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PHILIP WAS ONE of the twelve.

He may have been the apostolic administrator (i.e., the guy responsible for pre-church fellowship meals), somewhat like Judas was the accountant (John 13:29)?1

Ponder this for a moment and then step into the biblical story:

“Lifting up His eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward them, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’  He said this to test him, for He himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little” (John 6:5-7).

Call it an impromptu exam.  Rabbi Jesus offered Philip a quick faith quiz.  “How are we going to feed everybody since it’s so late in the day (Mat. 14:15; Mark 6:35; Luke 9:12)?”

It’s possible Philip may have already looked over the crowd and made a few estimates in his head.  “Let’s see—five thousand men plus woman and children.”  “Lord—we can’t feed this kind of massive crowd with what little money we’ve in our checking account.  Two hundred denarii won’t be near enough.”

Fortunately, Andrew then stepped into the scene and mentioned something about a boy’s lunch (John 6:9).

Now watch what happened next:

“Then Jesus said, ‘Make the people sit down…’  And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted” (vv. 10-11 NKJV—emphasis mine, mb).

I’ve got to tell you that I’ve read those verses time and time again, but until just recently I had missed the import of one particular phrase, “He distributed them to the disciples…” (cf. Mat. 14:19).

Ya’ll catch that?

Jesus asked Philip a question, performed a miracle, and then got the disciple involved in the answer.  Let that rattle around in your frontal lobe for a minute.

• Just how many trips did it take from Jesus to the groups of fifty and hundred (Mark 6:40) before it dawned on Philip that this was yet another sign from heaven?
• How many times did Philip reach out and grab an armful of bread before his brain kicked in and he thought, “Jesus is the One—HE’S the Messiah!”?
• How many fish delivery runs did Philip make before he finally said to himself, “I can be so dense sometimes!  I’ve watched Jesus perform miracle after miracle before this occasion, and yet all I can think about now is what can’t be done!”?

McArthur comments:

“Philip was obsessed with mundane matters and therefore overwhelmed by the impossibility of the immediate problem.  He knew too much arithmetic to be adventurous.  The reality of the raw facts clouded his faith.  He was so obsessed with the temporal predicament that he was oblivious to the transcendental possibilities that lay in Jesus’ power.  He was so enthralled with common-sense calculations that he didn’t see the opportunity the situation presented.  He should have said, “Lord, if You want to feed them, feed them.  I’m just going to stand back and watch how You do it.  I know You can do it, Lord.  You made wine at Cana and fed Your children manna in the wilderness.  Do it.  We will tell everyone to get in line, and You just make the food.”2

You see—every trip, every delivery, every act of bread and fish distribution was designed by the Lord to remind Philip that he was looking at the crowd by sight and not by faith!  Every copious load of groceries he carried to a group of hungry Jews had to have screamed into his consciousness that the Son of God was not only present, but working yet again (John 6:14-15; 20:30-31)!  The man in charge of food distribution, who was asked, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”, was being trained by the Master Teacher to stop thinking about “can’t” and start thinking about “can” through Christ (cf. Phil. 4:13)!

I sometimes hear brethren say, “We’ll, we don’t have enough money…”  “Our city is much too big for us to evangelize…”  “Times are tough—we obviously can’t afford to support a missionary…”  Really?!  Really?!

If we’re not very careful, we too can parrot Philip’s sentiment about what can’t be accomplished and fail the test just like he did (cf. Jer. 17:10; Job 23:10 1 Pet. 1:6-9).  Feeding everybody with the Bread from Heaven has never about banking figures or the size of our communities, but the size of our faith in the risen Lord!

Let’s stop wringing our hands over ledgers and headcounts, and let’s start delivering the Bread of Life to those around us.  Let’s stop deliberating the limitations of two hundred denarii, and instead focus on the Prophet who has come into the world and how He offers, and provides, real sustenance for all (John 6:26ff)!  Let’s stop stumbling over the flesh and start feeding hungry souls!

