He followed Jesus, and he wrote a Gospel. He said,
"... God told me what they should reply to the heavenly power when risen to Heaven: I learned everything about myself, and I took everything belonging to me from everywhere, and no children were born by me for the Universal Beginning, but I dug its roots, and I gathered its parts, and I know who you are, for I am one of the Highest..."
And then he told,
"So the soul becomes free. And if it claimed that a child had been barn by it, then it would be kept downwards until it would manage to gather its children, and get high with them..."
Do not try to find these words in Bible. These are in St. Philip’s Gospel, which unfortunately has not been preserved. This book is an apocrypha meaning that it is not accepted as a holy book, nor disallowed either. Only the words I cited are left from Philip.
Philip’s life, similarly to lives of all Christ’s apostles except Judah’s, is tightly linked to Asia Minor. He was buried in Hierapolis, Turkey. His tomb is within a kilometer’s range from Cleopatra’s bathing house. Even to-day, many pilgrims visit Philip’s toms regularly. Twice impressive is the fact that his grave is located on a hill above an antique graveyard of pagans who had no idea about Christianity.
"Locals used to think that all the pagans buried here will eventually be in Heaven," as the watchman told me.
It can not be explained theologically, but Hierapolis citizens were sure that close proximity of Philip’s tomb will provide forgiveness to the antique sinners who had not been followers of Jesus.
So, what is so special about this unremarkable apostle?
Bravery! Before coming to Asia Minor, Philip was brought to a Greek archbishop.
"Is it not enough of you to tempt the ignorant in Israel, Galilee, and Samaria? Now you come here where enlightened Greeks live, and start telling the same lies you learned from Jesus who was an enemy to Moses’ law and hence condemned and crucified. Being his followers, you stole his body secretly and now keep tempting people and telling about his resurrection!" told the Judaic priest.
Putting his life in danger, Philip replied,
"You, human son! Why are you telling this vain lie? Why do you have stone instead of heart, and you avoid the truth? Did not you seal the tomb, and kept the guards by it? And when God resurrected without breaking the seals, did not you bribe the guards to make them lie that they fell asleep, and allowed Christ’s body to be stolen? Shame on you for violating the truth!"
Legend says that the archbishop intending to stone Philip became black and blind. We can not be certain about this very fact, but Philip’s courage is amazing. Sooner or later, it should have brought his life to end. It did.
Philip was crucified here, in Hierapolis.
Touch his tomb, as I did, and in respectful silence behold this wonder made by nature, God, and humans. Pamukkale Mountains, Hierapolis tombs, and the blue sky above them...
What was in his mind while his hands were being pierced by nails, his body being whipped, and his head hit with a stick?
He was crucified in a place whose beauty itself should tell God about life. He was crucified in mountains near the mysterious snow-white rocks, water springs, and blue sky. First, the rocks were white, then they got red, and eventually darkness fell on Philip. Did he believe that Heaven is waiting for him? Probably yes...
Otherwise, why would he sacrifice the most valuable thing in his life – himself...
INFORMATION
Hierapolis was the ancient city on top of the famous Pamukkale hot springs located in south-western Turkey near Denizli.
Hierapolis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As the hot springs of Pamukkale were used as a spa since the 2nd century B.C., people came to soothe their ailings here. Many of them retired and died here. The large necropolis is filled with sarcophagi.
The great baths were constructed with huge stone blocks without the use of cement, and consisted of various closed or open sections linked together. There are deep niches in the inner section of the bath, library, gymnasium and other closed or open locations. The complex, which was constructed in the 2nd century, constitutes a good example of vault-type architecture. The complex is now an archaeological.
Philip was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who proselytized in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia. He was martyred by crucifixion in the city of Hierapolis. In the Catholic Church, the feast day of Saint Philip, along with Saint James, has traditionally been observed on 1 May, but was moved to 11 May, the next free day, in 1955 due to the addition of Saint Joseph the Workman. In 1970, with the suppression of many feasts during the revision of the calendar, it was placed on 3 May. Members of the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrate it on November 14. Many churches in the Anglican Communion continue to celebrate it on 1 May.
Gnostic Christians appealed to the apostolic authority of Philip, ascribing a number of gnostic texts to him, most notably the Gospel of Philip from the Nag Hammadi library.
Philip the Apostle is not to be confused with Philip the Evangelist from the Book of Acts.
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