腓力的最后请求
约翰福音十四章1至12节
1你们心里不要忧愁,你们信神,也当信我。
2在我父的家里有许多住处;若是没有,我就早已告诉你们了;我去原是为你们预备地方去。
3我若去为你们预备了地方,就必再来接你们到我那里去;我在哪里,叫你们也在那里。
4我往哪里去,你们知道;那条路,你们也知道(注:有古卷作“我往哪里去,你们知道那条路”)。”
5多马对他说:“主啊,我们不知道你往哪里去,怎么知道那条路呢?”
6耶稣说:“我就是道路、真理、生命;若不借着我,没有人能到父那里去。
7你们若认识我,也就认识我的父。从今以后,你们认识他,并且已经看见他。”
8腓力对他说:“求主将父显给我们看,我们就知足了。”
9耶稣对他说:“腓力,我与你们同在这样长久,你还不认识我吗?人看见了我,就是看见了父,你怎么说‘将父显给我们看’呢?
10我在父里面,父在我里面,你不信吗?我对你们所说的话,不是凭着自己说的,乃是住在我里面的父做他自己的事。
11你们当信我,我在父里面,父在我里面;即或不信,也当因我所做的事信我。
12我实实在在地告诉你们:我所做的事,信我的人也要做;并且要做比这更大的事,因为我往父那里去。
信息分享
基督就像往常常做的一样,谈及祂的父。腓力对基督所讲的真理仍然不甚理解,便脱口而出说:「主啊,我们经常听你谈论到父,可以让我们见祂一面吗?这样,我们就能够真正明白你所讲的东西了!」
基督的回答似乎略微率直,但我们应该感谢腓力提出这个问题。基督的回应大大增进我们的信心和对父的认识。腓力究竟期望甚么呢?他是否希望一瞥天堂的景象或是甚么?
基督的回答,是有关父与子原为一体的其中一个最重要的宣言。凡看见子的人,就等于看见父。
换言之,我们的天父跟基督完全一样,而基督跟天父也完全一样。你已经看见基督的慈爱、奇妙和能力吗?那么,你记着,天父也是一样的。这个观念能大大帮助我们认识神。
我们不知道腓力在五旬节后去了哪里。圣经没有记述他行过任何神迹,或传讲过任何信息。按照教会流传的说法,他走过小亚细亚,在叙利亚传福音之后,在希拉波立殉道。
不管在哪个地方,腓力都总是默默地忠心服侍基督。我们的教会若没有像他那样的弟兄姊妹,会变成甚么样呢?让我们为他们默默地忠心事主感谢神。
PHILIP'S FINAL REQUEST
John 14: 1-12
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b]
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Message
As Christ so often did, he mentioned the Father. Philip was still puzzled and blurted out, “Lord, we heard you talk so much about the Father. Could we see Him? That would really help us understand what you've been saying!”
Christ's answer seems a little blunt, but we ought to be grateful for Philip's question. Christ's answer is very helpful to our faith and our knowledge of the Father. We wonder what Philip expected. Did he think they would be given a vision of heaven or what?
That answer is really one of the greatest statements regarding the unique oneness of the Father and the Son. “Anyone who has seen me, has seen the Father.”
In other words, we are dealing with a heavenly Father who is exactly like Christ and Christ is exactly like the Father. Have you realised how loving, wonderful, and powerful Christ is? Then remember the Father is the same. That helps us so much in our understanding of God.
We do not know where Philip went after Pentecost. There are no recorded miracles or messages by him. Tradition says he was martyred in Hierapolis after a ministry in Syria and through Asia Minor.
Wherever he served Christ, Philip would have done it in a quiet determined way. What would our churches be like without men and women like him? Let's thank God today for their quiet faithful service.