Dear Christian, are you counting heads and denarii, or are you taking the feast to the masses (Mat. 28:19-20)?  Are you Philip?  Think about it.

1 John McArthur, Twelve Ordinary Men, 125

2 Ibid

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

Guest writer – Joe Dukes

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

In times past, God spoke in various ways, but now He speaks to us by His Son.

So HOW does God speak to us through Jesus? 

HOW has Jesus appointed for God’s message to be delivered?

In Matthew 28:19 and Mark 16:15, we see that Jesus told his disciples to “Go… preach.”  In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul told Timothy to deliver the message to faithful men who in turn could teach others also.

This is how God speaks to us today.

“How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher” (Romans 10:14)?

Notice all of the examples of conversion in the book of Acts.  None of them received revelation directly from God telling them how to be saved.  The message was always delivered by the preaching of men.

•  Saul heard the voice of Jesus.  When he asked, “What would you have me to do”, Jesus could have told him, but instead He sent Ananias to tell him what he “must do” (Acts 9).  Saul learned he needed to “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16) because Ananias told him.

 

• Cornelius had a vision from an angel.  The angel did not, however, tell him how to be saved.  Instead, he told Cornelius, “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.”  Cornelius learned about salvation from the preaching of Peter.

 

• In Acts 8, the Spirit told Phillip to go teach the Eunuch.  The Spirit could have appeared directly to the Eunuch, but He did not.  Phillip taught him.  It is by teaching that God has appointed for men to learn of the Gospel. 

This is exactly how the Spirit speaks to us today.  The New Testament was written through the inspiration of God, and when we hear or read those words, we learn what God desires for us to know.

There is no New Testament example of a lost person being saved through a direct action of the Spirit.  It was always through the preaching of the gospel.  “Faith comes by hearing… the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Notice through the inspired Scriptures, we can be “thoroughly furnished”.   If you are thoroughly furnished, do you need any additional revelations?  “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).

How are we called?  “Through the knowledge”!

“To which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14).  How are we called?  By the gospel.

The very next verse says, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2 Thessalonians 2:14).  How were they called by the Gospel?  They were taught.

How were they taught?  Was it a direct operation of the Holy Spirit separate and apart from the Word?  No, they were taught by word, or by epistle.  That is how they were “called.”

This is the same way we are taught today.  This is how Jesus established for the gospel to be spread through the world.

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17)   Likewise, we also receive the Spirit by hearing (Galatians 3:2).  Joe Dukes

Joe Dukes is a member of the Oxford church of Christ in Oxford, AL.

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

CAN WE BE sure of our salvation (1 John 5:13)?

The Bible answers in the affirmative.

And one reason we can have assurance is because all spiritual blessings are IN Christ.

Paul wrote, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Consider a few logical thoughts and questions based upon this passage:

1. How many spiritual blessings are IN Christ? (All).

2. How many spiritual blessings are OUT of Christ? (None–Ephesians 2:12-13).

3. Is forgiveness of sins a spiritual blessing? (Yes).

4. How many sins are forgiven in Christ? (All–1 John 1:9).

5. How many sins are forgiven outside of Christ? (None).

6. How many saved people are in Christ? (All).

7. How many saved people are outside of Christ? (None).

8. HOW does one get “into” Christ where all spiritual blessings reside? “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27; cf. Acts 2:38).

9.  If a person hasn’t been immersed into Christ, where all spiritual blessing reside, how then is it possible for him or her to have “put on” Christ?

Since all spiritual blessings are IN Christ, and since forgiveness of sins is a spiritual blessing, since only saved people are IN Christ, and since baptism is the point at which one is placed INTO Christ we can be certain about our salvation! Whether immersion took place ten minutes ago or five decades ago, it matters not. Salvation and security are found IN Jesus!

Dear reader, are you in Christ?

Are you saved?

Are you sure?

Have you been baptized (1 Peter 3:21)?

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike