The Greek word "apostle" means "messenger, servant", that is, the apostles were messengers, servants of Christ. They were also called disciples of Christ, because they were closest to Him and listened to His holy teaching more than anyone else. The Savior chose them to serve people when He Himself set out to serve the human race - three years before His death on the cross. To reveal His omnipotence to the world, Christ chose and endowed with miraculous power almost all the apostles from poor, humble births. Having been called to the apostleship, they left their relatives, their homes and occupations and inseparably followed the Teacher. At His command, they preached throughout cities and countries, willingly sharing with Him all hardships and suffering.
The names of the 12 apostles in the Gospels are listed in the account of their election and sending to preach (in Acts 1:13–26 this list is repeated, with the exception of the name of Judas Iscariot, which is replaced by lot with Matthias).
However, the separation of disciples from among the people constantly surrounding Christ took quite a long time. The first to be called to the apostleship were Andrew, John, James, Simon (named Peter), Philip and Nathanael (John 1:35–49), of whom at least Andrew and John had previously been disciples of John the Baptist (John 1:35– 40). Although being with Christ has already awakened in them faith in Him (John 2:11), after the first meeting with the Teacher they return to their usual affairs for some time. Continuing to fish, the future apostles, like other disciples, saw the miracles of the Lord in Galilee and heard His preaching (Luke 4:31–5:1). The turning point, after which the fishermen turned into “fishers of men,” was the miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:2–12). They decided to “leave everything” and follow the Teacher. Of the many disciples, the Lord later expanded the number of His first apostles to twelve, who, until the arrest of Christ, were no longer separated from the Lord, from Whom they studied and prepared for their subsequent outing to preach.
The final election of the apostles occurred when, through the mouth of St. Peter (Matthew 16:16) their common faith in Christ as the Son of God was confessed. However, even after this the Savior had to strengthen their faith. The Gospels describe examples of the lack of faith of the apostles (Matthew 14:25–31; 16:8; 17:20; Mark 4:37–40), their misunderstanding of the words and deeds of Christ (Matthew 15:15–16; 26:7 -13; Luke 9:45; 18:34; John 12:16). Understanding the teaching about the Kingdom of God as the earthly kingdom of Israel (Mark 10:32–37), they raise the question of human privileges that can be obtained by following the Lord (Matthew 20:20–24; Mark 9:33; Luke 9:46). The weakness of their faith reaches the point that at the moment of arrest they all leave the Messiah (Matthew 26:56; John 16:32), and Peter denies Him three times (Matthew 26:69–75). One of the twelve even became a traitor. Even after the Resurrection of Christ, some of them still doubt (Matthew 28:17) and continue to understand the teaching about the Kingdom in an earthly way (Acts 1:6). And these indications of the Holy Scriptures on the imperfections and human weakness of even the Lord’s chosen disciples indicate that only with God’s help and the power of the Holy Spirit is it possible for man to overcome his sinful nature and acquire true knowledge of God.
The apostles finally became those with whom Christ “caught the universe” (troparion of Pentecost), only receiving on the day of Pentecost in the form of tongues of fire the gift of the Holy Spirit, who “taught them all things” (John 4:26). By His power they carried out the work of their ministry until their death. Like their Divine Teacher, the apostles experienced many disasters and sorrows during the enlightenment of the pagans - and stood firm in these trials.
Almost all of Christ's apostles ended their suffering lives as martyrdom. Saint Andrew the First-Called, who preached the Gospel to our ancestors, was crucified on the cross, as were Peter, James Alphaeus, Judas Jacob and Simon the Zealot. The holy apostles Paul and James Zebedee were beheaded, Thomas was pierced with a spear. Only Saint John the Theologian died peacefully, although he, too, endured much suffering during his life: he was thrown into boiling oil and tortured in prison. Now they are awarded high honor in heaven - they surround the throne of God, and at the terrible judgment of Christ, sitting on twelve thrones, they will judge all people, living and dead, together with the Lord.
1. Peter Pervokhovny- first bishop of Rome. Preached in Nicaea, Syria, Mal. Asia, Sicily, Corinth, Spain, Carthage, Egypt, Britain. In 67 in Rome he was crucified upside down. The Holy Relics are in Rome. Memory 29 June.
2. Andrew the First-Called, brother of Peter, preached in Byzantium, Thrace, Macedonia, Mal. Asia, Alania, Crimea, Black Sea region, Rus'. OK. 62 in Patras crucified on a cross in the form of the letter X. Part of the chapter in Amalfi. Memory November 30.
3. Jacob Zavedeev, brother of John the Evangelist, preached in Spain. OK. 44, beheaded by the sword in Jerusalem under King Herod Agrippa I. Comm. April 30.
