Relevant Verses: John 14:10, 24; 16:7–11; 17:1–26
Theme: Inseparable Companionship
Leading Question: What is your preferred way of thinking about the Trinity?
John’s Gospel has been a significant source for the Christian doctrine of the Trinity from the patristic period to the present. The Fourth Gospel cintains the most comprehensive raw material for this doctrine, but also the most highly developed patterns of reflection about the oneness of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus’ Farewell Speech in John 14–16 is especially rich in this regard.
After Jesus’ response to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6), another disciple speaks up, one from whom we have heard very little so far. This is Philip, and John’s Gospel contains only one other record where Philip speaks. It is when the people are hungry and Jesus asks Philip, “Where should we buy b bread so that they may eat?” Philip’s answer seems reasonable, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little” (John 6:7-8). Here, in John 14, Philip says,
Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.
Jesus said to him,
Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip?
He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, Show us the Father?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?
(John 14:8-10)
Question: How would you describe the Father to someone like Philip?
I will ask the Father,
and He will give you another Helper [parakletos] to be with you forever;
that is the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see or know Him,
but you know Him because He abides [menõ] with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
(John 14:16-18)
Question: Why would the disciples be like “orphans” when Jesus leaves?
Question: How does the Helper (parakletos) fit into the life of an orphan?
Pneumatology (study of the Holy Spirit) in the Gospel of John is multi-faceted and is not given as a doctrinal formulation. The Spirit descended on Jesus as a dove, generates new life, acts sovereignly and unpredictably, quenches spiritual thirst, and permeates true worship of God, who is Spirit.
Three chapters in John’s Gospel, that stand out for their unusual identification of the Spirit as the parakletos. In chapters 14 to 16, Jesus is the first speaking of another parakletos (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; cf. 1 John 2:1).
English Bibles variously translate the word parakletos as Comforter, Advocate, Counselor, and Helper. The parakletos is “one who is called along or beside” to help out in any situation where there is a need. In the works of Philo and the rabbinic writings a parakletos is an advocate and intercessor. A parakletos was especially needed when a child became an orphan after the death of the father or both parents (In modern Hebrew of today, this work of the parakletos is retained with the paraklit as a solicitor or attorney). Rabbinic tradition further relates that when disciples of a famous rabbi mourned the death of their rabbi, the disciples considered themselves as fatherless and as orphans. This context is helpful in understanding the language and imagery Jesus uses when speaking of the Holy Spirit as a parakletos.
Who is Philip?
Jesus’ promise of the Paraclete is given in response to a specific request made by Philip, “Lord, show us the Father,” and then he added, “and it will be enough for us.” What a strange request of a disciple who had accompanied Jesus for three years, who had heard Jesus speak of the Father and watched him do the works of the Father!
But before we continue to make judgments about Philip, we must consider the things we learn about Philip from the Gospel of John:
- Name and location: Philip is Greek (meaning, “horse-lover”). He does not have a Jewish name. Philip lives in Galilee (John 1:43–46), and holds the name of the ruler Philip the Tetrarch (son of Herod the Great and Cleopatra of Jerusalem), who ruled in Galilee between 4 BCE to 34 CE. What does the name tell you about Philip?
- Call to discipleship: John writes about Jesus, “He purposed to go to Galilee and found Philip” (1:43). The finding of Philip did not happen by chance; it was intentional and purposeful, and happened after a careful search; this is what the Greek word for “to find” indicates. What does Jesus’ way of searching for Philip mean?
- Family/relations: Among the twelve disciples, Philip is unique. According to the Gospels, every disciple is identified as being related to someone else. The relationships are given as, a brother, a father, or a specific party or group of people. Philip is without anyone, alone! How does this change your way of thinking about Philip’s question?
- Simon Peter and Andrew (brothers, sons of John )
- James and John (brothers, sons of Zebedee)
- Matthew and James (brothers, sons of Alphaeus)
- Nathanael, called Bartholomew (meaning “son of Talmai”)
- Judas Thaddaeus (son of James)
- Thomas, called Didymus (meaning “twin”)
- Simon, the Zealot (belongs to the party of the zealots)
- Judas Iscariot (son of Simon Iscariot)
- Philip, ———
- Language: Philip speaks twice in the Gospel of John. First, “Money is not enough to feed all these people” (John 6:5-7). Second, “Show us the Father, and it will be enough” (John 14:8, 9). Philip uses the word “enough” both times when he speaks. Could this be an indication or, in the typical way of John’s Gospel, a “sign” that reveals something about Philip? Perhaps it tells of what Philip has missed all his life? According to psychologist James Pennebaker, the words we use often reveal who we are (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ethical-wisdom/201403/how-the-words-we-use-reveal-who-we-are).
Question: What picture does the Gospel of John paint about Philip?
Question: How does this help us to understand the work of the Helper?
Here is the unusual in Jesus’ Farewell Speech to his disciples. No rabbi ever has been able to promise to his disciples that they would not be left as orphans. No rabbi would say: “I will come to you” (John 14:18).
