The former is found in Numbers 1:8; 1Chronicles 2:14. Phillip was the first one to hear those words and obey them. As a Bible scholar, he could have said, but wait, the messiah comes out of Bethlehem not Nazareth.. (Micah 5:2) or he could have said, But scripture tells us that he rules from Jerusalem, not Nazareth. 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. He had the ability to read Nathaniel's heart. These men were part of Jesus' inner group. The day after that, Jesus went . Join our email list, and well send you some of our best free resourcesplus well tell you whenever we make something new. No thanks. Or to put it another way: Whom have you found? Philips personality, led him to say, I don't think we can do that., 7 Philip answered him, Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!. Thomas says, We dont know where youre going. Maybe the excitement has worn off. Were about to discover that Phillip is not usually a very decisive person. Why do you think the Greeks would seek out Phillip? Did the citizens of Nazareth hold the same view of those from Cana? Nathanael does come and he does see. I suppose we would be equally surprised if Jesus said, I know what a faithful servant you are because I know that you get up every morning at 6:30 and go into the family room to pray. Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? 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). He immediately went to tell Nathanael that the Messiah had come. That would have been left to the more academically gifted students at the time. Though Cana itself was not a particularly remarkable village, Nathanaels disdain for Nazareth indicates a certain civic pride and pretension on the part of the Nathanael. As John relates how the disciples were called, Philip and Nathanael were the 3 rd and 4 th men named as disciples. Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? John 14:610. However Nathaniel was not impressed at first glance with Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. I am going there to prepare a place for you. So when Jesus said these things to him, he might have questioned if Jesus was just flattering him? All rights reserved worldwide. They are apparently close friends. Philip and Nathanael were brothers as were Andrew and Peter. Second Sunday after the Epiphany 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. What is known is that Nathanael was almost certainly martyred for his faith like the rest of the apostles, with the exception of John. (C) 45Philip found Nathanael(D) and told him, We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law,(E) and about whom the prophets also wrote(F)Jesus of Nazareth,(G) the son of Joseph.(H). By now it should have been clear that he was going to his father in heaven and the only way for them to get there was through faith in Christ. James (son of Zebedee and John's brother) was called as he was mending nets inside a boat on the Sea of Galilee. The good. The story begins with Jesus finding Philip and saying to him, Follow me. Notice that: Jesus finds Philip. Bartholomew literally means "son of Tolmai." Save 15% for life on BibleGateway+ with code SPRINGSTUDY15. Saw Nathanael Jesus certainly did. And at the same time, our Lord calls us to follow him in faith. Isn't that just like us? And we should talk about them. The name Bartholomew is a family designation, meaning "son of Tolmai.". 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.. These were Andrew, John, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James, and Levi Matthew. These cookies do not store any personal information. What does the name Nathaniel mean biblically? One record says he died of natural causes. 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. If you are traveling from the Mediterranean to Galilee you would pass through Nazareth. We anticipate our whole lives standing before the judgment seat of God and long to hear those words well done thy good and faithful servant. At the very least, Nathanael had become a close companion of Philip prior to meeting Jesus and had grown up in the same region as Peter, Andrew, James, John, and maybe even Thomas. 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. But Jesus came and sought us out. Of course. Jesus knew Nathanaels heart. When Jesus spoke out against the religious establishment in Jerusalem, the religious leaders just chalked that up to his coming from lowly Nazareth. But when he saw the size of the crowd he began to feel overwhelmed by the impossible. I know what you were doing. (Since Taco Bell wasnt an option.). After all Andrew could introduce anyone to Jesus. And so we follow, as he guides us out into the highways and byways of life, where we will find people for us to talk towhere we will find our own Nathanaels. Some traditions tell of Nathanael being flayed alive in Armenia. So, yes, you do have something to tell others about, something absolutely exciting and joyful! That's all we know about Nathaniel. Start for FREE. We find their names together side-by-side as companions. Go and tell. He who has seen Me has seen the Father.. Just like he finds us. In John's Gospel, Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip, from Bethsaida. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? So When Jesus tested his faith, Phillip responded with unbelief. Jesus was a common name. The Lord Jesus Christ is here in his church, where his gospel is preached, his word is taught, and his life-giving sacraments are administered. If we look at that phrase in the Greek, its translated as truly, genuine Israelite. Virtually everything we know about Nathaniel comes from Johns account of his call to discipleship in the wilderness shortly after Jesus is baptized. But now pause and consider where you are because of Jesus. He saw numerous demonstrations of Jesus divinity. Change). However, this tradition largely originates with Acts of Philip, a dubious fourth-century text which intermingled true accounts with legends, including a narrative involving a dragon. Nathanael: It is believed that Bartholomew had ministered in Armenia and was flayed to death with knives in . This is where he can be found. After Jesus tells the disciples hes preparing a place for them and that they know where hes going, Thomas asks, How can we know the way if we dont know where youre going?, Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. Phillip told Nathaniel about the messiah from the standpoint of the Old Testament prophecy. 