These were either God-fearing Gentiles, or full-fledged Hellenistic Jews on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Like many in Israel, this was something (or someone) they were eagerly waiting and even searching for. They were companions and had probably known each other for years. People may say: St. Proud member Just short and sweet, Come and see. Philip doesnt engage Nathanael in a prolonged argument about the merits of Nazareth. Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael. Jesus response to him, 9 Jesus answered: Dont you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Now was late in the day, and there were no fast food franchises. Philip and Nathanael were brothers as were Andrew and Peter. The name Bartholomew is a family designation, meaning "son of Tolmai.". Jesus knew Nathanaels heart. What Do We Know about Nathanael - the Disciple without Deceit? No one comes to the Father except through me. Phillip eventually got the message. We have to assume that Nathaniel was still questioning whether Jesus is the true messiah. He opens up heaven for us. 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). After all Nazareth didn't exist in the Old Testament. He simply says, Come and see. Thats it. 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. But Phillip is the first disciple whom Jesus physically sought out, as well as the first one to whom Jesus actually said, "follow me". 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 are you? Yes, Jesus is here, present in our midst. He knew his passion. It is interesting to see Jesus characterization of Nathaniel, 47 When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.. [Jn 1:43] Philip is described as a disciple from the city of Bethsaida, and the evangelist connects him with Andrew and Peter, who were from the same town. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. By and large he didn't see the whole picture, or the end of the road. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. 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. Finding Philip,(A) he said to him, Follow me.(B), 44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 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. That's why they responded so quickly to Jesus. When Jesus spoke out against the religious establishment in Jerusalem, the religious leaders just chalked that up to his coming from lowly Nazareth. In all likelihood they probably studied scripture together. 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! James (son of Zebedee and John's brother) was called as he was mending nets inside a boat on the Sea of Galilee. 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 probably came to hear John the Baptist together. Why Does God Compare Our Relationship with Him to That of a Bride and Groom? Who Was Bartholomew the Apostle? The Beginner's Guide Prior to this eventful day, however, none of the Twelve had been ordained or set apart to their sacred office. 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 . Nathaniel lived in a society that was prejudice by temperament. "Philip and Nathanael: A Story of Witnessing" (John 1:43-51) What we know about Bartholomew/Nathanael comes primarily from the account of . Jesus wasn't physically present to see Nathaniel under the fig tree, and Nathaniel knew that. However Nathaniel was not impressed at first glance with Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 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. Come and see! (John 1:46). (Since Taco Bell wasnt an option.). His first response after meeting Jesus was to find his friend Nathaniel and tell him about a messiah. John 1:43-51 Sermon - Faithlife Sermons Like Andrew, Philips first reaction after meeting Jesus was to go tell someone about him. While its true that Nathanael had a heart to know God and an eager spirit, to Philips news, Nathanael responded, can anything good come out of Nazareth? (John 1:46). Associated Bible Students of Central Ohio - Apostlebook_05 Go and tell. We can conclude that he interpreted it literally because it was so easy for him to believe that Jesus was the messiah. They walked with Jesus while he was upon earth. What Do We Know about Nathanael the Disciple without Deceit. But now pause and consider where you are because of Jesus. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The Acts of Philip provides the earliest, most detailed account of his martyrdom, but again, its hard to say how much we can trust it. When you know the Lord, it affects the way you speak and act and live. These were Andrew, John, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael, James, and Levi Matthew. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 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. Peoples ears are closed to the gospel by many kinds of prejudice. Cana wasn't a prestigious town. 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 cross of Christ is our Jacobs ladder. How can you say no? Instead he says "can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Origin:Hebrew. Join our email list, and well send you some of our best free resourcesplus well tell you whenever we make something new. How dare he tell them what to do? 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). But it does seem clear that the mention of Nazareth was an initial obstacle in Nathanaels mind. He was in charge of arranging meals and logistics for Jesus and his disciples. 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 this because after the resurrection these apostles returned to Galilee with Peter and resumed their fishing trade (John 21 ). No hope to sustain you. A fig tree near house provides a large, shady, protected place outdoors. 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. He was not a hypocrite. Jesus calls us, even as he called Philip. Was it the right thing to do? All of this will be our focus in guiding your youth group through Episode . Phillip is the administrator -- the bean counter. Thomas says, We dont know where youre going. John 1:43-51 NIV - Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael - BibleGateway So Nathanael is the son of Tolmai, or Nathanael Bar-Tolmei. Can anything good come from there? Nathanael asked. In fact it isnt today either. Of course, no reliable record exists of how Nathanael died. Its culture was largely unrefined and uneducated. Whats that? 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. Okayalthough you can reclaim at least some of that joy. All four of these disciples of Jesus were from the town of Bethsaida. 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, He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life., Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? When Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, some God-fearing Greeks want to see him, so they come to Philip: Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. Because his heart was sincere his faith was real. As John relates how the disciples were called, Philip and Nathanael were the 3 rd and 4 th men named as disciples. Though not much is known about Nathanael beyond the gospels, church history suggests that Nathanael traveled beyond Judea to minister to parts of Persia and India, perhaps going as far as Armenia, whose church claims him as their saint and founder to this day. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. (LogOut/ 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. Others hint of the apostle being tied up in a sack and thrown into the sea. Another tradition says that he was crucified. He is speaking to you today. Cana is off the beaten track, sort of like the little town pastor lives in. He seeks us out, even when we were not looking for him. Do you have the excitement and joy of a Philip? He knew his prejudice. Not just that Jesus could see him under a fig tree. 