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! Nathanael does come and he does see. Nathanael: Well, Philip went on to tell me that the "Messiah" he had found was from a little town called Nazareth. It should be noted that James and John had the same father, Zebedee (Matthew 10:2) and Peter and Andrew were brothers (Matthew 10:2). 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? These men were called the 12 Disciples. In Luke and Matthew, an unnamed disciple asks Jesus if he can bury his father before following him. In this instance, Nathanaels prejudice was confronted with the obvious, observable, and undeniable truth of who Jesus was. 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. The most remarkable thing about his calling was that he had simply said yes. So quite possibly, if Phillip had introduced the Greeks to Jesus, he might have been breaking a rule. What Do We Know about Nathanael the Disciple without Deceit. Nathanael declares, Rabbi, you are the Son of God! He was nothing but a carpenter son. Blog at WordPress.com.RSS 2.0Comments RSS 2.0, Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing (John1:43-51). Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. And presumably, if he did not use distinguishing details, the early church wouldve assumed he meant Philip the Apostlethe most well-known Philip. Prejudice effectively causes people to remain cut off from the gospel. Phillip is the administrator -- the bean counter. His prejudice caused him to be skeptical when Phillip told him that the messiah was the Nazarene. Save 15% for life on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. But Jesus just couldnt be contained in Phillips book. The one who gives me eternal life as a free gift. This Philip is explicitly identified as the evangelist and one of the Seven. If this were Philip the Apostle, it would be odd for Luke to provide two distinguishing details and not call him the apostle. After Philip finds Nathanael and tells him they have found the Messiah, the One who was promised in the Law of Moses and the Prophets, Nathanael makes his way to see this Jesus. Whats that? Remember how the people of his hometown felt about him? The name Bartholomew is a family designation, meaning "son of Tolmai.". Your changed life, your verbal witness, your faith evident in your lifethis becomes a witness to others. In fact, Jesus sees Nathanael approaching and he says, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit! Nathanael can tell that this Jesus somehow knows something about him, that he has divine insight. While it's easy to gloss over this quick interaction, a few key insights into Nathanael's character can be gleaned from this verse. Little is written about him the Gospels and book of Acts. Ive already said that Phillip was a student of the Old Testament. Its worth noting that Nathanael is rarely mentioned apart from the listing of the twelve disciples. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Jesus has just told them that his Fathers mansion has many rooms and hes going to prepare a place for them and come back and get them. How can you say, Show us the Father? By his being lifted up on the cross, he raises us up from the depths of sin and death. All rights reserved worldwide. Who was Nathanael in the Bible? - Myths and truth about Catholicism We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. Nathanael was one of the 12 original apostles of Jesus Christ. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And Jacob called that place Beth-El, the house of God, the gate of heaven. Nathaniel is also called Bartholomew, which is a Hebrew name meaning God has given". It is Elohim, a portion of Elohim. That being said, we know Nathanael went on to play an important role in the formation of the early church, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth, as Jesus had commissioned His disciples to do before His ascension (Matthew 28:19-20). James and John: the two sons of Zebedee, who were called next: Philip and Bartholomew; the latter of these is by some thought to be Nathanael. He is speaking to you today. Most accounts say that he was put to death by stoning in Asia Minor eight years after the martyrdom of James. Houses could get full smoke and stuffy. They were companions and had probably known each other for years. Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 21:1-6. Or crucified upside down. Imagine the amazement of the disciples as they participated in this miracle and saw the crowd fed, with a dozen baskets left over from the overflow.Philip was good about bringing people to Jesus. There was nothing fake or insincere about him. How can we get there., The disciples think theyre going to the Fathers house soon, and Jesus responds, If you really know me, you will know my Father as well., Philips basically trying to demonstrate his faith by saying, I dont even care about the details. You would have no meaning, no purpose in life. Christ came down from heaven, for us men and for our salvation. He was a founding Father of the early church and among the first to be martyred. Philip was one of those people who could do math and his head. Teaching the Twelve Apostles: Bartholomew - Concordia Publishing House Nazareth was the smallest, most unimportant town I could think of. People may say: St. Isn't that just like us? In fact much of Israel rejected their messiah because of their prejudice. Simon and, probably, James were brought to Jesus by their brothers. Phillip had a lack of vision. The Nathaniel was skeptical. Nathanaels name is never directly mentioned again in the New Testament. Prejudice is feeling base. How about you? But while the Judeans often looked down on the Galileans, it seems even the Galileans had a particular disdain for the rough, uncultured, and uneducated people of Nazareth. Start for FREE. Apostles Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew . Nazareth on the other hand was a rough town. How did the Twelve Apostles die? - NeverThirsty We find their names together side-by-side as companions. John's gospel is the only one that mentions a man named Nathanael, who appears to be an apostle (John 1:43-51).John also never mentions Bartholomew. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee and He found Philip and said to him, Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 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. Second Sunday after the Epiphany Hear his personal care for you. . You would be lost and helpless and hopeless, headed to hell. For less than $5/mo. Nathanael was willing to leave both job and long-held religious beliefs and follow Jesus. We already looked at the passage were Philips says show us the father. He should have said, "Lord, if you want to feed them, feed them." It was a kind of private outdoor space -- perfect for meditation, reflection, and solitude. Nathaniel was prejudice. I am going there to prepare a place for you. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. He was so engrossed in his commonsense calculation, that he couldn't see an opportunity for the supernatural. