Apostles
The Apostle Peter
Peter the Apostle, one of the twelve first disciples of Christ. He is commonly called Simon (Mt 16:17, 25), sometime Simeon (Acts 15:14; 2 Pet 1: 1), and mostly Simon Peter in the Gospels and Acts. Later, Christ gave him the name Kifa; that's what St. Paul calls him. (Gal 1:18; 1 Cor 1:12; 15), which has the same meaning in Aramaic as well as Greek: Peter is a stone.Peter was a native of Vitsaida on Genisaret Lake, commonly referred to as "the city of Andrew and Peter" (Jn 1:42).With his brother Andrew, he was first a student of St. John the Baptist (Jn 1: 40-42). Andrew brought him to Christ, saying, "We have found the Messiah, which means, Christ." (John 1:41) Peter attended the first miracle of Christ in Cana of Galilee (Jn 2: 2-11), and from miraculous fishing (Lk 5: 1-11) came quite close to Christ (Mt 14: 28-31) as one of his three closest disciples (Mk 5: 37-42; 9: 2; 14: 33). He belonged to the group of three Apostles who were constantly with Christ and is a participant in all the events of his earthly life.With James and John he attended the resurrection of Jairus' daughter (Mk 5:37; Lk 8:51), the Transfiguration of Christ (Mt 17: 1-13; Mk 9: 1-9; Lk 9: 28-36), and prayer at Gethsemane ( Mt 26,36-46; Mk 14,32-42; Lk 22,39-46).Christ pays a temple tax for himself and him (Mt 17: 24-27). He professes the Deity of Christ on behalf of all the Apostles, and Christ promises to establish His Church in such faith (Matt. 16: 15-21; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20). In his great zeal for Christ, Peter refuses Christ to wash his feet (Jn 13: 6-9). He promises Christ that he will never renounce him, even though all the Apostles have renounced him (Mt 26: 33-34; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:50).That is why Christ prays to God that Peter's faith should not cease and that he would turn again to Christ and convert his brothers (Lk 22: 31-32). Peter cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant Malchus (Jn 18: 10-11). However, after Christ's capture, Peter renounces him three times (Mt 26,75; Lk 22,62).After Christ's Resurrection, Christ appears to Peter (Luke 24:34) to restore his faith. At Lake Tiberias (sea), Christ appears to Peter and the other disciples, inviting him to the apostolic ministry three times, and foretelling his martyrdom (Jn 21).Many Orthodox Serbs celebrate Sv. Peter as his baptismal name - Peter (June 29 / July 12), and more often mark his stay in prison because of the preaching of the Gospel in chains as the venerable chain (January 16 / January 29).
-The Apostle Peter
The Apostle Andrew
Andrew - the Apostle, one of the Twelve, or more precisely, the first Apostle of Christ, originally from Vitsaida. He was the brother of St. Peter and pupil of St. John the Baptist. He understood his Master John's words about the Lamb of God and became the first follower of Jesus, knowing in him the Messiah (John 1:40-42). He was appointed Apostle on the shores of the Sea of ​​Galilee (Mt 4:18) and from then until the end he was a follower of Christ (Mk 13: 3) (Jn 6,8; 12,22).Church tradition tells us that the Apostle Andrew began his missionary work in Vitinia and Pontus, on the southern shores of the Black Sea. He then traveled to Byzantium where he founded a church, appointing Stachy as the first Episkop, one of the Seventy Apostles personally chosen by Jesus Christ. After Pentecost, he preached in Byzantium, Thrace, Russia, Epirus, and the Peloponnese.In Amis, he converted Jews to Christianity in the synagogue, baptized them, healed the sick, organized a church, and appointed a priest in it. In Vitinia, he preached, healed the sick, and deterred the wild beasts that were harassing them.His prayers destroyed the pagan temples, and those who resisted his words fell ill and asked him to cure them.He went to Herzom in the Crimea, and from there the Dnieper River sailed to the present-day Kyiv.At that time, the ancestors of the Russians and Serbs lived there, and Sv. Andrew preached the doctrine of Christ to them.He raised a cross on a Kiev hill and prophetically predicted that Kiev would become one of the main strongholds of Christianity, and that many churches would be erected there. From there