Why is the order of Jesus' calling His disciples different in some of Now that doesn't say they Jesus didn't seek out the others and invite them to be part of the group, because they had been directed by John. You are the Son of God! Likewise, Philip, when Jesus called him, went to his brother Nathanael and said, We have found Him (meaning the Messiah foretold by Moses and the prophets). Blind and dead in our sins, enemies of Godthat is our natural state. These were Andrew, John, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James, and Levi Matthew. Its really saying the same thing. 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Philip was one of those people who could do math and his head. He loved God with a pure heart and desired to see the messiah. Matthews? Just seeing the Father will be enough for us.. Now Phillip had seen Jesus created wine out of water in Cana. Imagine that, this is the first time Nathaniel meets Jesus and Jesus calls him a true Israelite without deceit. Unless you looking for the shrine built upon the supposed location of where Jesus turned water into wine you probably wouldn't want to go there. Rabbit trail: 1 denari is equal to one day's wages. Why do you think the Greeks would seek out Phillip? These men were part of Jesus' inner group. Geneva Study Bible Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES) Meyer's NT Commentary Luke 6:14-16. Jesus knew Nathanaels heart. As Jesus predicted in John 1:51, they were present at the ascension of Jesus and saw heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. They were able to observe first-hand that Jesus is the bridge between earth and heaven. The most remarkable thing about his calling was that he had simply said yes. Let's see, one denari can buy 12 wheat biscuits. Instead he told Jesus that I couldn't be done. Why did Jesus single Phillip out? He said, 45 Philip found Nathaniel and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.. As the Son of God, he is the only one able to save us from our lost condition. Nathanael: Oh, Hello! They had the same background, the same experiences in following our Lord. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. In the Gospel of John, Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip, from Bethsaida (1:43-44). And they both probably had an earnest desire to see the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Our final look at Phillip comes a short time after the Last Supper on the eve of the crucifixion. Its culture was largely unrefined and uneducated. The good. Who Was Bartholomew the Apostle? The Beginner's Guide But it does seem clear that the mention of Nazareth was an initial obstacle in Nathanaels mind. This comment has been removed by the author. After all Nazareth didn't exist in the Old Testament. It was then that Jesus made a statement concerning his own death, using the grain of wheat dying in order to spring forth to bear much more grain: He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:25).Philips request, Show us the Father brought forth a mild rebuke: Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? Either that or because he was the administrator of the group. Its possible that they knew him personally, or perhaps he spoke Greek better than the other disciples (he did have a Greek name after all). Or I know that you take your devotion time every day before you go to work to study the scriptures. Its hard to say how Philip died, especially since he was confused with Philip the Evangelist early on, and there are conflicting accounts. When hes not writing stories and defending biblical truth, Joel is committed to helping young men find purpose in Christ and become fearless disciples and bold leaders in their homes, in the church, and in the world. Come and see. Come and see if you too wont encounter the Messiah, the Savior sent from God, in this person Jesus I want you to meet.. How could he now say, "Show us the father"? They each mention him only once -- when they list all 12 apostles. Notice Philips reply to the problem that Nathanael has with Nazareth. They walked with Jesus while he was upon earth. Get Your Bible Minute in Your Inbox Every Morning. John writes, Philip found Nathanael and said to him, we have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph (John 1:45). Common Men, Uncommon Calling: Nathanael - Grace to You Second Sunday after the Epiphany Excitedly, he tells Nathanael, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote. In other words, Philip is telling his fellow Jew, Nathanael, We have found the Messiah. The Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed Onethe promised deliverer prophesied in the Scriptures, the one who will fulfill all the promises God made to our fathers: Guess what, Nathanael? Cana is off the beaten track, sort of like the little town pastor lives in. Andrew responded to the situation and brought Jesus a boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Indeed, in the Sacrament of the Altar, heaven and earth come together. The first thing he does is to find Nathanael and tell him what happened. Maybe the excitement has worn off. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going., 5 Thomas said to him, Lord, we dont know where you are going, so how can we know the way?. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 Nathanael said to him, "Can anything . Nathanaels name is never directly mentioned again in the New Testament. No, he probably ran through a list of rules of regulation in his mind and tried to figure out whether Jesus should talk to these Gentiles. 