Who was Phillip the Evangelist?

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Jesus, Phillip, Summary, Who Is

Phillip was one of the Seven Deacons The first mention of Phillip is in Acts 6:5, where he is listed as one of the seven men chosen by the apostles to serve the widows and the poor in the Jerusalem church. This was a response to a complaint by the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. The apostles decided to appoint seven men “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” to oversee this ministry, so that they could devote themselves to prayer and preaching.

The seven men were Stephen, Phillip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus. They are often called “the Seven Deacons”, although the word “deacon” is not used in Acts 6. However, they performed a similar function as the later deacons in the church: serving the physical needs of the community and assisting the apostles.

Phillip was a preacher and an evangelist Although Phillip was chosen to serve tables, he also had a gift for preaching and evangelism. He was one of the first to spread the gospel outside Jerusalem, after Stephen’s martyrdom sparked a persecution that scattered the believers. He went to Samaria, where he proclaimed Christ and performed miracles, attracting many converts, including Simon Magus, a sorcerer who tried to buy the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:4-25).

Later, Phillip was directed by an angel to go to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, where he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a high official of Queen Candace, who was reading Isaiah 53. Phillip explained to him how this prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus, and baptized him upon his request. Then, Phillip was miraculously transported by the Spirit to Azotus (Ashdod), where he continued to preach in all the towns until he came to Caesarea (Acts 8:26-40).

Phillip was also called “the evangelist” (Acts 21:8), a term that is only used for two other people in the New Testament: Timothy (2 Timothy 4:5) and an unnamed person in Ephesians 4:11. This indicates that Phillip had a special ministry of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to different people groups and regions.

Phillip settled in Caesarea with his four daughters The last mention of Phillip is in Acts 21:8-9, where Paul and his companions stayed with him in Caesarea on their way to Jerusalem. We learn that Phillip had four daughters who were virgins and who prophesied. This shows that Phillip had a family and that his daughters had a spiritual gift of foretelling or forthtelling God’s will. We don’t know much more about Phillip’s life after this point. Some traditions say that he became the bishop of Tralles in Asia Minor, but this may be a confusion with Philip the Apostle, who is also said to have ministered there. Other traditions say that he died a martyr or a natural death in Hierapolis or Ephesus.

What can we learn from Phillip’s example? Here are some lessons we can draw from his life:

• He was willing to serve God in any capacity, whether it was waiting tables or preaching the gospel.
• He was obedient to God’s guidance, whether it was through an angel or the Spirit.
• He was bold in sharing his faith with different kinds of people, whether they were Samaritans, Ethiopians, or Greeks.
• He was fruitful in his ministry, producing many converts and spiritual gifts.

References:

• : [Who Was Philip the Apostle? The Beginner’s Guide – OverviewBible](https://overviewbible.com/philip-the-apostle/)
• : [Philip the Evangelist – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_the_Evangelist)
• : [Seven Deacons – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Deacons)