as disciples. 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. 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. Come and see, said Philip. John 1:4346. Just like he finds us. Remember how Phillip had announced in Nathaniel that he had found the messiah. Phillip is the administrator -- the bean counter. It was. 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). Luke writes: So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. We can conclude that he interpreted it literally because it was so easy for him to believe that Jesus was the messiah. After Jesus tells the disciples hes preparing a place for them and that they know where hes going, Thomas asks, How can we know the way if we dont know where youre going?, Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. Nathanael (Hebrew , Greek: , "God has given"), also known as Nathaniel [1] of Cana was a disciple of Jesus, mentioned only in chapters 1 and 21 of the Gospel of John . The day after that, Jesus went . You shall see greater things than that. 51 He then added, I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.. Nathaniel who came from an even lowlier village was simply echoing the sentiments of the Jewish establishment when he expressed his contempt for Nazareth. If you are traveling from the Mediterranean to Galilee you would pass through Nazareth. January 14, 2018, Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing (John 1:43-51). Now days He would have been accused of spying on the brothers instead. The Gospel of John recounts Philip's calling as a disciple of Jesus. Philip preached the Faith in Greece and he was martyred at Hierapolis in Persia in the year 62. Phillip had to get beyond human limitation. The first thing he does is to find Nathanael and tell him what happened. John 1:35-46 "Come and See"Real Discipleship 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! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. And they both probably had an earnest desire to see the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. 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. He leads the way, every step of the way, all the days of our life. He gives me meaning and purpose and hope in life. 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. These were Andrew, John, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James, and Levi Matthew. Heaven and earth meet in him. He knew that he had longed to know God, sitting alone under the fig tree to study His Word. These cookies do not store any personal information. They were both disciples of John the Baptist who preached to Israel of the coming deliverer. Notice Philips reply to the problem that Nathanael has with Nazareth. I would like to have a deeper walk with God through the study of the Bible. Still, there are some things we can learn about Philip the Apostle from the Bible, and we can glean a few insights from the early church as well. Did the citizens of Nazareth hold the same view of those from Cana? And whats more, this new life doesnt stop with you. . They had studied the Law of Moses and read the prophets. Prejudice cuts a lot of people off from the truth. Maybe the excitement has worn off. Besides if Andrew got in trouble that would be Andrew's problem. The New Testament lists all twelve apostles four timesMatthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, Luke 6:13-16, and Acts 1:13-16. He knew who look for. 48How do you know me? Nathanael asked. [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]. 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. And so the church then is our Bethel, the house of God where we find Christ, where heaven is opened to us. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.. Matthews? 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. These were either God-fearing Gentiles, or full-fledged Hellenistic Jews on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. He simply says, Come and see. Thats it. Let me just say a little about his name while you're turning there. Its possible that they knew him personally, or perhaps he spoke Greek better than the other disciples (he did have a Greek name after all). In the synoptic gospels, the writers simply tell us these exchanges took place between Jesus and the disciples, and the dialogue cuts to the chase a little more. But theres good reason to believe there are probably two different people named Philip. Be prepared for that, but then be pleasantly persistent. The good. Like we sang earlier: Love that found mewondrous thought! It wouldnt taken long for him to get past his prejudice and acknowledge Jesus for who He really was. One record says he died of natural causes. It says in John 21:2 that Nathanael was from Cana not Bethsaida. But why does John refer to his fellow disciple as Nathanael while the other gospel writers list him as Bartholomew? Thats why we invite people. But even a Galileans looked down on the Nazarene's. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Trust in God; trust also in me. Jesus cross is our Jacobs ladder. He might have been the same person as Nathanael. Or I know that you take your devotion time every day before you go to work to study the scriptures. Like many in Israel, this was something (or someone) they were eagerly waiting and even searching for. In fact, Nathanaels local knowledge and civic pride would come to light when called upon to follow Jesus. They each mention him only once -- when they list all 12 apostles. Peoples ears are closed to the gospel by many kinds of prejudice. Phillips closest companion is Nathaniel. In Nathanael, Christ had found a genuine and authentic believer. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. 10 Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? . Stromata. Its hard to say how Philip died, especially since he was confused with Philip the Evangelist early on, and there are conflicting accounts. John relates the first, introductory meeting of Jesus with Andrew, John, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. 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. Church tradition holds that Philip preached the gospel in Scythia (a region in central Eurasia), Syria, and Phrygia (Turkey). What is known is that Nathanael was almost certainly martyred for his faith like the rest of the apostles, with the exception of John. It bothered them that the messiah and all his apostles came from Galilee. If anything will put some excitement and joy into your life, this will. As a man, in the flesh, Jesus takes our place, both in keeping Gods law and in taking the laws punishment on sinners. We have found him! