Philip

Etymology

From 'philos' (loving, fond of) and 'hippos' (horse). A thoroughly Greek name borne by two distinct New Testament figures — Philip the apostle and Philip the evangelist.

Who they were

Two Philips shape the New Testament. Philip the apostle was from Bethsaida and one of the first disciples called by Jesus. His instinct was always to bring people: when he met Jesus, he immediately found Nathanael and said, 'Come and see.' At the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus tested Philip by asking where they could buy bread for the crowd. Philip calculated — 'It would take more than half a year's wages' — the practical mind encountering the impossible. His most memorable moment came at the Last Supper when he said, 'Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.' Jesus' gentle rebuke — 'Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?' — is one of the most intimate exchanges in the Gospels. Philip the evangelist (Acts 6-8) was one of the seven deacons and became a groundbreaking missionary. He preached in Samaria, then was directed by an angel to a desert road where he encountered an Ethiopian court official reading Isaiah. Philip explained the passage, the official believed, and Philip baptised him — one of the earliest examples of the gospel crossing racial and geographical boundaries. Philip the evangelist had four daughters who prophesied, making his household one of the most prophetically gifted in the early church.

Character qualities

• Instinct to bring others to Jesus
• Practical thinking
• Desire to see God
• Obedience to unexpected directions

Key verse

John 14:8-9

Where they appear

Themes

Variants & related forms

Phil · Philippe · Felipe · Filippo

Related names