Apostle Paul was a man designated to take care of the spiritual needs of nations earth wide. He and his friends did it in full measure, making it possible for them to travel from one city to another. Sometimes, they stayed in homes of brothers or sisters for a day, two, or even weeks, encouraging them and letting them know what to do if they must have God’s favor. This verse spotlights a moment during one of those journeys that the men embarked on in furthering the good news. But more is involved because it mentions the name of the city and one disciple.
The place where Paul and his companions stopped was known as Caesarea, where Christians converted citizens to true worship. There were many pagans in that city and the temples were used as places of worship to various gods that Christians viewed as false deities. Philip, a man who was mentioned in just a few areas of scripture is the main subject here as he hosts Paul and the people traveling with him. This man was not one of the 12 apostles, but he has been mistaken for that one by many both in present and past times. Because he had four daughters who prophesied, some may confuse him with Jesus’ disciple.
Although he is not among those who closely followed Jesus, it is believed that Philip was one of the 70 apostles that the lord later sent to preach the good news. Some class him among deacons, and later among bishops, saying that at one time, he presided over a church. A day in the year was devoted to celebrating his existence in recognition of what he did for Christianity. When this man found himself in Ashdod, he declared the good news in all the cities he passed through until he came to the city mentioned in this verse, the place known as Caesarea. Being a devout person, Paul decided to sleep in his home for several days and continue his journey later.
This Bible verse describes him as being one of the seven who displayed notable spiritual qualities and was assigned to a very important task. At that time, the church went through hard times because some widows were given preference over other widows who were not Jewish. Seven men were selected to settle the matter by making sure no widow starved. Philip believed to be under the influence of the holy spirit was selected to control matters related to collecting food and distributing it so hunger was alleviated among the church members.
Living in a world where people did what they wanted out of regard for the living God was not a problem for Philip. He saw people worshiped idols, the consternation, and even their own selves but he continued faithful to God and his Christian brothers. Paul came to respect this man very much, referring to him in the holy book. He was mentioned alongside faithful men such as Stephen, Nicanor, and others for their great acts of wisdom in the congregation of God.