Twelve (brief historical data from the life of the apostles of Jesus). Life and Death of the Apostles

In the first respect (a) the historical nature of what is being narrated is highly probable when the events conveyed are distinguished by their naturalness, for example, aa) if the missionary routes run through areas prepared for the assimilation of Christianity - those where there was already Jewish colonization (h diaspora), and bb) if the preaching of the apostles is indicated in countries that at that time were in relations with the Greco-Roman world (then trade relations extended to India and Ceylon).

In the second respect (b) one should not lose sight of the fact that aa) the ethnographic and geographical information of educated people in the first centuries of Christianity was rather weak; bb) the traditions of local churches were recorded at such a late time when the existence of this record can no longer serve as a guarantee that different types of tradition are not mixed.

a) One of the most important means for verifying various apocryphal legends about the preaching of the apostles is comparison with what the canonical books of the New Testament tell about the apostolic preaching. From the Holy Scriptures we see that the apostolic preaching outside Palestine is directed to those places where the Jews of the dispersion lived. Ap. Paul, primarily the apostle of the tongues, chooses the houses of worship of the Jews as the starting point for his preaching and first of all addresses them as the most prepared listeners. It is more than likely that the other apostles practiced the same method in the work of Christian evangelism. Therefore, one must trust those messages where the apostles are presented as active in Jewish villages. For example, a message that app. Andrew was in Sinope, probably: there was a Jewish colony there. Sinop is mentioned in Talmudic literature, and from there came the notorious Aquila, a literalist translator of the Holy Scriptures into Greek. Thus, ap. Andrei preached on cultivated soil.

To evaluate the above legends, it is also very important to take into account the normal paths along which the missionary activity of the apostles should have followed. For their missionary movements, the apostles, as we see from the Holy Scriptures, did not resort to a miracle: like ordinary people, they crossed seas, crossed mountains, were exposed to dangers, etc. Therefore, we must assume the natural course of the mission regarding all the apostles. When ap. Pavel travels, his movement is quite natural, sometimes by sea, sometimes by land. He encounters a lot of dangers from people and even the elements; freed from death as a vessel of God in a natural way. If he is tortured, he declares that he is a Roman citizen; if he is stoned, he faints; in a word, everything is natural. Therefore, one should not believe those apocryphal legends where the apostles are represented in miraculous images: flying through the air, etc. Thus, it is required that the legends have a natural basis.

In some cases, what is reported has no analogy in the original Acts of the Apostles. But even in these cases, naturalness is a necessary sign of genuine tradition. Here we need to keep in mind the difference in the environment in which the sermon was preached. Ap. Paul moved on Roman territory, while the other apostles preached on its outskirts and even beyond its borders. When determining the place of their activity, you can stumble upon news that, apparently, destroys each other. According to one story, the sermon of Simon the Zealot was heard in Persia, hence I.V. Cheltsov [History of the Christian Church. T. I. 1861. St. Petersburg. 83-84] concluded that this story is of Western origin; according to another story, he was in Britain; hence the conclusion that this story is of Eastern origin. Eastern writers say something like this: these apostles preached not here, but far away somewhere in the west, and Western writers say the same thing: not here, but in the east. Both of them, thus, tried to push the preaching of the apostles to the most extreme points. Apparently, such evidence should be declared invalid due to its contradiction. In fact, they are quite reconcilable. The fact is that the path of the apostles was a path of trade relations, which extended on the one hand to China and Ceylon, and on the other to the islands of Britain and to the semi-wild countries of Africa. Caravans moved along this route, always accompanied by armed forces to protect them from enemies, robbers and various dangers. In view of this, naturally, every private person had to join the caravan to avoid all dangers. Trade was barter. Merchants of the Greco-Roman Empire traded their goods in the east for resin, perfume and gold, and then went to the other end and sold new goods there. Hence it is not incredible that the apostles are represented for a short period of time preaching in China, Ceylon and Britain; together with caravans, they were forced to constantly move from one country to another.

b) Another question is whether non-direct witnesses could accurately convey information about the activities of the apostles. This question significantly reduces the credit of those literary historical works in which the above information is reported. At present, even intelligent society does not know cities and villages and even entire remote countries; in the 1st and 2nd centuries, geographical knowledge was completely pathetic. If a modern intelligent person is taken by surprise, for example, by a telegram about the success of some mission, then only a few do not feel the need to turn to a special geographical atlas for an indication of where the mission operates. But we, of course, cannot assume that the geographical knowledge of the Greeks was superior to ours. On the contrary, they were dark and confused, especially in relation to the so-called barbarian world. This will become even more obvious if we take into account that the Greeks were not at all partial to ethnographic research about the barbarian peoples, and, despite the fact that the barbarians succeeded each other, the Greek intellectuals stubbornly continued to give the new nationalities the names they had read from their authorities, from Herodotus and Strabo. So, for example, they called the Russians “Tauroscythians,” and the countries somewhat north of the Black Sea coast were generally “Hyperborean” countries for them. The Greeks equally called all those nationalities that lived in the space of present-day Russia “Scythians,” without understanding the fact that nationalities of the most diverse shades collided here.

The same vagueness and confusion of concepts existed among the Greeks regarding Ethiopia and India. The geographical terms "Ethiopia" and "India" appear quite often in apocryphal literature. But the use of these names is only a motive for distorting the legend about the spread of Christianity. Apparently, what could be more specific than the term “Ethiopia”? We now associate with him the idea of a country in Africa, where Abyssinia is now approximately. Meanwhile, this term does not have such a specific meaning. Its origin is connected with the Rhodian colonization, and it was not strictly geographical. Homer mentions aiqiopeV, eternally happy people. Ethiopia is a country lying somewhere to the south, it lies where the god Ilios stands at the zenith (hlioV aiqwn), where eternally happy and pious people live, making abundant sacrifices to the gods. Then, as geographical knowledge develops, Ethiopia gradually moves further and further to the south; under this name they began (on philological grounds) to mean the country in which people live with a dark complexion (aiqiopeV), made so by the sun. Closer to classical times, this name was used to designate a country that was located in the south of Egypt, on the site of present-day Nubia. And when the southern border of Egypt became known under its precise ethnographic terms (as the Meroitic kingdom, as the land of the Nubs), Ethiopia moved even further to the south, to Sudan (“Sudan”, pluralis of the Arabic language, means exactly the same as aiqiopeV, i.e. “black”). In the Greek translation of the Bible, the term "Ethiopia" is used to render the Hebrew "Cush". And it is not known where Ethiopia would have been driven if a people had not been found who adopted the name of Ethiopians, and it had not become generally clear that aiqiopeV are the current Abyssinians, the ancient Agazians. Having become Christians, they grouped together and adopted the name Ethiopians, artificially identifying themselves with those Ethiopians who are mentioned in the Bible. They also formed a legend that the Queen of Sheba (of the south), who visited Solomon, was their queen, and they even began to consider their dynasty as the offspring of Solomon. From this movement of the concept of “Ethiopia” it is clear how we should relate to those testimonies that speak of the apostolic preaching in Ethiopia.

The same story happened with India, although the concept “India” is definite, and “Ethiopia” is only a common noun, as can be seen from what has just been said. The name “India” owes its appearance to the relations between the Greeks and the Persians. Next to the Persians, beyond the Himalayan mountains, lived the Hindu tribe Sindhu. The Persians, by the nature of their language (according to phonetic laws, the Sanskrit “s” among the Persians, as the peoples of the Iranian tribe, turns into “h”), called it “Hindu” and contrasted it with themselves by its dark complexion. The Greeks borrowed this name from the Persians, changing it to “oi Indoi”. So India originally meant a specific place on the globe. But over time, this name lost its original, precise ethnographic meaning. The Persians themselves distorted it. The "Sindhu" were distinguished from the white-faced Persians by their relatively dark skin color and were given the name "Hindu". But the Persians began to call this name not only the “Sindu” tribe, but also other nationalities (to the west and east) who had a darker skin color than what they had. The concept of “India” expanded so that India was sought both on the Arabian Peninsula and on the shores of Africa, so that others called the territory of the Ethiopians India; They looked for India, and then in the Caucasus, where the “oi Sindoi” tribe once lived. Thus, for Greek writers of the 2nd-5th centuries. According to R. X., there was a great multitude of both India and Ethiopia. India and Ethiopia were the same loose names as our common “Arap”.

If, therefore, the apostle’s companions told anyone among the educated about their travels, then even in this case the geographical names did not evoke a definite idea of the area. If the happy memory of the ancients could retain geographical terms, then other listeners, even with the exact transfer of terms, could mistakenly localize the area. Thus, the environment itself was unfavorable for the correct understanding of the terms.

To verify such testimonies of the apostolic preaching, written in such (vague) geographical terms, one must, of course, turn to the traditions of private churches. But even here there are many very serious perplexities and difficulties. Local tradition, of course, could be an excellent means of verifying apocryphal tales; but few legends about the apostolic journeys are written down. And then, next to the Holy Tradition, which has a certain value for us, we must also distinguish between 1) historical tradition and 2) scientific tradition.

Historical legend, without having the value of the sacred, is passed down historically from generation to generation. For example, it was transmitted that Dorpat used to be called Yuryev, and then this legend broke out and the city again began to be called Yuryev. Next to such a tradition, one must also distinguish, as we said, scientific tradition. It happens this way. A learned man reads a book and, for the greater glory of his homeland, draws some flattering conclusion from what he read. He then spreads this view in his area. People recognize the conclusion, remember it and pass it on to their descendants. This phenomenon can be called secunda genitura. This is how a view can emerge that is a conclusion and not a historical tradition. We probably encounter a similar phenomenon when we talk about the presence of the apostle. Peter's in Rome. Ap. Peter preached in Rome and died there, but the conclusion emerged that he was also a bishop there, and this secondary conclusion became the subject of dissemination among learned people. Or another example. Between the city of Torzhok in the Tver province, where the relics of Euphrosyne rest, and the city of Ostashkov, not far from which Nilova Hermitage is located, lies the Mogilev Assumption Hermitage. The median distance of this monastery between the first two tempted some to conclude that the Mogilev Assumption Hermitage was built on the place to which the saints accompanied each other after one of them came to visit the other. Perhaps this legend would seem to have some probability if chronology did not interfere: these saints were not contemporaries.

Obviously, the difference in the authority of the preserved tradition and the inferred tradition is significant, and sometimes it is not possible to distinguish between the two, since the local tradition was written down very late. For example, the Abyssins called themselves Ethiopians in order to appear through this name as the people spoken of in the Holy Scriptures. This late identification of the biblical “kush” with “gyyz” obviously cannot be authoritative for biblical ethnography. Another specific case. Acts of the Ap. Andrew in the Orthodox edition were preserved in the work of the presbyter and monk Epiphanius, written around 830; that means, 8 centuries after the activity of the apostle. But Epiphanius’s work is not apocryphal; it is one of the best biographies of the apostle. Andrew, and his writer traveled a lot, saw the prayer house of St. Andrew and the miraculous icon written on marble (eukthrion tou agiou Andreou - kai eikona tou agiou Andreou eiV marmaron ulograjoumenhn). The 70-year-old presbyter of Sinope, Theophan, told him that under Copronymus (741-775) the iconoclasts could not destroy this icon even with fire. It is he (Epiphanius) who testifies that the ap. Andrew preached in Sinope. To prove this, he points out that in the 8th and 9th centuries. in Sinope there was a church and an icon of St. Andrey. It's right; but the further message, “oti eti ontoV tou apostolou h eikwn egrajh” [(that) the image was painted when the apostle was], is only a bold conclusion, for the validity of which neither the existence of the church nor the icon can vouch. Further, the assumption arises that the church itself did not appear only because the ancient inhabitants of Sinop learned that the ap. Andrew preached in Sinope, this opinion spread and a church was built in honor of the apostle. So, here we may be dealing with a later local legend, not with reliability.

That in general later legends are not always trustworthy, this can be seen from the following. If information about anything could be particularly stable, then, of course, first of all, about the place of the martyrdom of the apostles. The legend about the place of their burial could be firmly preserved by relying on such a material monument as the tomb of the apostle. However, even in this respect, the legends disagree with each other, and sometimes it is possible to agree between them only under the assumption that the apostles preached in one place and were buried in another place.

For example, app. According to some news, Bartholomew died a) in India, and according to others b) in the city of Urvanopol - Korvanopol - Alvanopol, in great Armenia. There is obviously an interpretation here. The first message - about India - is exaggerated: the apostle preached there, but did not die.

