Philip, like Peter and Andrew, was from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44; 12:21). The synoptic gospels list him among the Twelve but say little about him. The Gospel of John, however, gives him a distinct role.
In the Gospels
In John's gospel, Philip is the first person Jesus explicitly calls ("Follow me," 1:43), and he immediately finds Nathanael and brings him to Jesus (1:45–46). Later, before the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus tests Philip by asking where they might buy bread (6:5–7). When Greeks come to see Jesus, they approach Philip first (12:20–22) — a detail that suggests he had a Greek-speaking background or was known to the Greek-speaking world. At the Last Supper, Philip asks Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us," and receives the reply, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (14:8–9).
Later Life and Death
Later tradition — chiefly Papias (c. AD 100–130, quoted by Eusebius) and the apocryphal Acts of Philip (c. AD 150–200) — places Philip's later ministry in Phrygia, in Asia Minor, where he is said to have preached and performed miracles. He is said to have died at Hierapolis, either by crucifixion or by stoning, though the sources disagree on the details.
One source of confusion: Papias distinguishes between "Philip the apostle" and "Philip the evangelist" (the figure from Acts 6 and 8, one of the Seven deacons). Some traditions confuse them. The profile here concerns the apostle Philip, one of the Twelve, not the evangelist.
Sources
- Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.31; 3.39.
- Acts of Philip (apocryphal; unreliable as history).
- Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament, 889.