4. John the Theologian, evangelist, preached in Mal. Asia, Jerusalem, Ephesus, on about. Patmos. In the beginning. II century (c. 106) died peacefully in Ephesus. Memory May 8 and September 26
5. Philip preached in Syria, Mal. Asia with ap. Bartholomew; Greece, Arabia, Ethiopia, Phrygia. Crucified upside down in Hierapolis (Phrygia) in the 1st century. Holy relics in the Church of the 12 Apostles (Rome); hand - in Florence. Memory 14 November.
6. Bartholomew preached in Syria, Mal. Asia (with Apostle Philip); India, Vel. Armenia. In the 1st century pagans in Baku crucified upside down (skinned, head cut off). Part of St. relics in Rome. Memory 11 June and 25 August.
7. Thomas preached in India, Parthia, Media, Persia. In the 1st century died a martyr in India, pierced by 5 spears. The holy relics are in India, in Edessa, in Constantinople, the hand is in Hungary. Memory October 6.
8. Matthew (formerly publican Levi), first evangelist (41). He preached in Macedonia, Syria, Persia, Parthia, Media, and Ethiopia. In 60, in Africa, he was crucified on the ground and burned by cannibals. Memory 16 November.
9. Jacob Alfeev, brother ap. Matthew, preached in Edessa, Judea, Gaza, South. Palestine, Egypt. In the 1st century crucified on the cross in Egypt. Memory October 9.
10. Judah Jacoblev, or Thaddeus, the brother of the Lord according to the flesh. Was in Judea, Galilee, Samaria, Idumea, Arabia, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia. In Armenia approx. 86 crucified on the cross, pierced with arrows. Memory 19 June.
11. Simon Zealot preached in Egypt, Mauritania, Libya, Numidia, Kyrenia, Abkhazia. In the 1st century in Abkhazia crucified on the cross. Memory 10 May.
12. Matthias elected one of the 12 instead of Judas Iscariot. He preached in Judea, Colchis, and Macedonia. OK. 63 stoned in Judea. The head is in Rome, part of the relics are in Trier, Pavia. Memory of August 9.
Above we talked about the first 12 apostles, to whom today’s holiday is dedicated. The Evangelist Luke also reports that the Lord “chose 70 other disciples and sent them two by two before Him into every city and place where He Himself wanted to go” (Luke 10:1). The reason for this circle of chosen disciples is given in the following verse: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2). The Church honors them on January 4/17 as the Council of the 70 Apostles.
Even later, several years after the Ascension of the Lord, He called Saul to ministry, who became the Apostle Paul. But despite such a late calling and the exceptional circumstances under which he became an evangelist, the Apostle Paul, together with Peter, is called by the Church as the supreme one.
At first there were not so many disciples of Christ (two “platoons” in the army sense), but, with the help of God, they conquered the whole world with their teaching and established the Church founded by the Lord. “The message went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” There was not a single people then to whom the holy apostles (and later their successors) did not preach the gospel. Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Italy, Greece, Armenia, India, Persia, Britain, Egypt, Ethiopia and many other countries were proclaimed by their teaching, supported by miracles. In this row stands the Russian land, which was visited and blessed by the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, especially honored for this by the Russian Church. In this one can see a special Divine sign of the future special calling of Russia.
Remembering the closeness of the apostles to the Lord, their great labors and sufferings for the glory of God for the sake of our holy faith, many holy followers tried to imitate them, if not in educational apostolic activity, which was not accessible to everyone, then, in any case, in sacrificial service to God .
Troparion, tone 3:
Holy apostles, / pray to the merciful God, / that forgiveness of sins / will grant to our souls.
(zaveru.ucoz.ru; illustrations - www.obraz.org; community.livejournal.com; www.adm.nov.ru; www.cirota.ru; horist.ru; days.pravoslavie.ru).
Council of the Holy Glorious and All-Praised 12 Apostles of Christ is an ancient holiday. The Holy Church, honoring each of the 12 apostles at different times of the year, has since ancient times established a general celebration of them on the day after the memory of the glorious and supreme apostles Peter and Paul († c. 67).
The holy blessed king Constantine the Great (306-337) built a temple in Constantinople in the name of the holy Twelve Apostles. Indications of this celebration are found in the 4th century.
Apostles (from the Greek άπόστολος - messenger, messenger) are the closest disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, chosen by Him and sent to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God and the establishment of the Church.
The names of the nearest twelve apostles are as follows:
Andrey(Greek Andreas, “courageous”, “strong man”), brother of Simon Peter, nicknamed in legend the First Called, because, being a disciple of John the Baptist, he was called by the Lord earlier than his brother on the Jordan.