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The Bible doesn't say Nathanael and Bartholomew are the same person. (LogOut/ That's group two. 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.. The disciple named Philip was, along with Peter and Andrew, from Bethsaida in Galilee ( John 1:44; 12:21 ). Nathaniel however did not receive the message well. "The Chaldeans confuse Bartholomew with Nathaniel," according to Giuseppe Simone Assemani. Hes just pleasantly persistent, inviting Nathanael to find out for himself. Not linked to together using the conjunction and like we see what the brothers Peter and Andrew or James and John. Who Was Herod? Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me. Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. The Nathaniel was skeptical. Nazareth was the smallest, most unimportant town I could think of. Im guessing that unless youre talking to an orthodox Jew, you probably wont start out by saying, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote. Thats going to go over most peoples heads. Nazareth on the other hand is at a crossroads. 46 Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' Nathanael asked. But ultimately, above all, when we talk about our church, we want to talk about the one who is the very heart and center of our church, the churchs whole reason for existence. It was inconceivable to Nathaniel that the messiah would come from a tacky place like Nazareth. If we stretched the metaphor, we might consider it to be the wrong side of the tracks. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see!. Origin:Hebrew. 46 Nazareth! (3) Philip is closely connected with Nathanael and also with Bartholomew. Instead he told Jesus that I couldn't be done. One of the first things we learn about Philip in the Gospel of John is that like Simon Peter and Andrew, he comes from Bethsaida, a town by the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44). No doubt Phillip had already begun counting heads. 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. It bears wonderful fruit and gives good shade. Nathanael recognizes Jesus as "the Son of God" and "the King of Israel". James and John: the two sons of Zebedee, who were called next: Philip and Bartholomew; the latter of these is by some thought to be Nathanael. 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. We need to take a little rabbit trail here in so that you can get the scope of his prejudice. Can anything good come from there? Nathaniel asked. 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. In fact, Jesus was saying I know where your heart is, because I saw you under the fig tree. Allegedly, he converted a proconsuls wife, which angered the proconsul enough to have him and Bartholomew crucified upside down. Finding Philip,(A) he said to him, Follow me.(B), 44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. As we saw earlier we know that it was Phillip who introduced Nathaniel to Jesus. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael, how they came to be disciples and follow our Lord. Philip then probably went with Jesus and found Nathanael at or near Cana ( John 1:48 ). Nathanael - The True Israelite Believed to Be the Apostle Bartholomew. His first response after meeting Jesus was to find his friend Nathaniel and tell him about a messiah. After Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James, and John, he finds Philip: The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Nathanaels name is never directly mentioned again in the New Testament. [2][6], Although Nathanael is sometimes identified with Bartholomew the Apostle mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts 1:13. In fact it isnt today either. Furthermore, both Philip and Nathanael had studied the Word of God on their own. They didn't believe that messiah could come out of Nazareth. Nathanael would be an Apostle, too. Phillip was already in the presence of the living and eternal God. Some people are so afraid of others religions that they closed themselves off from branches of the body of Christ. 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! Let's see, one denari can buy 12 wheat biscuits. "Come and see," said Philip. You know what life is all about. Thats life-changing! Nathaniel knew the Old Testament. But Phillip didn't bring them to Jesus did he? Nazareth is the same way. In fact, its possible that Philip the Apostle was confused with Philip the Evangelist as early as the first or second century. Grow in your knowledge and faith. Jesus calls us to keep on following him, in a lifelong journey of faith. We know Jesus called them all before the foundations of the world. Philip and Bartholomew are frequently mentioned together in the Synoptic Gospels, although Nathanael is never mentioned. That being said, we know Nathanael went on to play an important role in the formation of the early church, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, as Jesus had commissioned His disciples to do before His ascension (Matthew 28:19-20). In all likelihood they probably studied scripture together. 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. You are the King of Israel! Jesus replies: Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? He did things by the book, and was practical minded. This suggests that both Phillip and Nathaniel knew the Old Testament prophecy. get to know the Bible better! His Greek name is Bartholomew. You will see greater things than these. Jesus here is telling Nathanael that he will see the divine power and blessing of God displayed in Jesus ministry time and time again. But now pause and consider where you are because of Jesus. Notice, by the way, Philip says, We have found him, even though in reality its the other way around. Join our email list, and well send you some of our best free resourcesplus well tell you whenever we make something new. So When Jesus tested his faith, Phillip responded with unbelief. Finding Philip, he said to him, Follow me.. Jesus knew Nathanaels heart. He wanted to go by the book all the time. Despite his flaws, if there was one thing Nathanael wasnt, it was a hypocrite. Hear his personal care for you. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Another says he was beheaded. Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. 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.
were philip and nathanael brothers