Philip of Arbela

Son of Jacob. He is a disciple healed of his misconduct by Jesus at the prayer of his mother at the Beautiful Water.

- "It is so painful for a mother to say: 'I have a cruel son!'"
- "Do not weep anymore. He will heal from his ailment."
- "If only he could hear you, Yes. But He does not want to listen to you. He will never heal!"
- "But, do you have faith in him? Do you want him to heal?"
- "And you ask me that? I have just come from Upper Perea to pray to you in his fConfessionr..."
- "Then go! When you arrive home, your son will come to you, repentant."

That is what actually happens:

"He was a rascal causing talk about him in Bozrah and Arbela. Here because he came to commit his sins, there because he dishonored his Family. Then he converted. He became more honest than a just man, and now he has joined your Disciples, a disciple as well, and he waits for you in Arbela to honor you with his father and mother. If this region ever becomes holy, he will deserve to have sanctified it. And if in Bozrah there is anyone who believes in You, it is thanks to him."

He also converted his friend Mark who will follow Jesus.

Character and appearance

A young man with a strong temperament: the energy he put into a reckless life he will put into evangelization.

Apostolic path

He is part of the seventy-two Disciples sent on Mission. He is probably one of the seven deacons established at the beginning of the Church.

His name

Philip means in Greek "lover of horses" — Historical reference: the father of Alexander the Great.

Where is he mentioned in the work?

EMV 122
EMV 282 EMV 292 EMV 295 EMV 296
EMV 344 EMV 346 EMV 347 EMV 348 EMV 349 EMV 350 EMV 354 EMV 376
EMV 523 EMV 525 EMV 535
EMV 634

Learn more about this character

In the New Testament

Azotus Caesarea The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine, a very famous 13th-century account the apostle Philip

Philip the Deacon becomes a zealous evangelist if one believes the following episodes told in the Acts of the Apostles. He evangelizes Samaria and must confront the case of Simon, a convert who tried to sell the gifts of God (hence the term simony denoting this act, severely condemned by the Church).

Later, he evangelizes and baptizes a high official of the Queen of Ethiopia, Candace.

Finally, he retires to Caesarea on the Sea with his four daughters, consecrated virgins.

Philip and Simon

On that day a severe persecution broke out Against the Church of Jerusalem. Except for the Apostles, all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Devout men buried Stephen and made great funeral rites for him. As for Saul, he ravaged the Church; he entered house after house, dragged off men and women, and put them in prison. Therefore, those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

Thus Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ there. The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said because they heard and saw the miracles he performed. Many unclean spirits who were possessed came out of them, crying out loudly; many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. There was great joy in that city.

Now there was a man named Simon already in the city who practiced magic and amazed the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great, and all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the Power of God, who is called the Great." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip, who proclaimed the good news about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip everywhere and was astonished by the great signs and miracles.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John. Upon arriving, they prayed for the believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then Peter and John laid their hands on the believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money

- "Give me this power also," he said, "so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."

Peter replied:

- "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God. Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

Simon answered:

- "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing you have said may happen to me."

Then, after testifying and preaching the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news in many Samaritan villages.

Philip and the eunuch

The angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way, he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home, sitting in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah.

The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Philip ran up and heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked,

- "Do you understand what you are reading?"

He said,

- "How can I, unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip:

- "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about? Himself or someone else?"

Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said,

- "Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?"

He gave orders to stop the chariot, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and preached the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Philip in Caesarea

Philip retired to Caesarea (Maritime). He had four daughters:

"The next day we left and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the Evangelist, one of the Seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied."

The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine

In this very famous 13th-century account, Philip has a more peaceful death:

"Saint Jerome says, in his martyrology, that on the 8th of the ides of July, he died in Caesarea, renowned for his miracles and wonders; alongside him were buried three of his daughters, as the fourth rests in Ephesus (undoubtedly this is Hermione, sometimes attributed to [[Philip the Apostle|the apostle Philip]). The first Philip is different from this one, in that the first was an apostle, the second a deacon; the apostle rests in Hierapolis, the deacon in Caesarea."

Second part of the Bible, from the coming of Jesus Christ until the Apocalypse.