Simon(Hebrew shimon - “Heard” in prayer), son of Jonah, nicknamed Peter (Acts 10: 5,18). Greek the word petros corresponds to the Aramaic kipha, rendered by the Russian word “stone”. Jesus approved this name for Simon after confessing Him as the Son of God in Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16:18).
Simon the Canaanite, or Zealot (from Aram. kanai, Greek zelotos, which means “Zealot”), a native of the Galilean city of Cana, according to legend, was the groom at whose marriage Jesus Christ and His Mother were, where Christ turned water into wine (John 2 , 1-11).
Jacob(from the Hebrew verb Akav - “to conquer”) Zebedee, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of the Evangelist John. The first martyr among the apostles, put to death by Herod (in 42-44 A.D.) through the beheading (Acts 12:2). To distinguish him from James the Younger, he is usually called James the Elder.
Jacob Jr. son of Alpheus. He was called by the Lord Himself to be one of the 12 apostles. 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 associate Jacob Alpheus with James, the brother of the Lord, commemorated by the Church in the Council of the 70 Apostles. The confusion probably arose from the fact that both apostles were called James the Younger.
John(Greek form Ioannes from the Hebrew name Jochanan, “The Lord is merciful”) Zebedee, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of James the Elder. The Apostle John was nicknamed the Evangelist as the writer of the fourth Gospel and the Theologian for his deep disclosure of Christian teaching, the author of the Apocalypse.
Philip(Greek “horse lover”), a native of Bethsaida, according to the Evangelist John, “the same city with Andrew and Peter” (John 1:44). Philip brought Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus.
Bartholomew(from Aram. son of Talmai) Nathanael (Heb. Netanel, “Gift of God”), a native of Cana of Galilee, about whom Jesus Christ said that he was a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).
Thomas(Aram. Thoma, in the Greek translation Didim, which means “twin”), famous for the fact that the Lord Himself allowed him to put his hand into His side and touch His wounds in order to eliminate his doubts about His resurrection.
Matthew(Greek form of the Hebrew name Mattathias (Mattathia) - “gift of the Lord”), is also mentioned under its Hebrew name Levi. Author of the Gospel.
– Judah (Heb. Yehuda, “praise of the Lord”) Thaddeus (Heb. praise), brother of the Apostle James the Younger.
Matthias(one of the forms of the ancient Hebrew name Mattathias (Mattathia) - “gift of the Lord”) (Acts 1, 21-26). Matthias followed Jesus from His baptism and witnessed His resurrection. After the ascension of Christ, Matthias was chosen by the apostles by lot instead of Judas Iscariot, the brother of the Apostle James the Younger, who betrayed the Savior.
Information about each apostle on the day of his special memory: Apostle Peter († c. 67; commemorated June 29); Apostle Andrew the First-Called († 62; commemorated November 30); Apostle James Zebedee († 44; commemorated April 30); Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian († early 2nd century; commemorated September 26); Apostle Philip (I; November 14); Apostle Bartholomew (I; commemorated June 11); Apostle Thomas (I; commemorated October 6); Apostle and Evangelist Matthew (+ 60; November 16); Apostle Jacob Alfeev (I; commemorated October 9); Apostle Jude, brother of the Lord († c. 80; commemorated June 19); Apostle Simon the Zealot (I; commemorated May 10); Apostle Matthias († c. 63; commemorated August 9).
Troparion to the Apostles, general, tone 4
A Holy fasts, / pray to the Merciful God, / that forgiveness of sins / will grant to our souls.
Troparion to the One Apostle, general, tone 4
A Post holy [name of rivers], / pray to the Merciful God, / that forgiveness of sins / will grant to our souls.
Troparion, tone 4
A the posts of the first throne, / and the teaching of the universe, / pray to the Lord of all, / to grant greater peace to the universe, / and great mercy to our souls.
Kontakion, tone 2
TO and Christ brightly glorifies the stone of faith, / the disciples beyond abundance, / and with Paul the whole council of twelve in number today: / whose memory is committed faithfully, / we glorify these Glorified Ones.
In Kontakion, voice 2
P Let us praise the Lord, the faithful, the stone of faith, / and Paul the God-wise, / for they call everyone together to celebrate by faith, / all twelve together, as preachers of the faith, / asking for remission of sins.
Greatness
IN We honor you, holy twelve-numbered apostles, who enlightened the whole world with your teachings and brought everything to Christ.
