Holy Apostle Philip, One of the Seven Deacons (I)

The holy Apostle Philip, one of the Saviour’s seventy closest disciples, was born in Caesarea in Palestine. After the descent of the Holy Spirit the twelve apostles appointed the saint a deacon of the Church of Jerusalem. The eldest of the seven first deacons was the archdeacon Stephen. When the persecution of the Orthodox began and the Jews stoned the Protomartyr Stephen, Philip left Jerusalem. He moved to Samaria and spread the teaching of Christ there. Through his preaching Simon the sorcerer was converted, who “was baptized, and continued with Philip” (Acts 8:13).

At the direction of an angel of the Lord the holy apostle took the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza; there he met a courtier of the queen of Ethiopia, a eunuch “who had the charge of all her treasure”, and baptised him (Acts 8:26–39). After this “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip”, and he found himself in the city of Azotus, near Gaza on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. “And passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea” (Acts 8:40). In Caesarea the blessed one spent some time in his own house, and then returned to Jerusalem, where the apostles consecrated him bishop. In this rank the Lord’s chosen one laboured at Tralles in Lydia (in the north-west of Asia Minor) and added many souls to the Church of Christ.

The holy apostle died in deep old age. His four daughters, who lived in virginity and piety, were granted by the Lord the gift of prophecy (Acts 21:8–9). One of them, Hermione (see 4 September), died as a martyr.

The holy Apostle Philip, one of the seven deacons, should be distinguished from the other Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who is commemorated on 14 November.