Since the words of the prophet Joel appear to have been recorded in the ninth century B.C.E., the defeats of the Philistines at the hands of Uzziah (2 Chron. 26:6-8) and Hezekiah (2 Ki. 18:8) could have been included in the fulfillment of this prophecy.

However, a larger fulfillment evidently came after the Israelites returned from Babylonian exile. Notes commentator C. F. Keil: “Alexander the Great and his successors set many of the Jewish prisoners of war in their lands at liberty (compare the promise of King Demetrius to Jonathan, ‘I will send away in freedom such of the Judæans as have been made prisoners, and reduced to slavery in our land,’ Josephus, Ant. xiii. 2, 3), and portions of the Philistian and Phœnician lands were for a time under Jewish sway.” (Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament [The Twelve Minor Prophets], Vol. I, p. 224; compare Obadiah 19, 20.) Noteworthy, too, is the fact that Alexander the Great took the Philistine city of Gaza. Many of the inhabitants were slain and the survivors were sold into slavery. A number of other prophecies likewise pointed to the execution of Jehovah’s vengeance upon the Philistines.—Isa. 14:31; Jer. 25:9, 20; 47:1-7; Ezek. 25:15, 16; Amos 1:6-8; Zeph. 2:5; Zech. 9:5-7; for details see ASHDOD; ASHKELON; EKRON; GATH; GAZA No. 1.

At Ezekiel 16:27 “the daughters of the Philistines” are depicted as being humiliated on account of Jerusalem’s loose conduct. (Ezek. 16:2) The reason for this appears to be that Jerusalem’s unfaithfulness to her God Jehovah was without parallel, for the Philistines and other peoples had held fast to the worship of their false gods.—Compare Jeremiah 2:10, 11.

PHILOLOGUS

(Phi·lolʹo·gus) [fond of learning].

A Christian whom Paul greets in his letter to the Romans. (Rom. 16:15) The same name is found on inscriptions associated with the household of Caesar.

PHILOSOPHY

The Greek word phi·lo·so·phiʹa means, literally, “love of wisdom.” In modern usage the term relates to human endeavors to understand and interpret through reason and speculation the whole of human experience, the underlying causes and principles of reality.

The Greek words for “philosophy” and “philosopher” each occur only once in the Christian Greek Scriptures. (Col. 2:8; Acts 17:18) Evidently when Paul wrote to the congregation at Colossae in Asia Minor, some there were in danger of being affected by the “philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men.” Greek philosophies were then quite prominent. But the context of Colossians 2:8 shows that of special concern to Paul were Judaizers who were trying to bring Christians back to observing the Mosaic law with its required circumcision, festival days and abstinence from eating certain foods. (Col. 2:11, 16, 17) Paul was not opposed to knowledge, for he prayed that Christians be filled with it. But, as he showed, one must appreciate the role of Jesus Christ in the outworking of God’s purpose in order to obtain true wisdom and accurate knowledge. (Col. 1:9, 10; 2:2, 3) The Colossians were to look out lest perhaps someone with persuasive arguments might carry them off as prey through a human way of thinking or outlook. Such a philosophy would be part of the “elementary things [stoi·kheiʹa] of the world,” that is, the principles or basic components and motivating factors of the world, “and not according to Christ.”—Col. 2:4, 8.

When in Athens Paul had an encounter with “Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.” (Acts 17:18) They termed the apostle a “chatterer,” using the Greek word sper·mo·loʹgos, which literally applies to a crow that picks up seeds. The word also carries the thought of one who picks up scraps of knowledge and repeats such without order or method. Those philosophers disdained Paul and his message. Basically the Epicurean philosophy was that the obtaining of pleasure, particularly mental pleasure, was the chief good in life (1 Cor. 15:32); though it acknowledged gods, it explained these as being beyond human experience and concern. The philosophy of the Stoics stressed fate or natural destiny; one should be of high virtue but strive for indifference to pain or pleasure. Neither Epicureans nor Stoics believed in the resurrection. In his speech before such men Paul highlighted the relationship and accountability of the individual to the Creator and connected therewith Christ’s resurrection and the “guarantee” this provided men. To Greeks asking for “wisdom” the message about Christ was “foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:22, 23), and when Paul mentioned the resurrection, many of his hearers began to mock, but some became believers.—Acts 17:22-33.

In his inspired letters Paul emphasized a number of times that the wisdom and falsely called knowledge of the world is foolishness with God and is to be avoided by Christians.—1 Cor. 1:18-31; 2:6-8, 13; 3:18-20; 1 Tim. 6:20.

PHINEHAS

(Phinʹe·has) [mouth of brass; or, mouth of a serpent].

1. Son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron. His mother was a daughter of Putiel and his son’s name was Abishua. (Ex. 6:25; 1 Chron. 6:4) It was young Phinehas’ quick action that halted the scourge from Jehovah after 24,000 Israelites had died on the plains of Moab because of fornication and attaching themselves to the Baal of Peor. When he spotted Zimri taking the Midianitess Cozbi into his tent, he pierced them both through with a lance, “the woman through her genital parts.” This zeal in “tolerating no rivalry at all” toward Jehovah was “counted to him as righteousness,” and God made a covenant for the priesthood to remain in his line “to time indefinite.”—Num. 25:1-3, 6-15; Ps. 106:30, 31.

During his lifetime Phinehas served in various capacities. He was the priestly representative in the army that executed Jehovah’s vengeance upon Midian. (Num. 31:3, 6) When it was thought that three tribes were forsaking Jehovah’s worship, he headed a group of investigators. (Josh. 22:9-33) He was chief of the tabernacle gatekeepers. (1 Chron. 9:20) After the burial of his father in the Hill of Phinehas, he served in the office of high priest. (Josh. 24:33; Judg. 20:27, 28) His name is prominent in several postexilic genealogies.—1 Chron. 6:4, 50; Ezra 7:5; 8:2.

2. The younger of the two “good-for-nothing” sons of priest Eli. (1 Sam. 1:3; 2:12) While serving as priests, he and his brother Hophni cohabited with women at the sanctuary and “treated the offering of Jehovah with disrespect.” (1 Sam. 2:13-17, 22) When feebly reprimanded by their father, they refused to hear. For their wickedness God pronounced judgment against them. This was fulfilled when they were both killed on the same day in battle with the Philistines. (1 Sam. 2:23-25, 34; 3:13; 4:11) News about the capture of the Ark and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband was too much for Phinehas’ wife. She was thrown into shock and died giving birth to Ichabod.—1 Sam. 4:17-21.

3. A Levite, whose son Eleazar helped inventory the temple treasures in the time of Ezra, 468 B.C.E.—Ezra 8:33, 34.

PHLEGON

(Phleʹgon) [burning].

One of the Roman Christians whom Paul greets in his letter.—Rom. 16:14.

PHOEBE

(Phoeʹbe) [radiant].

A Christian sister of the first-century Cenchreae congregation. Paul, in his letter to the Christians at Rome, ‘recommends’ this sister to them, and calls on them to render her any needed assistance as one who “proved to be a defender of many, yes, of me myself.” (Rom. 16:1, 2) It may be that Phoebe delivered Paul’s letter in Rome or else accompanied the one who did.

Paul refers to Phoebe as “a minister of the congregation that is in Cenchreae.” This raises the question