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The Guile-less Apostle with Two Names (Part 2)

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The Call of Bartholomew

Bartholomew,1 from Cana in Galilee,2 was a man who put great faith in the Scripture, and who may have understood the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah better than any of the other apostles.  He was under a fig tree when Philip approached him, probably very excitedly, and said to him, “We’ve found Him of whom Moses in the Law, as well as the prophets, did write: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph!”3  Philip knew Bartholomew, and therefore knew that he would be extremely interested in the fulfillment of the Old Testament Messianic prophecies.

In response, Bartholomew was surprised.  He replied, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”  It could be, as some claim, that Bartholomew was prejudiced against Nazareth, and truly thought it was a place of evil—a place from which nothing good could arise.4  It could also be that Bartholomew, being well-versed in the Scriptures, knew that Nazareth wasn’t mentioned in the Old Testament,5 and was simply expressing confusion as to how the Messiah could come from there.6  It is also within the realm of possibility that, being from Cana, Bartholomew was familiar with Nazareth, and knew it wasn’t anything special, thus giving him cause to question that the King of Israel would reside there.

Regardless of the reason for his statement, Bartholomew was the kind of person who was willing to listen to the evidence.  Philip knew this, which is why his response was simply, “Come and see.”  Bartholomew, being well-versed in Scripture, would have been able to point out any ways in which Jesus didn’t fit the bill as the prophesied Messiah—if there were any.  So he got up and went.

As he and Philip are walking towards Jesus, the Lord said (loud enough for Bartholomew to hear), “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile [or hypocrisy]!” This was indeed high praise from Jesus, the one who knows the hearts of men.7  Not only is Bartholomew a physical Israelite (some early writers say he was of the tribe of Naphtali),8 but he is also of spiritual Israel, one who truly loved and followed God’s law.  Like David, Bartholomew could say, “O how I love Your Law; it is my meditation all day.”9

Bartholomew, according to Jesus, was someone who was pure in heart, with no deceit.  It’s no wonder that Philip was friends with this man, and that he had to go find him to tell him about Jesus.  After Jesus said this, Bartholomew said, “From where do you know me?”10  They hadn’t met before this moment.11  What Jesus said next was all the convincing it took for Bartholomew.

Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.12

From just this one statement, Bartholomew knew that Jesus was the one Philip was certain He was.  This shows that Bartholomew was open-minded, confident in his beliefs, but ready to accept the evidence that would prove him wrong.  He had doubted that anything good could come out of Nazareth, but with just one sentence from Jesus as evidence, he knew he had been wrong.

Bartholomew then gave the great confession—the one that years later had to be revealed by God to Peter—“You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.”  He had an insight into the nature of Jesus, the nature of the Messiah that came from proper understanding of several Old Testament prophecies.  The Jewish leadership considered such a statement to be blasphemous, but Bartholomew understood that the Messiah was the Son of God.13

Jesus’ response was one of commendation, and a prophecy of things that would cause even greater belief.

Because I said to you, “I saw you under the fig tree,” you believe?  You shall see greater things than these.  Truly, truly I saw to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man.14

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 We have chosen to use the name Bartholomew instead of Nathanael because it is the name that appears in the listings of the apostles.

2 John 21:2 provides us with this information.

3 John 1:45.

4 See Barnes’ comments, as well as Barclay’s Daily Study Bible.

5 Matthew says that there was a prophecy, given by “the prophets” that Jesus would be a Nazarene (see Matthew 2:23), but all commentators and scholars agree that there is no prophecy that is specifically worded that way.  Instead, it is likely a compilation of prophecies about the despised and rejected nature of the Messiah.  Jesus is called the “Branch” or “Root” that grew up out of dry ground (Isaiah 53:2).  The Hebrew is “Neser,” which is where “Nazareth” apparently got its name.

6 It has been suggested that perhaps Bartholomew (Nathanael) was confused because he assumed that the Messiah would not only be born in Bethlehem, but also raised there.

7 There are some who take the position that Jesus was being sarcastic when He said this, and then let Bartholomew (Nathanael) know that He heard what he had said about nothing good coming out of Nazareth.

8 Contendings of the Apostles, Vol. 2, page 50.

9 Psalm 119:97.

10 John 1:48, Modern Literal Version.

11 This fact eliminates Simon, the son of Cleopas, from consideration as Nathanael, for that Simon was (it is believed by many) a first cousin of Jesus, and certainly would have met Him prior to this date.

12 John 1:48.

13 See John 10:31-36.

14 John 1:50-51.

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The Guile-less Apostle with Two Names (Part 1)

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We are continuing our free gift to you this year, giving you new sections of our upcoming book, “Who Were The Apostles” as they are being written!  We hope you’re enjoying them.

Identifying Bartholomew

Bartholomew is an enigma.  He was trusted by Jesus, given miraculous gifts, preached on Pentecost, and died faithful to his Lord, but the name Bartholomew only appears four times in the Bible—and each of those times is a listing of the apostles.

His name means “son of Tolmai,”1 which indicates that this isn’t his real first name.2  The question before us, then, is this: “Is it possible that Bartholomew was known by a different name in some of the New Testament writings?”3  This is a valid question, since the apostle Matthew was called “Levi” in some places, while he was called “Matthew” in others.4

Let us first point out some facts:

  • Bartholomew is mentioned in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts—but not in the Gospel of John.
  • John does not give a listing of the apostles (so we can’t appeal to that).
  • John, it is generally agreed, wrote his gospel account last, supplementing the other three, adding some details that weren’t covered (such as the introduction of Peter, Andrew, and Philip to Jesus).
  • There is a prominent supporting character in John’s gospel who is not mentioned by name in the other three accounts—Nathanael.

