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Friends Are Friends Forever
Introducing the apostles Philip and Nathaniel
based on John 1:43-51
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Today, I would like to introduce you to a couple of
disciples that were really good friends. I think most people would like to
have a close friend that they can hang out with and really talk to.
The Gospel of John describes how Philip was the third
disciple called by Jesus. Apparently, Philip was
from the same town as Andrew and Simon Peter, and actually knew them well.
Philip then introduced his
friend Nathaniel (sometimes identified with Bartholomew) to Jesus.
Nathaniel was initially
skeptical about Jesus, saying: "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"
But he trusts his friend Philip. If Philip is excited about Jesus, then
there must be something to it. People trust the judgment of their
friends, that’s the reason why Facebook is making millions in
advertisement, if your friend has “liked” an advertisement, you are much
more likely to check it out—its ingenious.
Jesus seems impressed by
Philip’s friend as he says to him: "Here is a man in whom there is no
deception."
Some scholars hold that
Jesus' quote "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree,
I saw you", is based on a Jewish figure of speech referring to studying
the Torah. [1]
Nathaniel then makes an
amazing statement; similar to the one Peter made much later in Jesus’
ministry: "You are the Son of God, the King of Israel."
Nathaniel’s calling story is
my favorite one among the apostles; it reminds me of the calling of
Jeremiah in the first chapter of Jeremiah:
4 The word of
the LORD came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
Both Nathaniel and Jeremiah’s calling stories make
you aware of the fact that God has already been working in your life, long
before you knew about it, always pulling you closer and working on your
heart (a work of the Holy Spirit our church founder, John Wesley, called
“prevenient grace”)
So here we have these two upright and very noble
friends, Philip and Nathaniel, following this incredible call by our Lord,
being trained and ministering side by side alongside him. And, according
to church tradition, even after Jesus’ ascension these two stayed
together, traveling to Caucasian Armenia to preach the good news of Jesus
Christ. Both friends are considered the patron saints of the Armenian
Apostolic Church. After Philip’s martyrdom on a cross, Nathaniel is also
said to have undertaken mission trips as far as India.
I want to close with an incredible story, recorded in
church history about Philip's martyrdom in the city of Hierapolis.
According to this account, through a miraculous healing and his preaching
Philip converted the wife of the proconsul of the city. This enraged the
proconsul, and he had Philip, Bartholomew, and Mariamne (Philip’s sister)
all tortured. Philip and Bartholomew were then crucified upside down, and
Philip preached from his cross. As a result of Philip's preaching the
crowd released Bartholomew from his cross, but Philip insisted that they
not release him, and Philip died on the cross.
Their friendship reminds me of Michael W. Smith's
song "Friends Are Friends Forever"
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends.
Philip and Nathaniel were apostles for Christ and
best friends, reaching the world together for the Kingdom of God. What an
inspirational story! Amen.
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[1] Wikipedia,
Bartholomew the Apostle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartholomew_the_Apostle
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