Prayer to the glorious and all-praised 12 apostles
IN Lord Almighty, Lord our God, having chosen His beloved disciples and Apostles to preach salvation to the whole world, having given them the power to forgive sins, accept their intercessions for the human race, and judge it Stay with them and the same ones, like Your friends, who are very honest to us, We dare, unworthy, to bring you into intercession with You, making great haste for the salvation of our souls, praying for them earnestly. Saints, the supreme apostles Peter and Paul, the evangelists of Christ John the Theologian and Matthew, the first-called disciple Andrei, blessed by the planting of the Cross in Russia, the apostles, saints James, brother Go today, with another Jacob, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Simon, Judas and Matthias! All holy apostles of God's choice, most noble servants of Christ, eradicators of godlessness and planters of true faith, help us with your powerful intercession before the Lord to get rid of all evil and lies life's flattery, firmly preserve the Orthodox faith devoted to you, without your intercession, neither wounds, nor reproach, nor by pestilence, we will not be diminished by any wrath from our Creator, but we will live a peaceful life here and may we be honored to see good things on the earth of the living, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One in Troy Here we glorify and worship God, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
On this day, the Church celebrates the memory of the twelve closest disciples of the Savior, the holy apostles Peter, Andrew his brother, James Zebedee, John his brother, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James Alphaeus, Judas James, or Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot and Matthias.
Chosen by Christ to serve, His disciples became those who brought the news of Christ to all corners of the populated world and throughout their lives showed an example of devotion to the Christian faith. The apostolic word still warms us and gives us wise fatherly advice.
"Apostle" translated from Greek means “messenger”, “servant”. Christ chose His first twelve disciples, who walked with Him throughout His entire earthly journey, saw His miracles, and heard His preaching from His very mouth. They had the happiness of being with Him, chosen by Him. But they also had the opportunity, together with the Mother of God, the myrrh-bearing women, and Joseph of Arimathea, to experience the hours of deepest sorrow when He was crucified, and the shock of holy joy upon learning of His Resurrection. He appeared to them at Emmaus before ascending to His Father. They received the grace of the Holy Spirit to preach in different languages, heal the sick, cast out demons, and until the end of their days they served Him as if He were nearby in the flesh. And He really was always nearby, as in all centuries after the Nativity of Christ He is next to everyone who believes in Him and trusts in Him...
There were twelve of them, and each had their own destiny, information about them varied in volume - about some more, about others less, but they were inseparably connected by one thing - lifelong joyful and difficult service to Him.
Almost all of Christ's apostles ended their suffering lives as martyrdom. Saint Andrew the First-Called, who preached the Gospel to our ancestors, was crucified on the cross, as were Peter, James Alphaeus, Judas Jacob and Simon the Zealot. The holy apostles Paul and James Zebedee were beheaded, Thomas was pierced with a spear. Only Saint John the Theologian died peacefully, although he, too, endured much suffering during his life: he was thrown into boiling oil and tortured in prison.
This is who the holy apostles were. Remembering today their special closeness to the Lord, their great illnesses and labors for the glory of God and for the sake of our holy faith, let us pray to them with reverence and try to imitate them, if not in apostolic activity, which is not intended for everyone, then, in any case, in constant following of Christ and sincere, sacrificial service to Him.
Brief Lives of the Apostles of Christ
Andrew the First-Called
Translated from Greek, Andreas means “courageous.” Brother of Simon (Peter), nicknamed the First-Called in the Holy Tradition, because he was a disciple of John the Baptist and became the first whom the Savior called to follow Him.
He accepted the teachings of Christ with all his heart, left the vain worldly life, and renounced marriage, preferring bodily chastity to its joys. It was him, together with his brother Peter, previously called Simon, who the Lord called to follow him from the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and he followed Christ, so as never to turn away from this path. Upon receiving the Holy Spirit, he went through the lands assigned to him by lot - Bithynia, Propontis with Chalcedon and Byzantium, Thrace and Macedonia, in places that lay to the Black Sea and the Danube. He passed through Thessaly, Greece, Achaia6, Amanitin, reaching the Dnieper and the Kyiv mountains in his apostolic wanderings. Near Kiev, the apostle planted a cross, predicting that the Baptism of Rus' would take place here... He, like most of the apostles, suffered many difficult trials, but he continued to testify to the faith of Christ, gaining more and more followers into the Church, and graduated his earthly path, like his Teacher, is on the cross. Only the boards of that cross were knocked down differently - its symbol glows on the sailors’ banner: an oblique white cross on a blue field. This is the memory that Andrew the First-Called crossed the seas standing on a flat stone - so great and true was his faith.
