Phillip's Four Daughters 1

Phillips Four Prophetess Daughters in :8-9

There are people in the church who doubt women can be leaders let alone speakers. The issue of whether women can be speakers or leaders is based mainly on 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 1 Corinthians 14:33-44. I deal with that entire issue in my book, Women Are Called to Minister and Preach. The following is an excerpt from that book about the four daughters of Phillip. In the book of Acts 21:8-9 we read whereas the Evangelist Phillip had four daughters who prophesied. Paul mentions the four daughters and some of his George A Gates Jr co-workers in the while on a missionary journey. In this passage in Acts, we read, "8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven and stayed with him. 9Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied." However, there has been some discussion over the years as to whether these four daughters only prophesized or held the office of a prophetess. From www.newlife.id.au, we read quite a lot of information about these four great women of God. The early Church regarded them as holding the office of Prophetess, which was not only one of the five of the five-fold ministry gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11, but also one of the foundational cornerstone ministries of the Church mentioned in Ephesians 2:11. The four daughters of Phillip, are found as highly regarded prophetesses as we study church history. From ww.newlife.id.au we read, "Several early Christian writers (9) mention Philip’s daughters. One of these is Eusebius, born 263 AD. In his history of the church (3.37.1)[5], Eusebius speaks of a man called Quadratus, and others like him. Eusebius Pamphili, was a Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and Christian polemicist. He became the of in approximately 314 AD. Eusebius together with Pamphilus, regarded as an exceptionally well learned Christian's of their time, were also scholars of the Biblical canon. He wrote Demonstrations of the Gospel, On Discrepancies between the , Preparations for the Gospel, and Studies of the Biblical Text. As 'Father of Church History' he produced the Chronicle, and On the Martyrs, Ecclesiastical History, and On the Life of Pamphilus. What is very interesting in Eusebius’s description of Quadratus, is that he and his prophetic gift compare to Philip’s four daughters and their prophetic gift. It seems that Eusebius regarded Philip’s daughters and their ministry as the benchmark for prophetic ministry in the early church. He also implies that Philip’s daughters, like Quadratus, took over from the apostles’ ministry, (3.31.1).[7]. Eusebius also quoted Papias, a church leader alive at the time of Philip’s daughters, who said that people traveled great distances to visit these female prophets and listen to their accounts of the early church. One of the accounts they may have related was that one of the daughters had died and come back to life, (Eusebius 3.39.9). Phillip's Four Daughters 2

Writing in 1320, a thousand years after Eusebius, Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos wrote a history of the church which borrows from Eusebius and others. Nicephorus says this about Philip’s daughters. And until the times of Roman Emperor Trajan, these successors of the apostles continued the priesthood, while the beloved still was present in this life. Trajan was a Roman emperor from 98 to 117 AD. After them Quadratus became eminent in the prophetic gift, being distinguished together with the daughters of Philip. And there were much more than they who manifested the apostolic gifts, who obtained the succession after the apostles. This history, as far as it is possible for me, hands down one after other similar things concerning Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Papias. For now, it sets forth as much as possible the earliest demonstration of apostolic teaching." Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos, Church History 3.2.40-55.

The histories of Eusebius and Nicephorus associate the daughters of Philip with apostolic gifts, teaching, and foundational ministry. And until the times of Roman Emperor Trajan, these successors of the apostles continued the priesthood, while the beloved disciple still was present in this life. Trajan was a Roman emperor from 98 to 117 AD. After them Quadratus became eminent in the prophetic gift, being distinguished together with the daughters of Philip. And there were much more than they who manifested the apostolic gifts, who obtained the succession after the apostles. This history, as far as it is Eusebius possible for me, hands down one after other similar things concerning Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Papias. For now, it sets forth as much as possible the earliest demonstration of apostolic teaching.'"

Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos, Church History 3.2.40-55." The histories of Eusebius and Nicephorus associate the daughters of Philip with apostolic gifts, teaching, and foundational ministry. Like the prophets Judas and , mentioned in the book of Acts, together with Philip’s four daughters, they had much to say that encouraged and strengthened the believers in the early church, (:32). One of the daughters had much information shared about her, and we can read the following article about Hermione. "St. Hermione the Daughter of St. Philip the . The Holy Martyr Hermione was a daughter of St Philip the Deacon wishing to see the holy Apostle John the Theologian, Hermione with her sister went to Asia Minor in search of the . During their journey, they learned St. John had died.

Continuing, the sisters met a disciple of St. Paul named Petronius, an imitating him in everything, and they became his disciples. St Hermione, having mastered the healing arts, rendered help to many and healed the sick by the power of . During this period, Emperor Trajan, (98-117), waged war against the Persians and his army invaded the village where St. Hermione lived. When they discovered that she was a Christian, Trajan gave orders that she brought before him. One of the daughters had much information shared about her, and we can read the following article about Hermione. "St. Hermione the Daughter of St. Philip the Deacon.

