Philip is a Greek name which means ‘one who loves horses’, but unlike his name, Philip was a fisherman like Peter and the others. Interestingly, his Greek name does suggest that Philip was heavily influenced by Greeks in Jerusalem and their world views. He was close to the other disciples Peter, James, John and Andrew and initially followed John the Baptist. The gospel of John is the only one of the four gospels that mentions Philip. In John 1:43, Philip follows Jesus after Jesus teaches and shares the gospel with him. Today we will see three key mistakes that Philip makes due to his pragmatism, which can be attributed to his Greek influence and earthly philosophy.
One thing that must be emphasized from the beginning is that Philip the Apostle was a genuine believer. In John 1:45, just two verses after Jesus said to follow Him, Philip was full of conviction and sure of who Jesus was. He confidently declares to Nathan, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!”. However, being a believer and a great start doesn’t necessarily mean the rest of your walk will be the same. Christians can be genuine and believing while also being a work in progress, this process being called sanctification.
Due to certain reasons or circumstances there can be some impurities mixed into a believer’s faith, and frequently it is pragmatism. Pragmatism is not biblical and very harmful. The church in America may have seemed strong on the outside due its pragmatism but on the inside it is rotten and weak. How can you tell? Look at how the church responded to COVID-19 and the lockdown. The churches crumbled to the mandates of the governments, reacted with fear and panic instead of strength and faith. Now a year later, the members don’t come back, churches are shutting down, and the world is telling the church what to believe instead of the church sharing the salvation of Christ. This is due to pragmatism.
Pragmatism is a philosophy most easily summarized by the phrase “whatever works”. The central idea of pragmatism is that truth is proved by whether or not the idea in question “works,” meaning it produces the expected or desired results. As it turns out, however, pragmatism itself “does not work,” and so it needs to be viewed with considerable skepticism… Christians cannot follow both pragmatism and the Bible. Scripture indicates that truth is not defined by our experiences or our opinions… What ‘works’ for us in our limited human minds, in the end, is not necessarily what’s true or what ‘works’ from an eternal perspective. – Beckwith
Pragmatism always looks at the result, not the means. This is not how God works. For example, in Luke 8:22-23 Jesus planned them to cross the lake but they encountered a storm! Pragmatism would have determined that crossing the lake was not the will of God because the storm was blocking their way. Of course it was the will of God because it was what Jesus commanded them to do.
Pragmatism takes many forms, such as materialism. Its ways are always earth bound and worldly. Pragmatism asks how can we get the outward result we want in the most efficient or effective way. This is mostly applied to church growth and engagement and accomplished through topical sermons or entertaining programs. The Bible says the church grows by prayer and the word. It is sad to see what is happening in the church today. There’s so many personal opinions being championed instead of God’s truth.
So why is pragmatism so bad? Pragmatism belittles and discounts faith. It says find the practical solution instead of overcoming by faith. They replace the high spiritual principles of loving by faith with human solutions. Christians must be people of faith first! Faith must be our first response to any problem or need. For example, in John 6:5-7 Jesus particularly focuses on Philip because He knows Philip’s heart. Jesus tests Philip by presenting this impossible situation of feeding thousands of people. Philip’s response is completely pragmatic, saying they need 200 denarii. In contrast, Andrew brings a small meal seeing if Jesus could do anything. While there is an earthly way to feed all of them, the believer turns to Christ in faith to seek the Lord’s will.
Similarly, do you know God tests you every day? He doesn’t tempt but he tests. He wants to see if you are faithful. If you are not faithful you’ve fallen to temptation. If you are faithful then you’ve been faithful through the test (Genesis 2:17). To be faithful we must know who God is. God says ‘I am’. He is the self-existent God. We can take refuge in Him. We can trust Him because He is Immanuel (God with us). Faith needs wisdom. Faith needs prayer. These three together work effectively to overcome trials (James 1:2-3,5)
Faith is not blind or ignorant, because Christians live by revelation. We have the written Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit. We read, we study and we hold fast to the promises of God. We must be like the Apostle Paul, while in the storm when they are about to be shipwrecked, Paul declares he believes what he’s been told from God and by his words, the rest of the crew are saved from drowning (Acts 27:25). Paul was not a sailor or a meteorologist but he held on to God’s word. This is how we practice faith. Whatever your situation, big or small, be encouraged to go through by faith in God’s word.
Pragmatism also belittles the gospel. Pragmatism finds other solutions to the problems only the gospel can solve. Do you believe the gospel is enough? Do you really believe that what we need most is Jesus Christ? Think of the dying cancer patient, do they need Christ or the best doctor? Philip failed to realize that gospel is enough. In John 12:20-21, some Greeks came up to Philip because they wanted to see Jesus. There were lots of Greeks in Jerusalem and some of them were even God-fearing. They wanted to see Jesus because they had a curiosity or perhaps a desire for salvation (Acts 16:30). How did Philip respond? He went to Andrew and they both went to Jesus. Why did Philip not share the gospel with them directly? In contract, Jesus responded to the Greeks with the gospel. Philip, too, could have shared the message of salvation. Instead, he was pragmatic and was waiting for opportunity instead of leading with the gospel.
Are you ashamed of the gospel? Do you turn to other means before the gospel. Whatever situation, in all circumstances, what we need most is the gospel. We cannot mumble the gospel. We must make it clear as can be. We preach the gospel of Jesus who died and rose again on the third day for the salvation of sinners (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). It is the most important and powerful thing in our lives. We have been called to share it. The pragmatic is the coward who is ashamed of it.
Finally, pragmatism denigrates Jesus. How do you treat Jesus in your daily life? Is Jesus at the forefront of your work or is Jesus relegated only to Sundays and church gatherings. This is what pragmatic Philip did. He said to Jesus, Lord show us the Father and it is enough for us (John 14:8). In essence, Philip said that seeing is believing which was a very Greek-like thought supported by Aristotle. Like the people mocking Jesus as he hung on the cross, they wanted proof in order to believe (Mark 15:32). They belittle the words and work of Christ. This is not true faith.
How did Jesus respond? How long have I been with you (John 14:9)? Just being at church a long time doesn’t mean your faith is strong and true. Jesus says I am the Father and I am in the Father and the Father is in me. He is God on earth in the flesh. After all the miracles, how can Philip not know who Jesus is? He did so many miracles over three years to prove who He is God. The Trinity is perfect union of God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. Not only is Jesus God but one with the Father. If you don’t believe His words, believe his works. Believe His miracles, His atoning death, His triumphant resurrection, His complete work of salvation. Jesus is sufficient. If you are pragmatic then you deny his sufficiency and try to replace or supplement the work of His salvation.
In conclusion, repent if you put faith in something else besides Jesus. Being pragmatic is not wise or faithful. It chooses the earthly over the Biblical. We follow only one person, that is Jesus Christ. We practice faith, we believe the gospel and we trust in Christ.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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