The general consensus among Bible scholars is that Bartholomew and Nathanael are the same person. The reasons for this conclusion are:

  1. Nathanael’s call is given by John immediately after the call of Andrew, Peter, and Philip—all of whom became apostles.5 Thus, it would be strange for John to include Nathanael here if he wasn’t an apostle.
  2. Jesus tells Nathanael that he will see “greater things
heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man.”6 Thus, we have Jesus’ confirmation that Nathanael was going to be a close associate of our Lord.
  3. Nathanael was the first to recognize Jesus for who He really was: “The Son of God
the King of Israel.”7 It would be odd if this man was not included among the apostles.
  4. John spends more time discussing Nathanael’s introduction to Jesus than he does on Peter, Andrew, or Philip’s introduction to the Lord,8 indicating that Nathanael was an important person. This makes no sense if he wasn’t one of the apostles.
  5. Jesus appears to the apostles twice in John 20, and then He “showed Himself again” to them in chapter 21—and Nathanael is named as one of those present.9 Logic, then, dictates that Nathanael was one of the apostles.
  6. Philip brought Nathanael to Jesus, and Bartholomew is usually placed right after Philip in the listings of the apostles. This may point to the relationship those two men had.10
  7. Philip and Nathanael are connected in John 1, and it is Philip and Bartholomew who are connected in many of the extra-biblical Acts of Philip.11 Thus, it would appear that these men who John connected were the same men connected in extra-biblical writings as well.12
  8. Possibly the most conclusive piece of evidence is that in Acts 1, in order to choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot, Peter said they had to choose someone who had been with them from John’s baptism (Nathanael fits that description) and who had seen Jesus after the resurrection (Nathanael fits that description as well). Two men were nominated that fit that description: Justus and Matthias.  The only reasonable conclusion as to why Nathanael wasn’t nominated was that he was already an apostle.

Not everyone agrees with this connection, 13 but there is no biblical evidence against it, and much to be said in its favor.  Thus, we will continue with this section under the belief that Bartholomew and Nathanael are two different names for the same man.

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 See McClintock and Strong’s Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature, Vol. 1, page 675.  See also Eberhard Nestle, Ph.D., D.D.’s article “Matthias=Bartholomew” in Expository Times, Vol. 9 (1898), pages 566-567.

2 Simon was called “Simon Bar-jona,” meaning “Simon, son of Jonah”; “Barnabas” means “Son of Consolation.”  Though Barnabas was known by that name, it wasn’t his given name.  It was a name taken on by him later, a nickname which stuck.

3 Dr. Nestle says “There is another tradition among the Syrians, that the original name of the Apostle Bartholomew was Jesus, and that the disciples did not call him by his own name because of the name of the Master, but called him after his father (the same case as with Barabbas of the Passion, who is also said to have been called originally Jesus).” Expository Times, Vol. 9 (1898), page 567.

4 Compare the calling of the tax collector “Matthew” (Matthew 9:9-13) with the calling of the tax collector “Levi” (Mark 2:14-17).  See also the chapter on Matthew later in this book.

5 John 1:35-51.  It is possible (some would argue probable) that the call of John, the son of Zebedee, is also included in those verses, making this argument even stronger.

6 John 1:50-51.

7 John 1:49.

8 The introduction of Peter covers two verses (John 1:41-42).  The introduction of Philip covers two verses (John 1:43-44).  The introduction of Andrew covers six verses (John 1:35-40).  The introduction of Nathanael covers seven verses (John 1:45-51).

9 John 21:1-2.  It should be noted that John never uses the word “apostles” in his gospel account, but only the word “disciples.”

10 This argument is given by almost all Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias.

11 See the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, page 497-510.

12 As we will see in the “Traditions” section of this chapter, Bartholomew was supposedly paired up with several of the apostles as well.

13 McClintock and Strong, in their Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Vol. 6, page 859), state:

“St. Augustine not only denies the claim of Nathanael being one of the Twelve, but assigns as a reason for his opinion that whereas Nathanael was most likely a learned man in the Law of Moses, it was, as Paul tells us (1 Cor. 1:26), the wisdom of Christ to make choice of rude and unlettered men to confound the wise (in Johan. Ev. Ch. 1, Section 17).  St. Gregory adopts the same view.”

Such a view ignores that Philip was one who was well-versed in the Law of Moses (John 1:45).

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A Quick Guide to the Apostles

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We’ve gotten some really good feedback on our articles on the apostles (which, when completed, will be published in book form).  But, for those who might not have known about them and want to catch up a bit, here’s what’s gone on thus far:

Introduction:
What is an Apostle?

Epaphroditus:
Here

The Companions of Titus (including Luke)
Here

Barnabas:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 (Traditions)

Judas Barsabbas
Here

Silas:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Timothy:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

James, the Lord’s Brother:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Introduction to “The Twelve”
Here

Andrew:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5 (Traditions)

Philip:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 (Traditions)

Coming up, starting next week, are:

  • Bartholomew
  • Thomas
  • Matthew
  • James, the Son of Alphaeus
  • Simon the Zealot
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The Further Adventures of the Disciple with “Horse” in His Name

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Philip According to Tradition

Clement of Alexandria, in passing, claims that Philip is the man who asked for time to go bury his dead father, and to whom Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their dead.”1

The Acts of Saint Philip the Apostle When He Went to Upper Hellas(2)

This writing gives the tradition that Philip went around wearing the clothes “of a recluse” and that the philosophers of Athens thought he was one of them because of it.  After hearing Philip preach, the philosophers requested three days to research about this Jesus.  Instead, they wrote a letter to the Jewish high priest Ananias, describing the miracles that Philip was doing, and asking for help.  Ananias, enraged, took an army of five hundred men and went to Athens, joined with the philosophers, and went to kill Philip, whom they said was called “the son of thunder.”3