About Thaddeus, one legend says that he died a) in Virita Phoenician, and another - b) in Ostrakina, a city in Egypt, the third - c) in Armenia a) internal, b) in the region of Dzofk (Tzojanhnh in IV Armenia), y) in the Artaz region (according to Moses Kagankatvatsi). Moreover, according to the first legend (a) he died peacefully, according to the other two (bc) he died a martyr’s death. Obviously, such messages are fundamentally undermined.

Ap. Judas (= Thaddeus Levveus the Zealot), according to some legends, died and was buried in Virita; to girlfriends (= Thaddeus Levvey) - in Ostrakin or in internal Armenia; according to some (= Judah Jacob) - in Edessa.

But the stories about the place of death of the apostle especially diverge. Simon the Zealot; then he died a) in Syrian Epiphania, then b) in Cyrrhus, which is near the Euphrates, then c) in Persia, then d) in northern Colchis (between Suani), then e) in Iviria (Georgia), then f) in Britain , then, finally, g) in Jerusalem (mixing with Simon of Cleopas).

2. The spread of Christianity in the East.

Missionary activity of the apostles within the Ponto-Bosporan kingdom, Asia Minor and Parthia (in the broad sense). Christianity in Edessa
Given the nature of the legends about the preaching of the apostles, it is necessary not to be guided by them when presenting the history of the spread of Christianity, but to look for a guiding thread from others in order to understand the labyrinth of legends about the apostles and choose from these apocrypha the one that seems most stable. Origen’s testimony, placed at the beginning of the third book of the history of Eusebius, can serve as such a guiding star: “Thomas received Parthia as an inheritance for preaching, Andrew - Scythia, John - Asia, where he died in Ephesus; and Peter, in Pontus, Galatia, Bithynia, Cappadocia and Asia, preached the dispersion to the Jews and, finally, arriving in Rome, was crucified upside down.”

The main current of apocryphal literature agrees with this general indication, dividing the apostles into several groups according to the areas of their activity. There are three groups. A) The Asian group, which includes, according to apocryphal legends, John and Philip; ap. James is excluded from this group because the Acts of the Apostles (XII, 2) speaks of his death in Jerusalem; AP is also not included in this group. Jacob Alfeev, since he was the bishop of Jerusalem. B) Pontic group: Peter, his brother Andrew, Bartholomew and Matthew. C) The Parthian group, where the apocrypha places Thomas, Simon the Zealot, Judas Jacob, identical with the ap. Levveem and with ap. Thaddeus.

Peter, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew and Thomas, which are taken out for worship on the days of their memory. According to the statutes of the Russian monastery on Mount Athos, each apostle from the number 12 is supposed to perform polyeleos with conciliar service.

The Council of the glorious and all-praised 12 Apostles of Christ is deeply revered by the Russian Holy Mountain residents: Peter, Andrew, his brother, James Zebedee, John, his brother, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James Alphaeus, Judas James, or Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Matthias (celebration: June 30 / July 13).

The Holy Apostles, according to the lot that befell each one by the will of God, selflessly preached the gospel of the Gospel to all corners of the then civilized world, one way or another connected by cultural, trade and economic relations with the Roman Empire. The routes of the apostolic missionary journeys extended both to the south and to the north of the empire, both to the east and to the west of it. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Apostles brought the Gospel Truth to the lands of Scythia and the future Kievan Rus, to the lands of Armenia and Iberia, to Persia, Assyria and India - in the East. In the West and North - to the lands of Gaul, Spain, Britain. In the South, in Africa, the apostolic mission turned out to be especially fruitful in Egypt and Ethiopia.

The book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles, despite its name, is devoted mainly to a description of the activities of the Apostle Paul, who was not one of the 12. A significant part of the Acts tells about episodes in the life and work of the Holy Apostle Peter. The apostles James and John Zebedee are occasionally mentioned. The history of the activities of the other 12 apostles is limited to a description of the events associated with the Ascension of the Lord (Acts 1: 4 - 11), the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 1 - 4), the election of the Apostle Matthias (Acts 1: 15 - 26) and the Jerusalem Apostolic Council (Acts 15, 6 - 29). The Book of Acts pays more attention to the 70 apostles: Barnabas, Archdeacon Stephen, Archdeacon Philip, Evangelist Mark, the apostles Silas, Timothy, Aquila and Priscilla, Apolossos. Most of them were companions of the Apostle Paul. The Book itself was written by Paul’s companion, the evangelist Luke, who was also one of the 70. Based on the data given in the Book of Acts, a map of Paul's apostolic journeys has been created, accompanying all modern editions of the New Testament.

At the same time, the life, activities and works of the 12 apostles remain, as it were, in the shadow of the powerful figure of the holy Apostle Paul, rightfully called the supreme one. However, Church Tradition has preserved sufficient information about the preaching works of the other 12 apostles. Below is a table and a map that indicate the areas (or areas) in which the 12 apostles worked.

Andrew the First-Called – Apostle of Holy Rus'

Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Apostle Andrew had the opportunity to travel the longest missionary journey. He preached in the lands of Bithynia (Italy) and Propontis (Sea of Marmara), Thrace and Macedonia (Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria), Scythia (north of the Caspian and Black Sea, Ukraine, Belarus) and Thessaly, Hellas, Achaia (Greece), in the lands Alanov, Abaskov and Zigov (Azov region, Caucasus region).

According to ancient church tradition, Apostle Andrew the First-Called, during his missionary journey, founded the first Christian communities in the Bosporus Kingdom, Chersonese, other cities of Tauro-Scythia, as well as in the Northern Black Sea region and Scythia, establishing the first Christian dioceses here.

“The Tale of Bygone Years” and other ancient Russian chronicles say that, preaching in the Northern Black Sea region, among the Scythian and Slavic tribes, the Apostle Andrew from the mouth of the Dnieper river climbed up to the hills, where Kyiv was subsequently founded. Here he came ashore, blessed the area and erected a cross as a symbol of dedication to Christ, prophetically predicting that in this place God would build a great city with many Christian churches. According to archaeological excavations, this area, where Kyiv subsequently arose, was continuously inhabited by people since ancient times and at the time of the preaching of the Apostle Andrew there was a settlement here. Since the apostles, wherever they were, preached Christianity to the local residents, then, apparently, the installation of the Cross on the Kyiv Mountains and the consecration of this place could mean the founding of the first Christian community here.

Since the Apostles, as a rule, carried out their missionary journeys along trade routes known in the Roman Empire, the legend about the voyage of St. Andrew the First-Called by the water trade route already existing at that time along the Dnieper, from the Black Sea to the Baltic (later called “from the Varangians to the Greeks” ) is quite plausible. According to legend, Apostle Andrew also visited the site of the future Veliky Novgorod. Having passed through Lake Ladoga to the island of Valaam, he installed a stone cross here and converted the local pagan priests to Christianity. Subsequently, a male Valaam monastery was founded at the site where the cross was installed, which is still in operation today.

Having traveled along the Dnieper, Apostle Andrew returned to the Roman Empire, from where he came to the city of Byzantium (the future Constantinople), where he ordained Bishop Stachius and founded the first church.

Being the first disciple of Christ, Apostle Andrew is considered the founder of both the Constantinople and Russian Churches. In addition, he is considered the Apostle of Rus'.

His widespread veneration in Kievan Rus has been known since the 1080s. In honor of the apostle, St. Andrew's Church was erected in Kyiv in 1086. The day of his memory (November 30 / December 13) has been one of the important church holidays in the Russian Church since ancient times.

Andrei spent the last years of his life in Patras in Greece. Here he carried out preaching activities and gathered a large Christian community around him. The Apostle Andrew suffered martyrdom on an oblique cross around the year 70.

On Holy Mount Athos, in the Russian Panteleimon Monastery, the foot of the Holy Apostle Andrew is kept, and in the St. Andrew's Skete - his head.

In 2003, with the blessing of the abbot of the Russian Monastery on Athos, Schema-Archimandrite Jeremiah, the foot of the holy Apostle Andrew was brought from the Panteleimon Monastery to the historical lands of Russian Orthodoxy. Apostle Andrew, as it were, repeated his path taken 2000 years ago, confirming the faith of Christ, and made a new apostolic journey to the Far East of Russia.

Procession with the relics of St. ap. Andrey on the streets of Moscow
after the Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

The Ark, in which the left foot of the apostle is located, having covered a total of 25 thousand kilometers, during the 37-day journey visited 12 cities of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Minsk, Novgorod, Murmansk, Severomorsk, Yekaterinburg , Rostov-on-Don, Sevastopol, Vladivostok.

By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Kuroedov, the relics of St. Andrew the First-Called were delivered by air to the main naval bases. In the naval base ports, prayer services were held on warships, and sailors had the opportunity to venerate the venerable relics of the holy apostle, whose name the ancient Russian St. Andrew's flag bears.

Philip and Bartholomew (Nathanael). After the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the apostles Philip and Bartholomew were given the lot of preaching the Gospel in Syria and Asia Minor.

Asia Minor or Anatolia practically corresponds to the territory of modern Turkey. The apostles John the Theologian, Andrew together with Matthew, and Levvius Matthew also passed through Syria and Asia Minor.

While preaching the gospel, they dispersed to different cities and then came together again. Philip preached the Word of God in Galilee, accompanying his preaching with miracles. From Galilee he went to Greece and preached among the Jews who had resettled there. From Hellas, the Apostle Philip went to Parth, and then to the city of Azot, where he healed the sore eyes of the daughter of a local resident, Nikoclides, who accepted him into his home and then was baptized with the whole family. From Azoth, the Apostle Philip went to Hierapolis in Syria. The Apostle traveled through Syria, Asia Minor, Lydia, and Mysia, everywhere preaching the Gospel and enduring suffering. The Apostle Philip also preached in Ethiopia.

The Holy Apostle Philip was accompanied by his sister, the virgin Mariamne. In one of the villages they met the Apostle John the Theologian and together they went to Phrygia.

The holy apostles Bartholomew and Philip, together with their sister, confirmed their preaching with many signs. In Hierapolis of Phrygia, pagan priests complained that foreigners were turning the people away from worshiping their native gods. Believing that magical power lay in the clothes of the apostles, the ruler ordered them to be torn off. The Virgin Mariamne appeared in their eyes like a fiery torch, and no one dared to touch her. The saints were sentenced to crucifixion. The Apostle Philip was lifted up to the cross upside down. An earthquake began, the opening of the earth swallowed up the ruler of the city, the priests and many people. Others were frightened and rushed to take the Apostles down from the cross. Since the Apostle Bartholomew was hung low, he was removed soon. The Apostle Philip died. Having installed Stachy as bishop of Hierapolis, Apostle Bartholomew and blessed Mariamne left this city. Preaching the Word of God, Mariamne went to Lycaonia, where she died peacefully.

The Apostle Bartholomew went to India, there he translated the Gospel of Matthew from Hebrew into the local language and converted many pagans to Christ. He also visited Greater Armenia, where he performed many miracles and healed the demon-possessed daughter of King Polymius. In gratitude, the king sent gifts to the apostle, but he refused to accept them, saying that he was only looking for the salvation of human souls. Then Polymius, the queen, the healed princess, and many of her associates were baptized. Residents of ten cities of Greater Armenia followed their example. Through the machinations of pagan priests, the king's brother Astyages seized the apostle in the city of Alban (now the city of Baku) and crucified him upside down. But even from the cross he did not stop proclaiming to people the good news about Christ the Savior. Then, by order of Astyages, they tore off the Apostle’s skin and cut off his head. The believers placed his remains in a tin shrine and buried him. Around 508, the holy relics of the Apostle Bartholomew were transferred to Mesopotamia, to the city of Anastasioupol (or Dara). When the Persians captured the city in 574, Christians took the relics of the Apostle and retired to the shores of the Black Sea. But since they were overtaken by enemies, they were forced to lower the crayfish into the sea. Together with him, 4 more arks with the relics of the holy martyrs Papian, Lucian, Gregory and Acacius were thrown into the sea. By the power of God, the crayfish miraculously sailed to the island of Liparu. The arrival of the holy relics of the Apostle Bartholomew was revealed to the bishop of the island of Lipara, Agathon, who went with the clergy to the seashore, took the ark from the water and solemnly transferred it to the church. From the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew, myrrh flowed, providing healing from various diseases. In the 9th century, after the capture of the island by the Arabs, the holy relics were transferred to the Neapolitan city of Benevento, and in the 10th century some of them were transferred to Rome.

