門徒腓力
約翰福音一章43至50節
43又次日,耶穌想要往加利利去,遇見腓力,就對他說:“來,跟從我吧!”
44這腓力是伯賽大人,和安得烈、彼得同城。
45腓力找著拿但業,對他說:“摩西在律法上所寫的和眾先知所記的那一位,我們遇見了,就是約瑟的兒子拿撒勒人耶穌。”
46拿但業對他說:“拿撒勒還能出甚麼好的嗎?”腓力說:“你來看!”
47耶穌看見拿但業來,就指著他說:“看哪,這是個真以色列人,他心裡是沒有詭詐的。”
48拿但業對耶穌說:“你從哪裡知道我呢?”耶穌回答說:“腓力還沒有招呼你,你在無花果樹底下,我就看見你了。”
49拿但業說:“拉比,你是神的兒子,你是以色列的王!”
50耶穌對他說:“因為我說在無花果樹底下看見你,你就信嗎?你將要看見比這更大的事。”
信息分享
從某些角度來看,腓力正是這種默默事奉的人。馬太、馬可和路加都只是在十二門徒的名單中提到他。約翰則在四次事件中,約略講到他。透過今天所讀的經文,我們得以看見基督呼召腓力跟從祂的情景。
我們很容易將這位腓力,與使徒行傳記載的那位執事和傳道人腓利混淆。那位腓利曾到撒馬利亞傳福音,還帶領一位埃塞俄比亞的官員歸向基督;並在很多重要事件中舉足輕重。然而,使徒腓力除了在使徒行傳一章13節的門徒名單中被提及外,便再沒有在書中出現。
腓力遇見基督後,首先想到的,是要告訴他的朋友拿但業關於祂的事情。當他明白基督對於他自己的重要後,他就想要與人分享那對他意味著甚麼。他極力推薦耶穌:「祂就是我們一直尋求的那位基督!」
他的見證並沒有立即見效,但他卻知道下一步該怎樣做:「來吧,你自己看!」這真是教我們傳福音的好課程。當我們向人傳福音,不能讓對方明白的時候,我們總可以簡單地說:「若你自己認識祂,你就會知道祂有多麼好!」你自己真認識主耶穌嗎?你有向人介紹祂嗎?
ANOTHER EARLY DISCIPLE – PHILIP
John 1: 43-50
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
Message
Philip in some ways must have been a man like that. Matthew, Mark and Luke mention him once in the list of all the apostles. John gives us four incidents in which Philip is briefly seen. The first glimpse of this early disciple is in our reading today when Christ called Philip to follow Him.
It is very easy to confuse this Philip with Philip the deacon and evangelist in the book of Acts. That Philip preached in Samaria and also led the Ethiopian to Christ. He was prominent in other stories as well. But beyond being listed among the other apostles in Acts 1:13, Philip the early disciple is not mentioned again.
Philip's first thought on meeting Christ was “I must tell my friend Nathaniel about this Man.” Having discovered Christ for himself, Philip wanted to communicate what it had meant to him. Philip gave a fine commendation of Christ, “Here is the very one whom we've been looking for!”
His first attempt at witnessing however was not altogether successful but he knew what to do next. “Come and meet this man for yourself.” That's a good lesson for us. If we can't get very far in talking with someone else about Christ, we can always say very simply, “If you just get to know Christ for yourself, you will find out how wonderful He is.” Have you met Jesus yourself? Have you told anyone about Him?

