Philip Lessons on Faithful Service (Part 2) - Oct 28, 2025

This lesson explores the life and faithfulness of Philip the Apostle, highlighting his journey from being called by Jesus to his role in the early church. It emphasizes Philip's desire for understanding, his loyalty to Jesus, and his unwavering commitment to spreading the gospel, even under threat. The lesson also touches on Philip's priorities, his inclusion of the Gentiles in the mission, and his lasting legacy as a faithful servant of Christ.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Philip the Apostle
02:57 Philip's Faithful Service and Understanding
05:46 Philip's Loyalty and Following Jesus
09:08 Philip's Reactions to Jesus' Death and Resurrection
11:59 Philip's Faithfulness in the Early Church
15:12 Philip's Role in the Growth of the Church
17:59 Philip's Obedience Under Threat
21:11 Philip's Priorities and the Apostolic Mission
23:52 Philip's Inclusion of the Gentiles
26:59 Conclusion: Philip's Legacy and Example

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Host

Aaron Cozort

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The Admonition podcast brings you Bible lessons and sermons from the Collierville Church of Christ with host Aaron Cozort. Each episode focuses on interpreting Scripture in its original context, exploring the background of key passages, events, and teachings. Gain deeper insight into God’s Word as we study together, applying timeless truths to everyday life.

Good afternoon.

We began this morning to discuss Philip, Philip the Apostle.

Philip is first introduced to us in John chapter one when he having seen Jesus is told by
Jesus to follow him.

We're also introduced to him again in Matthew chapter 10 where

Philip will be one of the twelve that Jesus will name who will be among his apostles,
among the disciples who are sent out into the towns, the cities, the villages of Israel to

prepare for his coming and preaching to those cities.

But as we consider and continue this idea of Philip as an example of faithful service,

Let us turn to Mark chapter 4.

In Mark chapter 4, we see a number of other things, and while I did not go through and
pull every single reference to what the apostles did collectively, I did pull a few of

them for the sake of us understanding that as you're reading through the text, when you
read of something that the Twelve did, you're reading of something that Philip did.

Sometimes I think as we think concerning the apostles, we read so much of Peter.

We read so much of John.

We read a little bit more of James.

These apostles, we read about the things which they said, the things which they did, and
we don't often pause to think that, you know what, if we think about Philip or Bartholomew

or some of the other apostles and we look up their name in the Bible, it only shows up
three or four times.

and most of those are records of the same thing in different gospels.

So sometimes perhaps we don't think about the fact that when we read about what the Twelve
did, or what the Apostles did, we're reading about the lives of those others who are less

well known among the Apostles.

But we read in Mark chapter 4, Jesus

is giving a parable.

Jesus would often teach in parables and there are times we find in the text that Jesus
would teach in parables and the people would hear the parable but the people didn't

understand the parable.

And sometimes the people would ask concerning it and sometimes after all the teaching was
done the apostles would ask concerning it.

You find

the parable of the sower that is given in verse 10 we read, when he was alone those around
him with the twelve asked him about the parable.

You find here amongst the twelve and those who came with them into that private setting
that after Jesus gave the parable of the sower they had questions.

They wanted to know the details.

Jesus had told about the

the rocky soil and Jesus told about the wayside soil and Jesus had told about the thorny
soil and the good soil and yet they didn't understand what was being discussed.

Here, Philip, though he is not mentioned by name but he is mentioned among the twelve,
inquire concerning the meaning of the teaching and it helps us to learn

that Philip was faithful to ask deeper questions about Jesus' teaching.

He wanted to know not just what had been said, he wanted to know what it meant.

He wanted to have a full and a complete understanding of that which Jesus taught.

You can turn over to John chapter 14 and as...

the time of Jesus' life on this earth is coming to a close.

That last week of His life there in Jerusalem, the last day of His life as He has been in
the upper room with them, Jesus will say to the twelve that were present, among which was

Philip, Let not your heart be troubled, verse 1, you believe in God, believe also in me.

In my father's house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you.

I go to repair a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that
where I am, there you may be also.

And where I go, you know.

And the way, you know.

Thomas said to him, Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No man comes to the Father except through me.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also, and from now on you know Him and
have seen Him." Now, Philip responds, Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for

us.

Philip desired to see the Father.

Philip desired to have the understanding of God the Father that Jesus had.

Jesus responds to him, have I been with you so long and yet you have not known me, Philip?

He who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, show us the Father?

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?