Particles of the relics of St. of the Apostles Philip and Bartholomew are kept on Mount Athos in the St. Panteleimon Monastery.

Apostle Levi Matthew and his mission in Ethiopia

Levi Matthew. Having received the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit who descended on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, the Apostle Matthew first preached for 8 years in Palestine. Before leaving to preach in distant countries, at the request of the Jews who remained in Jerusalem, the holy Apostle Matthew captured in his Gospel the earthly life of the Savior of the world - the God-man Jesus Christ and His Teaching.

The Holy Apostle Matthew traveled with the gospel to Syria, Lydia, Persia, and Parthia, ending his preaching labors with his martyrdom in Ethiopia. This country was inhabited by cannibal tribes with rude customs and beliefs. The Holy Apostle Matthew, with his preaching here, converted several idolaters to faith in Christ, founded the Church, built a temple in the city of Myrmene and installed his companion named Plato as bishop.

Lydia is a region of Asia Minor or Anatolia. Located in the territory of modern Turkey. The territory located southeast of the Caspian Sea.

At its peak, the Parthian kingdom extended from Babylonia through Iran to the Indus Valley. The Parthian kingdom ceased to exist ca. 227, when the Sassanid state arose.

Persia (Fars) in Iran

Persia is a Latinized version of the historical name Fars. Region in southern Iran. Sometimes used as a synonym for Iran. In the life of the Apostle Matthew it is used to mean the name of the region.

Ethiopia on a map of Africa

Christianity in Ethiopia after the Apostolic Sermon

The seeds of faith planted by the apostles Matthew and Philip in Ethiopia bore abundant fruit. By the 4th century, Christianity occupied such a prominent place in society there that it was adopted as the state religion. This marked a turning point in Ethiopian history. The Ethiopian Church highly honors St. Athanasius the Great, the champion of Orthodoxy, who courageously entered into the fight against Arianism, as well as the fathers of the First Ecumenical Council. Of the fourteen liturgical anaphoras, one is dedicated to Athanasius the Great, and the other to the 318 fathers of the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea. Arianism, therefore, was not successful in Ethiopia, despite repeated attempts to instill heresy in this country.

The Ethiopian Church was under the jurisdiction of Alexandria. Under the emperors Justin I (518–527) and Justinian I (527–565), Ethiopia entered into special relations with Byzantium. In the war against the Persian king of Yemen, the Ethiopian king, with the support of Byzantine troops, entered Yemen, restoring the Christian Church. Kebra Nagast says that both kings, Justin and Caleb, will one day meet again in Jerusalem and divide the world between them. Justinian also sought closer ties with the Ethiopians in order to use them as intermediaries in Byzantine trade with India.

Remarkable information about Ethiopia and the king of Aksum is given by the author of “Christian Topography” Cosmas Indicoplous, who lived around the same period (VI century). He writes that the royal court and the whole country were predominantly Christian.

Before the advent of Islam, Axum was a vast empire. During his heyday, he ruled many areas of the southwestern part of the Arabian Peninsula, the peoples of northern Eritrea (now the northeastern part of Sudan) were subordinate to him, and in the west his borders reached the Nile Valley. Subsequently, having lost dominance in the Red Sea, Aksum moved deeper into the south of the African continent.

The decline of Aksum began in 602, when the Persians conquered Yemen, taking control of the Red Sea, and ended in the 10th century with Islamic rule. From the moment of the Arab conquest of Egypt (640–642), Christian Africa was left to its own devices, and the Ethiopians were isolated for over a thousand years, oblivious to the world by which they were also forgotten. Throughout this period, the Ethiopian Church maintained close relations with Egypt, and the pre-Chalcedonites and Melkites continued their missionary activities in the Aksum region. When the Arabs became masters of the eastern shores, Islam gradually penetrated into eastern Africa and reached the mountainous regions of eastern Sohag. The most important centers of the Muslims were Harar and Arussi. The situation of the Ethiopian Church in the 10th century became almost tragic. The existence of the head of the Church (abuna) is hardly mentioned, and since 1250 the Church has remained completely without an abuna. This is the period of decline of the Aksumite kingdom.

The installation of a new abuna took place only in the 1270s, due to the zeal of the king from the new dynasty of Wakino Amlak, under whom Christianity began to flourish, the installation of an abuna was unsuccessful due to Islamic opposition in Egypt. During this period, Ethiopian monks continued to spread the Christian faith, converting idolaters to it.

As a result of the Turkish conquests of the entire Near and Middle East, Islam began to acquire special influence in the Red Sea region. The Muslim invasion threatened the existence of the Church in Ethiopia. Blinded by the wealth of the temples and monasteries, the Muslims looted and burned for fifteen years and caused irreparable damage to the centuries-old heritage of the Ethiopian Church. Residents were forcibly converted to Islam, others preferred to die for their faith. In their desire to find a way out of this situation, the Ethiopians turned to the Portuguese, who at that time were looking for strongholds for their ships heading to India. A period of cultural and diplomatic contacts with Europe began, which attracted Ethiopia with its technical and cultural progress.

However, the Europeans pursued their own goals, seeking to bring this rich country under the Roman Catholic throne through the Jesuits. This led to bloody clashes at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and then to the expulsion of the Jesuits by Emperor Thessalidas (1632). However, the presence of the Jesuits in the country did not pass without a trace. In the souls of the Ethiopians they left an unpleasant aftertaste and disgust for everything European, which shook the spiritual stability of the Ethiopian Church. After the official expulsion of the Jesuits, a long period of dogmatic disputes began, which lasted for more than two centuries and caused the development of church literature in the kingdom of Gondar. However, the Ethiopian Church, despite this, largely retained its unity.

Despite the outward unity, dogmatic disputes raged within the Ethiopian Church, which divided it into three theological schools:

The first (Tewando - “Unity”) considered itself Orthodox, professing the unity of two natures in Christ without confusion and division. The second group was called Qebat ("Anointing") because it emphasized the anointing of Christ rather than the incarnation. The third group, known as Tesgga Lej ("Son of Grace"), supported the doctrine of the "Three Nativity" - from the Father, from the Virgin Mary and from the Holy Spirit.

The task of restoring internal unity was taken upon by Emperor Theodore II (1855–1868), who immediately after his coronation began to restore Ethiopia to its former glory. He understood that the Church played an important role in this. Therefore, he decided to put an end to the religious disputes that were going on between the three main factions. Having rejected the last two, the emperor called on all Christians to profess the doctrine of the unity of two natures. Failure to comply with this imperial decree led to punishment, and theological disputes gradually ceased. During this period, missionary work was actively carried out among idolaters and Muslims, as a result of which many converted to Christianity. In the last years of the 19th century, the Church of Ethiopia was busy strengthening its missionary activities. To facilitate the work of the missionaries, Emperor John and King Menelik of Shoa convened a Council in Bor Meda (Wollo region), and although there was no bishop, the clergy and learned theologians condemned the doctrine of “three births.” The entire region of Wollo, which even before the 16th century had many temples and monasteries, now again became a Christian center and at the same time a center of church education, where students flocked from all over the country. Many areas previously cut off from the Christian heartland of Ethiopia by the Muslims were again reunited with their Christian brothers under Menelik II.

By the end of the 19th century. The colonial division of Africa between England, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal was completed. Italy considered itself offended; by the 1980s, it had managed to settle only in Eritrea and Somalia.

England, trying to connect its possessions in Africa with communications, in particular to build a railway from Mombasa to Khartoum, not only did not interfere with the aggressive actions of Italy, but even encouraged them, concluding an agreement with it on delimiting spheres of influence in countries adjacent to the Red Sea. In July 1894, the Italians, having occupied Kassala, switched to open aggression, which for them ended in complete defeat at Aduwa on March 1, 1896. This victory played a decisive role in the unity of the state and increased its international authority.

However, political victories could not but affect the church life of the country. They understood that it was impossible to normalize the life of the Ethiopian Church with the help of the Coptic hierarchy, which was not familiar with the interests and problems of the country. After the death of Abuna Matthew (1926), the last of the four bishops sent in 1881, the Ethiopian Church turned to the Coptic Patriarch with a request to grant the new metropolitan the right to consecrate bishops. As a result of lengthy negotiations between the Ethiopian government and representatives of the Coptic Church, Abuna Cyril (the last Coptic bishop in the Ethiopian Church) was elected in 1929 and a decision was made to consecrate five Ethiopian monks to the episcopate for five dioceses. These were Abraham, Isaac, Michael, Peter and Sevier.

Rome tried to completely tear the Ethiopian Church away from Coptic Alexandria and bring it into its orbit. During the period of Italian occupation (1935 - 1941), Abuna Cyril was exiled to Rome, and the elderly and sick Bishop Abraham was persuaded to lead the Ethiopian Church and declare it independent of the See of Alexandria. In response to this, the Coptic Patriarch announced the official excommunication of Bishop Abraham and his followers. After the liberation of Ethiopia in 1941, Abuna Cyril returned to Addis Ababa, and negotiations between the Ethiopian Church and the See of the Apostle Mark resumed. The Ethiopians asked for autonomy and the lifting of excommunication from Bishop Abraham. Finally, in 1948, the Ethiopian Church received the right to ordain a metropolitan and bishops from among the Ethiopian monks.

After 1944, the activities of foreign missionaries began to be regulated by government regulations. Missions may carry out educational and health work in so-called "closed" or "Ethiopian ecclesiastical areas." The teaching of Christianity is encouraged, but proselytism among Ethiopian Christians is not allowed, except, of course, in open areas with Muslim and pagan populations. By the way, Addis Ababa is also an open area where various missionary organizations are working.

Relation to the Orthodox Church of the Ethiopian Church

The emergence of Islam in the 7th century and its spread in Egypt contributed to the gradual alienation of the Ethiopian Church from Orthodoxy, but this does not mean that all relations with the Orthodox Church ceased. The Patriarch of Alexandria Meletius Pigas (1590–1601) wrote to the Ethiopian Negus in 1595 that many pre-Chalcedonians wanted to be Orthodox, and asked his permission to do so. The Ethiopian king Jesus wrote in 1750 to the Patriarch of Alexandria Matthew (1746–1765) and asked him for a teacher of Orthodoxy, as well as the resolutions of the Councils. In 1885, Emperor John asked the Greek King George I for Greek priests and a doctor. In a letter to Patriarch Sophronius IV of Alexandria (1870–1899), the emperor thanks him for the book of the Divine Liturgy and reminds him that the Greeks once came to Ethiopia and enlightened it. In 1861, Porfiry Uspensky, who during the years of the patriarchate of the Orthodox first hierarchs Hierotheos (1847–1858) and Kallinikos (1858–1861) and the Coptic Patriarch Cyril IV (1853–1861) sought through his actions in Egypt to the union of the two thrones, also addressed Ethiopian Church. At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the Russian Church sent numerous expeditions with the aim of establishing closer contacts with the Ethiopian Church.

Emperor Menelik II (†1913) asked Patriarch Joachim III (1878–1884 and 1901–1912) for friendly mediation in resolving disagreements between Copts and Ethiopians regarding the right to the monastery of Dair as Sultan at the Holy Sepulchre, donated to the Ethiopian king by Saint Helena.

In order to improve relations with the Ethiopian Church, the Patriarch of Alexandria Photius I (1900–1925) in 1908 recreated the Axumite Orthodox Metropolis, which had had Greek metropolitans until 1800. Meletius II of Alexandria (1926–1935) sent the learned Metropolitan Nicholas (†1967) to Ethiopia in 1927, who was favorably received by Emperor Haile Selasie. Since the proclamation of autocephaly, the Ethiopian Church began to even more actively establish ties with the Orthodox Churches. In 1959, a delegation of the Russian Orthodox Church headed by Archimandrite Nikodim (Rotov) visited Ethiopia. In July of the same year, Emperor Haile Selasie of Ethiopia met with Patriarch Alexy during his visit to the USSR, and a month later a delegation of the Ethiopian Church led by Metropolitan Theophilus of Harar was a guest of the Russian Orthodox Church. In dialogue with the Orthodox Church, the Ethiopian Church is the most active. At the First Pan-Orthodox Conference on Fr. Rhodes (1961) The Ethiopian Church was represented by an official delegation consisting of the Ethiopian Archbishop of Jerusalem Philip and Archimandrite Habte Mariam. Meetings between Orthodox and Ethiopians took place at subsequent Pan-Orthodox meetings, as well as at conferences in Aarhus (Denmark) and Bristol (England). While seeking communion with the Orthodox world, the Church of Ethiopia also strives for the union and unity of all pre-Chalcedonian Churches. For this purpose, a meeting of the heads of the pre-Chalcedonian Churches was convened in Addis Ababa (January 15–21, 1965).

