The Holy Apostle Philip (1st c.)
The holy Apostle Philip, a native of Bethsaida, a town of Galilee, was deeply learned in the Holy Scriptures. He rightly understood the meaning of the Old Testament prophecies and lived in expectation of the Messiah. Philip followed the Saviour at the very first call (John 1:43); he brought the Apostle Nathanael to Christ (John 1:46); the Lord asked him how much money would be needed to buy bread enough for five thousand men (John 6:5–7); he brought the Greeks who wished to see Christ (John 12:21–22); he asked the Saviour: “Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us” (John 14:8).
After the Ascension of Christ the Apostle Philip preached the word of God in Galilee. The blessed one’s teaching was accompanied by marvellous wonders. From Galilee the Apostle Philip went on to Greece and preached there among the Jews who had settled there. Pharisees came from the holy city to Hellas, led by the high priest, to put Philip on trial. The Apostle Philip exposed the lie of the Jewish high priest, who claimed that the Saviour’s body had been stolen and hidden by Christ’s disciples: the saint told those assembled that the guards from whom this rumour had spread had been bribed by the Pharisees. When the Jewish high priest and his companions began to blaspheme and fell upon the Apostle Philip, they were struck blind; but through the apostle’s prayer the sight of all of them was restored. Many of those who saw this wonder turned to Christianity.
From Hellas Philip went first to Parthia and then to the town of Azotus. From Azotus the Apostle Philip went on to Hierapolis in Syria. Here Jews bribed by the Pharisees burned the house of Iros, who had given the holy apostle shelter. They meant to kill Philip himself, but when they saw the wonders worked by the Lord’s chosen one, they were brought to repentance, and many of them were baptised. The holy apostle appointed Iros bishop of Hierapolis, and himself went on his way, travelling through Syria, Asia Minor, Lydia and Mysia. Everywhere he preached the word of God, for which he had to endure many torments. With Saint Philip, never leaving him, went his sister Mariamne, who shared in her brother’s hardships.
Then the apostle came to Phrygia, to the city of Hierapolis, where there were many pagan shrines, among them a temple built in honour of serpents, in which a huge viper made its nest. The Apostle Philip killed the reptile by the power of prayer and healed many people who had been bitten by snakes. Among those healed was the wife of the city’s governor, who came to believe in Christ and was baptised. When the city’s ruler learned of this, he ordered the arrest of Philip, his sister Mariamne, and the Apostle Bartholomew, who was with them. At the prompting of the priests of the viper’s temple the pagan ruler ordered Philip and Bartholomew to be crucified. At that moment the earth shook terribly, and those in the court of judgement were swallowed up by the earth. Nailed to a cross head downward by the viper’s temple, Philip prayed that the Lord would deliver his tormentors from the calamity that had befallen them. The people, seeing what had happened, believed in Christ and demanded that the apostles be taken down. Bartholomew, when he was taken down from the cross, was still alive. After his release the blessed one baptised the newly converted and appointed a bishop for them; but the Apostle Philip died on the cross.
The saint’s sister Mariamne buried her brother’s body, and then went with the Apostle Bartholomew to Armenia to preach the Gospel. Here Saint Bartholomew was crucified (commemorated on the 11th of June), while Mariamne went on preaching the word of God among the pagans until she reached her blessed end in Lycaonia (commemorated on the 17th of February).