The words that I speak to you I do not speak of my own authority, but the Father who
dwells in me does the works.

Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the sake
of the works.

themselves.

Philip, as exhibited here in this example, was one who was faithful to Christ even when he
didn't understand.

Even when he didn't comprehend everything that Jesus was saying.

The text is going to tell us as we go through the remainder of the events of Jesus' life
that as Jesus is crucified,

and then after he is resurrected and after he ascends the Holy Spirit will remind them of
all the things that Jesus had said and they'll finally understand the things which he

taught them which tells us that even amongst the twelve and even with Philip there were
times where they were faithful to do what he said, faithful to follow him even though they

did not understand.

And there are times in our lives where we're going to realize, I don't understand.

I don't understand why it's this way.

I don't understand why things are happening the way they're happening.

I don't understand this or I don't understand that, but the reality is we do know what
we've been told to do.

Philip provides us an example of someone who could obey, who could be faithful, even when
he did not understand.

But then you consider as well Matthew chapter 20.

Matthew chapter 20, we find that Philip was faithful to follow Jesus to his death.

Matthew chapter 20, beginning in verse 17, now Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve
disciples aside on the road and said to them, all right, if he took the twelve who did he

take aside?

Well, Philip was among them.

And he said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be
betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and

deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify.

and the third day He will rise again.

Philip is being told that we're going to Jerusalem and when we go and when we get there
they're going to take me, they're going to imprison me, they are going to beat me, they

are going to scourge me, they are going to crucify me, they are going to mock me, and then
I will rise again the third day and Philip goes anyway.

There was an earlier occasion in John chapter 11 where Jesus has been informed that
Lazarus is sick.

And as the word of Lazarus' sickness comes to Jesus, he waits for a while and then after a
few days he departs to go where Lazarus was in Bethany.

And the apostles determine

Do you not realize or tell them, do you not realize that they threaten to kill you, that
they desire to kill you if you go back?

And says we're going anyway.

And the apostles determined, if he's going to die, we're going to die with him.

Philip was one who was faithful to follow Jesus to his death, even if it meant Philip was
going to die as well.

And we know ultimately that's not how it turned out, and yet that required even more
faithfulness from Philip.

In Luke chapter 24, Jesus has been crucified.

The third day has come.

And the beginning of that Sunday morning, very early in the morning, Mary Magdalene and
others arrive at the tomb as soon as they could, as soon as the law would have allowed it.

And they arrived there at that tomb and they found the tomb open.

And once Mary has interacted with Jesus, she is told by Jesus to go and to tell the
apostles what she has seen.

And in Luke chapter 24, beginning in verse 10, we read, it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna,
Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told these things to the

apostles.

And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

One occasion, there are a few, but one occasion where you read of Philip's reaction
amongst ten of the others.

is that they did not believe the message that Mary was giving them.

They were doubtful of her declaration.

Now you see a contrast between Peter and John and their reaction to the news because Peter
and John run to the tomb.

To see for themselves the state of the tomb, no word of Philip doing so.

But Peter and John do.

and yet it will not be much longer and Jesus will appear in their presence and there's
Philip still with the other apostles.

Not everything that we read about Philip is positive and yet even in this scenario one of
the things that you should consider is that after Jesus was crucified

after Jesus was put on that cross and was laid in that tomb and that Sabbath day came.

Philip didn't go back to Bethsaida.

He didn't travel home.

He didn't go back to his occupation that he had before Jesus had come.

He was there in the presence of the other of the twelve that remained, Judas having killed
himself.

And he was with them.

He had not given up, though they did not understand what was coming.

Consider as well Acts chapter 1.

Not many days forward from the occasion that we just read about in Luke chapter 24, we
find Jesus has interacted multiple times with the apostles and with other disciples and

with, as Paul will describe to us, about 500 of those who were

followers of Jesus.

And in Acts chapter 1, we find that as Jesus is about to ascend back into heaven, Philip
is still faithful.

He is faithful to the resurrected Jesus.

He is willing to follow the resurrected Jesus and he'll be faithful to the ascended

Jesus as well.

If you turn to Acts chapter 1, beginning in verse 2, we read, until the day in which he
was taken up after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandments to the apostles

whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many
infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things

pertaining to the kingdom of God, and being assembled together with them.

He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait

for the promise of the Father which he said you have heard from me.

For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not
many days from now.

Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?

And he said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put
in his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,

and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem."

and into all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud
received him out of their sight.

