Philip
Philip was a Friend of Jesus who was asked to be a special helper of the leaders of the church, just after Jesus had left the earth to go back to His Father. He was good at all the practical things which don’t seem very exciting (making sure no-one was missed out when food was served!) but which are very important.
But Philip was more than a practical helper, he was also very gifted at explaining the message of Jesus to people who had never heard of him. Acts 8:12 says, “But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ." He spoke to people who nobody much liked (Samaritans) and was humble enough to ask for help when he came across situations only the senior church leaders could deal with. And he was good with people on their own, as well as big crowds.
Once he saw a rich African man in a large chariot reading part of the Bible. Philip was not afraid to show this Ethiopian leader how the early part of the Bible pointed to his friend, Jesus. The man was so impressed with what Philip said that he became a Friend of Jesus too!
Philip didn’t just tell strangers about Jesus, he made sure his own family knew about Him as well. His four daughters all became Jesus’s friends... and told others about Jesus too... just like their dad!
To find out more, read...Acts 8:4-23
and watch Friends and Heroes...
Series 1 Episode 10, “Horseplay”
