Philip the Evangelist

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The name evangelist is applied in Scripture to but one man, namely, Philip. No other is ever thus specially designated. The word occurs three times only, namely, in Ephes. 4:11,11And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (Ephesians 4:11) where evangelists are mentioned as being amongst the gifts; 2 Tim. 4:5,5But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. (2 Timothy 4:5) where Timothy is told to do the work of an evangelist; and Acts 11:8,8But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. (Acts 11:8) where mention is made of Philip the evangelist. The verb " they evangelized" is used several times, sometimes joined with the names of the preachers, sometimes simply referring to them without even so much as giving their names. Special mention is made of a brother in the following passage: " and we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches (2 Cor. 8:1818And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches; (2 Corinthians 8:18)), but nowhere except in the above mentioned verse in the Acts do we find the word " evangelist " specially connected with any particular man. This gives Philip a special place in Scripture, and any details therefore which are recorded therein concerning one so distinctly marked out by the word of God as a bearer of the glad tidings, cannot fail to be deeply interesting to any desiring to do the work of an evangelist in the present day. The history of Philip's work and service is found in Acts 8 The first thing to which we would call attention is that his sphere of service was beyond the region which up to that time had been the place of testimony. We hear of him as preaching not in Jerusalem or Judea, where there had already been so much blessing, but in Samaria, to which place not only had the work not extended but where the people themselves were looked upon by the Jews as an inferior race. (John 4:99Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. (John 4:9).) We find him used there in a remarkable manner. The people with one accord gave heed to him and there was great joy in that city. News of the work there reaches to Jerusalem and the result of this is to lead out two of the apostles from the original place of testimony into a wider field and perfectly in accordance with the character of their testimony as marked out by our blessed Lord Himself in Acts 1:88But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8). Peter and John are sent by the apostles to Samaria. No doubt the grace and care of God may be discerned in thus preserving the unity of the Spirit amongst those at Jerusalem and Samaria, and very interesting it is to trace how this was done, but to follow this would take away the attention from the special work of the evangelist to fix it upon a truth which rather pertains to the whole church. The next thing we find is that Simon Magus is baptized. The workman, unless kept, is liable to be carried away or affected, not (as is sometimes incorrectly stated) by the blessing, but by that in himself which, in the midst of the blessing, has its influence and power from principles in direct antagonism (however sincere the workman may be) to the One who alone is the source of all the blessing. Whether Philip was to any extent thus affected, or whether there was any failure in spiritual discernment, we are not told; the fact remains, that one who had no part or lot in the matter had been baptized, and appears to have kept close to him whom he naturally looked upon as the leader in the whole movement. The presence of Peter and John who had been brought from Jerusalem through the result of the preaching of a less gifted vessel than themselves was used to bring to light the true character of that which had been admitted amongst the sheep and the lambs. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, and the principle of corruption then admitted has since spread to the fullest extent. The apostles themselves, taken out of their habitual course, preach in many villages of the Samaritans. Philip has thus been used to lead them in the order of that testimony in Acts 1:8,8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8) to which reference has already been made. Jerusalem 1St, Judea 2nd, and Samaria 3rd; it being reserved for the one born out of due time to complete the testimony by carrying the word to the uttermost part of the earth. (Col. 1:2323If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; (Colossians 1:23).) Thus Philip had been greatly used. The whole city had been moved at his word, and (as is always the case where an evangelist works faithfully and according to his measure) had been enriched by the presence of other servants of the Lord more fitted to carry on the subsequent work than he who first brought into it the glad tidings. Are there not some who at the present day are acknowledged and accredited as evangelists who would consider such blessing to be the token for working in as large or even a larger sphere? Not so with Philip. The next step must be, as regards the earth, with one instead of many, but angel and Spirit must come in to share in this work. Philip is told by the former to go to the south, the road to the desert. No multitude can be found there, and