Ananias then gives a speech, saying that Jesus caused people to leave the Law of Moses, and so they crucified Him to keep His teaching from being fulfilled, after which the disciples stole the body and performed fake miracles, claiming it was by the power of the risen Jesus.  As Ananias ran to grab Philip to scourge him, he was suddenly blinded and his hand withered.  The five hundred soldiers were blinded as well.  And after Philip uttered a prayer that these men might believe, Jesus descended from heaven, causing all the idols of Athens to fall to the ground, demons to cry out, and people to flee.  Yet the high priest refused to recognize Jesus.  Philip restored the high priest’s sight, but still he refused to believe, so the 500 soldiers requested to be healed as well so they could “cut off this unbelieving high priest.”4

Instead, Philip caused the ground to open up and swallow the high priest to the knees, then the stomach, then the neck, each time giving him the opportunity to repent.  Finally, when he refused, the ground swallowed him whole, leaving nothing but the high priest’s garment.

It is then said that Philip founded a church there in Athens, where he remained for two years, appointing elders, before going to preach in Parthia.5

The Journeyings of Philip the Apostle
(aka “The Acts of Philip”)

This writing places Philip in Hierapolis with Bartholomew (Nathanael), Stachys (possibly a reference to a man mentioned in Romans 16:9) and Philip’s sister, Mariam.6 The focus of his preaching there dealt with snake-worship that was prominent in that city.7  After converting the wife of the proconsul, Philip and company were arrested, beaten, scourged, and then drug through the streets.  The next day, the proconsul prepared to put Philip and Bartholomew to death.  Philip, according to the story, was stripped of his clothing, and iron hooks were driven through his ankles and heels, and he was hung upside-down in a tree, while Bartholomew was stretched out and nailed to the gate of the temple of the serpent.  Philip said to John, who had just then arrived, “I shall not endure it any longer; but I will accomplish upon them my threat, and will destroy them all [with fire from heaven]!”8

After Bartholomew, John, and Philip’s sister begged him to remember Jesus’ attitude on the cross, Philip responds by saying, “Go away and do not mollify [attempt to soothe] me; for I will not bear they that hanged me head-down and pierced my ankles and heels with irons.  And John
Go away from me, and I will curse them, and they shall be destroyed utterly to a man.”  Then Philip utters a curse, “Let the great Hades open its mouth; let the great abyss swallow up these the ungodly, who have not been willing to receive the word of truth in this city.”  And then it happened, the ground opened up, and over 7,000 people fell into the abyss—alive.  Then the people cried out to God, asking for forgiveness.  It’s then that Jesus appears.

Jesus chastises Philip for returning evil for evil, but Philip responds with “Why are you angry with me, Lord?  Because I have cursed my enemies?  For why do you not tread them underfoot, because they are yet alive in the abyss?  And do you know, Lord, that because of you I came into this city, and in your name I have persecuted all the error of the idols, and all the demons?  The dragons have withered away, and the serpents.  And since these men have not received your light, therefore I have cursed them, and they have done down to Hades alive.”

Jesus responds by saying that when Philip dies, he will have to spend 40 days outside of Paradise, in terror under the flaming and turning sword before he will be allowed in.  After Jesus returned the people up from the abyss, Philip gave them a final message before finally dying,9

Other Traditions

Polycrates (AD 130-196), bishop in Ephesus, records as accepted fact that Philip died in Hierapolis,10 and an inscription has been discovered there showing that their church building was dedicated to the memory “of the holy and glorious apostle and theologian Philip.”11

Hippolytus says, “Philip preached in Phrygia, and was crucified in Hierapolis with his head downward in the time of Domitian, and was buried there.”12

One ancient writing says that Philip was of the tribe of Zebulon.13  Later writings mention Galatia (Gaul) as his area of mission work.

Legends of a later origin record that Joseph [of Arimathaea] was sent by Philip from Gaul to Britain along with 11 other disciples in 63 AD, and built an oratory at Glastonbury, that he brought the Holy Grail to England, and that he freed Ireland from snakes.14

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Matthew 8:21-22. Clement of Alexandria, Strata, or Miscellanies, 3.4.25.  Found in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2. Page 385.  Note: The editors of The Ante-Nicene Fathers, for some reason, published book three (from which this information comes) in Latin instead of English (like the rest of the volumes).  The Latin quote is: Quod si usurpent vocem Domini, qui dicit Philippo: “Sine mortuos sepelire mortuos suos, tu autem sequere me:” at illud considerent, quod similem carnis formationem fert quoque Philippus, non habens cadaver pollutum.  Translated, it reads: If they quote the Lord’s words to Philip, “Let the dead bury their dead, but you do follow me,” they ought to consider that Philip’s flesh is also formed in the same way; [the] body is not a polluted corpse.  This was written in opposition to the heresies of Marcion.

2 Hellas was “the city of Athens” (The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, page 503).

3 This name was given by Jesus to James and John, not to Philip.  The Journeyings of Philip the Apostle also attributes this name to Philip.

4 The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, page 506.

5 The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, page 507.  It is worth pointing out that the biblical record refutes the idea of Philip first bringing the gospel to Athens.  The apostle Paul stated clearly in Romans 15:20 that he did not build on another man’s foundation (that is, labor where another apostle had begun the work); yet Paul preached in Athens (Acts 18).  Thus the “Acts of Saint Philip the Apostle when He went to Upper Hellas” is clearly a work of fiction.

6 The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, page 497. Philip’s family was never discussed in the biblical record, so there is no way of knowing if he had a sister and what her name really was.

