MBTI Type: ENFJ

Philip is a warm and personable man, who immediately senses tension among the disciples, singles out Matthew as the outcast, and tries to make him feel better about himself by focusing on him, affirming him, giving him value, and bringing him into the group. He gently teases Nathaniel, despite his losses, and urges him to come and meet Jesus, since he knows this will transform his life. Rather than reacting to others, he invites them to get along with him and looks for ways to console and uplift them. He also has a specifically Ni way of looking at things – a strange perspective which no one else in the group shares; he says things like, “You haven’t lost time, you just rearranged it.” Or, in speaking of others outside those who follow Christ, “they are asleep… and now, you are awake.” He says the past matters not, when Matthew shows remorse for his selfish lifestyle, and also that it did not surprise him that Matthew’s father turned him out of the house, “for he is a man, and that is a man’s thing to do.” Matthew becomes frustrated with him for “speaking in riddles,” which forces Philip to laughingly admit that he can be a “little obtuse” at times. He says he envies Nathaniel, because for all his time in the wilderness, he has nothing “tangible” to show for it. He likes the idea of working with his hands, and leaving evidence behind that he was there. Philip is also comfortable wherever he winds up – wandering in the desert, following Jesus, nothing much concerns or phases him, since he is confident he can adapt. He also says he will think about which Bible verses Matthew needs to ponder, and picks one specifically that he feels will give Matthew insight (a combination of Ni and Ti).

Enneagram: 9w1 so/sp

Unlike the rest of the disciples, with the exception of Mary Magdalene, Philip is the only truly open-minded one among the group; he has no outward reaction to hearing Matthew was a tax collector, and doesn’t share the extreme bias of the rest of the disciples against him. He tries to make Matthew feel better about himself, affirm him, and comfort him, seeking to be a peacemaker with him and the rest of the disciples. Philip simply accepts him, and accepts everyone else, without any kind of harsh judgment. He gently coaxes Nathaniel to move away from his “miseries” and come meet Jesus; it doesn’t bother him, likewise, that Jesus is from a back-water town like Nazareth. Philip wants to do the right thing by others, but is gentle about it—using a kind word rather than a stick to get across his point.

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