Simon (Peter)
Simon, otherwise Shimon, “heard in prayer,” the son of Jonah, later named Peter. The Greek "petros", in Aramaic "kypha", is translated as "stone". Jesus confirmed this name for Simon after confessing Him as the Son of God in Caesarea Philippi: “And I say to you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Peter's love for Jesus was ardent, but tested by temptation. In order for this love to be understood by himself, it was strengthened through the work of conscience, since Peter denied Him three times, bitterly repented three times and was forgiven by Him three times. Following Christ, he himself, together with other disciples, witnessed many of His miracles, and after the descent of the Holy Spirit on him and the other apostles in his preaching works, in his two conciliar Epistles, he left us a wise apostolic word. The power of his miracles was so great that where he passed, “they carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and beds, so that the shadow of Peter passing would overshadow some of them” (Acts 5:15). And when Herod put him in prison, the Lord sent His angel, and he, by the will of the Lord, brought the apostle out of prison. (Acts 12:1-17). Like the Apostle Andrew, he was crucified by the Romans, but upside down, for he considered it daring to become like the Savior on the cross, and at the hour of death he bowed his head at His feet.
Jacob Zebedee
Jacob, whose name comes from the Hebrew verb “akav” - “to conquer”, is the son of Zebedee and Salome, the brother of the Evangelist John. The first martyr among the apostles, put to death by Herod (in 42 - 44 after R.H.) through the beheading (Acts 12:2). To distinguish him from Jacob the younger Alfeev, he is called Jacob the elder. His brother, the holy evangelist John, and the apostle Peter were among those closest to the Lord. Apart from his conciliar Epistle, there is little historical information about him, but it is known that the Lord appointed him to serve in Spain. It is also known that during the persecution of Christians, after his return to Jerusalem, where he again proclaimed Christ among the Jews as God's Messiah, he became the first martyr among the apostles and was beheaded by the sword on the orders of Herod Agrippa in the period between 44-47 years after AD. X.
John the Evangelist, brother of James
The Greek name Ioannes comes from the Hebrew Jochanan, "The Lord is merciful." John, also the son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of James the Elder, author of the fourth Gospel, which in theology is considered the deepest in spiritual and philosophical content, and therefore it is recommended for those who are taught in the faith to read it after studying the first three and some books of the Old Testament, so that it is more thorough understood. The holy evangelist himself also, according to Tradition, said that in the first three Gospels there is too much description of the earthly path of Christ and not enough about his Divine origin. In addition, he added a description of those miracles and events that had not been mentioned before, and therefore some facts from the earthly life of Christ could not be too clearly interpreted only on the basis of information from the first three Gospels. John the Theologian is also the author of Revelation (Apocalypse). He was especially loved by the Lord for his exceptional kindness, gentleness of character and spiritual purity. Together with Peter, he prepared the Last Supper for Easter, and was the only one of the apostles who was at the Cross of the Lord on Calvary. Until the year 70, he remained in Jerusalem, where he led the early Christian community until the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, since he was entrusted with the responsibility of caring for Her. After the Dormition in 70 AD. retired to Asia Minor. Here he founded several churches. The Gospel was written by him in the city of Ephesus, when the first three Gospels had already been created - Matthew, Luke and Mark. Unlike his 11 brothers, John the Theologian became the only one of them who ended his days in his home, and the last on earth who saw the Lord with his own eyes (c. 105–106 AD at the age of 100 years and 7 months) . He was not executed, but also during his ministry he endured many torments for his faith.
Philip of Bethsaida
Philip - translated from Greek as “horse lover”, a native of Bethsaida, according to the Evangelist John, “the same city with Andrew and Peter” (John 1:44). He had a good education - from childhood his parents sent him to learn to read and write. Reading the books of the Old Testament, prophecies about the coming of the Messiah, young Philip dreamed of meeting the Lord. He was sent to testify about God in Galilee, then among the pagans in Hellas; on his apostolic journey, his sister, the maiden Mariamne, was with him. Here they were persecuted and stoned, but suddenly the persecutors became blind, and only through the prayers of the Apostle did they see again for them. He preached further in Ethiopia, Parthia, Arabia - the southern regions of Asia Minor and in North Africa. While traveling through Asia Minor, he and Mariamne met the apostles John the Theologian and Bartholomew. Having parted with John, together with Saint Bartholomew they came to the Phrygian city of Hierapolis. The pagan priests of the city, having heard the sermons of the apostles, filed a complaint against them with the mayor. All three were captured, and Philip and Bartholomew were crucified on crosses upside down, like Peter, near a pagan temple. But then a terrible earthquake occurred, in which many townspeople died. Frightened, the townspeople begged the chief to release the apostles. However, Philip had already departed to the Lord by that time, and Bartholomew was alive.
Bartholomew (Nathanael)
Bartholomew, which translated from Aramaic means the son of Talmai, Nathanael - from the Hebrew Netanel, “gift of God,” a native of Cana of Galilee. Jesus Christ said about him that he is a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).
After the funeral of the Apostle Philip, Bartholomew and the holy blessed virgin Mariamne remained for some time in Hierapolis, founding the Church of Christ there. Then their paths diverged, and Bartholomew went to India and the countries nearby, preaching and healing. There he also established churches and translated the Gospel of Matthew into their languages, leaving them the Gospel in Hebrew. In Armenia, he healed the king's daughter. The king presented him with great gifts, but the apostle refused them, saying that his main gifts were the souls acquired for Christ. The king and many of his subjects believed, and the apostle founded the Church here. In the city of Albanople (now Baku), the saint was crucified on the cross, but from the cross he preached the Savior and praised Him. Then he was again tortured and his head was cut off.
Thomas (Didim)
Thomas - Aramaic Thoma, in Greek Didymus, which means “twin”, the people also called him Thomas the infidel (non-believer), since he is known for the fact that the Lord Himself allowed him to put his hand into His side and touch His wounds, when he, Having met the Savior on the way to Emmaus, he doubted Him. However, he was also devoted to the Lord and His Word in the days of his stay with Him. By lot, Thomas was given the path to India, to the pagans, about which Thomas was saddened. However, the Lord appeared to him in a dream and promised to be with him. After which Thomas traveled to India through Persia, Parthia, and Media, where he also endured suffering and persecution, and in India he died a martyr.
Levi Matthew
This name is Greek, but goes back to the Hebrew Mattathia (Mattathia) - “gift of the Lord.” Before coming to Christ, the author of the first Gospel fulfilled the hated position of a publican - a tax collector. Matthew became the twelfth apostle instead of the traitor Judas Iscariot. A sinful man, but, as Tradition says, he was better than the arrogant, prideful Pharisees. When the Lord called him to follow him, he threw a bag of taxes onto the road and followed Him. In that joy, Matthew prepared a meal in his house, and the Lord came to him. He spent eight years after the Ascension of Christ in Jerusalem. Before leaving Jerusalem, he wrote down His deeds and teachings for the Christians of the city. This is how the Gospel of Matthew arose - the first book of the Old Testament. It was immediately translated into Greek, presumably the author of the translation was John, Bishop of Jerusalem. Preaching the Truth of Christ, Matthew traveled through Macedonia, Persia, Parthia, Media, Ethiopia, and visited Syria. Around 60 A.D. the first evangelist suffered martyrdom.
Matthias
Bearing the same name as Levi Matthew, more often called Matthias, he immediately accepted the teachings of Christ, left the world and wandered with the Teacher. He preached in Judea, Asia Minor, and Ethiopia. In the mid-60s after R.H. upon returning to Jerusalem, he again preached the gospel of Christ as the Messiah. The high priest named Anan filed a complaint against him, accusing him of blasphemy. After considering the denunciation, the apostle was taken outside the city wall and stoned to death, like the first martyr Stephen before him.
Jacob, brother of the Lord
James the Younger, son of Alpheus, who was also nicknamed the brother of the Lord, because his mother Mary was the sister of the Mother of the Lord (John 19:25), that is, he was cousins with Jesus Christ. He was also called “the Divine seed” for the zeal with which he sowed the Word of God, faith and called for piety among the people. He destroyed pagan temples, crushing idols from their thrones, with the will given to him by the Lord, he healed people and cast out demons. At the first Council of Jerusalem, he was the first to stand up as a sign of his agreement that non-Israelite Christians should be freed from following the Mosaic Law. In addition to preaching in Judea, he preached the gospel in Syria, Mesopotamia and Egypt, where he was crucified on the cross, like many of his fellow apostles.
Judas Thaddeus, Jacob
Judah is from the Hebrew Yehuda, “praise of the Lord,” and Thaddeus is the Hebrew “praise,” brother of the Apostle James the Younger. It was difficult for him, as the brother of the Lord according to the flesh, to convince people that Jesus was the Messiah. But nevertheless, he preached strenuously against paganism, confirming people in the faith of Christ. His conciliar Epistle is addressed to the newly initiated, in it he calls for observance of moral laws and instructs in the Truth of Christ. It is known that he preached in Judea, Samaria, and Idumea; Together with the apostles Paul and Silas, he walked through Antioch, then visited Persia and Armenia. In Armenia, presumably around 80 A.D., he was captured, crucified and pierced on the cross with arrows.