7 The Journeyings of Philip the Apostle says that Hierapolis was called “Ophioryma,” which means “Serpent Town.”

8 The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, pages 499-500.

9 The Journeyings of Philip the Apostle was apparently written by Christians in Hierapolis, possibly seeking to elevate their standing in the universal church by claiming apostolic origins.  The book relates that Philip commanded a church building (which they call a “church,” proving its late date of composition) to be built by Bartholomew on the site where Philip died.  It is important to note that there are multiple sources (some earlier than this work) which place the death of Andrew in Hierapolis.  This work also seems to argue that Christians must live in complete chastity.

10 See The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, pages 773, 748.  This information also appears in Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 5.24.  However, Clement of Alexandria appears to claim that Philip did not die a martyr’s death (see his The Stromata, or Miscellanies, book 4, chapter 9).  It should be pointed out, though, that Clement also views Levi and Matthew as two different people in this same sentence, when they were in fact the same man.

11 Sir William Ramsay, Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia, Vol. 1, part 2: West and West-Central Phrygia, pages 552-553.  Ramsey gives the inscription in Greek.

12 Hippolytus on the Twelve Apostles.  See The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 5, page 255.

13 Genealogies of the Twelve Apostles, see Sir E.A. Wallis Budge’s Contendings of the Apostles, Book 2, page 50.  See also, International Standard Bible Encyclopedia entry on Philip.

14 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Joseph of Arimataea.”  See also Fausset’s Bible Dictionary, “Joseph,” 9.

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A Disciple with “Horse” in His Name (Part 2)

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Philip the Apostle

One night, the Lord spent hours alone with the Father in prayer; and afterwards, He called His disciples to Him.  From among those disciples, He selected twelve men to be His apostles.  Philip was certainly humbled and excited as he was selected to this important position.1

Following Jesus next to the Sea of Galilee shortly before the Passover feast, Philip looked around at a crowd of thousands who were gathering around.  Then Jesus looked at Philip and asked him a question in order to test him.  “Where shall we buy bread so that these people may eat?”  Philip, taking the Lord literally, answered, “Two hundred denarii of bread2 is not enough for them, that every one of them might take a little.”3  Philip trusted in his Lord, but didn’t realize that Jesus was testing his level of confidence in just how much power Jesus truly had.  When Jesus asked “Where will we buy bread,” Philip’s response was basically, “Forget about where to buy the bread, where are we supposed to come up with that much money?”  Andrew as well, bringing a boy with a very small amount of food, showed a similar lack of awareness of the immense power Jesus had.

About a year later, just days before Jesus died, a group of Greeks approached Philip, and said, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”  Why they came to Philip instead of one of the other apostles is a matter of speculation,4 but it might just be that they saw him, knowing he was one of Jesus disciples and went to him—just like they might have done regardless of which disciple it was.  Philip probably remembered that Jesus had told the apostles not to go to the Gentiles, but only the house of Israel,5 and that Jesus Himself was only sent “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,”6 and was hesitant about bringing a group of Gentiles to Him.  Instead, he conferred with Andrew, and the two of them together went to Jesus with the Greek’s request.  In response, Jesus gave a prophecy of His impending death.7

A few days later, after being with Jesus and the other apostles for the Last Supper, Philip heard Jesus again announced His departure (death).  Peter and Thomas both were confused about where Jesus was going and how they were going to go to where He was;8 and then Jesus responded with “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you should have known my Father also: and from henceforth you know Him and have seen Him.”9

It is at this point that Philip is confused.  Jesus has just told the disciples that they’d already seen the Father, and Philip’s response is, “Lord, show us the Father, and we are content.”10  In other words, “We’ve already seen the Father?  When?  Point Him out for us so we don’t miss Him.”  Some people have bad-mouthed Philip for being “ignorant” and “spiritually incapable”11 for not grasping the truth Jesus was teaching.  But how many among us can truly grasp the concept of the triune nature of the Godhead—three separate minds, yet still all one?  How many among us truly can grasp the idea of a member of the Godhead emptying Himself to live as a human?

That evening, Philip, along with ten other men, ran out of fear for his life, abandoning Jesus as the Jewish leaders, led by Judas, arrested Him.  After the resurrection of Jesus, Philip believed once more, repented of forsaking Jesus, and became a powerful force for the Kingdom of God.

The last time Philip’s name is mentioned is just before Pentecost, in Acts 1, where he was gathered with the rest of the apostles and disciples of Jesus.  He preached and baptized many people on the Day of Pentecost; was arrested and beaten some time later for preaching in the name of Jesus; and remained in Jerusalem during Saul’s rounds of persecution.  After the gathering in Jerusalem to discuss the issue of circumcision among the Gentile converts, Philip completely disappears from the biblical narrative.  But you can guarantee that God knows what happened.

The Character of Philip

Though there is not much evidence to go by, what little we have paints for us a picture of a man who was well-versed in the Scriptures and who had a very strong belief in the inspired words of God.  How else could Philip know that Jesus was the one “of whom Moses in the Law, and the prophets, did write”?

Philip was decisive.  He became a fully-dedicated disciple after hearing Jesus say “follow me.”  It’s probable that he asked Jesus some questions or sought more information (if he didn’t already know Jesus before that moment), but his decision was made the same day he was called.  In fact, the decision was made quick enough that he had time to go search out his friend Nathanael and bring him to Jesus as well.12

Philip wasn’t perfect.  Jesus tested him, asking how they were going to feed the 5,000 men, and Philip basically told Jesus, “We can’t afford to feed all these men.”  Philip didn’t yet have the confidence and full knowledge of the power of Jesus.  Later on, Philip told Jesus, “show us the Father, and it will suffice us,” and was told by the Lord, “When you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.”  Like the other apostles, their knowledge and understanding of Jesus was not complete until the Day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2.13

Philip was faithful.  He endured persecution as an apostle, yet rejoiced in the face of it.  Even years later, all the living apostles were held up by Paul as an example worthy of following.  His name is indeed inscribed on the holy city of God, the church!14

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Luke 6:12-16.

