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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadGreater Men and Women of the Bible by James Hastings: 616. At Caesarea
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At Caesarea
Cæsarea is noted in Church history as being the place where, by the conversion of Cornelius, the door of faith was first formally opened to the Gentiles. Our Evangelist having taken up his residence in the place some time previous to this great event, it may surprise us that he was not in any way employed in it. But a subordinate minister of the Church, however eminent his gifts or great his success, would not have been in place here. The formal admission of the Gentiles, as distinct from the sporadic conversion of individual Gentiles here and there, was to be transacted by an Apostle.
2. Philip remained in Cæsarea for twenty years; and we do not hear a word about him all that time. But at last Paul and his companions, hurrying to keep the Feast at Jerusalem, found that they had a little time to spare when they reached Cæsarea, and so they came to “the house of Philip the evangelist,” and spent “many days” with him. It is specially mentioned, though without any incident to be explained by it, that Philip had four virgin daughters endowed with the gift of prophecy. When Joshua was giving his final charge to the people of God, he expressed before them: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Philip the Evangelist had made the same determination, and he had carried it out. He had let his light shine before men, and his family did the same thing, giving themselves up to the service of God and adorning the doctrine of God their Saviour. There was no envy in Philip's heart of the younger brother that had so outrun him. He was quite content to share the fate of pioneers, and rejoiced in the junior who had entered into his labour. “One soweth and another reapeth”; he was prepared for that, and rejoiced to hear about what the Lord had done by his brother, though once he had thought it might have been done by him.
And there was one sitting by who did not say very much, but who had his ears wide open; his name was Luke. In Philip's long, confidential conversations he no doubt got some of the materials for his account of the early days of the Church in Jerusalem, materials which have been preserved for us in the Book of Acts.
3. Of the closing period of Philip's life we know nothing certainly, although there would seem to be some grounds for the tradition that in the unsettled conditions existing in Judæa about 65 a.d., due to the breaking out of the great Jewish war, he, like many other Jewish Christians, probably left Palestine and found a home elsewhere. As to whether he suffered martyrdom, or died a quiet and natural death, tradition is divided.
4. The life and experience of Philip, as in the case of others of the early Christian leaders, are full of suggestion.
(1) In him, for example, we have a notable instance of the good which a consecrated layman may accomplish. A similar possibility of usefulness, even if not in precisely the same sphere, is open to any consecrated layman to-day. He may make his life as successful as that of Philip, if he will.
(2) Another thing which impresses us in the narrative is his instant obedience, upon all occasions, to the voice of the Spirit, and this even though the way may not have seemed clear before him at the time. It was enough for him to know that he was bidden to go in a certain direction, and this promptness of response was the secret of his success. As he went forward, the way opened before him, step by step, added light was given as it was needed, and the work which was waiting for him was made plain.
“My own life-my own struggles-and sins-and sufferings,” said Meynell, stooping towards the sick man, and speaking each word with an intensity behind which lay much that could never be known to his questioner. “A good man, Bateson, put it once in this way, ‘There is something in me that asks something of me.' That's easy to understand-isn't it? If a man wants to be filthy, or drunken, or cruel, there is always a Voice within-it may be weak or it may be strong-that asks of him to be-instead-pure and sober and kind. And perhaps he denies the Voice, refuses it-talks it down-again and again. Then the joy in his life dies out, bit by bit, and the world turns to dust and ashes. Every time that he says No to the Voice, he is less happy-he has less power of being happy. And the Voice itself dies away-and death comes.… But now, suppose he turns to the Voice and says, ‘Lead me-I follow!' And suppose he obeys, like a child stumbling. Then every time he stretches and bends his poor weak will so as to give It what It asks, his heart is happy; and strength comes-the strength to do more and do better. It asks him to love-to love men and women, not with lust, but with pure love; and as he obeys, as he loves-he knows, he knows that it is God asking, and that God has come to him and abides with him. So, when death overtakes him he trusts himself to God-as he would to his best friend.”1 [Note: Mrs. Humphry Ward, The Case of Richard Meynell.]
(3) But especially interesting and instructive is the relation of Philip to the New Testament movement and its progress in those early times. His broad-minded disregard of the national and religious prejudices of the Jewish people, as illustrated in both the incidents recorded of him was, at the time, a real contribution to the progress of the cause. The time had not yet come for an open rupture with Judaism, but things were working that way. There was a constant introduction of broader ideas among Jewish Christian people, and a loosening of the prejudices in which they had been reared. This, in due time, was bound to bring about the inevitable separation. Philip is to be thought of as one of the pioneers in promoting these enlarging conceptions, and in boldly acting in accordance with them as opportunity presented.
All honour to you!-ye who made the road
Whereon we walk rejoicing. Ye have known
The fiercest combat, and the cumbrous load
Upon the path with brambles overgrown;
But, nothing daunted, with your care and toil
Ye cleared a way for Freedom's holy feet,
And scattered seeds upon the wayside soil
Which since have yielded blossoms fair and sweet.
And we, who follow after, walk with ease
Because of that wild travail full of tears,
We hear the songs of Freedom on the breeze,
And see her triumph in the nearing years.
The Dawn ye witnessed breaks to golden Day-
All honour to you!-ye who made the Way!1 [Note: Rose E. Sharland, Voices of Dawn, 42.]