They had the same background, the same experiences in following our Lord. I would like to have a deeper walk with God through the study of the Bible. Furthermore, both Philip and Nathanael had studied the Word of God on their own. The one who gives me eternal life as a free gift. 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. 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? His answer shows us the contempt Nathaniel felt for the people of Nazareth. One tradition says that he was tied up in a sack and cast into the sea. These were Andrew, John, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James, and Levi Matthew. That's all we know about Nathaniel. Was it the right thing to do? Their association with the Lord made them disciples who learned from Him, but their faithfulness and commitment sent them forth as apostles to proclaim the good news that Jesus is Lord. Like Andrew, Philip was ready in his heart to receive Jesus as his Master. The town was located on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee and meant "house of fish." We know Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. It was Jesus who found Philip! 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. But why does John refer to his fellow disciple as Nathanael while the other gospel writers list him as Bartholomew? 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! Another tradition says that he was crucified. . He knew their hearts. From Philips perspective, this was a great discovery, and in his excitement he expresses it the best way he knows how: We have found him, the Messiah.. Nathanael (Hebrew , Greek: , "God has given"), also known as Nathaniel[1] of Cana was a disciple of Jesus, mentioned only in chapters 1 and 21 of the Gospel of John. Who was Nathanael in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org 4. The First Disciples (John 1:35-51) | Bible.org Go and tell. You too will be a Philip, filled up with the joy and excitement that comes from knowing the Lord. Well, thats all right. In most instances, Nathanael is listed among the twelve disciples as Bartholomew (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). He had found the messiah. And by his resurrection from the dead and ascension into heaven, he guarantees our own resurrection and eternal life in heaven. And that was enough to convince Nathaniel that he was messiah. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing. Now today let their story become your story also. I know I shared with you in an earlier study how each time I minister on one of the apostles I see a little bit of my own character in each of them. Let's go! The Apostles Philip and Nathanael. So quite possibly, if Phillip had introduced the Greeks to Jesus, he might have been breaking a rule. Either that or because he was the administrator of the group. These men wanted an audience with Jesus. 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 . All of this will be our focus in guiding your youth group through Episode . You have a sure hope to carry you through all the trials and afflictions of this life. Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. First is verse 3: "Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector.". The Holy Gospel for today, from John 1, takes place very early in Jesus ministry, when he was first gathering his disciples. 48 How do you know me? Nathaniel asked. We do know that Nathaniel was to faithful to the end, because he was faithful from the start. Nathanael does come and he does see. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Stories of Jesus: The Disciples: Philip and Nathanael Now Phillip had seen Jesus created wine out of water in Cana. How did the Twelve Apostles die? - NeverThirsty I know what you were doing. He paid him a high compliment: An Israelite in whom is no guile! Nathanael was already devout in the Jewish faith. The first thing he does is to find Nathanael and tell him what happened. He who has seen Me has seen the Father.. We want to point people to Jesus. Okayalthough you can reclaim at least some of that joy. He was nothing but a carpenter son. Eusebius also quotes Polycrates of Ephesus, a bishop who lived during the second century, as saying: For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the last day, at the coming of the Lord, when he shall come with glory from heaven and shall seek out all the saints. 46 Nazareth! (One tradition also claims hes mentioned in another verse, though not by name.) Can anything good come out of St. Matthews? Oh, yes! Common Men, Uncommon Calling: Nathanael - Grace to You To this Jesus replied, before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you(John 1:49). Bartholomew = son of Tolmai, probably to be identified with Nathanael. You are the King of Israel!. 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. Knowing Nathanaels heart, Jesus greeted His would-be disciple, not with chastisement or contempt, but rather, with a remarkable compliment of his character. In that passage, Nathanael is said to have come from Cana in Galilee, the same town were Jesus performed his first miracle by turning water to wine at the wedding feast (John 2:11). Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? John 14:610. 48How do you know me? Nathanael asked. Early church records suggest that he ministered in Persia and India and took the gospel as far as Armenia. 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. But even a Galileans looked down on the Nazarene's. Nathanael: Oh, Hello! He wanted to go by the book all the time. Who was Philip in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. He who has seen Me has seen the Father. (John 14:8-9).Philip and Nathanael were ordinary men with an extraordinary calling. Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us no details about Nathaniel's background, character, or personality. 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. A fig tree near house provides a large, shady, protected place outdoors. 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? Its the story of Philip and Nathanael, how they came to be disciples and follow our Lord. Because he had a Greek name. The fact that people will meet Jesus here at St. Matthew Lutheran Churchthat is what this church is all about. The one who died for me and rose again, that I might live. Well, thats what happens now in Jesus. Our Lord uses us as his instruments to invite others, so that they can hear Christs call to faith and discipleship. That's why they responded so quickly to Jesus. Nathaniel was able to overcome his prejudice. Next group comes James, Lebbaeus or Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot. His response, displays Nathaniel's character. Now that we've looked at Philips faults, and cited his inability to look at the whole picture. Do you have the excitement and joy of a Philip? In all likelihood they probably studied scripture together. We know that Judas was in charge of the money, so it made sense that someone else would be in charge of coordination and distribution of meals and supplies. He was a man who worshipped God in spirit and in truth without deceit or hypocrisy. In each of the listings of the disciples, the names of Philip and Bartholomew are linked, which could mean they were good friends or even related. In a letter to Pope Victor, Polycrates of Ephesus said: I speak of Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who is laid to rest at Hierapolis. Here are the facts, you can only drawl one conclusion. They even tried to take them to a cliff and throw him off. He was familiar with what the prophets had said. 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. Cana, Nathaniels home town was a side trip from everything. Jesus responds (seemingly harshly), Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God (Luke 9:60). 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. He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for him. However, John's account makes it very clear that each of the disciples had to encounter Jesus personally. The town was located on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee and meant house of fish.We know Andrew brought Peter to Jesus. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? 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. 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! 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. Who are you? Some people are so afraid of others religions that they closed themselves off from branches of the body of Christ. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I cant think of anything better. We know this because after the resurrection these apostles returned to Galilee with Peter and resumed their fishing trade (John 21 ). It wouldnt taken long for him to get past his prejudice and acknowledge Jesus for who He really was. He is the way and the truth and the life for everyone, include you. Now you dont have to dump the whole load in the first conversation, but you can at least say something, just like Philip did when he basically told Nathanael: We have found him, the one who makes all the difference in life.. Who was Nathanael in the Bible? - Myths and truth about Catholicism He was a founding Father of the early church and among the first to be martyred. I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.. You are the King of Israel! Jesus replies: Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? by Ryan Nelson | Jun 10, 2019 | Bible characters | 2 comments, Philip the Apostle was one of the 12 main disciples of Jesus Christ. We already looked at the passage were Philips says show us the father. Like Andrew, Philips first reaction after meeting Jesus was to go tell someone about him. The Messiah has come! Joshua in the Old Testament, which means Yahweh is salvation, or as Matthew 1:21 records for he will save his people from their sins. But there are several reasons why for centuries, many Christians have believed they were. 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. We've already looked at this passage in detail when we studied Andrew. The first six disciples, then, were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and Bartholomew. Chapter 16: The Chosen Twelve - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter 6 Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. Can anything good come from there? Nathaniel asked. "Son of Man" was one of our . You know what life is all about. Remember that? What did Andrew do? He had the ability to read Nathaniel's heart. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Origin:Hebrew. What Do We Know about Nathanael - the Disciple without Deceit? Nathaniel was a genuine spiritual child of the Abraham. He was so engrossed in his commonsense calculation, that he couldn't see an opportunity for the supernatural. All rights reserved. Thats how it went with Philip and Nathanael. Finding Philip,(A) he said to him, Follow me.(B), 44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. However Nathaniel was not impressed at first glance with Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. But now pause and consider where you are because of Jesus. Or to put it another way: Whom have you found? These men were called the 12 Disciples. Nathanael is a boy's name of Hebrew origin that means "God has given." In the Bible, Nathanael came from Cana in Galilee and was an early follower of Jesus. Church tradition identifies Philip as the missionary to Greece, Syria, and Phrygia, but even early on, Philip the Apostle was frequently confused with Philip the Evangelist (also known as Philip the Deacon), which makes it hard to distinguish which details describe which Philip. And at the same time, our Lord calls us to follow him in faith. You would have no meaning, no purpose in life. John, however, refers to the apostle almost exclusively as Nathanael in his gospel. 46Nazareth! Lets look at his response to Phillip. Nathanael was willing to leave both job and long-held religious beliefs and follow Jesus. Now remember I told that Philip was pessimistic and didn't see the big picture? James and John were brothers. Luke writes: So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. If you are traveling from the Mediterranean to Galilee you would pass through Nazareth. 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. Johns gospel features Nathaniel in 2 passages: John 1 where his call is recorded, and John 21:2 where he is named as one of those who returned to Galilee and went fishing with Peter after the resurrection and before the ascension. Phillip, like the other apostles was a man of weak faith and imperfect understanding. Phillip, Nathaniel and Thomas were fishermen from Galilee. 50 Jesus said, You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. Nathanael is convinced by Jesus' knowledge of things He couldn't possibly know by any other means than they were revealed to Him by God. We're not talking about physical dissent from Abraham or genetics, and but rather having a pure heart, without hypocrisy. By his being lifted up on the cross, he raises us up from the depths of sin and death. Houses could get full smoke and stuffy. Despite these thoughts and feelings, however, they continued to be positive instruments in the hands of God. So it is for us in our witness. Think of it this way: Think of where you would be without Jesus. Not only had he introduced his brother Nathanael to Jesus, but when Gentiles came inquiring, he and Andrew went to Jesus for and answer. Come and see, said Philip. John 1:4346. 