2 This is the equivalent of 8 months’ wages.

3 John 6:5-7.  Some have suggested that this is how much money Jesus and the apostles had on hand, though it is much more likely this was simply Philip’s way of saying to Jesus, “How are we supposed to get that much money?”

4 Some say they came to him because he was known as a Gentile sympathizer, others because he had a Greek name, while others suggest that he had a Greek haircut and wore Greek clothing (see College Press NIV Commentary, New Testament).

5 Matthew 10:1-6.

6 Matthew 15:24

7 These events are recorded in John 12:20-33.

8 John 13:36-38; 14:1-5.  There are those (Lockyer, specifically) who want to accuse Philip of being “stupid” and “slow-witted” for his statement in 14:8, yet they won’t level the same charges against Peter and Thomas for their lack of understanding.  If Philip was “stupid,” then so were the other apostles.  The fact is, none of the apostles had complete knowledge until it was given to them from on high beginning at Pentecost.

9 John 14:6-7.

10 John 14:8.

11 Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible, page 160.

12 Herbert Lockyer horribly besmirches the name of this inspired servant of God by calling him, among other things, “a slow-witted plodder,” and “slow in arriving at a decision, reluctant to act on his own initiative” (All the Apostles of the Bible, page 157).

13 See their misunderstanding of the nature of the Kingdom of God in Acts 1, for instance.

14 Revelation 21:14.

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A Disciple with “Horse” in His Name (part 1)

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We hope you have been enjoying reading these sections of our upcoming book, “Who Were The Apostles?”  Today, we begin talking about a man named “Philip,” whose name in Greek literally means “Lover of Horses.”

Philip the Disciple

Like Andrew, Philip is known by a Greek name, which means “Lover of Horses.”1  Philip was a Jew,2 a native of the fishing village of Bethsaida like Andrew and Peter,3 which possibly means that these men were already acquainted with each other before they were called.  He was one of the earliest disciples of Jesus, joining the band of followers just one day after Andrew and Peter.4

That day, Jesus planned to go to Galilee, and He searched for Philip.  The Greek word used by John (from which we get our word eureka!) indicates that Jesus found him after searching for him.5  When He found Philip, He said, “follow me.”6  What kind of a man must Philip have been that Jesus would actively search him out to be one of His disciples! Since Philip was from the same city as Andrew and Peter, it’s quite possible that they were the ones who suggested that Jesus find him. 7  Given the quickness with which Philip followed Jesus, and the fact that he knew where He was from and who His earthly father was, it is possible that Philip already knew Jesus, or at least knew of Him.8

Philip’s immediate response was two-fold.  First, he accepted the call to be one of Jesus’ disciples.  Second, he searched out his friend Nathanael9 and told Him they had found “Him, of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write.”10  This shows that Philip had a very high regard for the inspired word of God, and that he was awaiting the advent of the Prophet like Moses.11  After Nathanael expressed doubt because of Jesus’ hometown (“can anything good come out of Nazareth?”), Philip encouraged him to “come and see” for himself, showing that Philip had confidence in who Jesus was.12  Philip then led Nathanael to Jesus, where the Lord convinced the doubter with His greeting.13

The day after he was called by Jesus, Philip accompanied Him to the wedding feast in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine, increasing his faith in Jesus as the Messiah.14  Afterwards, Philip accompanied Jesus into Jerusalem, where the Lord overturned the tables in the temple, sending animals and greedy money-exchangers running.15  Philip watched in awe as Jesus performed miracles on the Passover in Jerusalem.16  Some time afterwards, they went out of Jerusalem, and Philip began to baptize many people.17

After returning with Jesus to Galilee, Philip apparently resumed his regular occupation while the Lord traveled around the area, preaching.18  But after Jesus returned to Capernaum, calling Andrew, Peter, James, and John, Philip must have re-joined Him, for it is thereafter that Jesus and “His disciples” ate with a tax collector named Levi, causing consternation among the Pharisees and scribes.19  Some time later, Philip and the other disciples walked with Jesus through some fields, picked some wheat, and ate some of it—all on the Sabbath—again causing the Pharisees to be very upset.20

-Bradley S. Cobb

1 Philip was a common name both then and now.  The popularity of the name likely originated with Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great.  As Alexander conquered cities and areas, new names were occasionally given, which led to the city called “Philippi” (in Macedonia), the city of Caesarea Philippi, etc.  There were three men mentioned in the Bible who had this name: (1) Herod’s brother, whose wife had been stolen from him by Herod (Matthew 14:3-4); (2) Philip the evangelist, “one of the seven” who was chosen to assist the widows in Jerusalem (Acts 6:1-6; 8:5-40; 21:8), and (3) Philip the apostle, one of “the twelve” chosen by Jesus (Luke 6:13-16).  As such, it is unlikely that we can gain any insight into the character of Philip or his family through the name he was given.

2 James Hastings, in his Dictionary of Christ in the Gospels, states that Bethsaida had a mixed Greek population, and suggests that this is possibly Andrew’s background.  While possible, such a background would almost certainly have been used as a reason by the Jews to reject the apostles, having a “half-breed” in their midst.  Since there is no hint of such an objection, this theory is highly unlikely.

3 John 1:44.  As seen in our chapter on Andrew, this verse does not necessarily mean that he still lived in Bethsaida, but that it is where he originally came from.  Andrew, according to Mark, lived in Capernaum with Peter, though John said they were from Bethsaida.

