St. Philip was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles. He is one of four people in the Bible named Philip, resulting in occasional confusion for readers. Our St. Philip is known as Philip the Apostle.

His most notable appearance in the Bible is probably in John 6:1-15, in which Jesus needs to feed 5,000 people who gathered after hearing he was nearby. Jesus, on a mountaintop with his disciples, asks Philip – as a test of his faith – “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?”

Philip answers, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”

Five loaves of bread and two fish are produced and prove sufficient to feed all five thousand.

More references to St. Philip are found in John 1:43-41, John 12:21, John 12:20-36, John 14:5-14. He also appears on lists of Apostles in Matthew 10:2-4, Mark 3:14-19, and Luke 6:13-16.

Episcopalians celebrate the Feast Day of the Apostles James and Philip on May 1.

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Saint Philip portrait