Acts 6. Out of the seven Grecian (as the Greek names of all the seven imply) superintendents of the distribution of alms, appointed in consequence of the complaints of partiality to the Hebrew Christian widows, made by the Grecians or Hellenist Christians. (See DEACON .) Philip stands in the list next Stephen, they two being prominent and the only ones noticed subsequently. He like the rest was chosen by the multitude of disciples as "full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom." Philip was among those scattered by the great persecution against the church at Jerusalem (Acts 8). Philip, breaking through Jewish anti-Samaritan prejudice, was the first to follow Jesus' steps (John 4) and His command (Ac 1:8) to preach the gospel as a witness in Samaria; so he was virtually a forerunner of Paul "the apostle of the Gentiles" in his field of labour, as Stephen was in his doctrine. Jesus had declared "the fields (in Samaria) are white already to (the spiritual) harvest." Philip (by an undesigned coincidence marking genuineness) finds it so.

The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke (Ac 8:6) ... they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ ... were baptized, both men and women (Ac 8:12). The Samaritans were looking for Messiah (Joh 4:25), which paved the way; still more the two days of Jesus' presence and the conversions which He made. John, who had called for fire from heaven to consume them, now joins with Peter in confirming them (Ac 8:14,17). Even Simon Magus believed and was baptized, and continued with Philip wondering at the miracles and signs which were done. By the direction of the angel of the Lord Philip went down from Jerusalem to Gaza by the less frequented way, which was the usual one for chariots. In one an Ethiopian eunuch or chamberlain of Candace, a" proselyte of righteousness" (not as Cornelius, for whose admission to Christian fellowship a special revelation was needed, a "proselyte of the gate"), was returning from worship at Jerusalem.

By the Spirit's intimation Philip joined him as he read aloud Isaiah 53, and asked "understandest thou what thou reddest?" a question always needed in reading Scripture. The eunuch replied, "how can I, except some man guide me?" (the minister's office secondarily, but the Holy Spirit's mainly: Joh 16:13). Jesus, Philip explains, is the Lamb led to the slaughter. "In His humiliation His judgment (i.e. legal trial) was taken away," the virtual sense of Isa 53:8, "He was taken away by oppression (so in Ps 107:39) and by judgment" (not as KJV "from prison." for He was never incarcerated), i.e. by an oppressive judicial sentence; He was treated as one so mean that a fair trial was denied Him (Mt 26:59; Mr 14:55-59). "Who shall declare His generation?" i.e., who can declare the wickedness of His generation?

Philip so preached of the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus that the eunuch believed and was baptized in a stream on the way. The Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, and Alexandrinus manuscripts omit Ac 8:37, the confession of Jesus required before baptism, an early Christian usage (1Pe 3:21 end). The Spirit then caught away Philip, as Elijah of old. At Azotus (Ashdod) and the cities along the Philistine sea coast he preached all the way to Caesarea. Here Paul was entertained by him 19 years subsequently. His title now was "evangelist" besides being "of the seven." His four daughters had the gift of prophecy or inspired teaching (Ac 21:8-9). Here Philip, who had preached to the schismatic Samaritans, the dark African, and the hostile Philistine, would hail the apostle of the Gentiles who was carrying out to its world wide consequences the work initiated by the evangelist deacon. Here too Luke during his residence would hear from his own lips the details which he records concerning Philip.

Phil'ip the evangelist

is first mentioned in the account of the dispute between the Hebrew and Hellenistic disciples in Acts 6. He is one of the deacons appointed to superintend the daily distribution of food and alms, and so to remove all suspicion of partiality. The persecution of which Saul was the leader must have stopped the "daily ministrations" of the Church. The teachers who had been most prominent were compelled to take flight, and Philip was among them. It is noticeable that the city of Samaria, is the first scene of his activity. Acts 8. He is the precursor of St. Paul in his work, as Stephen had been in his teaching. The scene which brings Philip and Simon the sorcerer into contact with each other,

Ac 8:9-13

which the magician has to acknowledge a power over nature greater than his own, is interesting. This step is followed by another. On the road from Jerusalem to Gaza he meets the Ethiopian eunuch.

Ac 8:26

ff. The History that follows is interesting as one of the few records in the New Testament of the process of individual conversion. A brief sentence tells us that Philip continued his work as a preacher at Azotus (Ashdod) and among the other cities that had formerly belonged to the Philistines, and, following the coast-line, came to Caesarea. Then for a long period--not less than eighteen or nineteen years--we lose sight of him. The last glimpse of him in the New Testament is in the account of St. Paul's journey to Jerusalem. It is to his house as to one well known to them, that St. Paul and his companions turn for shelter. He has four daughters, who possess the gift of prophetic utterance and who apparently give themselves to the work of teaching instead of entering on the life of home.

Ac 21:8-9

He is visited by the prophets and elders of Jerusalem. One tradition places the scene of his death at Hierapolis in Phrygia. According to another, he died bishop of Tralles. The house in which he and-his daughters had lived was pointed out to travellers in the time of Jerome.