4 John 1:40-43, especially verse 43.  It seems probable that John, the son of Zebedee, was also called to follow Jesus the day before the Lord called Philip.  See John 1:35-40, and remember that John never mentions himself by name in his gospel account; the other unnamed disciple may well be the author himself.

5 ΕυρÎčσÎșΔÎč.  See Thayer’s definition.

6 John 1:43.  Vincent’s Word Studies points out that this word is often used when Jesus was calling disciples after Him.

7 A.T. Robertson, in his Word Pictures, makes this suggestion.  Herbert Lockyer, in his All the Apostles of the Bible, boldly jumps from suggestion to an all-out declaration, embellishing the gospel narrative by saying that Philip “owed his soul to Andrew
his father in the faith” (page 155).

8 It is not outside of the realm of possibility that these two religiously-minded men (Jesus and Philip), both growing up in Galilee, would have met each other.  If this is the case, then Philip would have known the impeccable character that Jesus had.  It is also possible that Philip’s quick acceptance of Jesus as the promised Messiah had to do with Jesus’ choice of words (saying “follow me” as a disciple) and the presence of Peter and Andrew, whom he apparently already knew well, saying they had already become His disciples.  If Philip was at all aware of the teachings of John the Baptizer, he would have been looking for the “greater” One that would come; and when Jesus called him to follow, he knew he’d found the One.

9 Lockyer, in All the Apostles of the Bible, states that “There are those expositors who suggest that Philip and Nathanael, or Bartholomew, were brothers” (page 156), though he does not state who.

10 John 1:45.  John uses the same word for Philip’s “finding” of Nathanael as he does for Jesus’ “finding” of Philip.

11 Deuteronomy 18:18.

12 John 1:45-46.

13 We will delve into this in more detail in the chapter on Nathanael/Bartholomew.

14 John 2:11.

15 John 2:13-17

16 John 2:23

17 John 3:22; 4:1-2.  There is no telling how many people were baptized at this point, and no names are given.  It has been suggested in the chapter on Andrew that it is perhaps at this time that Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and even Judas Iscariot were baptized and made disciples of Jesus.

18 There is no mention of the disciples in the travels of Jesus from John 4:43 through the end of chapter five.  It is after this preaching mission that He returned to Capernaum and called Peter, Andrew, James, and John—all of whom had resumed their fishing trade.  It is, therefore, logical to conclude that Philip would have resumed his trade as well during this time.

19 Luke 5:27-33.

20 Luke 6:1 (KJV) says that these events took place on the “second Sabbath after the first.”  The meaning of this phrase, and even its validity, is in question.  Some have suggested that it is a reference to the Sabbath after that which is described in Luke 4:31-41.  However, that ignores verse 44, which entails weeks, if not months of preaching after that event.  Others have suggested that this took place on the Sabbath of Pentecost, which was the second most important day on the Jewish calendar, thus literally in Greek, Luke would be calling it the “second-first” Sabbath.  Others relieve themselves of the difficulty by pointing to some of the ancient manuscripts which don’t contain the word at all, and simply record Luke saying “on a Sabbath.”  In short, there’s nothing from this passage which will give us a more exact idea of when Philip rejoined Jesus.

 

Articles

A Brief Biography of Jesus’ Brother (Part One)

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[As we promised, we are presenting you with a gift.  As we continue to write sections for our upcoming book, “Who Were The Apostles?” we will be posting them here, so you can read them before the book is released!]

James the Non-Believer

James was the son of Joseph and Mary.*[1]  Jesus was her firstborn, but James was the next-oldest among the brothers.*[2]  It’s not difficult to imagine that James might have been jealous of Jesus while they were growing up together.  Jesus would have been the perfect child, always obedient, never getting in trouble.  That’s a difficult act for His brothers to follow.

James first appears in the gospel records as someone who was outside, waiting to talk with his brother, Jesus (Matthew 12:46).  At that point in the narrative, we don’t know his name yet (or the names of his other brothers), but we do see something that might give us some insight on later events.  James and his brothers (and their mother) were waiting outside to talk to Jesus—to talk to their own brother—and Jesus’ response was to say that His true family was His disciples (Matthew 12:47-50).  Depending on what kind of people James and his brothers were, they could have taken this as an incredible insult.

The tension between James and Jesus shows up shortly before the Feast of Tabernacles.  James and his brothers mocked Jesus, telling Him that He needed to go to Jerusalem and do mighty works (even though the Jews there wanted to kill Him).  They basically accused Him of being a liar, saying that if He really was able to do these mighty works, He wouldn’t be in hiding.  But the reason they said these things is because they didn’t believe in Him—they didn’t believe He was really the Messiah.*[3]  Is it any surprise, then, that Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and in his own house”?*[4]

James the Believer

If not for a single mention of it by Paul, we would never know for certain how James went from being a scoffing non-believer to one of the foremost disciples of Jesus Christ.  Jesus had been taken away by a mob of soldiers and given mock trial after mock trial, and was finally sentenced to die by Pontius Pilate.  After being beaten, He was raised up on a cross, and hung there in agony until He finally died.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there at the cross, watching her Son.  But there is nothing said about whether James was there or not.

But some time within the next forty days, Jesus—now resurrected—found James and spoke with him.*[5]  James must have been in shock, seeing his dead brother standing right in front of him very much alive.  He would have seen the nail-prints and the whole in his side where the spear had pierced it.  And he would have felt a mixture of amazement, joy, and sorrow.  Amazement at seeing someone raised from the dead; joy at knowing his brother was alive again; and sorrow for ever doubting Him in the first place.