And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by
them in white apparel, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand, gazing up into

heaven?

This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you
saw him go into heaven."

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a
Sabbath day's journey.

And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying.

Peter, James, John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the
son of Alpheus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary
the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

As Jesus is resurrected back to life, as Jesus interacts with these apostles during that
40-day period, and as Jesus now ascends into heaven telling them, your work is not over.

Philip doesn't say, well, mine is; headed back home.

No, rather, Philip continues faithful in his service to the resurrected and ascended Lord.

And still we see and we observe that they still did not fully understand everything
because they're asking about the kingdom even as Jesus ascends back into heaven.

But Philip is there.

and Philip remains faithful.

There are other mentions of the apostles, but I wanted to notice this in Acts chapter 5.

Some time has passed and the church has continued to grow.

The church has continued to flourish and the apostles have continued to teach.

And more and more of an uproar is resulting in amongst the chief priests and the rulers of
Jerusalem as a result of the growth of the church.

And we read in verse 12, and through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were
done among the people.

and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

Yet none of the rest dared to join them, but the people esteemed them highly." Notice that
here are the twelve and they are in the presence of the area around the temple and the

church, the Christians, are not gathered with them.

They're afraid to gather with them and yet the apostles are standing here in the presence
of the people of Israel, of the people of Jerusalem, and they are teaching though the

threat is so apparent from the leaderships of the Jews that the Christians won't stand
with them for fear of their own lives.

Verse 14, and the believers were increasingly added to the Lord.

multitudes of both men and women, so that they brought the sick out into the streets and
laid them on beds and couches that at least the shadow of Peter's passing might uh by fall

on some of them.

Also, a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people
and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

Then the high priest rose up, and all who were with him

which is the sect of the Sadducees.

And they were filled with indignation, and they laid their hands on the apostles and put
them into the common prison.

But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said,
Go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.

And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught.

But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together with all the
elders of the children of Israel.

and sent them to the prison to have them brought.

But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and
reported, saying, Indeed, we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing

outside before the doors.

But when we opened them, we found no one inside.

Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priest heard these
things, they wondered what the outcome would be.

So one came and told them, Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple
and teaching the people.

Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared
the people, lest they should be stoned.

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest
asked them, saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name?

And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's
blood on us.

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be prince and savior, to give repentance to
Israel and forgiveness of sins.

And we are His witnesses to these things.

So also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.

We find under threat that Philip, among the other apostles, was willing to be faithful in
the preach.

We find the prophecy of what Jesus told his apostles they would endure and they would
experience back there in Matthew chapter 10, which we read about this morning, is now

coming to pass.

for they stand before the people and then they get hauled off to prison and then they get
put before the council and then they get told not to preach anymore in his name and what

do they do?

The very next morning they begin preaching again in his name and when the council again
pulls them in, this time without violence, they're brought before the council and the

council says, did we not tell you not to speak anymore in this man's name and yet you have
filled Jerusalem with his doctrine?

They said we ought to obey God rather than men.

Philip was one who was faithful even under threat.

But then you consider as well there in the remainder of that that Philip was one who was
faithful to obey God above the commands of men.

There are going to be times in our lives where we are told by others, you don't do that or
you don't teach that.

Or you're not going to say that, but if it's something that God has said, you better
believe that we're going to do that, and we're going to teach that, and we're going to say

that, because we ought to obey God rather than men.

But then consider also verses 41 and verse 42 of the same chapter.

So they departed from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy
to suffer shame for His name, and daily in the temple and in every house they did not

cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

Philip was one who not only was faithful under threat, not only refused to bow to what men
told him to do instead of what Jesus told him to do, but he also rejoiced when he

suffered.

for doing what was right.

Philip was one who among the apostles was willing to rejoice in suffering.

He didn't look at the things which they suffered and think, you know what, I don't know
why I started this.

I don't know why I'm still here.

I'm not sure why I'm continuing to do this.

It's just going to end up in my life being taken.

Look at Jesus, they killed him.

They could do the same thing to me.

No, rather, Philip was of the mindset that my Lord suffered and I can rejoice if I can
suffer for Him.

But then consider as well in Acts chapter 6, as we're actually nearing the end of many of
the mentions of the apostles and the deeds that the apostles collectively did,

that Philip was also as one among the apostles.

He was one who was faithful in his priorities.

In Acts chapter 6 and verse 1, now in those days when the number of the disciples was
multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists because their

widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, is not desirable that we
should leave the word of God and serve tables.

Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the
Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business." As the apostles, the

twelve, were there in Jerusalem, as they were continuing to teach the people, as
multitudes were coming to salvation as a result of their message, they said, is not

appropriate for us to leave the teaching to go serve widow's tables.

They in no way were demeaning the value of the widows nor of the importance of serving
them and making sure they had their needs provided for, but yet they had a mission that

they had been instructed by their Lord to complete.

And they were unwilling to veer from their priorities.

Philip among the other apostles determined that this was not appropriate for them to be
doing this work.

for they needed to be about their work.

And so Philip maintained his faithfulness in his priorities.

But then Acts chapter 15.

as the church has continued to grow, as the persecution begins, as the church in Jerusalem
begins to go out, and eventually now the Gentiles have received the Gospel.

And the churches have begun in the Gentile cities, and yet there were some from among
those in Jerusalem and Judea who were going out and teaching the Gentiles that they needed

to be obedient to Moses' law.

They needed to be circumcised in order to be saved.

There will be a convening of the elders in Jerusalem and the apostles and others to
discuss this matter, to make sure that there's clarity on this matter.

And one of the things that you see in Acts chapter 15 down in verse 22, then it pleased
the apostles and elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to

Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas, who was also named Barsobus, and Silas
leading men among them.

They wrote this letter by them, the apostles, the elders, and the brethren.

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, greetings, since we
have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your

souls, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law, to whom we gave no such
commandment.

It seems good to us being assembled with one accord.

So send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul."

men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of
mouth.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than
these necessary things, that you abstain from things offered to idols, from the blood of

things strangled, and from sexual immorality.

If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well."

As the apostles and the elders gather together and send this letter, we see that Philip,
among the apostles, was faithful to include the Gentiles in the salvation and the gospel

message.

They were faithful to do that which the Holy Spirit had approved, and that was the gospel
going to the Gentiles.

Philip could have said, you know what?

Back when Jesus was on the earth, back there in Matthew chapter 10, uh he told us not to
go to the Gentiles, so we don't need to go to the Gentiles.

He told us not to go to the Samaritans, so we don't need to go to the Samaritans.

He didn't do that.

Rather, he was faithful to what the Holy Spirit had directed them to do.

He was faithful to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles.

The very last mention of Philip, again together with the Twelve, is found in Revelation
21.

In Revelation 21, as the church in its glory is pictured as the bride of Christ, as the
body of Christ

is described in all of its glory here in Revelation 21 and 22.

We find in Revelation 21 and in verse 9, Then one of the seven angels who had seven bowls
filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, Come, I will

show you the bride, the Lamb's wife.

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the great
city, the holy Jerusalem.

descending out of heaven from God.

Having the glory of God, her light was like the most precious stone, like a jasper stone
clear as crystal.

Also, she had a great and a high wall with twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates and
names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

Three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, three gates
on the west.

Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations and on them

were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The last reference to Philip's name is in a picture of the glorified church which had been
built upon the apostles' doctrine.

There in Acts chapter 2, after the church was begun, after the kingdom was established,
there on that day of Pentecost, what do we read about the church?

We read that they continued daily in the Apostles' Doctrine.

Philip's name, here observed by John, inscribed into the spiritual walls of that great
city, the Bride of Christ.

Philip was one who truly was faithful in service.

So much so that his name

has been and will be remembered for the rest of time.

We need to learn faithfulness from Philip.

We need to learn to bring the gospel to all those who are willing to hear.

We need to learn to be a blessing to those who will hear the gospel.

We need to learn to be willing to say, I'll go no matter what it costs.

We need to learn.

that no matter what men tell us to do, we must be faithful to God.

And then we need to learn to rejoice in suffering.

We need to learn to be faithful and diligent in our priorities.

And we need to learn to be faithful to make sure that all those who are willing to hear
can hear without fear of prejudice,

keeping them from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Philip is truly an example of faithfulness in service.

If you're here this afternoon and you have need of the invitation of Christ to put Christ
on in baptism, to live faithful to him, if you're willing to accept what that comes with,

because Philip clearly shows us it's not going to be easy.

Now, tradition tells us that Philip

will die.

being in service to his Lord.

But Scripture doesn't paint us a picture of Philip's death.

It paints us a picture of Philip's life.

If you have need of the invitation of Christ to come and to follow him, then we encourage
you to do that together as we stand and as