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'Philip'3...Lay Missionary Deacon! [Acts 8:5-7] / Paul's Bible CharactersG'PEOPLE 2022. 10. 6. 05:01
New Zealand / West Side Priscilla
'Philip'3...
Lay Missionary Deacon
[Acts 8:5-7]
/ Paul's Bible Characters
/ By Paul
1. Personal
information and major life
The name 'Philip'
means 'a lover of horses'.
'Philip'
was a Hellenistic Jew and
was one of the Jews who had
returned from scattered
throughout the country.
Hellenistic Jews were alienated
from the Jewish community,
and most of their lives depended
on the relief of the poor of the
Jerusalem Church, but
they were treated poorly
by Hebrew widows,
causing trouble.
So,
the apostles chose seven
exemplary deacons and
entrusted them with
this relief ministry.
As a result, Philip became
one of the seven deacons
of the early church, and
his perfect faith was added
to the power of the Lord,
and he became a worker
(evangelist) working with
deacon Stephen (martyr).
(Acts 21:8)
After Stephen's martyrdom,
the persecution intensified,
and all except the apostles
left the church and were
scattered to each region.
At that time, Philip went down
to the city of Samaria to preach
the gospel and became the
first lay missionary, who led
many people to the Lord.
Also, filled with the Holy Spirit,
he went down to Gaza under
the guidance of an angel
of the Lord
and preached the gospel
to an eunuch who was in charge
of all the treasury of Candace,
queen of the Ethiopians,
and became a person who
opened the door to missions
in North Africa.
After that, he went up to Azotus,
a 4.8km inland area on the
Mediterranean coast, about
40km northeast of Gasa as
the third mission site.
He traveled there and the
surrounding coastal provinces,
preaching his gospel,
and finally moved to
Caesarea, where he settled.
Therefore, 'Caesarea' was
the final destination of
Philip's missionary work
in Samaria,
and he and his
four daughters and their
children lived in the place.
It was there that the door of faith
was first opened to the Gentiles
by the conversion of Cornelius.
When the Apostle Paul visited
Caesarea on his third missionary
journey while Philip was carrying
out the ministry of the evangelist
for about 25 years (A.D. 58),
Philip welcomed the apostle
Paul and Luke and other
major ministers, and he let
them stay in his home
for a long time.
He also gave them a lot of
news about Jerusalem.
The relationship between
'Philip' and the 'apostle Paul'
was so special.
At first,
they broke up as enemies,
but after 25 years, it became
a relationship of co-workers
helping each other while
doing the Lord's work.
After that, the evangelist Philip
moved to the bishop of
Tralles in Lydia and faithfully
performed his mission,
and it is said that he was
martyred there while serving.
2. Characteristics of Faith
1) Philip was a layman who
had faith and was full
of the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 6:5)
As much as we believe,
the work of God corresponding
to our faith appears.
So the Lord says in the Bible:
"And these signs will
accompany those who believe:
In my name they will drive out
demons; they will speak
in new tongues;"
(Mark 16:17)
When Philip went down to the
city of Samaria and preached
the gospel, evil spirits came
out of many with shrieks,
and many paralytics and
cripples were healed.
(Acts 8:7)
Demons have the characteristics
of coming in and going out
of humans.
Ordinary people do not know
whether they are possessed
by demons or not.
However,
because demons are evil spirits,
they make the thoughts, words,
and behaviors of people
possessed by demons evil.
Most of the cases in which people
lead a double life come from being
possessed by the insidious
desires of evil spirits.
However,
there is something that
demons fear the most.
That is -'Jesus.'
That's because he is their judge.
Deacon 'Philip' was able to
drive out demons.
That's because he was
with the Lord.
As a result, the paralytic
and the lame were healed
by the work of the Holy Spirit.
Faith is the source of being
with the Lord, and it is also
the channel through which
the power of the Holy
Spirit is coming out.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit
means to be filled with the
indwelling of the Holy
Spirit in me.
The power that comes from
the outside is healing, and
the work that works from
within is guidance.
Following the ministry
in Samaria, 'Philip' was
instructed by the Holy Spirit
to go down to Gaza
and went to the eunuch
who was in charge of all the
treasury of Candace, queen
of the Ethiopians.
(Acts 8:29)
And to him who was reading
Isaiah, 'Philip' said that
the 'Lamb' was Jesus.
Here, we can see the
characteristics of Philip's
evangelism.
It is that he only testified
concerning Jesus.
In the city of Samaria,
he only testified concerning
Jesus Christ. ( Acts 8:5).
He also testified concerning
the Lord Jesus to the
Ethiopian eunuch.
(Acts 8:35)
What I can feel through the faith
of Deacon Philip is that
if you have strong faith,
you testify of the Lord,
but if your faith is weak, you
can see that when you evangelize,
you tend to evangelize with
external circumstances
such as pride in the church,
blessings, answers, and healing.
True faith refers to the state
in which the inside of you
is filled with Jesus.
This faith never happens
when I see the Lord as a
means to my life of faith.
It can only happen when
I accept the Lord as my owner
and my controller of my life.
At that time, the Lord's
working comes out fully.
If I am filled with my thoughts
instead of the Lord, my own
mind comes out mostly,
but when
I am full of the Lord,
only the words of the
Lord come out.
When the incidental things
of faith come out, it is when
I am filled with my thoughts.