Simon the Canaanite, or Zealot
The second name of the apostle, Canaanite, comes from the Hebrew “kanai”, or translated into Greek – “zelotos”, which means “zealot”. Originally from the Galilean city of Cana, according to Tradition, he was the groom at whose wedding Jesus Christ was with His Mother and where the Savior turned water into wine (John 2:1-11). Having believed in Christ, he left his young bride and followed Christ straight from the wedding celebration. The Zealot, a zealot, made great efforts in his testimony and converted many pagans to the true faith. He preached throughout Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Mauritania (North Africa). There is information that, together with one of the 70 apostles, Aristobulus, he preached in Britain, where he suffered martyrdom.
Other apostles, history of the establishment of the festival
It is also customary to classify the Apostle Paul as one of the closest apostles, originally from the Cilician city of Tarsus. First - the cruel king Saul, who undertook very serious persecution of Christians. His name, which in Hebrew sounds like Shavl - “asked of God,” correctly describes the history of his appearance among the apostles, for he was miraculously called to serve by the Lord himself (Acts 9: 1-20). The name Paul, from the Latin Paulus, the lesser, was adopted by him to make it more convenient to preach among the population of the Roman Empire. His Epistles to the Nations are the greatest storehouse of apostolic wisdom, for the mere definition of love as the greatest Divine human priority is a detailed, inspired reflection of the Gospel wisdom that God is Love...
Also called apostles 70 chosen by God, as evidenced by the holy evangelist Luke (Luke 10:1). His Latin name is Lucius or Lucianus, which translates as “bright one.” Also counted among the apostles is the holy evangelist Mark - Latin for “hammer”.
Apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke And John, as we know, are called evangelists, Peter And Paul- supreme. Among the saints there are those who devoted themselves to spreading Christian teaching among pagans and other activities related to the gospel of Christ; they are called Equal-to-the-Apostles - for example, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine the Great and the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helen.
Despite the fact that the days of celebration of each of the 12 apostles have been established, since ancient times, approximately from the 4th century, the Day of Remembrance of the Council of the Holy Glorious and All-Glorious Twelve Apostles has been established, which the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on June 30/July 13. At the same time, the holy king Constantine the Great erected a temple in Constantinople in the name of the holy Twelve Apostles.
Symbol of faith
We owe to the holy apostles a brief summary of Christian dogmas - the Creed, which they are believed to have composed before leaving to preach the gospel. It is also called differently - Apostles' Creed. It sounded like this:
« I believe in God the Father, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, our Lord, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, died and buried, descended into hell, rose again on the third day from the dead, ascended into heaven, seated on the right hand God, the almighty Father, from where He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, in the one holy Christian Church, in the communion of saints, in the remission of sins, in the resurrection of the body and in eternal life. Amen».
Nowadays the Orthodox Church does not use the initial version, which is accepted in the services of the Roman Catholic, Protestant and other Western churches. In divine services we read differently, Nicene Creed, adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 327, convened by Constantine the Great after the disgrace of the Arians and the recognition of God the Son as Consubstantial with the Father.
These are the words that we, Orthodox Christians, have been saying for seventeen centuries in a Russified translation:
« I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were created. For the sake of us people and for the sake of our salvation, He came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, whose Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Ah min».
The apostolic feat of evangelization continues daily and will continue forever, without stopping until the end of time. John Chrysostom writes about them in his “Creations”: “ The grace of holy men does not disappear with their death, does not weaken with their death, and is not allowed into the earth. They (i.e., the apostles) were fishermen, they died, but their nets are still active today, as evidenced by the many who receive salvation daily. They were winegrowers, and after their death, the vines are still green with their leaves and laden with fruit.».
Church of the Holy Apostles (Germany) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
- Tours for the New Year Worldwide
- Last minute tours Worldwide
Previous photo Next photo
In the northern part of Cologne, the graceful Church of the Holy Apostles rises above a picturesque square. Built in the 12th century, it was rebuilt several times, which is why it has several remarkable features. Firstly, its western tower (besides it there are two eastern ones) is 67 m high. It is the third tallest tower among the Romanesque churches in Cologne. Secondly, the main asset of the Catholic Church of the Holy Apostles is the uniquely beautiful stained glass windows depicting the twelve apostles.
History paragraph
This temple has a rich history, which begins at the end of the 9th century, and already in the 10th century the Monastery of the Holy Apostles was built here. The new task of the monastery, which was erected in the first half of the 11th century, has survived to this day - these are the walls of the main and western transverse naves. In 1150, the Apostolic Church underwent significant restructuring, in particular, the then atypical location of the choir in the western part was returned to its traditional position - to the east. And in its place they erected the same westwork with a 67-meter tower.
