Matthew 10:3; Acts 6:5; Acts 8:5; Matthew 14:3; Luke 3:1
The name Philip—derived from the Greek Philippos, meaning “lover of horses”—is borne by four distinct historical individuals within the New Testament record. Two of these men were uncompromised pillars of the early Christian remnant, while the other two were powerful, corrupt rulers of the Herodian dynasty.
1. Philip the Apostle
Philip the Apostle was one of the original twelve disciples chosen by Jesus Christ. A native of Bethsaida in Galilee—the same fishing town as Peter and Andrew—Philip possessed a deep knowledge of the Old Testament prophecies and was actively looking for the Messiah when the Lord sought him out with the direct command, “Follow me” (John 1:43).
Philip immediately demonstrated his faith in action by finding his friend Nathanael, delivering an uncompromised theological declaration:
“Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (John 1:45)
When Nathanael skeptically questioned whether any good thing could come out of Nazareth, Philip responded with a simple, authoritative invitation: “Come and see.”
Though Philip was intensely devoted, the gospels record moments where his practical, analytical mind was tested and refined by the Lord. Prior to the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus tested him by asking where they could buy bread. Philip, calculating the physical cost rather than looking to divine providence, replied, “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little” (John 6:7). Later, on the night of the Last Supper, it was Philip who requested, “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us,” prompting Christ’s profound correction: “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:8-9).
Following the ascension and the Day of Pentecost, Philip stood as an iron pillar of the Jerusalem church, later launching extensive missionary campaigns into Greece and Asia Minor, ultimately sealing his testimony as a holy martyr when he was crucified in Hierapolis for defying the local pagan authorities.
2. Philip the Evangelist (The Deacon)
Philip the Evangelist—frequently called Philip the Deacon—was one of the seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, chosen by the early church to oversee the daily distribution of food and secure the administrative order of the Jerusalem assembly (Acts 6:5).
When a wave of fierce, bloody persecution erupted after the martyrdom of Stephen, the church was scattered, but Philip weaponized this crisis into a strategic missionary advance. He descended into the hostile territory of Samaria and boldly proclaimed Christ:
“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.” (Acts 8:5)
His uncompromised preaching, backed by signs and miracles, broke the occultic hold of Simon Magus and brought great joy to the city. Following this campaign, Philip obeyed a direct angelic command to go toward the desert of Gaza. There, he encountered an elite Ethiopian court official reading the prophet Isaiah. Philip ran to the chariot, opened his mouth, and “began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus” (Acts 8:35), leading to the official’s immediate baptism and the planting of the Gospel in Africa.
Philip later settled in Caesarea, establishing his home as a tactical hospitality outpost for the remnant. Decades later, the Apostle Paul stayed at his estate, where Philip resided with his four unmarried daughters, all of whom possessed the prophetic gift (Acts 21:8-9).
3. Philip Herod I (Herod Philip I)
Philip Herod I was a son of Herod the Great and Mariamne II (the daughter of Simon the High Priest). Unlike his brothers, he did not rule over a territorial tetrarchy, instead living as a wealthy private citizen in comparative obscurity, largely dividing his time between Rome and the Judaean coast.
He is brought into the scriptural record due to a severe, public violation of God’s moral law. He married his niece Herodias, who subsequently abandoned him to contract an adulterous, incestuous union with his half-brother, Herod Antipas. It was this specific public sin that John the Baptist fearlessly exposed, resulting in John’s imprisonment and ultimate beheading.
“For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife: for he had married her.” (Mark 6:17)
4. Philip Herod II (Philip the Tetrarch)
Philip Herod II was another son of Herod the Great, born to his fifth wife, Cleopatra of Jerusalem. Following the death of his father and the division of the kingdom by Augustus Caesar, he was appointed tetrarch over the northern and eastern regions of Palestine, including Ituraea and the rough, volcanic district of Trachonitis.
“Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea… and Philip his brother tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis…” (Luke 3:1)
Secular and biblical historians note that Philip the Tetrarch was significantly more moderate, just, and peaceful than his brutal brothers Antipas and Archelaus. He rebuilt the ancient city of Paneas at the springs of the Jordan River, renaming it Caesarea Philippi in honor of Caesar and himself—the very site where the Apostle Peter would later deliver his historic confession of Christ. He married his niece Salome (the daughter of Herodias and Herod Philip I) and ruled his territory with equity until his death in A.D. 33/34.