The news and literature of currency and history include so much information overload that we may miss learnings for standard living from supporting casts of characters in daily life. The walk- on actors, crowd fillers for scenes in a play are passed over in real life drama. They are far greater in number than the leading and supporting actors in any cast, but may be treated as discards. Leads get the attention and the history pages. Even Shakespeare noted the pattern in the entrance and exit of a life, entering at one side of the stage, strutting a bit, and silently exiting on the other side.
There are two New Testament men named Philip who engaged apostolic church ministries. One was Philip, an Apostle chosen of the Lord and numbered with the Twelve, who appears from time to time in the gospels in some limited but poignant situations. In tradition, this Apostle was said to be somewhat timid or reserved, and seemed circumspect. It is believed that he had a preaching ministry after Pentecost. Traditions vary about him, even to the nature of his death. He appears to have ministered in the area of Phrygia and died in Hierapolis. Well regarded by Christians in his area he was limited in geographical scope of influence. From the Book of Acts, we are instructed more about the work of Philip, the Evangelist, who was elected by the fledgling church to be a deacon. With his daughters, Evangelist Philip appears to have had a more extensive ministry than the Apostle Philip. The text above relates to Philip the Evangelist, whose daughters appear to have gained attention for special ministry. According to tradition, Philip the Apostle had two daughters who remained unmarried, related to the work of their father and cared for him. We admire all of them. They become parables of real life. Not eminent among the masses they represent the vast population that lives effectively for God perhaps in obscurity – in faithfulness.
The Apostle Philip knew of the work of the celebrity apostles, of Paul, John, and Peter, and leaders like Barnabas, Titus, Timothy and others. That they were serving as God would have them serve we can have no doubt. But it is an unpublicized, unheralded service that the massive numbers of Christians continue in every generation. They provide ongoing ministry. This does not evaluate the work of the high fliers, but it does inform us of the humble naturalness of what the Lord means to accomplish in his people. They are to be faithful where they live, unconcerned about fame and fortune. They are called to model Christ, to speak the gospel, to be good citizens, to forge families in Christian context, to be loving and prayerful. They are the grains of salt that make the world population acceptable to God for attention. In the course of my lifetime I have known eminent persons. I have worked with one who, according to polls, was one of the ten most respected persons in the World – for fifty years. I have had a friend, now deceased, who owned the company printing more Bibles than any other company in the World. I have known influential ministers, two of whom were highly effective Senate Chaplains, and with whom I joined in conference speaking so to have observed their gifts. So the story goes. These persons deserve honors, but I know, and they did as well, that God uses effectively the Philip members of the cloud of witnesses called Christians. These prove God, who in having no favorites, calls all persons to humility and service – in love. Christians should never reduce their confidence in their status in the kingdom of God. In a long life, I highly admired the little Christians faithful to Christ and service. It is vital to our understanding that God awards equal favor to those who are faithful. Faithfulness to righteous context is our concern. So it is that one should not only be faithful to God, but to family, their world corner, and God’s kingdom. Faithfulness! *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020