St. Philip the Apostle

St. Philip the Apostle (born, Bethsaida of Galilee—died 1st century; Western feast day May 3, Eastern feast day November 14) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Mentioned only by name in the Apostle lists of the Synoptic Gospels, he is a frequent character in the Gospel According to John, according to which (1:43–51) he came from Bethsaida, answered Jesus’ call (“Follow me”), and was instrumental in the call of St. Nathanael (probably St. Bartholomew the Apostle), whom he brought to Jesus.

At the time of his call, Philip seemingly belonged to a group influenced by St. John the Baptist. He participated in the miracle of the loaves and fishes (John 6:5–9), accounting for his symbol in medieval art of loaves. With St. Andrew the Apostle, he brought word to Jesus that certain Greeks had asked to see him (John 12:21–22). In John 14:8–9, Philip asked Jesus to reveal the Father, receiving the answer, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father.”

Nothing more is known about him from the New Testament. In later legends he was often confused with St. Philip the Evangelist (Philip the Deacon), one of the seven deacons of the early church (Acts 6:5). His apostolate was supposedly in the territory of Scythia, an ancient Eurasian area. He died of natural causes according to one tradition but, according to another, of crucifixion, accounting for his other medieval symbol of a tall cross. The Acts of Philip are apocryphal and probably date from the 3rd/4th century.

Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.

SIGN UP

By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.