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. Philip replied that it would take two hundred denari to buy bread enough to feed them (John 6:7). 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. 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. 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. Follow me. Hear the authority in his voice. The Synoptics describe the actual calling of these men to . Blind and dead in our sins, enemies of Godthat is our natural state. You would be lost and helpless and hopeless, headed to hell. Matthew 10:3 Commentaries: Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew We find their names together side-by-side as companions. Little is written about him the Gospels and book of Acts. He belonged to the town to which Jesus was going (Cana of, Galilee, John 21:2 ). Jesus is calling you to be his disciple. Matthew received his calling as Jesus was leaving Capernaum. Phillip, on the other hand still hadn't gotten at two years later. Invite the folks you knowyour friends and neighbors and your family membersinvite them to come and see. Philip and Nathanael, Brothers, Disciples - Blogger So when Jesus said these things to him, he might have questioned if Jesus was just flattering him? Wheres that? 48How do you know me? Nathanael asked. He also was among those surrounding John the Baptist when the . Were about to discover that Phillip is not usually a very decisive person. My friends, this is surely good news! Just seeing the Father will be enough for us.. The Apostle Philip is only mentioned a handful of times in the New Testamentseven times in the gospels and once in Acts. The day after that, Jesus went . All of your sins are forgiven. Same thing today. The Master's Men Part 2: Philip and Bartholomew - Grace to You He paid him a high compliment: An Israelite in whom is no guile! Nathanael was already devout in the Jewish faith. Who was Philip in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Phillip, like the other apostles was a man of weak faith and imperfect understanding. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Phillip was good at finding ways to get out of doing things? Jesus couldn't have known where I Nathaniel had been or what he had been doing and unless he had been omniscient. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? You likewise may encounter objections when you start to tell someone about Jesus. It was a kind of private outdoor space -- perfect for meditation, reflection, and solitude. After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Nathanael was present with the other disciples in the upper room when Jesus first appeared to them (Matthew 28:9-10; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:36-49; John 20:19-29). But Phillip didn't bring them to Jesus did he? You know what life is all about. He had witnessed creative and recreative miracles. 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). And whats more, this new life doesnt stop with you. He wasn't what you would call foreword-thinking. How about you? One record says he died of natural causes. He played an active role in leading another apostle to Jesus. Philip died sometime in the first century, possibly around 80 AD. There could be several reasons for this, which well get to in a moment. All rights reserved worldwide. Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 21:1-6. Think about it, If minimum wage is $5.50/hr x 40 hours x 33 weeks = $7260. As Jesus predicted in John 1:51, they were present at the ascension of Jesus and saw heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. They were able to observe first-hand that Jesus is the bridge between earth and heaven. . He saw numerous demonstrations of Jesus divinity. Heaven and earth meet here in Gods house, because Christ is present here. Of Nathanael, Jesus said, behold, an Israelite, indeed, in whom there is no deceit! (John 1:47). The Call of the Four Disciples in John 1 - JSTOR They are apparently close friends. 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. 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. He doesnt get sidetracked. 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. Nathanael means "gift of God." El, e-l, is the name of God. So dont be afraid or ashamed to invite your friends and neighbors, your family membersanyone who needs Jesusinvite them to come and see. Come and meet Jesus here at St. Matthews. They dont tell us much, but theyre all we really have to go on. Come and see, said Philip. John 1:4346. 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. Not linked to together using the conjunction and like we see what the brothers Peter and Andrew or James and John. Well, thats what happens now in Jesus. 10 Dont you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? One of the main routes going north and south between Jerusalem and Lebanon passes through Nazareth. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. What did Andrew do? Frequently, the disciples have no idea what Jesus is talking about, and someone has to stick their neck out and ask a clarifying question (or often in Peters case, make a foolish statement). 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. So if you wanted to escape the noise and the stifling atmosphere the house, you could go outside and rest under the fig tree. What am I talking about? Chapter 16: The Chosen Twelve - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter By his death on the cross, Jesus bridges the gap between us and God. Or to put it another way: Whom have you found? He did things by the book, and was practical minded. . We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. 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. Trees were planted around houses to keep them cool and shaded. Houses could get full smoke and stuffy. Phillip doesn't like maybes. ",[4] but nonetheless, he accepts Philip's invitation to find out. Now what does Philip do next? 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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). Nathanael was one of the 12 original apostles of Jesus Christ. Commentary John 1:43-John 1:51 Family-Times.net Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. Yeshua in its Aramaic form. Most accounts say that he was put to death by stoning in Asia Minor eight years after the martyrdom of James. Follow me, Jesus says to each one of us. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Phillip, Nathaniel and Thomas were fishermen from Galilee. It wouldnt taken long for him to get past his prejudice and acknowledge Jesus for who He really was. Our Lord uses us as his instruments to invite others, so that they can hear Christs call to faith and discipleship. Besides if Andrew got in trouble that would be Andrew's problem. Can anything good come from there?(I) Nathanael asked. Its the story of Philip and Nathanael, how they came to be disciples and follow our Lord. In Luke and Matthew, an unnamed disciple asks Jesus if he can bury his father before following him. He who has seen Me has seen the Father.. 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. The Nathaniel was skeptical. He was a founding Father of the early church and among the first to be martyred. We have to remember that even though he had a Greek name, he was still a Jew and would have heard Jesus say that he was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 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.
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