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The Holy Martyr Hermione was a daughter of St Philip the Deacon wishing to see the holy Apostle John the Theologian, Hermione with her sister went to Asia Minor in search of the saint. During their journey, they learned St. John had died. Continuing, the sisters met a disciple of St. Paul named Petronius, an imitating him in everything, and they became his disciples. St Hermione, having mastered the healing arts, rendered help to many Christians and healed the sick by the power of Christ. During this period, Emperor Trajan, (98-117 A.D.,) waged war against the Persians, and his army invaded the village where St. Hermione lived. When they discovered that she was a Christian, Trajan gave orders that she brought before him. At first, the emperor, with casual admonitions, sought to persuade the saint to renounce Christ. When this did not succeed, he commanded that she should be struck on the face for several hours, but she joyfully endured this suffering. Moreover, she was comforted by a vision of the Lord, in the form of Petronius, sitting upon the throne of judgment. Convincing himself that she was steadfast in her faith, Trajan sent her away. Hermione later built a hospice in which she took in the sick, treating their infirmities both of body and soul. Trajan's successor, Hadrian, again commanded that the saint is brought to trial for confessing the Christian Faith. At first, he commanded that Hermione be beaten mercilessly, then they pierced the soles of her feet with nails, and finally, they threw her into a cauldron with boiling tar, lead, and brimstone. The saint bore everything, giving thanks to God. The Lord granted her His mercy, the fire went out, the lead spilled out, and the saint remained unharmed. Hadrian went up to the place of torture and touched the cauldron to ascertain whether it had cooled. When he felt the cauldron, he burned the skin on his hand, but even this did not dissuade the torturer. He gave orders to heat a large skillet and put the holy martyr in it naked. Here again, another took place. An of the Lord scattered the hot coals and burned many who stood by the fire. The saint stood in the skillet, as though on green grass, singing hymns of praise to the Lord. When removed from the skillet, the holy martyr seemed to be willing to offer sacrifice to the pagan god Hercules. The delighted emperor gave orders to take her off to the temple. When the saint prayed to God, a loud thunderclap was heard, and all the idols in the pagan temple fell and shattered. In a rage, the emperor ordered that Hermione is led out of the city and beheaded. Two servants, Theodulus and Theotimos, were entrusted to perform the execution. Since they were in such a hurry to execute the saint, not allowing her time for prayer, their hands withered. They immediately believed in Christ and with repentance fell at the feet of St. Hermione. They asked her to pray that the Lord would call them to Himself before her. This is what transpired, through her prayers. After this, she also fell asleep in the Lord." Eusebius also refers the four daughters as "great lights" in the Nicene Fathers, "For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the last day, at the coming of the Lord, when he shall come with glory from heaven and shall seek out all the . Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, who sleeps in , and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and moreover John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and being a priest wore the sacerdotal plate. He also sleeps at Ephesus."

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Eusebius regarded the ministry of Philip’s daughters as the benchmark for prophetic ministry. Therefore; since the four daughters of Phillip are prophetesses then they have to be leaders. A prophet or prophetess is one of the five-fold ministry gifts called to perform important functions as described in Ephesians 4:11-16. However, and even greater is the fact that Apostles and Prophets are foundational gifts to the church needed all the more until all those attributes are accomplished as described in this passage in Ephesians.

As a reminder when Jesus ascended upon high and he gave gifts to men, (Ephesians 4:8,) the Greek word for men, is anthropos, which should be translated mankind; e.g. both men and women, that can be called unto the equipping ministry of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. There are people in the church who have misunderstood this passage to only mean men.

Kathryn Riss, a faculty member at Zarephath Institute, affiliated with Asbury Theological Seminary, writes an excellent article quoting information about Phillip's four daughters from Papias a second-generation believer very highly regarded by the early church. "The Book of Acts tells us that the evangelist Philip had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses. The early fourth-century historian Eusebius writes that the family moved to Asia. In the of Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, to Victor, bishop of Rome, we learn that "in Asia, also, mighty luminaries have fallen asleep . . .Philip, one of the twelve apostles who sleeps in Hierapolis, and his two aged virgin daughters. Another of his daughters, who lived in the holy Spirit, rests at Ephesus." (Eusebius, Book II, ch XXXI) Eusebius goes on to say, "But we must now show how Papias, coming to them (at Hierapolis), received a wonderful account from the daughters of Philip. For he writes that in his time there was one raised from the dead." (Ibid, ch. XXXIX) Eusebius mentions this as part of Papias' credentials, who "professes to have received the declarations of the apostles from those that were in company with them. " Thus, the accounts Papias received from the daughters of Philip, along with other trustworthy Christians who were likewise acquainted with the apostles, were accepted as authoritative. A disciple of John at Ephesus and link to the bishop and martyr Polycarp, Papias is our earliest source for much post-apostolic tradition. Eusebius was the foremost church historian of his age who documented both the and sub-apostolic periods. The fact that Eusebius cites Papias' contact with the daughters of Philip as proof in part of Papias' own credentials as a reliable authority for early Christians shows the very high regard in which these prophetesses were held. That these women prophets were highly regarded by the early church is evident from the writing of Apolinaris of Hierapolis, who in refuting the claims of the ecstatic prophets Montanus and Maximilla, wrote, "But the false prophet is carried away by a vehement ecstasy, accompanied by want of all shame and fear. Beginning, indeed, with a designed ignorance and terminating in involuntary madness. They will never be able to show that any of the Old or any of the New Testament were thus violently agitated and carried away in spirit. Neither will they be able to boast that or Judas or Silas or the daughters of Philip or Ammias in Philadelphia or Quadratus or others that do not belong to them ever acted in this way." (Eusebius Book V ch. XVII) Here, Aplinaris points to the daughters of Philip as examples of true, Godly prophets. Phillip's Four Daughters 5

The conclusion is not only did these four women prophesy, they were also prophetesses. The office of a prophet or prophetess is a cornerstone and leadership position in the Church. The reader can read about the full responsibility of a prophetess in Ephesians 4:11-16.

References

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 1. Church History. Book III, Chapter 31:3

Riss, Kathryn. http://godswordtowomen.org/women_history _articles.htm