There is an ancient work called “the Gospel of the Hebrews”*[6] which records an interesting tradition about James:

And when the Lord had given the linen cloth to the servant of the priest, he went to James and appeared to him.  For James had sworn that he would not eat bread from that hour in which he had drunk the cup of the Lord until he should see Him risen from among them that sleep.  And shortly thereafter the Lord said “Bring a table and bread!”  He took the bread, blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to James the Just and said to him, “My brother, eat thy bread, for the Son of man is risen from among them that sleep.”*[7]

We’re not given the details of what happened next, but it certainly included a meeting between James and his younger brothers, telling them “We were wrong: Jesus is the Messiah.  He has returned.”  Then the brothers all went to Jerusalem and met with the disciples prior to the Day of Pentecost.*[8]

Somewhere between three to ten years later,*[9] the now-converted James got to meet someone else who had been an unbeliever, a mocker of Jesus Christ, but who had since been converted by a post-resurrection appearance of the Lord: Saul of Tarsus.  What an interesting conversation that must have been!  James, Peter, and Paul (and probably Barnabas as well) met together in Jerusalem, and no doubt the three men shared their stories of opposition to Christ (James through mocking and unbelief, Peter through his denial, and Saul through his persecution of Christianity), and of their full conversion by means of seeing the resurrected Christ.  It was almost certainly during this 15-day visit of Saul in Jerusalem that James told him about seeing his brother and his Lord raised from the dead.

[1] *The Catholic Church goes out of their way to try to deny this.  They hold to a false belief in the “perpetual virginity” of Mary, which is proven false by Matthew 1:25.  They attempt to say that James, Joses, Judas, an Simon, as well as their sisters, were all children of Joseph from a prior marriage—yet there is nothing in Scripture that would point to the existence of such a marriage.  Matthew 13:55-56 calls these four men his “brothers,” and the same thing is said of them elsewhere.

[2] *Matthew 13:55-56 lists James first among his brethren, indicating that he was the oldest of the four.  It should also be noted that Jesus didn’t appear to all four of his brothers after His resurrection, but only to James (1 Corinthians 15:7), who in turn went and told his other brothers.  This also points to James being the oldest after Jesus.

[3] *This is all told in John 7:1-5.

[4] *Matthew 13:57.

[5] *This specific meeting is not given in detail, but it is one of the events appealed to by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:4-7.  Apparently, this event was well-known among the early Christians, for Paul simply states it as evidence, as if his readers had already heard of it at some point.

[6] *The date of this writing is usually placed at the beginning of the second century, though some believe it should be dated around AD 50-60.

[7] *Quoted by Jerome in De viris Inlustribus 2.

[8] *The brothers of Jesus were mentioned in Acts 1:14.

[9] *Galatians 1:18-19 states that Paul’s visit to Jerusalem, where he saw James and Peter (but no other apostles), took place “after three years.”  The general consensus is that this means three years after Paul’s conversion to Christ.  However, there is no real consensus on exactly when that event took place.  Some place Saul’s conversion within a year of Christ’s resurrection, while others place it seven years later.  So, depending on which view one takes, this meeting between James and Saul of Tarsus was somewhere between three and ten years after the Day of Pentecost, or stated another way, between AD 33 and 40.

Stories

Bob Vs. The Chair

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[Today’s post is one of those “just for fun” ones.  Enjoy]

Bob walked to his chair, sweating slightly.  He feared sitting down.  The chair beckoned him with its polyester filling and vinyl covering, saying “sit here and get this novel finished.”  But Bob knew that there was no use.  He was afraid of sitting.  The last time he had sat down and tried to work on his story, he fell asleep, and woke up in the floor with the chair on top of him.  He had shattered four fingers, popped his shoulder out of joint, and got a nasty rug burn on his face.  All because of that chair.  True, it hadn’t done anything to him before, but it obviously was just biding its time.

Why didn’t he get rid of the chair and find a new one?  Because he knew that chair had a life of its own.  It would roll slowly back from the garbage dump, the neighbor’s house, or even reconstitute itself from the fire-pit and come to track him down and knock him in the floor again.

Bob decided he was overreacting.  Maybe it wasn’t really the chair’s fault.  Bob decided to give the chair one final chance.  The book needed to be finished.  He sat down and began to type.  His fingers were a blur as he tried to get the book finished before the chair attacked again.  The nervousness caused Bob to perspire greatly and large beads of sweat rolled down his arms and fingers and into the keyboard.  With only a single chapter left to go, the keyboard shorted out.  In a bout of frustration, Bob pushed back from the desk and screamed—as the chair toppled over backwards.

“You’ve won again, chair.”

-Bradley Cobb

Books, Stories

Mumbling Barry and His Horrible Death

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Today’s post is something just for your enjoyment.  So, enjoy!

Barry knew his mumbling was going to get him killed someday.  But he thought that it would at least be something more dramatic, something more heroic, something more
well, more than this.  Sitting at the stop light in his 12-year old Buick Century, mumbling along with the songs playing from the CD player, Barry noticed something up in the sky.  It was a sight he recognized, but for some reason it held his attention and would not let go.  Even the honking of the horns behind him didn’t break his concentration and focus from that sight familiar to millions of Americans: the Golden Arches.

Snapping out of his stupor (mumbling still with the music), Barry slammed on the gas and cut in front of three lanes of traffic to turn into the McParking Lot.  He paid no mind to the 12-car pileup that his rapid exodus had caused.  Instead, he bolted from his baby-blue car and ran to open the door of the restaurant.

The smell of French fries attacked his nostrils…well, as soon as he stepped past the bathroom area that is.  Barry quietly mumbled something about wishing he’d used the other door.  Much to his delight, there was no one in line ahead of him.

“Can I take your order please?” said the dazed pimple-faced kid on the other side of the counter.

Barry mumbled his order, “Iwanabigmacwitextachese.”

“Huh?”

Barry repeated himself, this time a little louder, but still mumbling, “Iwanabigmacwitextachese.”

