Hi, What proof do you have that Philip and Nathanael were brothers? And yet James was the first to die, and John was the last. 22 Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. He was in charge of arranging meals and logistics for Jesus and his disciples. 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. 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. [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. . According to John, Nathaniel came from the small town of Cana in Galilee, the place where Jesus did his first miracle. Virtually everything we know about Nathaniel comes from Johns account of his call to discipleship in the wilderness shortly after Jesus is baptized. 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. Logos Bible Software 10 review: Do you REALLY need it? Let's go! Blind and dead in our sins, enemies of Godthat is our natural state. As a result, the church has doubted Eusebius account of Philip for nearly a millennia. Jesus response to him, 9 Jesus answered: Dont you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? No hope to sustain you. Nathanael was from Cana in Galilee ( John 21:2) and was brought to Jesus by his friend, Philip, who also became one of Jesus' disciples. He paid him a high compliment: An Israelite in whom is no guile! Nathanael was already devout in the Jewish faith. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. Acts 6:24. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? You likewise may encounter objections when you start to tell someone about Jesus. To this Jesus replied, before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you(John 1:49). Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.. 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. Nathanael (Bartholomew) was called after Philip told him about the Lord. Think of it this way: Think of where you would be without Jesus. In other translations, Jesus refers to him as the one in whom there is no guile.. (LogOut/ His Greek name is Bartholomew. Those are all good. Theres really not much we can say about Philip without speculating. In fact, Jesus was saying I know where your heart is, because I saw you under the fig tree. 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). But rather than just being casual readers, Philip and Nathanael had become passionate about the Word of God, even developing an interest in the prophecies of the promised Messiah. They are apparently close friends. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? This question may have been precipitated by the lack of culture, unpolished speech and moral laxity sometimes attributed to Nazareth. Or stoned to death. Nathanael: Oh, Hello! Another says he was beheaded. Nathaniel however did not receive the message well. Allegedly, he converted a proconsuls wife, which angered the proconsul enough to have him and Bartholomew crucified upside down. One of the first things we learn about Philip in the Gospel of John is that like Simon Peter and Andrew, he comes from Bethsaida, a town by the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44). He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for him. You would have no meaning, no purpose in life. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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. One record says he died of natural causes. We're not talking about physical dissent from Abraham or genetics, and but rather having a pure heart, without hypocrisy. Notice, by the way, Philip says, We have found him, even though in reality its the other way around. (Since Taco Bell wasnt an option.). We dont know. That's why they responded so quickly to Jesus. 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). There he is called, "Nathanael of Cana in Galilee.". They walked with Jesus while he was upon earth. The latter is preserved in the names Theodore and Dorothea. 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. This was one Jesus could transform and equip for His glory. Isn't that just like us? Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. Phillip had studied the scriptures and everything lined up. Philip and Bartholomew are frequently mentioned together in the Synoptic Gospels, although Nathanael is never mentioned. 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 . How dare he tell them what to do? 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.. Meaning:God has given. The bad. [8] The earliest reference to this theorywhich is based on Bartholomew being properly a surnameis found in Ishodad of Merv (c.850). Of course, no reliable record exists of how Nathanael died. It was inconceivable to Nathaniel that the messiah would come from a tacky place like Nazareth. That's why Jesus asked Phillip where they could buy bread. These were either God-fearing Gentiles, or full-fledged Hellenistic Jews on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Well, Phillip has my job. The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. Thats where we werelost, wandering aimlessly, not looking for God. 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. These men wanted an audience with Jesus. In fact, its possible that Philip the Apostle was confused with Philip the Evangelist as early as the first or second century. Jesus knew Nathanaels heart. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wroteJesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. John 1:43-46 [Read John 1: 43-51], Philip and Nathanael were brothers as were Andrew and Peter. 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. He found Nathanael, presumably someone he knew or had some kind of relationship with. Jesus is telling them in this clearest possible language that he is God and to know him is to know the father. Notice that: Jesus finds Philip, and then Philip finds Nathanael. Philip was one of those people who could do math and his head. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael, how they came to be disciples and follow our Lord. Instead he says "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" The principal obstacle to the identification of Philip as the Baptist's disciple is the failure of the Gospel to supply that identification. 