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Apostle Philip Character Study

Sep 6, 2026

  1. Introduction
    1. Every word said and unsaid, every phrase and clause, every event, every place, everything, and every person of the Bible is capable of teaching us something about God, about life, or about ourselves.
    2. Philip is what is called a “flat character”, meaning that God only reveals part of his life for us to learn from.
  2. Stage One: A Proper Introduction
    1. Philip [or “Philippos”] is a Greek name in origin and it means “lover of horses.”
    2. Many theologians suspect that Philip’s ethnic background was Greek and that he likely could speak Greek.
    3. He was from the culturally diverse city of Bethsaida.
      1. Being from a multicultural area comes with its own benefits and challenges which include: cultural enrichment experiences, creativity & adaptability in problem solving, social & personal development opportunities, cultural clashes & misunderstandings, discrimination & exclusions experiences, and experiencing political & identity backlash.
    4. 7 of 12 disciples were Galilee fishermen.
      1. There are certain qualities you need to be a good fisherman and they include: Patience, observational skills, determination & persistence, knowledge & education (like where to fish, what bait to use for a particular catch, etc.), endurance, physical strength, adaptability & adventurousness, and other practical skills.
  3. Stage Two: A Bible Introduction
    1. Is there more than 1 Philip in the Bible? Yes.
      1. Scripture: Acts 6:1-6
        1. This scripture introduces Philip the Evangelist; who is also the Philip responsible for baptizing the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8.
      2. It’s just as important to understand who the Apostle Philip is not. The Apostle Philip and Philip the Evangelist have been confused with one another throughout church history; which has led to a host of information available that may not be accurate.
      3. Key Point: It is important to confirm whether more than one person in the Bible has the name of the character you are doing a study on!
    2. Scripture Appearances
      1. Matthew 10:1-4 (as well as Mark 3:18 and Luke 6:14)
        1. What we learn: Philip was set apart for this office.
      2. John 1:43-46
        1. What we learn: Philip was exactly where he needed to be to receive his calling; Philip was obedient to God’s call when it came; Philip knew the word of God; and Philip displayed the heart of an evangelist when he went to tell Nathanael about Jesus and invited him to come and see for himself.
      3. John 6:5-7
        1. What we learn: Philip’s faith was imperfect, yet it didn’t disqualify him from bearing witness and participating in the ministry of Jesus.
      4. John 12:20-22
        1. What we learn: There is time taken again here to emphasize where Philip was from and that the people who were coming to him were Greek. Philip was exactly who he needed to be to bridge the gap between the Messiah and those that wanted to know Him, but didn’t yet!
      5. John 14:8-9
        1. What we learn:  Philip was boldly faithful enough to want to see the Father while also failing to see whose presence he was already in after spending all that time with Jesus! We can see that he was an imperfect follower and the emphasis is both on the “imperfect” and “follower.”
      6. Acts 1:12-13
        1. What we learn: We can see that Philip wasn’t perfect, but he was obedient to his calling and continued to try! Even after the “failure” that happened on John 14, he keeps trying!
    3. So, Who Was Philip: A Recap
      1. The Apostle Philip, of Bethsaida, who became a “Fisher of man” was exactly who he needed to be to do the work he was called to do.
      2. Philip was a literal and obedient guy with a heart desiring to share a good thing (evangelistic) who was chosen by Jesus to do just that.
      3. Key Point: An imperfect follower of Christ, who was willing to keep trying!
    4. Why Should Who the Apostle Philip Was Matter To You?
      1. God can work through who you are!
        1. Key Scripture: Romans 9:11-12
          1. We should understand that imperfection doesn’t disqualify you when God has chosen you for a task!
          2. Imperfection doesn’t disqualify you, but disobedience can keep you from stepping on the land that God has promised to give!
        2. Key Scripture: Hebrews 13:20-21
          1. If you are willing to keep trying to do the will of the Lord, He will continue to equip your imperfect self with what you need for doing his will.
      2. Strive to Run a good race.
        1.  If we learn to run our race well, the snapshots of our life can include the things we are proud of like: our obedience to God’s will, our gracious victories, and our elegant failures that still show the mercy of God because how you fail and how you suffer is every bit as important as how win and achieve.
        2. Key Scripture: Philippians 2:13
          1. God is empowering you to run a good race.
        3. Key Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3
          1. It’s not your power, but divine power made available to you through Christ.
          2. It’s not something you’ll accomplish in your power and it’s not something you are obligated to do alone…God is with you and so are we.