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. In other translations, Jesus refers to him as the one in whom there is no guile.. Who Were the 12 Disciples (Apostles of Jesus)? Their Names and Facts So we know that like Philip, Andrew and Simon, Nathanael was from the region of Galilee, and specifically he was from the town of Cana. The Call of the Four Disciples in John 1 - JSTOR In John's Gospel, Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip, from Bethsaida. They are apparently close friends. In both stories, the character of Philip (who in The Chosen is a disciple of John the Baptist) plays an important role as a kind of mentor/counselor, inviting Nathanael and Matthew to come and see the paradoxical Outside-In logic of the Kingdom of God and the meaningful role they can play in following the call of Jesus. Phillip was good at finding ways to get out of doing things? Jesus responds (seemingly harshly), Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:60). Now that we've looked at Philips faults, and cited his inability to look at the whole picture. And this business about the angels of God ascending and descending? In most instances, Nathanael is listed among the twelve disciples as Bartholomew (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). Lets look at his response to Phillip. To be a leader, you have to have a sense of vision. He went and found someone he could share his joy with. Today I want you to see yourself as a Philip. And when they come, what they will find here is Jesus giving out his gifts. You too will be a Philip, filled up with the joy and excitement that comes from knowing the Lord. It was Jesus who found Philip! Jesus has found you and called you to follow him. Im guessing that unless youre talking to an orthodox Jew, you probably wont start out by saying, We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote. Thats going to go over most peoples heads. Rabbit trail about a fig tree: houses in that culture were mostly small -- generally made up of one room. Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you., 49Then Nathanael declared, Rabbi,(L) you are the Son of God;(M) you are the king of Israel.(N), 50Jesus said, You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. And like the other apostles, Nathaniel stands to prove that God can use anyone, from any place, provided he has an open heart to build his kingdom. Peter and James came to the Lord because of the personal soul-winning of their brothers. Following Philips breaking news, however, a second insight into Nathanaels character is revealed. Jesus brings Philip to Himself personally and then Philip witnesses to Nathaniel and brings him to the Lord. After all Andrew could introduce anyone to Jesus. The Philip we call the Evangelist or the Deacon is first mentioned in Acts 6 when the church selects seven people to distribute food. We know this because after the resurrection these apostles returned to Galilee with Peter and resumed their fishing trade (John 21 ). In the Gospel of John, Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip, from Bethsaida (1:43-44). Jesus died on the cross as our substitute, taking our sin and death on himself, thus opening heaven and eternal life to us. 48How do you know me? Nathanael asked. bible - What is the significance of Jesus seeing Nathanael under the "It can't be done.". Did the fig tree reference indicate his occupation, as a fig-gatherer? Besides if Andrew got in trouble that would be Andrew's problem. As John relates how the disciples were called, Philip and Nathanael were the 3 rd and 4 th men named as disciples. Go to Romans 9:6-7, the apostle Paul says, "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are deceit and Abraham.". We need to take a little rabbit trail here in so that you can get the scope of his prejudice. Cana is off the beaten track, sort of like the little town pastor lives in. The Nathaniel was a true spiritual offspring of Abraham. Be prepared for that, but then be pleasantly persistent. Associated Bible Students of Central Ohio - Apostlebook_05 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. [8] The earliest reference to this theorywhich is based on Bartholomew being properly a surnameis found in Ishodad of Merv (c.850). Theres really not much we can say about Philip without speculating. Jesus is calling you to be his disciple. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Thats where we werelost, wandering aimlessly, not looking for God. The fact that people will meet Jesus here at St. Matthew Lutheran Churchthat is what this church is all about. How well could you feed 5000 people? Barley is cheaper, so with one denari we could buy 20 barley biscuits, and if we get the small ones, and break them in half no it simply cannot be done. Philip died sometime in the first century, possibly around 80 AD. But when he saw the size of the crowd he began to feel overwhelmed by the impossible. (1) St John, who twice mentions the name of Nathanael, never mentions that of Bartholomew; (2) the three Synoptists mention Bartholomew but not Nathanael. But maybe youll put it a different way, perhaps like this: I have found my Savior, and hes your Savior too. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. )Most scholars believe that either Papias was talking about Philip the Evangelist (due to the reference to his daughters) and using the term apostle more broadly, or else Papias confused the two. Hes one of four people named Philip in the Bible, and hes often confused with Philip the Evangelist, who plays a minor role in Acts. Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. Clement of Alexandria, who lived in the second and third century, claimed that this unnamed disciple was Philip: If they quote the Lords words to Philip, Let dead bury their dead, but do thou follow me . And regardless of the fact that Jesus came from Nazareth, he was omniscient. Either that or because he was the administrator of the group. John seems more interested in telling us who said what, and using Philips answer to set up Jesus miracle. 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. . Jesus finding you and saving you and leading you day by day, all the way into eternal lifethis is what life is all about. While there are some variations in the order the apostles appear and even the names they went by, Philip is listed in all of them. John relates the first, introductory meeting of Jesus with Andrew, John, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael. Philip preached the Faith in Greece and he was martyred at Hierapolis in Persia in the year 62. Jesus couldn't have known where I Nathaniel had been or what he had been doing and unless he had been omniscient. They probably came to hear John the Baptist together. It bears wonderful fruit and gives good shade. Who was Philip in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org It bothered them that the messiah and all his apostles came from Galilee. Before Philip invited his brother, already Jesus had an intention of calling the young man. We dont know. [2][6], Although Nathanael is sometimes identified with Bartholomew the Apostle mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts 1:13. What you saw was what you got. Jesus response to him, 9 Jesus answered: Dont you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? How he really died, we dont know. Thats life-changing! The story begins with Jesus finding Philip and saying to him, Follow me. Notice that: Jesus finds Philip. Commentary John 1:43-John 1:51 Family-Times.net He gives me meaning and purpose and hope in life. Like the Apostle Thomas, Philips only significant mentions come in the Gospel of John (and theyre still not that significant). Found me when I sought him not.. Wide open stand the gates!.
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