Holy Apostle Philip
Come and See
Selected passages from the Gospel of John
The call of Philip
Editor's note
Philip was a Galilean of Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter. The Fourth Gospel tells of his call on the day after Andrew brought his brother, and lays beside Philip's own call the words by which he in turn brought Nathanael. The pattern is the Gospel's quiet method of the first weeks: one disciple finds another, and the witness travels from mouth to mouth before any public preaching has begun.
John 1:43-46 (KJV)
ScriptureVerbatim Scripture.
The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Lord, shew us the Father
Editor's note
On the night of the Mystical Supper, after the Lord had spoken of going to prepare a place and of being himself the way, Philip put a request that was the whole hope of the patriarchs of Israel: to see the Father, even for an instant, as Moses had asked on Sinai. The Lord's answer is one of the central sayings of the Fourth Gospel on the unity of the Father and the Son.
John 14:8-9 (KJV)
ScriptureVerbatim Scripture.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Jesus saith unto him, 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?