However,
Philip was a believer who
was filled with the Lord.
2) The faith of Philip was focused
on the salvation of souls rather
than success in his ministry.
Philip went down to Samaria
alone to preach the gospel.
In other words, he
pioneered a ministry.
When the
Lord's miraclous signs
and wonders appeared, his
ministry greatly revived.
In the city, there were a lot
of people following him.
He was able to lead the reviva
l ministry in peace there.
But the Holy Spirit told him
to go to the southwest of Egypt,
70km away, and go to Gaza,
the road to Egypt to preach.
It was also a ministry that
was done for only one
Gentile eunuch there.
From the standpoint of a
mighty servant of the Lord
who had many followers,
I could think that it would
be more effective to remain
in Samaria and lead more
people than to do that
ministry.
However, God was planning
not only to save the soul of
an eunuch but also to save
the whole of Ethiopia
through him.
The guidance of the
Holy Spirit is God's working
to fulfill His will and plan.
The success of the ministry
is considered important
when you work centered
on yourself,
but the achievement
of the ministry is important
when you work centered
on the Lord,
and evangelist Philip
showed this by obedience.
After the eunuch's evangelism
was over, he did not return to
Samaria, but went to 'Azotus',
a Mediterranean region 40km
further northeast of Gaza,
and preached the gospel
in various cities (Lydda
and Joppa) there.
The fruit of his gospel grew there,
and it is clearly shown in the fact
that there were already
Christians there when Peter
visited Lydda and Joppa.
After that, he stayed in 'Caesarea',
the most important point on
the Mediterranean coast,
where
the Roman governor
resided, and he served
many servants of God.
There are two ways to receive
the reward for your ministry.
One is a reward in heaven,
and the other is a blessing
from successful ministry
on earth.
Material blessings due to the
enlargement of the church
and the number of members
can be seen as blessings
on this earth.
However,
if we consider this more
important than the reward
of the kingdom of heaven,
the work that focuses on the
salvation of souls may be
corrupted by our desire
to enjoy the blessings
of this earth,
and we may lose
the precious blessing of
eternal life.
Evangelist Philip is showing us
that he was a true believer
who did the work of a pure
heart for the salvation of souls,
not the work that was expected
of us for money, fame, or ease.
3) He was a believer with
patience and humility.
After the miraculous signs
and wonders in Samaria,
he had to stay in Caesarea
for more than 20 years.
A servant of the Lord can do
his ministry in which God's
working is revealed.
No matter how hard it is,
he can do it without getting tired.
However, it is difficult to endure
the hidden ministry in which
God's working is not revealed.
That period lasted more than
20 years for deacon Philip.
Nor did he have the following
questions when the centurion
at Caesarea, Cornelius,
was converted.
“Why did the Lord ask Peter,
who was far away, to convert
Cornelius instead of me nearby?"
Speaking of ministry, when
we saw that the apostle Peter
followed where Philip had
always pioneered,
Philip was able to demonstrate
the vested interest in spiritual
ministry comparable to that
of the apostle.
Often, ministry is followed
by comparisons, envy and division.
This is a common occurrence today.
But in the early church, this
never happened.
This is because all had a
heart that was completely
obedient to the Lord.
In other words, when the Lord
made them wait, they waited,
when the Lord used others, they
was willing to help along,
and when the Lord commanded
them again, they obeyed, that is,
they had the attitude of a
true servant of the Lord'.
Ministry comes with tests.
However,
faith is accompanied
by the Holy Spirit.
Ultimately, the ministry
is under the control of
the Holy Spirit, and God's
will is done in it.
The secret that Deacon Philip
was able to do in hidden ministry
for more than 20 years was
his humility as a servant
of the Lord.
At the end of his ministry
of waiting in 'Caesarea',
finally,
he was given a ministry
to welcome Paul
and his companions,
returning from the 3rd
missionary journey.
It was Luke who benefited
the most from Philip's hospitality.
He could hear from Philip the
details of the work of the temple
in Jerusalem and the deeds
of the apostles for 20 years.
Eventually, that helped
Luke a lot later in writing
the Acts of the Apostles.
Philip and Paul, who parted
as enemies 25 years ago!
However, at that time,
God's amazing providence
made him stay in Caesarea
so that there could be
a moment of reunion
as co-workers!
Also, the Holy Spirit who realized
and led each of them to the place
to go so that they could part
again and bear the fruits
of the last gospel!
At that time,
Philip's daughters prophesied
toward Paul with the prophet
called Agabus,
'If you go to Jerusalem,
there is a persecution
awaiting you.
Please do not go there.'
(Acts 21:12)
Then Paul answered,
"Why are you weeping and
breaking my heart?
I am ready
not only to be bound,
but also to die in Jerusalem
for the name of the Lord Jesus."
(Acts 21:13)
Paul showed such
boldness of faith.
Philip saw that faith was
completed by relying
on the Lord, obedience,
and giving of himself
for the Lord.
Paul took the
path toward martyrdom.
Philip also found a way
to give his life.
It was exactly that he served as
the bishop of Tralles in Lydia.
And there, Philip gave his
life to the Lord.
A person who did not appear
with a famous name despite
doing something famous.
That person was Deacon
'Philip', the true evangelist.
-The End -
2022/03/11
/ By Paul
- The end -
2009/01/02
/ By Paul
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