the attentive and eager population of the city is succeeded by one solitary studious proselyte of Ethiopia, who with but little intelligence is so occupied with his book that he reads it aloud, not even observing the one who had been sent for the purpose of bringing to him light upon its page. The Spirit had said to Philip, " Go near and join thyself to this chariot." The result happily is well-known to most of our readers. The work was done; and the same Spirit takes away the workman, but not the joy that that workman's word had caused. The water of life had flowed from Philip in the desert, and as regards Philip is no longer there, but it leaves therein a well which in its turn is to give forth its waters in the far off regions of Ethiopia The next thing we read of Philip is, that he was found at Azotus and that thence he preached through all the cities until he came to Caesarea. We find no further mention of him until we come to chap. 21. of the Acts where the expression is used which has occasioned these remarks. We thus have three distinct places named, 1St, Samaria; 2nd, the desert; 3rd, Azotus; after that there is a reference to the cities. The order of service is remarkable. 1St, with a large number. 2nd, with but one man. 3rd, no record whatever of any result either at Azotus or the cities between that place and Caesarea. Many might say, " What could ever have taken Philip to Azotus? I never heard of any conversions there." The Spirit had caught away Philip from the eunuch, and we may justly conclude that he was not otherwise than in the line of the Spirit's action when found at Azotus. Surely there is a voice in such a history as this for any one who goes forth to preach the gospel in our own day, not only that he should bring exercise of heart as to his being in the current of the acting of God's Spirit and as to mistrust and judgment of self, so as not to be deceived by the enemy into mixing the vile with the precious, but also to encourage him in being instant in the work of the gospel whether with many or with few. But there is a yet higher, fuller and more blessed way of taking up the truth contained in this chapter than merely looking at the character of work to which this dear servant, so specially marked out as " the evangelist," was called. We are too apt to notice merely the work and the workman and to fail in entering into the thoughts and ways of the ONE who alone calls, raises up, sends, and directs for blessing; the ONE of whom it is said, " He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth." We would therefore desire that the reader should leave for a little while the scene in Samaria, the desert, and Azotus, and in spirit (1 Cor. 6:1717But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17)) be with HIM who works all things according to His own will. The Lord sends forth His servants. (cf. Gal. 1:1, 10, 111Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) (Galatians 1:1)
10For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. (Galatians 1:10‑11).) He may use trouble, affliction, and persecution for this end. It was so in Philip's case; the persecution that arose upon the death of Stephen had been used to send the former outside Jerusalem and Judea, but God looks down from on high and sees this city of Samaria and intends to have a vast number taken out of it who are to be not only blessed on earth, but to be made like unto His Son in everything, to be heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, and to be manifested forth hereafter in the same glory. Angels may not carry the message to them. Who shall? Philip is the vessel to be used and the work is done. Again God looks down from on high and sees this one solitary traveler, and it is His will that he too shall be blessed forever with that Son. Who shall be sent? Philip had been willing and obedient in the city to the multitude, he shall be the messenger to the Ethiopian. If Philip can thus in the work be led by Him who is on high, what room, opportunity, or desire, has he to measure the work by that result (or, alas, too often apparent result) which so influences and affects minds which estimate the blessing by that which the eye can see and the ear hoar and the natural mind and will accept and accredit. If looked at only from the earth, much would be thought of the work in Samaria, less of that in the desert, and nothing of Azotus; but when looked at from on high the three places may well stand side by side. It is to be noticed that angel and Spirit are both mentioned in connection with the work in the desert, but neither are found mentioned in connection with the city. There may be much more intercourse and communion with the Lord in a quiet and comparatively unknown work than in one as to numbers far more extensive.
These remarks may cause some of the dear and devoted evangelists of the present day to seek and to value more than they have hitherto done the direct leading of the Spirit in the work to which they have been called, to be more careful to discern the character of that which is, or seems to be, the result of their work, and to persevere in that work, whatever may be the outward circumstances which accompany it, ever bearing in mind the exhortation to the Corinthians, " Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."