In 1192, the temple, like many things in Cologne, was damaged by fire, and when the church was restored, a remarkable element appeared here - an octagonal dome-lantern. Further, the fate of the temple was practically unremarkable, except for the moment when they wanted to demolish it, but the Apostolic Church happily avoided this fate. In 1860, a city gymnasium was opened here, which still exists today.
As we all remember from history, during World War II Cologne was bombed by British aircraft, when 95% of the city was destroyed. The same fate befell the Apostolic Church, but already in 1957 restoration work began here. It was impossible to call them capital - there was no time for that, so the beginning of a thorough restoration of the temple occurred only in 1966, and it lasted, it must be said, almost 40 years.
As a Catholic church, the Apostolic Church was proud to receive the title of Minor Papal Basilica from Pope Paul VI on September 18, 1965. And from January 1, 2010, it began to be considered the main parish church of the city and the center of the Apostolic Catholic community of Cologne.
Coordinates
Address: Neumarkt, 30 (Neumarkt district). Opening hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-13:00; Mon, Tue and Thu 15:00-17:00.
The easiest way to get from the city center is by trams No. 11 and No. 14 to the Neumarkt stop (every 5 minutes), from where it is about 150 m to the temple.
Hello, dear TV viewers! Today, July 13, the Orthodox Church holds a council of the glorious and all-praised twelve apostles. This holiday is celebrated the day after the celebration of the memory of the supreme apostles Peter and Paul.
The holiday is dedicated to the closest disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. These are Peter, Andrew, James Zebedee, John the Theologian, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Levi Matthew, James Alphaeus, Judas Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot. And also Matthias, chosen as one of the twelve apostles instead of the fallen Judas Iscariot.
It is noteworthy that, unlike the Pharisees and scribes, the apostles were simple people - fishermen, who, before their calling, were not distinguished by learning, wealth or anything else that could serve as a subject of praise in the eyes of other people. However, the Spirit breathes where it wants, and it was to them that God entrusted this mission - to be His messengers in the founding of the Church on earth.
And how important and significant the election of the apostles was is shown by the fact that their calling was preceded by Christ’s night-long prayer to the Heavenly Father: In those days He went up the mountain to pray and spent the whole night in prayer to God. When the day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he named apostles.(Luke 6:12-13).
At the same time, the apostles were not sent into the world for celebrations and honors addressed to them. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they founded the first Christian communities and performed miracles. But they did not receive honor and respect from the world in return.
This is what the Apostle Paul says about himself and his mission: I... was in labor... in wounds... in prisons and many times near death. Five times the Jews gave me forty stripes minus one; three times I was beaten with sticks, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the depths of the sea; I have been on travels many times, in dangers on rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from fellow tribesmen, in dangers from pagans, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the desert, in dangers at sea, in dangers between false brothers, in labor and in exhaustion, often in vigil, in hunger and thirst, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness(2 Cor. 11:23-27).
But how did they themselves feel about the suffering they endured? We read in the Acts of the Holy Apostles that when the Sanhedrin forbade the apostles to preach Christ, they were not afraid of the earthly authorities and continued their preaching. When they were captured and beaten for this, then left the Sanhedrin rejoicing that for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ they were deemed worthy to suffer dishonor(Acts 5:41).
In the suffering of Christ for the sake of Christ, the apostles found their highest joy. Of the twelve apostles, only one, John the Theologian, died a natural death. The apostles Peter, Andrew, James Alpheus, Bartholomew, Philip, Judas, Matthias in different parts of the world suffered martyrdom and were crucified. The Apostle James Zebedee was executed by beheading. The Apostle Matthias was burned at the stake in Egypt. Apostle Thomas in India was pierced with five spears during torture. Apostle Simon the Zealot on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus was sawed alive with a saw.
Dear brothers and sisters, today the memory of the saints is also celebrated:
St. Peter, Tsarevich of Ordyn (Rostov);
St. Sophronia, bishop Irkutsk (glorification);
New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia: sschmch. Timothy of Peter and Paul Presbyter, martyr. Nikandra Prusaka, prmch. Feogena Kozyreva, martyr. Ioanna Demidova;
A celebration is being held in honor of the Balykino and Gorbanevskaya icons of the Mother of God.
I heartily and warmly congratulate everyone who bears the names of the saints glorified today on their namesake day! May the All-Merciful Lord, through the prayers of your heavenly patrons, grant you health, salvation and good haste in everything. Be protected by God! Many happy summers to you!
Hieromonk Dimitri (Samoilov)