10 Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? This is as good as it gets! Did you see that Jesus sought Phillip out? He found Nathanael, presumably someone he knew or had some kind of relationship with. We find their names together side-by-side as companions. How dare he tell them what to do? Find out what you will discover on this adventure of faith. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. The first six disciples, then, were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and Bartholomew. (1) St John, who twice mentions the name of Nathanael, never mentions that of Bartholomew; (2) the three Synoptists mention Bartholomew but not Nathanael. "Come and see," said Philip. We can cut through a lot of the fog and smokescreens and side issues when we point people to Jesus and invite them to meet him here at our church. But why does John refer to his fellow disciple as Nathanael while the other gospel writers list him as Bartholomew? As common tradesmen (possibly fishermen), their study of the Old Testament would have been something they had undertaken as both a hobby and a passion, not a profession. Philip preached the Faith in Greece and he was martyred at Hierapolis in Persia in the year 62. But when he saw the size of the crowd he began to feel overwhelmed by the impossible. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. The Nathaniel was a true spiritual offspring of Abraham. He who has seen Me has seen the Father. (John 14:8-9).Philip and Nathanael were ordinary men with an extraordinary calling. Who Was Philip the Apostle? The Beginner's Guide 48 How do you know me? Nathaniel asked. Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? John 14:610. He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for him. You know what life is all about. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Rabbit trail about a fig tree: houses in that culture were mostly small -- generally made up of one room. Little is written about him the Gospels and book of Acts. Papias also refers to the Philip in Acts 21 as an apostle, and that title was usually (but not always) reserved for the Twelve. . His response to Jesus and reveals his character. 2 In my Fathers house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. Bartholomew would have been Nathanaels Hebrew surname, meaning son of Tolmai. Nathanael, his first name, means God has given. Nathanael, therefore, would have been known formally as Nathanael, son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmai. You would have no meaning, no purpose in life. Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 'Nazareth! By his being lifted up on the cross, he raises us up from the depths of sin and death. Finding Philip,(A) he said to him, Follow me.(B), 44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Found me when I sought him not.. Save 15% for life on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael, how they came to be disciples and follow our Lord. Go and tell. Philip answered him, It would take more than half a years wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite! John 6:57, Jesus already knew exactly what he was going to do, but he asked Philip what it would take to feed these peopleperhaps as a joke, or possibly, to illustrate that it would take a miracle to feed this many. Christ came down from heaven, for us men and for our salvation. Does that have to do with Martin Luther King? Church? From Philips point of view this was the end of his search. The earliest reference in the West is in Rupert of Deutz (d. 1129). Lets look at his response to Phillip. You will see greater things than that. 51He then added, Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see heaven open,(O) and the angels of God ascending and descending(P) on[d] the Son of Man.(Q). Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. In fact much of Israel rejected their messiah because of their prejudice. I would like to have a deeper walk with God through the study of the Bible. 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Can anything good come from there?(I) Nathanael asked. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Most Bible scholars believe Nathanael and Bartholomew were the same person. Given the fact that Peter and Andrew were also from Bethsaida, and possibly even James and John, the sons of Zebedee, (John 1:44), the likelihood that many of the disciples knew each other, were close friends, and possibly even coworkers and fellow fisherman prior to meeting Jesus becomes more conceivable. This time were going to look through Phillip's eyes. Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? Logos Bible Software 10 review: Do you REALLY need it? Its the story of Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing. Now today let their story become your story also. And so Nathan-el, Nathanael is a gift of God. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46 "Nazareth! He is called Nathanael in John 1. Remember that? Let's go! 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Now days He would have been accused of spying on the brothers instead. But the Gospel of John and the early church fill in some blanks and help us understand a little more about who he was. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Jesus is calling you to be his disciple.