Of all the pre-Chalcedonian Churches, the Ethiopian Church is closer to the Orthodox Church in teaching, worship, structure, morals and customs. It represents the primitive Christianity of the first three Ecumenical Councils, and its main heterodoxy in the dogma of the hypostatic union of two natures in Christ has lost its original meaning and severity over the centuries. Representatives of this Church claim that they profess the Orthodox faith in the matter of the union of the Divine and human natures in one hypostasis of Christ.

The Ethiopian Church recognizes the first three Ecumenical Councils, the Nicene-Constantinopolitan symbol, and the seven sacraments. Its eschatology is the same as that of the Copts: it allows for general and private judgment; however, with some peculiarities explained by its centuries-long development among idolatrous peoples.

In the New Testament, the inspired books in the Ethiopian Church are considered, in addition to the Four Gospels, the book of Acts, 14 Pauline epistles and seven conciliar epistles, as well as the Apostolic decrees, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Epistles of Clement of Rome, and the decrees of two Ecumenical Councils. The most important books are also considered to be the works of Saints John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, Marisahak, Ephraim, Aragui, Manfasawi and others. Peter the Ethiopian first printed the New Testament in Rome in 1548.

Monasticism is very developed in the Ethiopian Church, which also originates from St. Antony and Pachomius the Great. By the end of the 15th century, many monastic centers had been founded from northern Hamasen to Lake Zuwai in the south, from the eastern edges of the Ethiopian Highlands to the western shores of Lake Tana. A significant number of monks work in monasteries, but there are also wandering hermits living in the world. The monks wear a chiton just below the knees and a leather belt, and a doll on their heads. Monasticism is also common among women. Each monastery or church is an independent whole. They own lands that are cultivated by the peasants of the surrounding settlements, in one of which the church clergy usually lives, consisting of at least 50 people.

The most remarkable achievement of Ethiopian culture is the vast collection of manuscripts compiled in various monasteries and temples; this is the embodiment of the national tradition of the Ethiopian Church. The translations that have survived to this day from Greek, ancient Syriac, Coptic, and later from Arabic into the Ge'ez language are imbued with the spirit and atmosphere of Christian Abyssinia; these works have undergone such a process of transformation that they are already becoming masterpieces of national Ethiopian literature.

Apostle James Zebedee

In 44 he suffered martyrdom in Jerusalem. Elder brother of John the Evangelist. After the descent of the Holy Spirit, St. According to legend, the Apostle James preached in Spain. Then he returned to Jerusalem, where he openly taught about Jesus Christ that He is the true Messiah, the Savior of the world, and denounced the Pharisees and scribes for their hardness of heart and unbelief. The Jews convinced King Herod Agrippa I (40-44) to seize the Apostle James and condemn him to death.

The Apostle James is the only apostle whose death is described on the pages of the New Testament. According to legend, the relics of the apostle were transported to Spain, to the city of Santiago de Compostela. The rediscovery of the saint's relics took place in 813. The capital of Chile, Santiago, is also named in honor of the Apostle James.

Santiago and Finisterra on the map of Spain

Later, the Apostle Paul visited Spain. There is historical evidence that the Apostle Paul in Rome was soon released from custody and was able to make his planned trip to the west, to Spain. The memory of this, his last evangelistic journey, is associated with a village on the Atlantic coast of Spain, located on a cape, which is called Finisterra - “Edge of the Earth”. Even earlier, he wrote in the Epistle to the Romans: “As soon as I take the road to Spain, I will come to you,” which indicates his long-standing intention to preach in Western countries.

Part of the relics of St. The Apostle James is kept in the Russian Panteleimon Monastery on Mount Athos.

Apostle Thomas and his mission in India

Thomas (Greek Θωμάς, Latin Thomas). After the Ascension of Christ, Thomas had the lot to preach in India. On his way to India, he managed to found Christian communities in Palestine, Mesopotamia and Parthia.

According to legend, Saint Thomas landed on the Malabar coast (modern Kerala state) in the southwestern part of the Hindustan peninsula around 52 AD. e. Thomas preached the Gospel in various provinces of India, and in 72 he suffered martyrdom in the city of Melappuram (Chennai, formerly Madras) - he was pierced with stakes.

Melappuram city (framed)

Malabar coast

Tradition speaks of the construction of seven churches by the apostle in the cities of Kerala - Kodungaloor, Niranam, Kollam, Chayal, Kottakavu, Kokkamangalam and Palaiyur. In these cities, even before the Christian era, there were Jewish colonies and, at first, the composition of the first Christian communities in these cities was mixed, they included converted Jews and local residents. Thomas came to King Gundofar and was hired into his service as a carpenter to build a palace. King Gundofar is a real historical person. In 1834, coins with his name were found in the Kabul Valley of Afghanistan, and from them it can be determined that Gundofar ruled in the 1st century after the Nativity of Christ, approximately 45-46. These are exactly the years when Thomas could have ended up in India.

From the first centuries AD, Malabar Christians interacted closely with Christian communities, which then formed the Nestorian Assyrian Church of the East. This led to the fact that Indian Christians used the East Syriac or Chaldean rite in their liturgical life, like the Assyrian Church of the East, although they introduced some of their own features into it. In the 4th century, large numbers of Christians migrated from Persia to southwestern India. At least since the 4th century, bishops of the Malabar Church were sent from Persia by the Church of the East. In the 8th century, the community received its own metropolitan, who occupied tenth place in the hierarchical list of the Assyrian Church of the East. Since bishops and metropolitans, as a rule, did not know the local language, their functions were limited to celebrating the liturgy and ordaining new priests, the real administrative power was in the hands of the Indian priest, called the archdeacon of all India.

The community of Christians of the Apostle Thomas on the Malabar coast was part of Indian society in the position of a special caste. Despite the fact that organizationally the Malabar Church was modeled on the ancient Eastern churches, and the liturgical Chaldean rite was common with the Church of the East, the cultural life of the Christians of the Apostle Thomas was of a purely Indian character. Until the 15th century, Indian Christians had no contact with European churches.

India, Chennai, St. Thomas Cathedral

The question of whether the Indian church was Nestorian remains debatable. The Syro-Malabarians themselves claim that their church never accepted Nestorianism, despite long-term contacts with the Nestorian Church of the East. However, during the establishment of liturgical communion, the Indian clergy confirmed to the Portuguese bishops their confession of Christology, approved by the Council of Ephesus. However, the Latin clergy was wary of the Syro-Malabar clergy, suspecting them of heresy. Since 1498, after the arrival of the Portuguese on the Malabar coast with the Vasca da Gama expedition, the gradual forced Latinization of the Malabar Church began. The Portuguese did not respect the local tradition. Latinization eventually led to numerous splits in Malabar Christianity. Below is a diagram showing the fragmentation of the original Church of the Apostle Thomas as a result of Latinization.

The Syro-Malabarians have a strong monastic tradition, especially among women - the number of female nuns is almost five times higher than the number of male monastics.

Christian Population Distribution
in various states of India

Christianity is the third largest religion in India. Currently, Christian communities are found in all regions of India, but most of them are concentrated in South India, on the Konkan coast, and in Northeast India. There are also scattered communities in the center of the country. The activities of Christian organizations usually manifest themselves in the form of the creation and management of educational institutions, social services and hospitals.

Reliquary with a particle of the relics of Apostle Thomas in the city of Chennai (India)

As for the relics of the Apostle Thomas, their fate is very interesting. From India they were transferred to Edessa. In the 11th century, Edessa was sacked by the Turks. The relics of Thomas, along with other shrines, were hidden by Christians to avoid desecration. Their whereabouts were unknown until they were discovered on the Greek island of Chios. And from there in 1258, the navigator Lyon, hired by the inhabitants of the Italian Ortona, transported them to this city.

Transfer of St. relics of the Apostle Thomas in Ortonou from the island of Chios

The relics of the holy Apostle of God are kept in two shrines - in the crypt, in a shrine made of gilded copper, on which the throne is located, and in the chapel - in a silver shrine-bust

The Ortona Cathedral in the name of St. Thomas the Apostle (Basilica San Tommaso Apostolo) was erected on the site of a pagan temple, as often happened in Europe, as a sign of the triumph of Christianity over paganism

There they are to this day. And the finger of Thomas was taken to Rome and remains there in the Church of the Holy Cross. In other words, the Apostle Thomas, who during his lifetime left the West for the East, after his earthly death made a return journey over several centuries. Parts of the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle are found in India, Hungary, Italy and on Mount Athos, in the St. Panteleimon Monastery.

Simon the Zealot (Zealot)- The Holy Apostle Simon preached the teachings of Christ in Judea, Egypt, Libya, Cyrene and Britain.

Cyrene in modern Libya

Cyrene (Kirinaica, Barka) is a historical region in North Africa. It was located in the northeast along the coast from the Gulf of Greater Sirte (modern Sidra) to the borders with Marmarika (some authors include it).

Egypt

Then, in the 50s of the 1st century, he arrived in Abkhazia, in a secluded corner of Psyrtskhe, where he lived in a cave on the bank of a mountain river. According to legend, he entered his stone cell through a narrow opening in the vault, so as not to tempt ordinary people who would want to see how the foreign ascetic lived. Abkhaz legends say that Simon the Canaanite gradually became known among local residents as a miracle worker who could heal various diseases with the touch of his hands, pacify pain by splashing water on wounds, and improve the fate of the suffering by reading prayers in a mysterious language. The Roman pagans tracked down the humble preacher and put him to painful execution. According to some sources, he was crucified on a cross, according to others, he was sawed into pieces alive and his head was shown to newly converted Christians. The residents of Psyrtskhi, devoted to the Apostle Simon, asked for permission to bury his body and did this not far from his cave, in the city of Nikopsia. In the 9th century, Christian Abkhazian rulers decided to build a temple dedicated to him on the relics of the holy apostle. The cathedral was erected in a relatively short time, but very soon it was completely destroyed by the Muslim conquerors. Less than a century later, in the 10th century, the temple was completely restored on the old foundation and decorated inside with frescoes. This cathedral has survived to this day. Also, the cave in which the holy apostle labored has been preserved until the 21st century.

Temple and grotto of St. ap. Simone Canonita

In the 19th century, on the site of the martyrdom of the holy apostle, the Athos St. Panteleimon Monastery was built as a subsidiary monastery of New Athos.

Apostle Jacob Alfeev

Jacob Alfeev (Greek Ιάκωβος ο Μικρός, lat. Iacobus Minor - James the Younger) - Brother of the Apostle Judas Jacob, possibly brother of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, he preached first in Judea, then accompanied St. to Apostle Andrew the First-Called in Edessa. He spread the gospel gospel in Gaza, Eleutheropolis and neighboring places, and from there he went to Egypt. Here, in the city of Ostratsina (a seaside town on the border with Palestine), he was crucified on the cross. Many sources (Archim. Nikifor, Brockhaus) associate Jacob Alfeev with Jacob, the brother of the Lord, commemorated by the Church in the Council of the 70 Apostles. Others (Nyström's Bible Dictionary) mention them separately. The confusion probably arose from the fact that both apostles were called James the Younger.

Apostle Jude Thaddeus, Jacob

Judas Thaddeus, Jacob (+ c. 80), apostle from the 12th, brother of the Lord. Judas Thaddeus (Judas Jacoblev or Levvey), brother of Jacob Alpheus, son of Alpheus or Cleopas. The holy Apostle Jude also had other names: the Evangelist Matthew calls him “Levway, called Thaddeus” (Matthew 10:3), the holy Evangelist Mark also calls him Thaddeus (Mark 3:18), and in the Acts of the Holy Apostles he is mentioned under the name Barsabas (Acts 15:22). This was the custom at that time.

