Philip appears on the scene
The instructions of the Lord at Olivet must have left the Apostles wondering just how the great commission would be done. How would it take place? When would it all happen? What would allow them to take the Gospel to Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria and the uttermost parts? How would they fund it? Would they preach to Jews exclusively? How would the issue of Gentiles and the Law be solved? It is the absence of these details and disclosing of an executional plan that is really the message here. The Lord would reveal it to them, in his way and in his time. The Gospel would be preached successfully in many new and unfamiliar lands, but it would not be dependent on the ingenuity or wisdom of the disciples. The plan for the Gospel, indeed the plan for our lives, rests with our Lord and his angels.
Scripture is silent about the background of this outstanding man. From the selection of Philip as one of the seven that attended to the needs of the Hebraic and Grecian widows, we might assume that he was a young man with great potential. He was viewed as being honorable and trustworthy, worthy of commanding complete confidence in the work he would do. Considering what we know of Stephen from Acts 7, we might assume that Philip also had been greatly blessed with the Spirit. He was a man that bridged divergent groups, one that could be counted on to serve without partiality. Such a man is of great value in any ecclesial situation.
No doubt, Philip had many of the same personal desires we all have. He wanted to serve. He wanted to make his life useful to his Lord. Eventually, no doubt, he hoped for the opportunity to have a family and the intimacy of loved ones. But, there would be time for that. Right now he was busy doing whatever the Lord needed of him. In Acts 6-8, what we see is a brother fully unencumbered from distraction — able to move and serve in any way possible.
The introduction of Philip in Acts 6 results from squabbling and murmuring in the Jerusalem ecclesias. We cannot be sure how much truth there was to the allegations that the Hebraic widows were receiving preferential treatment to the Grecian widows. Nevertheless, it was a significant threat to the accord of their fellowship and a major distraction within the ecclesia. This “problem” would eventually drive positive change in the ecclesia, as it often does. The Apostles realized that they could no longer “leave the word of God, and serve tables.” This led to a first recorded “division of labor” in the early church, with the apostles doubtless drawing this instruction from the counsel of Jethro in Exodus 18.
Until the martyrdom of Stephen and the following persecutions against Hellenistic believers in Jerusalem, of whom Philip was one, no doubt Philip assumed that the care for the widows would be his life-long work. Maybe not what he would have personally chosen, but it was nevertheless important work. He must have thought, “If the Lord wants me to do this work, I am honored to do it!” So, for what appears to be a short period of time, the narrative leaves Philip, serving tables in Jerusalem.
Not long afterwards, the preaching and martyrdom of Stephen is recorded for us in Chapter 7. We see in Stephen a man that represented great potential in the church.
Described as “a man full of faith and the Holy [Spirit],” Philip is named next on the list. Stephen represented the first record of a Hellenistic Jew to stand before the Jewish leaders and “perform great wonders and miracles among the people.” If Peter and John had been a threat previously, Stephen was a three alarm fire! Even a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith, signaling to the Jewish leaders that they were in the midst of crisis.
Philip to Samaria
It is after the Jews murdered Stephen, that a wider persecution began of those in Jerusalem that carried the name of the Lord. Only the Apostles stayed on in the city, but other disciples, including Philip, were scattered abroad. There was no plan recorded, no strategic conference called to decide where they would go. Perhaps Philip was intending to head to Galilee? But, he finds himself in Samaria and takes the opportunity to share the Gospel message with the Samaritans. The Lord had previously plowed this territory, as was recorded in John 4, so, perhaps, Philip may have thought, there could be interest. Was there ever! The Samaritans gave heed to Philip and he did “signs” among them. It might appear to us that this is really the work always intended for Philip. Perhaps he thought so too. Recalling the words of Jesus in Acts 1, Philip would have known that Samaria was a near term target for the Gospel. Perhaps he connected the dots and calculated that indeed the Lord had decided that this, not waiting on tables in Jerusalem, was his intended “mission.” The visit of Peter and John confirm the authenticity of belief of the Samaritans and it would be only reasonable to assume that Philip was filled with joy to have the Lord involve him in such exciting work.