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. In the Gospel of John, Nathanael is introduced as a friend of Philip, from Bethsaida (1:43-44). [9], "John Wesley's Notes on the Gospel according to Saint John: Chapter 1", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nathanael_(follower_of_Jesus)&oldid=1149908118, This page was last edited on 15 April 2023, at 05:57. And so Nathan-el, Nathanael is a gift of God. Phillip had the heart of an evangelist. In other words between all the disciples -- at least 12 of them and probably more like 70 -- all they had was eight months worth of a single laborers wages. But Phillip didn't bring them to Jesus did he? Of Nathanael, Jesus said, behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no deceit! (John 1:47). How well could you feed 5000 people? Its easy to read the gospels and Acts and not even notice that there are two different Philips. Andrew responded to the situation and brought Jesus a boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish. As a man, in the flesh, Jesus takes our place, both in keeping Gods law and in taking the laws punishment on sinners. In John 6, we read the story and of the feeding of the 5000. Because this is where he has promised to be present. That's why Jesus asked Phillip where they could buy bread. We have found him! These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Nathanael is described as initially being skeptical about whether the Messiah could come from Nazareth, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth? The words I say to you are not just my own. If you remember back to our study of Peter, Jesus didn't actually say follow me to Peter until the end of his earthly ministry (John 21:19) after his failure on the night of Jesus the trail. 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? 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Its hard to say how Philip died, especially since he was confused with Philip the Evangelist early on, and there are conflicting accounts. He knew who look for. Polycrates seems to have clearly blurred the two Philips, and Eusebius never caught the mistake. His Greek name is Bartholomew. 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. Yeshua in its Aramaic form. Add to that the legendary accounts from the Acts of Philip and Letter from Peter to Philip, and it becomes difficult to separate fact from fiction, too. Here are the facts, you can only drawl one conclusion. Still, there are some things we can learn about Philip the Apostle from the Bible, and we can glean a few insights from the early church as well. 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. One of the best trees to plant near your house is a fig tree. Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. In Christ, the kingdom of heaven comes down to earth. Well, Nathanaels initial objection is overcome by Philips pleasant persistence and his clear invitation. Jesus is the very Son of God, come in the flesh. How can you say, Show us the Father? And what did Philip do? Indeed, in the Sacrament of the Altar, heaven and earth come together. He had witnessed creative and recreative miracles. 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. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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. NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story, NIV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Revelation, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process. After Nathanaels initial hesitancy and question, and Jesus statement that He had seen Nathanael under the fig tree caused him to take notice of this Rabbi. The formal training of the 12 was over and yet their faith was still weak. Origin:Hebrew. Apostles Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew . Jesus wasn't physically present to see Nathaniel under the fig tree, and Nathaniel knew that. Well, thats all right. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Now, let's go on and look at group two, and we're going to cover two of them this time, and two of them next time. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in Hierapolis, and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus.. Invite the folks you knowyour friends and neighbors and your family membersinvite them to come and see. Trees were planted around houses to keep them cool and shaded. So Nathanael is the son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmei. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? You likewise may encounter objections when you start to tell someone about Jesus. First is verse 3: "Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector.". He should have said, "Lord, if you want to feed them, feed them." He is speaking to you today. After the resurrection, Nathanael would go on to be a key leader in the early church, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth as commissioned by his lord and savior. By the grace of God, Nathanael was chosen to follow Christ. Nathaniel was able to overcome his prejudice. And so it goes. 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! He is called Nathanael in John 1. Prior to this eventful day, however, none of the Twelve had been ordained or set apart to their sacred office.
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