After the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, Apostle Jude set out to preach the Gospel. He spread faith in Christ first in Judea, Galilee, Samaria and Idumea, and then in the countries of Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia, and finally came to the city of Edessa. Here he completed what had not been completed by his predecessor, the apostle of the 70, Thaddeus. The news has been preserved that the holy Apostle Jude went preaching to Persia and from there wrote his conciliar epistle in Greek, in the brief words of which many deep truths are contained. It contains dogmatic teaching about the Holy Trinity, about the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, about the difference between good and evil Angels, about the future Last Judgment. In moral terms, the apostle urges believers to protect themselves from carnal impurity, to be correct in their duties, prayer, faith and love, to convert the lost to the path of salvation, to protect themselves from the teachings of heretics. The Apostle Jude teaches that faith in Christ alone is not enough; good deeds characteristic of Christian teaching are also necessary. The Holy Apostle Jude died as a martyr around the year 80 in Armenia, in the city of Aratus, where he was crucified on the cross and pierced with arrows. acc. 1 Cor 9:5, he was apparently married. Two of his grandchildren were interrogated by the Emperor during the persecution of Christians. Domitian (81-96 AD) as members of the Jewish royal family, but were then released.

Apostle John the Theologian

John the Theologian, John of Zebedee, author of the Gospel of John, the Book of Revelation and three epistles included in the New Testament. According to legend, after the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Apostle John, according to the lot that fell to him, went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, taking with him his disciple Prochorus.

While in the city of Ephesus, the Apostle John constantly preached to the pagans about Christ. His preaching was accompanied by numerous and great miracles, so that the number of believers increased every day. During the persecution of Christians started by Emperor Nero, the Apostle John, according to legend, was taken in prison to Rome for trial. For confessing his ardent faith in Jesus Christ, the apostle was sentenced to death. However, after drinking the cup of deadly poison offered to him, he remained alive. He also emerged unharmed from the cauldron of boiling oil. After this, the apostle was exiled to prison on the island of Patmos, where he lived for many years. According to his life, when John arrived on the island of Patmos, his preaching, accompanied by many miracles, attracted all the inhabitants of the island to him: he converted most of its inhabitants to Christianity, cast out demons from pagan temples, and healed many sick people. On the island of Patmos, the Apostle John retired with his disciple Prochorus (known only from church tradition, associated with Prochorus, an apostle from the age of seventy) to a deserted mountain, where he performed three days of fasting and prayer, after which the cave where they lived shook and thunder roared. Prokhor fell to the ground in fear. The Apostle picked him up and ordered him to write down the words that he would pronounce. “I am Alpha and Omega, the firstfruits and the end, says the Lord, who is and who is and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8) - proclaimed the Spirit of God through the holy Apostle. Prokhor wrote down this gospel (Gospel) for two days and six hours. After John and Prokhor returned to the village, the Gospel was rewritten and distributed throughout the island. After some time, John again withdrew to a deserted place and spent 10 days in a cave without food in prayer. As he was about to leave the cave, a voice came to him saying: “John, John!” He said: “What, Lord!” And it is said: “Create another ten days in the cave and many great secrets will be revealed to you in this place.” He created another ten days without eating. And he was in great horror, and saw great powers, and an angel of God explaining to him everything that he saw and heard. Then he called Prokhor and said: “What you hear from my lips, write down on paper.” After a long exile, the Apostle John received freedom and returned to Ephesus, where he continued his activities, teaching Christians to beware of emerging heresies. Between the years 85 and 95, the Apostle John wrote the Gospel in Ephesus. He commanded all Christians to love the Lord and each other, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. The Apostle of Love - this is what Saint John is called, since he constantly taught that without love a person cannot approach God and please Him. In his three Epistles, the Apostle John preaches love for God and neighbors, himself being an example of love for those around him. The years of life of the Apostle John can be calculated approximately. According to church tradition, at the time of the crucifixion of Christ he was 16 years old and he died in the 100th year, remaining the only living apostle who saw Jesus Christ during His earthly life. That is approximately: 17-100. n. e. The rest of the apostles at this time had all already died a martyr's death. The personality of John the Theologian was also testified in writing by his disciple, Ignatius the God-Bearer (given to be torn to pieces by lions on December 20, 107 in Rome; third Bishop of Antioch after the Apostle Peter and Evoda; at the See of Antioch, presumably from 68). The last witness to see the living Christ is considered to be Ignatius the God-Bearer, who, according to church traditions, outlived John the Theologian by 7 years. The nickname, according to legend, was received from the fact that Jesus took the child Ignatius in his arms, as the Gospel of Matthew tells (18:2-5).

Apostle Peter (died around 67 in Rome). It is known that he preached the Gospel along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, in Antioch (where he ordained Apostle Evoda). The Apostle Peter preached in Asia Minor to Jews and proselytes (pagans converted to Judaism), then in Egypt, where he ordained Mark as the first bishop of the Alexandrian Church. From here he moved to Greece (Achaia) and preached in Corinth, then preached in Rome, Spain, Carthage and Britain.

According to legend, the Apostle Mark wrote his Gospel for Roman Christians from the words of the Apostle Peter. Among the New Testament holy books there are two Council (district) epistles of the Apostle Peter. The first letter of Peter is addressed to "the strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bethany" - the provinces of Asia Minor. The reason for writing was the desire of the Apostle Peter to confirm his brothers when troubles arose in these communities and the persecution that befell them from the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Internal enemies also appeared among Christians in the form of false teachers. Taking advantage of the absence of the Apostle Paul, they began to distort his teaching on Christian freedom and patronize all moral laxity. The Second Epistle of Peter was written to the same Christians in Asia Minor. In this second letter, the Apostle Peter warns believers with particular force against depraved false teachers. These false teachings are similar to those denounced by the Apostle Paul in his letters to Timothy and Titus, as well as by the Apostle Jude in his Council Epistle. The false teachings of heretics threatened the faith and morals of Christians. At that time, Gnostic heresies began to quickly spread, absorbing elements of Judaism, Christianity and various pagan teachings. This message was written shortly before the martyrdom of the Apostle Peter: “I know that I must soon leave my temple (body), just as our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to me.” Towards the end of his life, the Apostle Peter again arrived in Rome, where he suffered martyrdom in 67 by crucifixion upside down.

A piece of the relics of St. Apostle Peter is located in the Russian Monastery of St. Panteleimon on Mount Athos.

Apostle Matthias

Matthias - by lot took his place among the twelve apostles instead of the fallen Judas Iscariot. He is one of the most little-known apostles, but he worked equally with the first.

Initially, he was one of the 70 disciples whom the Lord “sent out two by two before Him” (Luke 10:1). After the Ascension of the Savior, the Apostle Matthias was chosen by lot to be one of the 12 apostles instead of the fallen Judas Iscariot (Acts 1: 15-26). After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Matthias preached the Gospel in Jerusalem and Judea along with the other apostles (Acts 6:2; 8:14). From Jerusalem with the apostles Peter and Andrew he went to Syrian Antioch, was in the Cappadocian city of Tyana and in Sinope. Here Apostle Matthias was imprisoned, from which he was miraculously released by Apostle Andrew the First-Called. After this, the Apostle Matthias traveled to Amasia, a city on the banks of the Pontus. During the 3rd journey of the Apostle Andrew, Saint Matthias was with him in Edessa and Sebastia. According to church tradition, he was preaching in Pontic Ethiopia (present-day Western Georgia), Macedonia, repeatedly exposed to mortal danger, but the Lord kept him alive for further preaching of the Gospel. One day the pagans forced the apostle to drink a poisoned drink. The Apostle drank it and not only remained unharmed, but also healed other prisoners who had become blind from this drink. When Saint Matthias came out of prison, the pagans looked for him in vain, since he had become invisible to them. Another time, when the pagans rushed in rage to kill the apostle, the earth opened up and swallowed them up. The Apostle Matthias returned to Judea and did not cease to enlighten his compatriots with the light of the teachings of Christ. He performed great miracles in the Name of the Lord Jesus and converted many to faith in Christ. The Jewish high priest Anan, who hated Christ, who had previously given the order to throw the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, from the heights of the temple, ordered that the Apostle Matthias be taken and brought before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. The wicked Anan made a speech in which he blasphemously blasphemed the Lord. In response, the Apostle Matthias showed through the prophecies of the Old Testament that Jesus Christ is the True God, the Messiah promised by God to Israel, the Son of God, Consubstantial and Co-Eternal with God the Father. After these words, the Apostle Matthias was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin and stoned. When Saint Matthias was already dead, the Jews, hiding the crime, cut off his head as an opponent of Caesar. (According to some sources, the Apostle Matthias was crucified on the cross. Some indicate that he died in Colchis). The Apostle Matthias accepted death for Christ and the crown of martyr around the age of 63.

Celebrating the memory of each of the 12 apostles of Christ separately, the Orthodox Church since ancient times has also established the general celebration of the Council of the Glorious and All-Praised 12 Apostles (June 30 / July 13), the day after the memory of the glorious and supreme apostles Peter and Paul.

The importance of each of the Apostles in the preaching and dissemination of the Gospel teaching is difficult to overestimate. Everywhere they visited for missionary purposes, they generously sowed the seeds of faith among the local peoples, which later bore rich spiritual fruits in the form of Christian communities.

Arseny Tarasov,
especially for the portal “Russian Athos”

During his earthly life, Jesus Christ gathered thousands of listeners and followers around him, among whom the 12 closest disciples especially stood out. The Christian Church calls them apostles (Greek apostolos - messenger). The life of the apostles is set out in the book of Acts, which is part of the New Testament canon. And all that is known about death is that almost everyone, except John Zebedee and Judas Iscariot, died a martyr’s death.

Stone of Faith

“Follow me, I will make you fishers of men.”

Having become an apostle of Christ, Peter remained with him until the end of Jesus’ earthly life, becoming one of his favorite disciples. By nature, Peter was very lively and hot-tempered: it was he who wanted to walk on water in order to approach Jesus. He cut off the ear of the high priest's servant in the Garden of Gethsemane.

On the night after the arrest of Jesus, Peter, as the Teacher predicted, fearing to get himself into trouble, denied Christ three times. But later he repented and was forgiven by the Lord. On the other hand, Peter was the first to answer without hesitation to Jesus, who asked the disciples what they thought about him, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”

After the Ascension of the Lord, the Apostle Peter preached the teachings of Christ in different countries and performed extraordinary miracles: he raised the dead, healed the sick and infirm. According to legend (Jerome of Stridon. About famous men, Chapter I), Peter served as Bishop of Rome for 25 years (from 43 to 67 AD). However, this legend is quite late, and therefore most modern researchers believe that the Apostle Peter arrived in Rome only in the early 60s of the 1st century AD.

During Nero's persecution of Christians, the Apostle Peter was crucified on an inverted cross in 64 (according to another version in 67-68), upside down.

The latter was at the apostle’s own request, since Peter considered himself unworthy to die exactly the same death as Christ.

First Summoned

The Apostle Andrew (Andrew the First-Called) was the brother of the Apostle Peter. Christ was the first to call Andrew as a disciple, and therefore this apostle is often called the First Called. According to the Gospel of Matthew and Mark, the calling of Andrew and Peter took place near Lake Galilee. The Apostle John describes the calling of Andrew, which took place near the Jordan immediately after the baptism of Jesus (1: 35-40).

Even in his youth, Andrei decided to devote himself to serving God. Maintaining chastity, he refused to marry. Hearing that on the Jordan River John the Baptist was preaching about the coming of the Messiah and calling for repentance, Andrei left everything and went to him.

Soon the young man became John the Baptist's closest disciple.

Scripture conveys very meager information about the Apostle Andrew, but even from them one can form a completely clear picture of him. On the pages of the Gospel of John, Andrew appears twice. It is he who speaks with Jesus about the loaves and fishes before the miracle of feeding five thousand people, and also, together with the Apostle Philip, brings the Greeks to Jesus.

Until the last day of the Savior’s earthly journey, Andrei followed him. After the death of the Lord on the cross, Saint Andrew became a witness to the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. On the day of Pentecost (that is, fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus), the miracle of the descent of the Holy Spirit took place in Jerusalem: the apostles received the gift of healing, prophecy and the ability to speak in different languages about the deeds of Christ.

The disciples of Jesus divided among themselves the countries where they were to carry the gospel message, turning the pagans to God. By lot, Andrew received Bithynia and Propontis with the cities of Chalcedon and Byzantium, as well as the lands of Thrace and Macedonia, Scythia and Thessaly, Hellas and Achaia. And he passed through these cities and countries. Almost everywhere where the apostle found himself, the authorities met him with cruel persecution, but, supported by the strength of his faith, the Apostle Andrew worthily endured all disasters in the name of Christ. The Tale of Bygone Years tells that upon arrival in Korsun, Andrei learned that the mouth of the Dnieper was nearby, and, deciding to go to Rome, he went up the river.

Having stopped for the night in the place where Kyiv was later built, the apostle climbed the hills, blessed them and planted a cross.

