Philip (Deacon)
Philip the deacon is one of the first seven deacons chosen by members of the early Church of Jerusalem at the initiative of the apostles to help them. It should not be confused with the apostle Philip mentioned in the Gospels , even if, in the formation of legends, biographies of the two were joined by Philip error. This is one of St. Philip, St. Christian celebrated on October 11 What we read in the Bible According to the Acts of the Apostles , Philip was called to the diaconate by the primitive community of Jerusalem (Acts 6:5). The initiative to create the deacons had been taken by the circle of the apostles, who also established the criteria to allow them to choose (men filled with the Holy Spirit ), and according to these criteria is the community that appointed. Besides Philip, who was also making a name as a propagator of the gospel, Stephen , Prochorus , Nicanor , Timon , Parmenas and Nicolas were called to the service. At the time of the first Christians in Jerusalem after the martyrdom of Stephen, Philip went to Samaria (Acts 8:4-13), where he preached with great success. The people listened to his sermons as a result of which the evil spirits left the bodies of many owned by shouting. He healed the lame and crippled, and he even managed to convert again Simon Magus , but only superficially . According to Acts (8:26-40), Philip was led in a supernatural way on the desert road near Gaza , and there he met a eunuch, the treasurer of Queen Candace of Ethiopia. The treasurer was returning from Jerusalem to his home country in Africa. Philip sat in the car with him and helped him to interpret a passage from the Book of Isaiah. There - is what we should conclude from happening in the story - he directed the conversation to Jesus Christ and the baptism. The treasurer said the baptism, that Philippe gave him. Stories apocryphal see this early baptism of the Ethiopian Church. Then, according to the Acts of the Apostles (8:40), Philippe went on his way to Azotus ( Ashdod ), and he preached in all the cities before arriving in the region of Caesarea. There, a few years later, according to the Acts (21:8), he is described as "evangelist" . He spoke with Paul of Tarsus and his companion while they were traveling to Jerusalem and received from him (Acts 21:8-14). At that time "he had four daughters who prophesied" (Acts 21:9). Finally, accompanied by his four daughters, he went to Hierapolis of Phrygia. There, according to the apocryphal stories, all five were arrested and at the same time, crucified and stoned. A late tradition ensures that stood at Tralles in Asia Minor , where he would become bishop or church leader. The feast of St. Philip the Deacon is celebrated on October 11 References The baptism of the Ethiopian
The Evangelist
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