It is unclear whether Philip returned to Jerusalem with Peter and John or if he stayed on in Samaria, doing the work. If the former, one might wonder if he returned to the work of serving tables, or if he now had been viewed as an apt teacher and one that would be of great service in the city. If the latter, one might imagine that there were countless hours of teaching and serving. Either Philip must have thought that he newly-defined mission was to preach to the Samaritans, or he was destined for significant work back in Jerusalem.
The way that goes to Gaza
But then quite expectantly, the angel commands Philip to go to the south, the way that goes to Gaza, which is desert. No reason is given, no compelling plan is revealed by the angel. Rather, Philip was told to go and he went. As he arrives in the region (and only then), he was told to go and join himself to the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot, reading aloud what we know to be Isaiah 53. Perhaps this had been reading this passage because it had been debated in Jerusalem during his recent stay there? Whatever the reason, the angelic guidance puts Philip, who runs to meet the eunuch, at exactly the right place and the right time to preach to him Jesus Christ. He “began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” Unfortunately, this article doesn’t permit us to explore this interaction further, but it demonstrates the faith and obedience of Philip to do the Lord’s work. Again, we might think that Philip had thought to himself that his mission apparently was now to go with the Ethiopian to his homeland and further the Gospel there. But, the chapter ends with Philip being snatched away after the immersion and is next seen at Azotus a few miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea and south of Joppa.
Azotus
Azotus? What was the work that he was to do there? Scripture is rather silent about Philip for many years. Yet, we might not be surprised to see that between Azotus and Caesarea, his final destination, there were 4 ecclesias (Appolonia, Lydda, Joppa, Saron) spoken of in New Testament Scriptures. Could these have been a result of his work? It would not be surprising to learn this to be true.
Remember our initial premise about Philip? We postulated that Philip was a young man when we are introduced to him in Jerusalem. But, now some 20 years have passed and in Acts 21, as Paul, Luke and others continue their missionary journey, we find them arriving in Caesarea and lodging at the home of Philip, now called the Evangelist — one of the seven. What of this man now? It is said that he had four virgin daughters who did prophesy. What a fantastic blessing for this man — daughters that were rich in the Spirit and fully dedicated to the Lord’s service. Could anyone ask for more? The nomadic life of this wonderful preacher found permanent residence in a Roman town on the seaside of the Plain of Sharon, many miles from Jerusalem.
This story is teeming with exhortations for us all. When the Lord puts opportunities for us to serve in front of us: find a way to say yes! You never know where it may ultimately take you. A small contribution, a word in season, can lead to results we may never have been able to predict. Not because it is our planning and thinking, but because when we say yes to the work before us, it is the Lord that commands the ship. Philip’s life also seems like a wonderful illustration of the Lord’s exhortation – “seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” The Lord knew Philip’s needs and desires and he knows ours too. Philip put the Lord’s work as being primary in his life. There was nothing more important to him than serving and seeking his righteousness. In the end, the Lord greatly blessed him, heaping on him blessings Philip might never have imagined. Can we seek him first?
The Lord spoke a wonderful parable about the wind (John 3), the night Nicodemus came to him. We can feel the wind and hear it, but we don’t really know where it comes from or where it is going. The wind “bloweth where it listeth.” Can we honor our Lord by following his promptings like this, allowing him to blow us whatever direction he finds useful? Can we find a way to become unencumbered in our lives so that we can respond when the Lord calls? If we will do this, he knows our needs and will bless us beyond what we ourselves could ever do by our own hand. He will give us strength and opportunity to serve in ways we never dreamed.
We can pause here to imagine how Philip would look back over his life with great joy as he saw how the strength of the Lord was present in his life and presented him a life experience filled with meaning and purpose. How blessed he must have felt. Are there tables to serve in your life? Find a way to say “yes!”
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One