After his apostolic service in the lands of future Rus', Saint Andrew visited Rome, from where he returned to the Achaian city of Patras. In this place, Saint Andrew was destined to end his earthly journey by accepting martyrdom. According to legend, in Patras he stayed with a respected man named Sosia and saved him from a serious illness, after which he converted the inhabitants of the entire city to Christianity.

The ruler in Patras at that time was a Roman proconsul named Egeates Antipates. His wife Maximilla believed in Christ after the apostle healed her from a serious illness. However, the ruler himself did not accept the apostle’s preaching, and at the same time persecution of Christians began, which were called Nero’s persecutions.

Egeat ordered the apostle to be thrown into prison, and then ordered him to be crucified. When the servants were leading Saint Andrew to execution, the people, not understanding what he had sinned and why he was being taken to crucifixion, tried to stop the servants and free him. But the apostle begged people not to interfere with his suffering.

Noticing from a distance an oblique cross in the shape of the letter “X” placed for him, the apostle blessed him.

Egeat ordered not to nail the apostle, but, in order to prolong the suffering, he was tied, like his brother, upside down. The apostle preached from the cross for two more days. On the second day, Andrei began to pray that the Lord would accept his spirit. Thus ended the earthly journey of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called. And the oblique cross, on which the Apostle Andrew suffered a martyr’s death, has since been called the St. Andrew’s Cross. This crucifixion is considered to have taken place around the year 70.

Age-old witness

The Apostle is known as the author of five books of the New Testament: the Gospel of John, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd epistles of John and the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse). The apostle received the name Theologian because of the naming of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John as the Word of God.

On the Cross, Jesus entrusted John with the care of his mother, the Virgin Mary.

The further life of the apostle is known only from church traditions, according to which, after the Dormition of the Mother of God, John, according to the lot that fell to him, went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, taking with him his disciple Prochorus. While in the city of Ephesus, the Apostle John preached to the pagans about Christ. His preaching was accompanied by numerous and great miracles, so that the number of Christians increased every day.

During the persecution of Christians, John was taken in chains to trial in Rome. For confessing his faith in Christ, the apostle was sentenced to death by poisoning. However, after drinking a cup of deadly poison, he remained alive. Then he was assigned a new execution - a cauldron of boiling oil. But the apostle, according to legend, passed this test unharmed. Seeing this miracle, the executioners did not dare to tempt the will of the Lord any longer, and sent John the Theologian into exile on the island of Patmos, where he lived for many years.

After a long exile, the Apostle John received freedom and returned to Ephesus, where he continued to preach, teaching Christians to beware of emerging heresies. Around 95, the Apostle John wrote the Gospel, in which he commanded all Christians to love the Lord and each other, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ.

The Apostle John lived on earth for more than 100 years, remaining the only living person to see Jesus Christ with his own eyes.

When the time of death came, John left the city with seven disciples and ordered a cross-shaped grave to be dug for him in the ground, in which he lay down. The disciples covered the apostle's face with a cloth and buried the grave. Having learned about this, the rest of the apostle’s disciples came to the place of his burial and dug it up, but did not find the body of John the Theologian in the grave.

Shrine of the Pyrenees

After the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, James appears in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles. He participated in the establishment of the first Christian communities. Acts also reports his death: in 44, King Herod Agrippa I “killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.”

It is worth noting that James is the only one of the apostles whose death is described on the pages of the New Testament.

The relics of Jacob were transported to Spain, to the city of Santiago de Compostela. The rediscovery of the saint's relics took place in 813. At the same time, a legend arose about the preaching of Jacob himself on the Iberian Peninsula. By the 11th century, the pilgrimage to Santiago acquired the status of the second most important pilgrimage (after the pilgrimage to the Holy Land).

When the day of remembrance of the Apostle James, July 25, falls on a Sunday, the “Year of St. James” is declared in Spain. At the end of the 20th century, the tradition of pilgrimage was revived. The capital of Chile, Santiago, is named after the Apostle James.

Family student

According to Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea, Philip was married and had daughters.

Philip preached the Gospel in Scythia and Phrygia. For his preaching activities he was executed (crucified head down) in 87 (during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian) in the city of Hierapolis in Asia Minor.

The memory of the Apostle Philip is celebrated by the Catholic Church on May 3, and the Orthodox Church on November 27: on this day the Nativity fast begins, which is why it is otherwise called Philip.

An Israeli without guile

Jesus, seeing him, said: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile.”

According to legend, Bartholomew, together with Philip, preached in the cities of Asia Minor, especially in connection with the name of the Apostle Bartholomew, the city of Hierapolis is mentioned. According to a number of historical evidence, he also preached in Armenia, and therefore is especially revered in the Armenian Apostolic Church. He died a martyr's death: he was flayed alive.

Patron of accountants

After all, publicans were deeply despised by the Jews.

The Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke report the calling of Matthew Levi. However, almost nothing is known about Matthew's further life. According to some sources, he preached in Ethiopia, where he was martyred; according to others, he was executed for preaching Christianity in the same Asia Minor city of Hierapolis.

The Apostle Matthew is considered the patron saint of the city of Salerno (Italy), where his remains are kept (in the Basilica of San Matteo), and also the patron saint not of tax officials, which is the first thing that comes to mind, but of accountants.

Believer twin

The expression “Doubting Thomas” (or “infidel”) has become a common noun for the distrustful listener.

“Thomas, who was once weaker than the other apostles in the faith,” says St. John Chrysostom, “became by the grace of God more courageous, zealous and tireless than all of them, so that he went around with his preaching almost the entire earth, not being afraid to proclaim the Word of God to the savage peoples.”

The Apostle Thomas founded Christian Churches in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. The apostle sealed the preaching of the Gospel with martyrdom. For the conversion to Christ of the son and wife of the ruler of the Indian city of Meliapora (Melipura), the holy apostle was imprisoned, where he was tortured for a long time. After which, pierced by five spears, he died. Parts of the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle are found in India, Hungary and Mount Athos.

The island of Sao Tome and the capital of the state of Sao Tome and Principe, the city of Sao Tome, are named in honor of Thomas.

Cousin

In all four Gospels, the name of Jacob Alpheus is given in the list of apostles, but no other information is provided about him.

It is known that he was the son of Alphaeus (or Cleopas) and Mary, the sister of the Virgin Mary, and therefore a cousin of Jesus Christ.

James received the name Younger, or Lesser, so that he could be more easily distinguished from the other apostle - James the Elder, or James of Zebedee.

According to church tradition, the Apostle James is the first bishop of the Church of Jerusalem and the author of the canonical Council Epistle. The whole circle of post-biblical patericon stories about the life and martyrdom of James the Righteous is associated with it.

After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, Apostle James Alpheus made missionary travels together with Apostle Andrew the First-Called, preaching in Judea, Edessa, Gaza, and Eleutheropolis. In the Egyptian city of Ostratsin, Saint James martyrically completed his apostolic labors by death on the cross.

Not a traitor

Judas Thaddeus (Judas Jacoblev or Lebway) is the brother of James Alphaeus, the son of Alphaeus or Cleopas (and, accordingly, another cousin of Jesus). In the Gospel of John, Judas asks Jesus at the Last Supper about his coming resurrection.

Moreover, he is called “Judas, not Iscariot” to distinguish him from Judas the traitor.

In the Gospel of Luke and Acts, the apostle is called Judas of Jacob, which was traditionally understood as Judas, the brother of James. In the Middle Ages, the Apostle Jude was often identified with Judas, the brother of Jesus Christ mentioned in the Gospel of Mark. Nowadays, most biblical scholars consider the apostle Judas and Judas, the “brother of the Lord,” to be different persons. A certain difficulty in this regard is caused by establishing the authorship of the Epistle of Jude, included in the canon of the New Testament, which may belong to the pen of both.

According to legend, the Apostle Jude preached in Palestine, Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia, and died a martyr’s death in Armenia in the second half of the 1st century AD. e.

Fighter against Rome

According to legend, the holy Apostle Simon preached the teachings of Christ in Judea, Egypt and Libya. Perhaps he preached together with the Apostle Judas Thaddeus in Persia. There is information (unconfirmed) about the visit of the Apostle Simon to Britain.

According to legend, the apostle suffered a martyr's death on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus: he was sawed alive with a saw.

He was buried in the city of Nikopsia, the location of which is also controversial. According to the official theory, this city is the current New Athos in Abkhazia; according to another (more probable), it was located on the site of the current village of Novomikhailovsky in the Krasnodar Territory. In the 19th century, on the supposed site of the exploits of the apostle, near the Apsara Mountain, the New Athos Monastery of Simon the Canaanite was built.

Thirteenth Apostle

After Jesus Christ was sentenced to crucifixion, Judas, who betrayed him, returned 30 pieces of silver to the high priests and elders, saying: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They answered: “What is that to us?” Leaving the pieces of silver in the temple, Judas left and hanged himself.

Legend has it that Judas hanged himself on an aspen tree, which since then began to tremble with horror at the slightest breeze, remembering the traitor. However, it acquired the properties of a magical weapon capable of killing vampires.

After the betrayal and suicide of Judas Iscariot, Jesus' disciples decided to choose a new apostle to replace Judas. They chose two candidates: “Joseph, called Barsaba, who was called Justus, and Matthias,” and, having prayed to God to indicate whom to make an apostle, they cast lots. The lot fell to Matthias.

Deputy by lot

After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Matthias preached the Gospel in Jerusalem and Judea along with the other apostles. From Jerusalem with Peter and Andrew he went to Syrian Antioch, was in the Cappadocian city of Tyana and in Sinope.

Here Apostle Matthias was imprisoned, from which he was miraculously released by Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

Then Matthias went to Amasia and Pontic Ethiopia (present-day Western Georgia), repeatedly being exposed to mortal danger.

He performed great miracles in the Name of the Lord Jesus and converted many people to faith in Christ. The Jewish high priest Anan, who hated Christ, who had previously given the command to throw James, the brother of the Lord, from the heights of the temple, ordered the Apostle Matthias to be taken and presented to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem for trial.

Around the year 63, Matthias was condemned to death by stoning. When Saint Matthias was already dead, the Jews, hiding the crime, cut off his head as an opponent of Caesar. According to other sources, the Apostle Matthias was crucified on the cross. And according to the third, least reliable, he died a natural death in Colchis.

According to historical information, the apostles of Christ were tortured by the most cruel executions of that time:

1. Peter - crucified upside down.
2. Andrew - crucified.
3. Matthew - killed by the sword.
4. John - died a natural death.
5. Jacob, son of Alpheus - crucified.
6. Philip - crucified.
7. Simeon - crucified.
8. Thaddeus - killed by shooters.
9. James, brother of Jesus - stoned.

10. Thomas - pierced by a spear.
11. Bartholomew - crucified.
12. Jacob, son of Zebedee - killed by the sword.
13. Paul - languished in chains many times, preached the Gospel in the east and in the west, reached the ocean coast in the west and died the death of a martyr at the hands of the rulers.

The Twelve (brief historical data from the lives of the apostles of Jesus)

Stone of Faith

The Apostle Peter (Simon) was born in Bethsaida on the northern shore of Lake Galilee in the family of a simple fisherman Jonah. He was married and, together with his brother Andrei, lived in fishing. The name Peter (Petrus - from the Greek word “stone”, “rock”, Aramaic “kephas”) was given to him by Jesus, who, having met Simon and Andrew, said to them: “Follow me, I will make you fishers of men.” Having become an apostle of Christ, Peter remained with him until the end of Jesus’ earthly life, becoming one of his favorite disciples. By nature, Peter was very lively and hot-tempered: it was he who wanted to walk on water in order to approach Jesus. He cut off the ear of the high priest's servant in the Garden of Gethsemane. On the night after the arrest of Jesus, Peter, as the Teacher predicted, fearing to get himself into trouble, denied Christ three times. But later he repented and was forgiven by the Lord. On the other hand, Peter was the first to answer without hesitation to Jesus, who asked the disciples what they thought about him, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” After the Ascension of the Lord, the Apostle Peter preached the teachings of Christ in different countries and performed extraordinary miracles: he raised the dead, healed the sick and infirm. According to legend (Jerome of Stridon, On Famous Men, Chapter I), Peter served as Bishop of Rome for 25 years (from 43 to 67 AD). However, this legend is quite late, and therefore most modern researchers believe that the Apostle Peter arrived in Rome only in the early 60s of the 1st century AD.
During Nero's persecution of Christians, the Apostle Peter was crucified on an inverted cross in 64 (according to another version in 67-68), upside down. The latter was at the apostle’s own request, since Peter considered himself unworthy to die exactly the same death as Christ.