The kid behind the register looked like his brain was about to explode from trying to comprehend Barry’s mumbling request.  Suddenly, though, it all made sense.  “Ah, gotcha, yeah.  We can do that.  Would you like fries with that?”

Barry mumbled a response, but thought he’d give the kid some help by nodding at the same time.

“And a drink?”

Barry just nodded and the McEmployee handed him an empty cup.  After paying $8.43, Barry went to get his drink, mumbling to himself about the skyrocketing price of artery-clogging food.  Grabbing his tray of food on the way back, he found an empty table by the window—and away from the restrooms.  He ripped open the wrapper on his burger and proceeded to chomp for all he was worth, tossing fries in his mouth at random intervals while filling in the gaps with quick gulps of some Coke product.

Almost done with the burger, Barry felt a sharp pain in his chest and he fell forward to the table.  A heart attack!  As he was struggling with the pain, he knocked the receipt onto the floor, where it fluttered, print-side up.  Barry’s eyes grew wide as he saw what it said.  Barry knew his mumbling was going to get him killed someday—and that day was today.  The last thing that he read in this life was the words “Big Mac with extra grease.”

-Bradley Cobb

Articles, Books

Who was Judas Barsabbas?

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[We’re sorry that we’ve not been getting posts up as regular as you might like, but we hope that the quality of the content is worth the delay]

Today, we continue our special ongoing gift of a book we’re working on, tentatively titled “Who Were the Apostles?”  And this one is yet another of the “Non-apostle Apostles,” men who were not of the 12 chosen by Jesus, but were still called “apostles” in the Scripture.

Judas Barsabbas

 

When the apostles and elders in Jerusalem needed two men to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, they chose one man whose name is familiar to Bible students (Silas), and another one whose name is usually forgotten.  Judas Barsabbas*[1] was a prominent member of the church of Christ in Jerusalem.*[2]  The first thing the Bible says about him is found in Acts 15:22:

Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; specifically Judas, surnamed Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.

Judas, or Judah, was a common Jewish name.  His surname, Barsabbas, is given to distinguish him from the four other Judas’s that appear in the book of Acts.*[3]  It is also possible that this man is the brother of the man who was not selected to replace Judas, Joseph Barsabbas (Acts 1:23).*[4]

Going by the text of Acts 15, it appears the church was excited to have Judas as their representative in taking the letter to Antioch.  The fact that this letter was about accepting the Gentiles into the church as Gentiles (and not as proselyte Jews) also shows us something about his character: he was not judgmental against the Gentiles like many of the Jews were.  He was happy to accept them as his brethren in Christ.  It is in Acts 15:27 that we see Judas Barsabbas was an apostle of the church in Jerusalem.*[5]

His mission, as given by the apostles and elders, was twofold: (1) to deliver the letter to the Gentile Christians in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, and (2) to verbally vouch for the truthfulness of the letter (Acts 15:27).[6]*  This, Judas accomplished, and the brethren in Antioch “let [him] go in peace
to the apostles” (Acts 15:33).*[7]  Most likely, Judas returned to Jerusalem and gave a report to the apostles and elders there about how the letter was received.*[8]  This report probably included that Silas decided to stay behind in Antioch for a while.*[9]

Judas Barsabbas was a Christian, baptized in order to have his sins forgiven, but he was also a preacher and an encourager.  Luke records for us that he “exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them” (Acts 15:32).*[10]  He is also a man upon whom the apostles laid their hands—he is called a “prophet,” which means he had the miraculous ability to speak messages given to him by the Holy Spirit.*[11]

Judas Barabbas was an apostle of the church in Jerusalem, the twelve apostles, and the elders there (Acts 15:23, 27).  He finished his mission and disappears from the biblical record.  There are untold thousands of Christians about whom little-to-nothing is known.  But, like Judas, there were certainly many who served the Lord in loving their brethren, and whose desire was to encourage each other in order to make sure that they would all be in heaven someday.  What a joyous thought!

-Bradley Cobb

[1] *The King James Version spells the name “Barsabas,” but the Greek has a double b in the final syllable, thus the correct spelling is “Barsabbas.”

[2] *The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia suggests that Judas Barsabbas (along with Silas) may have been an elder of the church in Jerusalem.

[3] *Judas, one of the twelve apostles (Acts 1:13), Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:16-19), Judas of Galilee who apparently claimed to be the Messiah (Acts 5:37), and Judas in whose house Saul of Tarsus was staying in Damascus (Acts 9:10-11).

[4] *This identification seems unlikely, since Luke specifically says Joseph’s surname was “Justus,” and that he was just “called Barsabbas.”  It seems that for Joseph, “Barsabbas” was more of a nickname, like “Barnabas” (Acts 4:36).

[5] *The Greek word translated “sent” is the verb form of “apostle.”

[6] *Judas and Silas were sent because “by the mouth of two or three witnesses” everything was to be established (Matthew 18:16, 2 Corinthians 13:1).

[7] *The same thing is spoke of about Silas, but Silas decided to stay in Antioch instead of returning to Jerusalem.

[8] *The text does not explicitly state that Judas returned home, but it seems to be implied, since Luke records only that Silas decided to stay in Antioch.  Some Greek manuscripts add the words “and Judas alone proceeded,” but that phrase does not appear in any notable English translations.  In other manuscripts, the entire verse is missing, and many English translations omit it completely or include it in brackets.

[9] *Acts 15:34.

[10] *The word translated “exhort” can mean “to encourage,” and is frequently translated “comfort” in the New Testament.

[11] *The only way that miraculous abilities were passed on to other Christians was by the laying on of the hands of an apostle.  This truth can be seen clearly in Acts 8:12-18 and 19:6; it is also referenced in Romans 1:11 and 2 Corinthians 12:12.