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? Of course, this was not a racial or ethnic prejudice, as many Jews would have had for the Gentiles or, as we see from the disciples later in the gospels, the Samaritans. One tradition says that he was tied up in a sack and cast into the sea. Because his heart was sincere his faith was real. In Johns gospel, the author mentions that Jesus had sought out Philip shortly after calling Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be His disciples (John 1:43). 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 makes a second appearance in John 21:2, where he is included in a list of disciples who saw the resurrected Christ by the Sea of Tiberias. He was nothing but a carpenter son. Does the we in Philips declaration mean that he, Andrew and Peter (who may have already known each other in Bethsaida) had found the Lord? For less than $5/mo. . get to know the Bible better! All four of these disciples of Jesus were from the town of Bethsaida. He gives me meaning and purpose and hope in life. Invite the folks you knowyour friends and neighbors and your family membersinvite them to come and see. Another suggests Nathanael died by crucifixion. . But maybe youll put it a different way, perhaps like this: I have found my Savior, and hes your Savior too. The first six disciples, then, were Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and Bartholomew. Philip preached the Faith in Greece and he was martyred at Hierapolis in Persia in the year 62. We want to point people to Jesus. Notice Philips reply to the problem that Nathanael has with Nazareth. The ugly. Sort of like Merrillville. What Do We Know about Nathanael the Disciple without Deceit. Same thing today. Nathaniel is also called Bartholomew, which is a Hebrew name meaning God has given". The earliest identification of Nathanael with one of the Twelve Disciples is found in the 2nd-century Epistula Apostolorum, where he is identified with or takes the place of James, son of Alpheus. Nathaniel knew the Old Testament. 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 might have been the same person as Nathanael. "It can't be done.". He immediately went to tell Nathanael that the Messiah had come. Though flawed, Nathanael was as honest and sincere as they come, and for his eagerness and willingness to embrace Jesus as his lord and king, Christ performed a mighty work in his life, taking an ordinary man and turning him into an outspoken leader and pillar of His church. Like many in Israel, this was something (or someone) they were eagerly waiting and even searching for. Because this is where he has promised to be present. His response, displays Nathaniel's character. 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. All rights reserved worldwide. [1] "Come and see," said Philip. And he did. His first response after meeting Jesus was to find his friend Nathaniel and tell him about a messiah. Never-the-less Phillip had a good heart and took the Jews to Andrew. . Phillip had the heart of an evangelist. But theres good reason to believe there are probably two different people named Philip. 48How do you know me? Nathanael asked. 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. Heaven and earth meet in him. 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). As the Son of God, he is the only one able to save us from our lost condition. Lets see what happens when his friend questions his set of facts. They were both disciples of John the Baptist who preached to Israel of the coming deliverer. So if you wanted to escape the noise and the stifling atmosphere the house, you could go outside and rest under the fig tree. Nathanael would be an Apostle, too. As we saw earlier we know that it was Phillip who introduced Nathaniel to Jesus. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. Philip said, Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered: Dont you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Well, thats what happens now in Jesus. Now was late in the day, and there were no fast food franchises. Just seeing the Father will be enough for us.. "Son of Man" was one of our . Who are you? 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. Who Was Herod? Jesus was the son of a carpenter, unknown name, from a town that didn't have any connection to prophecy. The first thing he does is to find Nathanael and tell him what happened. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Thats how it went with Philip and Nathanael. Heaven and earth meet here in Gods house, because Christ is present here. of They had studied the Law of Moses and read the prophets. [2] Does the Bible Condemn Using Tarot Cards? By his being lifted up on the cross, he raises us up from the depths of sin and death. Some scholars speculate that Philip may have also been a disciple of John the Baptist, since: Before Jesus famously fed the crowd of more than 5,000 people, he decided to test Philip: When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat? He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. He knew his prejudice. But ultimately, above all, when we talk about our church, we want to talk about the one who is the very heart and center of our church, the churchs whole reason for existence. 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. Despite his flaws, if there was one thing Nathanael wasnt, it was a hypocrite. He should have said, "Lord, if you want to feed them, feed them." Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? Thats why we invite people. (LogOut/ Though not much is known about Nathanaels background or personality, the apostle is revealed in the gospels to be an honest, insightful, and faithful servant of Jesus Christ and student of the Old Testament. After all Nazareth was full of uncultured people. The twelve apostles opted out of this position, and then a man named Philip was chosen to be one of the Seven (Acts 6:5). Then Philip identifies this Messiah by name, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. But notice Nathanaels response: Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Apparently Nathanael, as one well-versed in the Scriptures, knew that there was no particular prophecy linking the Messiah to the city of Nazareth. Now remember I told that Philip was pessimistic and didn't see the big picture? In vs. 43 Jesus "found" (EdpltcKeL) Philip. To be a leader, you have to have a sense of vision. 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. Nathanael is described as initially being skeptical about whether the Messiah could come from Nazareth, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?