First Summoned

Apostle Andrew (Andrew the First-Called) was the brother of the Apostle Peter. Christ was the first to call Andrew as a disciple, and therefore this apostle is often called the First Called. According to the Gospel of Matthew and Mark, the calling of Andrew and Peter took place near Lake Galilee. The Apostle John describes the calling of Andrew, which took place near the Jordan immediately after the baptism of Jesus (1: 35-40). Even in his youth, Andrei decided to devote himself to serving God. Maintaining chastity, he refused to marry. Hearing that on the Jordan River John the Baptist was preaching about the coming of the Messiah and calling for repentance, Andrei left everything and went to him. Soon the young man became John the Baptist's closest disciple. Scripture conveys very meager information about the Apostle Andrew, but even from them one can form a completely clear picture of him. On the pages of the Gospel of John, Andrew appears twice. It is he who speaks with Jesus about the loaves and fishes before the miracle of feeding five thousand people, and also, together with the Apostle Philip, brings the Greeks to Jesus. Until the last day of the Savior’s earthly journey, Andrei followed him. After the death of the Lord on the cross, Saint Andrew became a witness to the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. On the day of Pentecost (that is, fifty days after the Resurrection of Jesus), the miracle of the descent of the Holy Spirit took place in Jerusalem: the apostles received the gift of healing, prophecy and the ability to speak in different languages about the deeds of Christ. The disciples of Jesus divided among themselves the countries where they were to carry the gospel message, turning the pagans to God. By lot, Andrew received Bithynia and Propontis with the cities of Chalcedon and Byzantium, as well as the lands of Thrace and Macedonia, Scythia and Thessaly, Hellas and Achaia. And he passed through these cities and countries. Almost everywhere where the apostle found himself, the authorities met him with cruel persecution, but, supported by the strength of his faith, the Apostle Andrew worthily endured all disasters in the name of Christ. The Tale of Bygone Years tells that upon arrival in Korsun, Andrei learned that the mouth of the Dnieper was nearby, and, deciding to go to Rome, he went up the river. Having stopped for the night in the place where Kyiv was later built, the apostle climbed the hills, blessed them and planted a cross. After his apostolic service in the lands of future Rus', Saint Andrew visited Rome, from where he returned to the Achaian city of Patras. In this place, Saint Andrew was destined to end his earthly journey by accepting martyrdom. According to legend, in Patras he stayed with a respected man named Sosia and saved him from a serious illness, after which he converted the inhabitants of the entire city to Christianity. The ruler in Patras at that time was a Roman proconsul named Egeates Antipates. His wife Maximilla believed in Christ after the apostle healed her from a serious illness. However, the ruler himself did not accept the apostle’s preaching, and at the same time persecution of Christians began, which were called Nero’s persecutions. Egeat ordered the apostle to be thrown into prison, and then ordered him to be crucified. When the servants were leading Saint Andrew to execution, the people, not understanding what he had sinned and why he was being taken to crucifixion, tried to stop the servants and free him. But the apostle begged people not to interfere with his suffering. Noticing from a distance an oblique cross in the shape of the letter “X” placed for him, the apostle blessed him. Egeat ordered not to nail the apostle, but, in order to prolong the suffering, he was tied, like his brother, upside down. The apostle preached from the cross for two more days. On the second day, Andrei began to pray that the Lord would accept his spirit. Thus ended the earthly journey of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called. And the oblique cross, on which the Apostle Andrew suffered a martyr’s death, has since been called the St. Andrew’s Cross. This crucifixion is considered to have taken place around the year 70.

Age-old witness

The Apostle John (John the Theologian, John Zebedee) is the author of the Gospel of John, the Book of Revelation and three epistles included in the New Testament. John was the son of Zebedee and Salome, daughter of Joseph the Betrothed. Younger brother of the Apostle James. John, like the brothers Peter and Andrey, was a fisherman. He was fishing with his father and brother Jacob when Christ called him to be a disciple. He left his father in the boat, and he and his brother followed the Savior. The Apostle is known as the author of five books of the New Testament: the Gospel of John, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd epistles of John and the Revelation of John the Theologian (Apocalypse). The apostle received the name Theologian because of the naming of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of John as the Word of God. On the Cross, Jesus entrusted John with the care of his mother, the Virgin Mary. The further life of the apostle is known only from church traditions, according to which, after the Dormition of the Mother of God, John, according to the lot that fell to him, went to Ephesus and other cities of Asia Minor to preach the Gospel, taking with him his disciple Prochorus. While in the city of Ephesus, the Apostle John preached to the pagans about Christ. His preaching was accompanied by numerous and great miracles, so that the number of Christians increased every day. During the persecution of Christians, John was taken in chains to trial in Rome. For confessing his faith in Christ, the apostle was sentenced to death by poisoning. However, after drinking a cup of deadly poison, he remained alive. Then he was assigned a new execution - a cauldron of boiling oil. But the apostle, according to legend, passed this test unharmed. Seeing this miracle, the executioners did not dare to tempt the will of the Lord any longer, and sent John the Theologian into exile on the island of Patmos, where he lived for many years. After a long exile, the Apostle John received freedom and returned to Ephesus, where he continued to preach, teaching Christians to beware of emerging heresies. Around 95, the Apostle John wrote the Gospel, in which he commanded all Christians to love the Lord and each other, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ. The Apostle John lived on earth for more than 100 years, remaining the only living person to see Jesus Christ with his own eyes.
When the time of death came, John left the city with seven disciples and ordered a cross-shaped grave to be dug for him in the ground, in which he lay down. The disciples covered the apostle's face with a cloth and buried the grave. Having learned about this, the rest of the apostle’s disciples came to the place of his burial and dug it up, but did not find the body of John the Theologian in the grave.

Shrine of the Pyrenees

Apostle James (James Zebedee, James the Elder) is the elder brother of John the Theologian. Jesus called the brothers Boanerges (literally “sons of thunder”), apparently for their impetuous nature. This character was fully demonstrated when they wanted to bring fire down from heaven onto the Samaritan village, as well as in their request to give them places in the Kingdom of Heaven on the right and left sides of Jesus. Together with Peter and John, he witnessed the resurrection of Jairus's daughter, and only they allowed Jesus to witness the Transfiguration and the Battle of Gethsemane. After the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, James appears in the pages of the Acts of the Apostles. He participated in the establishment of the first Christian communities. Acts also reports his death: in 44, King Herod Agrippa I “killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.” It is worth noting that James is the only one of the apostles whose death is described on the pages of the New Testament. The relics of Jacob were transported to Spain, to the city of Santiago de Compostela. The rediscovery of the saint's relics took place in 813. At the same time, a legend arose about the preaching of Jacob himself on the Iberian Peninsula. By the 11th century, the pilgrimage to Santiago acquired the status of the second most important pilgrimage (after the pilgrimage to the Holy Land). When the day of remembrance of the Apostle James, July 25, falls on a Sunday, the “Year of St. James” is declared in Spain. At the end of the 20th century, the tradition of pilgrimage was revived. The capital of Chile, Santiago, is named after the Apostle James.

Family student

The Apostle Philip is mentioned in the lists of apostles in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and also in the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel of John reports that Philip was from Bethsaida, from the same city as Andrew and Peter, and was called third after them. Philip brought Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus. On the pages of the Gospel of John, Philip appears three more times: he talks with Jesus about bread for the multitude, brings the Greeks to Jesus, and asks Jesus to show the Father at the Last Supper. According to Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea, Philip was married and had daughters. Philip preached the Gospel in Scythia and Phrygia. For his preaching activities he was executed (crucified head down) in 87 (during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian) in the city of Hierapolis in Asia Minor. The memory of the Apostle Philip is celebrated by the Catholic Church on May 3, and the Orthodox Church on November 27: on this day the Nativity fast begins, which is why it is otherwise called Philip.

An Israeli without guile

There is a unanimous opinion among biblical scholars that Nathanael mentioned in the Gospel of John is the same person as Bartholomew. Consequently, Apostle Bartholomew is one of the first disciples of Christ, called fourth after Andrew, Peter and Philip. In the scene of the calling of Nathanael-Bartholomew, he utters the famous phrase: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Jesus, seeing him, said: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile.” According to legend, Bartholomew, together with Philip, preached in the cities of Asia Minor, especially in connection with the name of the Apostle Bartholomew, the city of Hierapolis is mentioned. According to a number of historical evidence, he also preached in Armenia, and therefore is especially revered in the Armenian Apostolic Church. He died a martyr's death: he was flayed alive.

Patron of accountants

Levi Matthew became the author of the Gospel of Matthew. Sometimes the Gospels call him Levi Alpheus, that is, the son of Alpheus. Levi Matthew was a tax collector, that is, a tax collector. In the text of the Gospel of Matthew, the apostle is called “Matthew the Publican,” which perhaps indicates the author’s humility. After all, publicans were deeply despised by the Jews. The Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Luke report the calling of Matthew Levi. However, almost nothing is known about Matthew's further life. According to some sources, he preached in Ethiopia, where he was martyred; according to others, he was executed for preaching Christianity in the same Asia Minor city of Hierapolis. The Apostle Matthew is considered the patron saint of the city of Salerno (Italy), where his remains are kept (in the Basilica of San Matteo), and also the patron saint not of tax officials, which is the first thing that comes to mind, but of accountants.

Believer twin

The Apostle Thomas was called Didymus - “twin” - he was so similar in appearance to Jesus. One of the moments of the gospel history associated with Thomas is the “confidence of Thomas.” The Gospel says that Thomas did not believe the stories of the other disciples about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ until he saw with his own eyes the wounds from the nails and the ribs of Christ pierced by a spear. The expression “Doubting Thomas” (or “infidel”) has become a common noun for the distrustful listener. “Thomas, who was once weaker than the other apostles in faith,” says St. John Chrysostom, “became by the grace of God more courageous, zealous and tireless than all of them, so that he went around with his preaching almost the entire earth, not being afraid to proclaim the Word of God to the savage peoples.” The Apostle Thomas founded Christian Churches in Palestine, Mesopotamia, Parthia, Ethiopia and India. The apostle sealed the preaching of the Gospel with martyrdom. For the conversion to Christ of the son and wife of the ruler of the Indian city of Meliapora (Melipura), the holy apostle was imprisoned, where he was tortured for a long time. After which, pierced by five spears, he died. Parts of the relics of St. Thomas the Apostle are found in India, Hungary and Mount Athos. The island of Sao Tome and the capital of the state of Sao Tome and Principe, the city of Sao Tome, are named in honor of Thomas.

Cousin

In all four Gospels, the name of Jacob Alpheus is given in the list of apostles, but no other information is provided about him. It is known that he was the son of Alphaeus (or Cleopas) and Mary, the sister of the Virgin Mary, and therefore a cousin of Jesus Christ. James received the name Younger, or Lesser, so that he could be more easily distinguished from the other apostle - James the Elder, or James of Zebedee. According to church tradition, the Apostle James is the first bishop of the Church of Jerusalem and the author of the canonical Council Epistle. The whole circle of post-biblical patericon stories about the life and martyrdom of James the Righteous is associated with it. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, Apostle James Alpheus made missionary travels together with Apostle Andrew the First-Called, preaching in Judea, Edessa, Gaza, and Eleutheropolis. In the Egyptian city of Ostratsin, Saint James martyrically completed his apostolic labors by death on the cross.

Not a traitor

Judas Thaddeus (Judas Jacoblev or Lebway) is the brother of James Alpheus, the son of Alphaeus or Cleopas (and, accordingly, another cousin of Jesus). In the Gospel of John, Judas asks Jesus at the Last Supper about his coming resurrection. Moreover, he is called “Judas, not Iscariot” to distinguish him from Judas the traitor. In the Gospel of Luke and Acts, the apostle is called Judas of Jacob, which was traditionally understood as Judas, the brother of James. In the Middle Ages, the Apostle Jude was often identified with Judas, the brother of Jesus Christ mentioned in the Gospel of Mark. Nowadays, most biblical scholars consider the apostle Judas and Judas, the “brother of the Lord,” to be different persons.
A certain difficulty in this regard is caused by establishing the authorship of the Epistle of Jude, included in the canon of the New Testament, which may belong to the pen of both. According to legend, the Apostle Jude preached in Palestine, Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia, and died a martyr’s death in Armenia in the second half of the 1st century AD. e.