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 ). 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 hanging there, Philip preached, and the crowd was moved to release them. How can you say, Show us the Father? In Nathanael, Christ had found a genuine and authentic believer. So when Jesus said these things to him, he might have questioned if Jesus was just flattering him? Jesus brings Philip to Himself personally and then Philip witnesses to Nathaniel and brings him to the Lord. I dont believe in organized religion. See, these are the modern version of Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Can anything good come out of St. Matthew Lutheran Church? People will raise objections, and quite often its because they want to keep Gods word at arms length. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. The Bible doesnt tell us much, and even some of the most reliable early church writers were confused about who he even was. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The most remarkable thing about his calling was that he had simply said yes. The Nathaniel was a true spiritual offspring of Abraham. No one comes to the Father except through me. How can you say no? John 1:45 Commentaries: Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We Sir, they said, we would like to see Jesus.. Saw Nathanael Jesus certainly did. Does that have to do with Martin Luther King? Church? Andrew and his brother Simon Peter sought to find Jesus, but in the case of . How about you? One of the best trees to plant near your house is a fig tree. Bartholomew literally means "son of Tolmai." But the important fact is that Philip followed Jesus and he went immediately to invite his brother Nathanael to follow Him. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Who Were the 12 Disciples (Apostles of Jesus)? Their Names and Facts It's no doubt that this is where Nathaniel went to study the scriptures and pray. Apparently Philip was also in the wilderness with John the Baptist. But the Gospel of John and the early church fill in some blanks and help us understand a little more about who he was. The Call of the Four Disciples in John 1 - JSTOR They are apparently close friends. Its hard to say how Philip died, especially since he was confused with Philip the Evangelist early on, and there are conflicting accounts. And so Jesus not only is the King of Israel, he is the king who ushers in the everlasting kingdom of heaven in our midst. When you know the Lord, it affects the way you speak and act and live. Another suggests Nathanael died by crucifixion. Philip the practical did not yet know the power of Jesus the miracle worker to multiply the five barley loaves and two fish Andrew found that the little boy was willing to share. Fun fact: Johns desire to tell us who said what is the reason Thomas got stuck with the infamous moniker, Doubting Thomas. For some reason Practical Philip didnt catch on, though. Come and see. Photo credit: Getty Images/Ascent/PKS Media Inc. What Every Christian Should Know about the Protestant Reformation. 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). . Sure his mind was tainted by prejudice, but his heart was pure. We have found him! -- His response to Jesus to follow him was without hesitation. Church tradition holds that Philip preached the gospel in Scythia (a region in central Eurasia), Syria, and Phrygia (Turkey). Nathanael was one of the 12 original apostles of Jesus Christ. Whether Philips statement was foolish or simply bold, it gave Jesus another opportunity to directly assert his divinity, and help us understand his relationship to the Father. Notice, by the way, Philip says, We have found him, even though in reality its the other way around. Ive already said that Phillip was a student of the Old Testament. Isn't that just like us? 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. Prejudice cuts a lot of people off from the truth. [2][6], Although Nathanael is sometimes identified with Bartholomew the Apostle mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels and Acts 1:13. But that Jesus can heal the blind and the deaf, that he can cleanse lepers, that he can forgive sins, that he can raise the dead. When Jesus appeared to Philip, Philip quickly identified Him as the chosen Messiah and the one he and Nathanael had read about in the Old Testament. In fact, Jesus was saying I know where your heart is, because I saw you under the fig tree. They walked with Jesus while he was upon earth. Well, Phillip has my job. Phillip had a lack of vision. Well, Nathanaels initial objection is overcome by Philips pleasant persistence and his clear invitation. The Apostle Philip is only mentioned a handful of times in the New Testamentseven times in the gospels and once in Acts. He should have said, "Lord, if you want to feed them, feed them." In vs. 43 Jesus "found" (EdpltcKeL) Philip. But when he saw the size of the crowd he began to feel overwhelmed by the impossible. "It can't be done.". Jesus is the very Son of God, come in the flesh. People may say: St. Hi, What proof do you have that Philip and Nathanael were brothers? 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?. Nathanael: It is believed that Bartholomew had ministered in Armenia and was flayed to death with knives in . Story Of Bartholomew The Apostle - The Holy Apostles Can anything good come from there? Nathaniel asked. 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. How he really died, we dont know. Or crucified upside down. He opens up heaven for us. From Philips point of view this was the end of his search. 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!. He said we have found him. What we do know is this: as one of the Twelve, Philip certainly held an important role in the early church, and he likely played a key part in spreading the gospel somewhere in ancient Eurasia. Joel Ryanis an author, writing professor, and contributing writer for Salem Web Network and Lifeway. 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. In John 1:46-50, Nathanael is introduced to Jesus for the first time. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see!. The same word introduces Simon Peter in vs. 41, and Nathanael in vs. 45. The three Gospel-writers who make record of the organization of the Twelve place Simon Peter first and Judas Iscariot last in the category; they agree also in the relative position of some but not of all . Philip and Nathanael, on the other hand, are listed jointly in John's tale. How do you know me? Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. This manifestation of divine knowledge sparks something in 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. Teaching the Twelve Apostles: Bartholomew - Concordia Publishing House