Appraisals of early Christian leaders in Acts typically neglect or minimize the contribution of Philip the evangelist. This study establishes Philip's pivotal place in the overall structure of Luke-Acts, stressing the significance of his roles as the first missionary to the marginalized Samaritians and 'God-fearers' of a charismatic prophet in the tradition of Moses and Elijah, and a versatile servant in both domestic/diaconal and itinerant/kerygmatic capacities. This investigation utilizes close literary analysis of the Lukan narrative informed by social-historical assessments of the ancient Mediterranean world to create a comprehensive, multidimensional portrait of Philip in Acts.

F. Scott Spencer is Professor of New Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, Virginia and is the author of The Portrait of Philip in Acts: A Study of Roles and Relations and Acts. He is the Chair of the New Testament section for the Southeastern Commission for the Study of Religion.ission for the Study of Religion.