Fighter against Rome

Information in the Gospels about Simon the Canaanite is extremely scarce. He is mentioned in the Gospel lists of the apostles, where he is called Simon the Zealot or Simon the Zealot to distinguish him from Simon Peter. The New Testament does not provide any other information about the apostle. The name Canaanite, which biblical scholars have sometimes erroneously interpreted as “from the city of Cana,” actually has the same meaning in Hebrew as the Greek word “zealot,” “zealot.” Either this was the apostle’s own nickname, or it could mean his belonging to the political-religious movement of the Zealots (Zealots) - irreconcilable fighters against Roman rule. According to legend, the holy Apostle Simon preached the teachings of Christ in Judea, Egypt and Libya. Perhaps he preached together with the Apostle Judas Thaddeus in Persia. There is information (unconfirmed) about the visit of the Apostle Simon to Britain.
According to legend, the apostle suffered a martyr's death on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus: he was sawed alive with a saw. He was buried in the city of Nikopsia, the location of which is also controversial. According to the official theory, this city is the current New Athos in Abkhazia; according to another (more probable), it was located on the site of the current village of Novomikhailovsky in the Krasnodar Territory. In the 19th century, on the supposed site of the exploits of the apostle, near the Apsara Mountain, the New Athos Monastery of Simon the Canaanite was built.

Thirteenth Apostle

Judas Iscariot (Yehuda ish-Krayot, “Yehuda of Kerioth”) is the son of Simon, the apostle who betrayed Jesus Christ. Judas received the nickname “Iscariot” among the apostles to distinguish him from another disciple of Christ, the son of James, Judas, nicknamed Thaddeus. Referring to the geographical location of the city of Kerioth (Krayot), most researchers agree that Iscariot was the only representative of the tribe of Judah among the apostles.
After Jesus Christ was sentenced to crucifixion, Judas, who betrayed him, returned 30 pieces of silver to the high priests and elders, saying: “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They answered: “What is that to us?” Leaving the pieces of silver in the temple, Judas left and hanged himself. Legend has it that Judas hanged himself on an aspen tree, which since then began to tremble with horror at the slightest breeze, remembering the traitor. However, it acquired the properties of a magical weapon capable of killing vampires. After the betrayal and suicide of Judas Iscariot, Jesus' disciples decided to choose a new apostle to replace Judas. They chose two candidates: “Joseph, called Barsaba, who was called Justus, and Matthias,” and, having prayed to God to indicate whom to make an apostle, they cast lots. The lot fell to Matthias.

Deputy by lot

Apostle Matthias was born in Bethlehem, where from early childhood he studied the Law of God from the sacred books under the guidance of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver. Matthias believed in the Messiah, followed him relentlessly and was chosen to be one of the 70 disciples whom the Lord “sent out two by two before Him.” After the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Matthias preached the Gospel in Jerusalem and Judea along with the other apostles. From Jerusalem with Peter and Andrew he went to Syrian Antioch, was in the Cappadocian city of Tyana and in Sinope. Here Apostle Matthias was imprisoned, from which he was miraculously released by Apostle Andrew the First-Called. Then Matthias went to Amasia and Pontic Ethiopia (present-day Western Georgia), repeatedly being exposed to mortal danger. He performed great miracles in the Name of the Lord Jesus and converted many people to faith in Christ. The Jewish high priest Anan, who hated Christ, who had previously given the command to throw James, the brother of the Lord, from the heights of the temple, ordered the Apostle Matthias to be taken and presented to the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem for trial. Around the year 63, Matthias was condemned to death by stoning. When Saint Matthias was already dead, the Jews, hiding the crime, cut off his head as an opponent of Caesar. According to other sources, the Apostle Matthias was crucified on the cross. And according to the third, least reliable, he died a natural death in Colchis.

A book about mission. What kind of missionaries were the apostles? Why did people, including those who had just shouted “Crucify”, run to the sermon, repent and convert?

New Teaching: Preaching by Life

The preaching of the apostles became a response to the call of Christ: “go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20) - in fact, the only task which He left for them.

Yes, but how to do it? The Book of Acts cites other words of Christ from the very beginning: “...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth” (1:8). These brief words sum up the whole essence of apostolic missionary work: they will act, but the power of preaching will lie not in their own skills or outstanding achievements, but in the Spirit, which they will receive, but the Spirit will work through them. The sermon will begin in the most holy city; it will be addressed primarily to its own people (the Jews), but will not be limited to them. First, the apostles will go to neighboring nations (the Samaritans), and then they will reach countries about which they have not yet heard anything.

But the most important words are “you will be My witnesses.” The essence of the sermon will be witness to Christ, and not only verbal testimony. Their whole life will henceforth show people what new Christ brought into the world and what it means to be his disciple. It is no coincidence that this word, “witness,” later came to mean a martyr - one who is ready to accept a painful death, if only in this way he can show Christ to people.

Of course, it is impossible to travel back to the time of the apostles (or to transport them to our time). Then, about two thousand years ago, the apostles offered people a new teaching, wrote the history of the Church from scratch - today this will no longer work, Christianity is perceived as something long ago and well known, and often this “known” is understood as a crude caricature. In addition, today we find ourselves the custodians of a huge historical and cultural heritage; it attracts people in itself, and often there is a desire to talk about it, and not about Christ. But then this is cultural enlightenment, and not Christian preaching.

The apostles traveled light, without all this luggage... or did they travel with their own luggage? After all, they preached not to the Papuans, not to the Eskimos, who had never heard of the One God and needed clarification of the very basics. They came to the Jews, who were awaiting the coming of the Messiah, and then to the Hellenes, among whom these Jews lived (apparently, the first here were not pagans, but proselytes who accepted faith in the One and therefore were already familiar with the religion of Israel). The apostles spoke the language of the people of that time, answered their doubts and questions, said that their long-standing expectations had been fulfilled, and therefore they were heard.

Preaching Christ, not rules of conduct

Actually, at first they did not go on any missionary trips. They simply gathered together: they not only prayed, but also lived as a single community. And on the day of Pentecost the Spirit descended on them, and all who gathered from different countries for the holiday in Jerusalem heard the apostles speaking in their native languages. Some listened and thought, others considered the apostles drunk, but in any case, it was this event that became the true beginning of the mission. The community lived an authentic Christian life and was influenced by the Spirit in a way that did not go unnoticed. Now it was necessary to explain to people what was so special about this community.

More than once in the book of Acts a reminder will be heard: formal baptism is not enough, the action of the Spirit is necessary, which is not ensured by observing rules and rituals. But where the Church is, there will be the Spirit.

Peter's speech in the second chapter of Acts is a summary of the message that the apostles delivered to their fellow people of Israel. The apostle begins with the Old Testament prophecy and shows that it was fulfilled here and now. Then he speaks of only one thing: Christ. Amazing if you think about it! People were attracted by the miracle, they became interested in the community - and how easy it was to begin to “church” them, explain prayers, rules of conduct, etc. But Peter does not say a word about this, but only about Christ. He, like clear window glass, does not attract attention to himself, but allows him to see the Main thing: the news of Christ, the path to salvation.

But what about churching, as we call it today? The sermon was a huge success: “...those who willingly accepted his word were baptized, and about three thousand souls were added that day. And they continued continually in the teaching of the apostles, in fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayer” (2:41-42). Conversion marked the beginning of their church life, and in this life the apostles became mentors to the converts, but the book mentions this in passing, without specifying how exactly this all happened. She only emphasizes that the first Christians lived as a single community, not only prayed together, but also “were together and had everything in common” (2: 44). It is this ideal that the communists will subsequently adopt, discarding faith as something superfluous.

The forms of church life are secondary for the author of the book: it will all somehow work out with the assistance of the Spirit, but how exactly is not too important. Without saying anything about worship, asceticism and other things that we consider paramount today, the author of the book, Apostle Luke (after all, he was a member of this community!) talks first of all about social service: how believers sold their property and divided it among themselves, how daily distribution of food to the poor was organized. It was for this purpose that deacons were first appointed - then this word essentially meant a social worker.

Probably, if the apostles had simply spoken about Christ, their preaching would not have been so successful. They set a powerful example of a completely different life, abundant with faith, hope and love - and people wanted to be part of such a community. It is not surprising that the spiritual and political leaders of Judea saw in this community a challenge to their own well-being and authority. At first they tried to come to an agreement with the apostles, albeit from a position of strength: live for yourself as you want, that’s fine, just don’t say anything about Christ to the others. The apostles answered: “...we must obey God rather than men” (5:29). They did not denounce the high priests, Pharisees and scribes for their sins, did not fight with them for power - they simply defended the right to be themselves and bring their teaching to people without resorting to violence and disorderly conduct.

How to Measure Missionary Success

Then violence was used against them: we read about prisons and executions, about persecutions that sometimes forced the apostles to disperse to surrounding cities, but this only meant that the space for preaching expanded. And one of the most furious persecutors named Saul himself converted to a new faith, having experienced a mystical meeting with Christ, Whom he had previously persecuted. And again it was a personal meeting, a personal choice, a personal faith - whereas in that world religion usually “belonged” to the state or the people. A Jew means you believe in the One, a Greek means you make sacrifices to Zeus and Athena, a Roman - to Jupiter and Mars.

However, in those days the pagan world was far from being so homogeneous. People knew about the spiritual quest of Socrates and other philosophers, heard about the One from the Jews scattered throughout the Roman Empire, and many were not completely happy with the old religion. A variety of new cults spread throughout the empire, mostly coming from the East.

It was to such people that Paul addressed his sermon (it is by this Roman name that we know the Jewish youth Saul). However, at first he also came to synagogues on Saturdays with his sermon, but it was usually not accepted. And it was not just disappointment that awaited Paul in such cases: he and his companions were scourged, thrown into prison, they even tried to stone him... He got up and moved on: after all, he did what he could for these people.

Failure is a reason not to give up, but to try a different approach or move to another city. And what is “missionary success”? Several thousand converts during one sermon? Or seeds that were thrown into the soil and began to germinate slowly there, only to produce a bountiful harvest in a generation or two? Who knows... In Acts we read mainly about Paul's travels through Asia Minor and Greece, at the end of the book he arrives in Rome. We know that he founded communities in Galatia, and later even wrote a letter to them. It would seem like a completely successful mission! But who today has heard anything about the Galatian church?

But Paul’s speech in Athens, the main city of Greek philosophers, was at first glance a complete failure: he was not even heard to the end. Only a few people were converted... but over time, it was the synthesis of Greek philosophy and Christian faith that gave birth to patristic theology. In the long term, perhaps Paul's speech in Athens meant more for the spread of Christianity than all his other activities.

He, of course, spoke to the pagans in a completely different way than to the Jews. “I have become all things to all, in order to save at least some” - this is what he himself will say about it (1 Cor. 9:22). He began his speech in Athens by praising the Athenians for... piety - after he was outraged by the abundance of pagan altars and statues! He did not seek to refute their religion, but to direct them to the true source, relying on what was familiar and known to them. And he began not with reproof, as Peter did with the Jews, but with praise. You can be more harsh with your own people than with others...

Paul and the state

A separate issue is Paul's relationship with the Roman authorities. Being a Roman citizen (at that time not all residents of the empire had such a title), he did not hesitate to remind him of this when it was required for the work of preaching. So, he demanded that he be tried personally by the emperor - and at public expense he went to Rome. But he never “connected administrative resources” to be heard. However, if a person of high position accepted Christianity, his help was accepted - but not because he was a boss, but because he became a Christian.

And perhaps the most surprising thing is that Pavel usually made his living by making tents. At the same time, he did not deny the other apostles the right to live at the expense of the community in which they worked - this was a natural payment for work. After all, missionary trips were not rapid “throws”; in Corinth, for example, Paul lived for a year and a half. He not only “gave birth in Christ Jesus” to the Corinthian Christians, as he would later call it (1 Cor 4:15), but put the young community on its feet, nurtured it - and subsequently did not abandon his care, visiting them whenever possible and remaining in correspondence with them. The Apostolic Epistles included in the New Testament are precisely this correspondence; it shows us how difficult the situation was in these communities, how many problems had to be solved. The apostles saw their task not as baptizing as many people as possible, but as establishing viable communities that would continue to spread the Word “to the ends of the earth.” And so it happened.

Much has changed today, but the book of Acts reminds us of the principles of Christian mission - it does not dictate, does not set the only right path, because both missionaries and their audiences are different. It shows the patterns that we follow with greater or less success, and reminds us of the main meaning of this mission.

Andrey Desnitsky