he went to Novgorod and then to Rome.Sinopi also prayed for the release of the imprisoned Apostle Matthew, so that the chains fell from his hands and the cell door opened. However, residents caught him, beat him up, broke his teeth and cut his fingers, and eventually, thinking he was dead, threw him into a holeJesus Christ answered him, healing him and encouraging him to continue his mission. When people saw him the next day, they were very amazed and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. On one occasion he was raised from a dead boy, who was a single mother.On one of his missionary trips, Andrew visited the Greek city of Patras. Through the sermons, miracles, and cures he committed in the name of the Lord, he converted many into Christianity. Among those cured was Maximilia, the wife of the Roman proconsul Egeat.Seeing this miraculous cure, Stratoclis, the very wise proconsul's brother, also believed and became a Christian. The apostle Andrew ordained him the first Episkop of Patras.The transition of members of his family to Christianity, enraged by the proconsul Egeat, and encouraged by the persuasions of the idol's followers, decided to crucify him. In the end, they did it by crucifying him on an X-shaped cross,which was named after him - the cross of Andrew. Since he was crucified on the head, the Holy Apostle saw neither the earth nor his tormentors, but only the heavens, which he continually raised with his prayers, as a place where he would meet his Lord.He was ordered by the Aegean to bind him to the cross so that he would be alive longer and suffer more. Twenty thousand people watched and grieved.Even under the anguish, St. Andrew continued to preach to the assembled, telling them that the sufferings Christians endure are only temporary and brief, and that the reward after suffering is the Kingdom of God.Fearing the people, Egeat ordered them removed from the cross. However, Andrew told him that he still had a chance to repent and become a Christian, and that he had already seen Jesus Christ and would not allow anyone to take him off the cross.Many then tried to cut off the knots he was tied to, but their hands became motionless. Suddenly, a heavenly light shone on St. Andrew, and this miracle lasted for about half an hour, after which she disappeared, and at the same time the Apostle gave his soul to God.His body was taken off the cross by Episkop Stratoclis and Maximilius, and buried with all honors belonging to one Apostle. Soon many Christians came to Patras to pay homage to the tomb of St. Andrew. The Aegean, realizing that the man he had tortured and killed was a saint of God, became overwhelmed by the demon who had tormented him so much that he eventually killed himself.
-The Apostle Andrew
The Apostle Jacob Zevedev
Jacob Zebedee, also known as Jacob the Elder, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ, son of Zebedee and Salomiah, brother of the Apostle and John the Evangelist (Mt 4: 18-22; Mk 1:19; 3:17; Lk 6:14; Dap 1. 13).Together with his father and brother, he fished in Lake Genisaret. Hearing Jesus' call, He left the nets and became His disciple. Together with Peter and John, he witnessed several significant New Testament events:attended the Transfiguration of Christ at the Tabor (Mt 17: 1-9; Mk 9: 1-9; Luke 9: 28-36); it was found in the Garden of Gethsemane at the time of Christ's premature deaths (Mt 26: 36-46), as well as during the resurrection of Jair's daughter (Mk 5:37) and the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mk 1: 29-31).Perhaps from the zeal shown by Jacob and his brother John in the case of the Samaritans (Luke 9.54; Mt 20:20; Mk 9.38; 10.35) Jesus gave them the name Voanerges, i. sons of thunder (Mk 3:17) .After receiving the Holy Spirit, he preached the Gospel in many countries, reaching even Spain.After returning from his journey, the Jews began to quarrel with him about Scripture, and summoned some magician Hermogen and his disciple to help them. Failing to defeat the Truth that Jacob preached, both the magician and the disciple became Christians, and the Jews then summoned some Josiah who slandered Jacob at Herod.Josiah later repented of what he had done and became a Christian, and would be sentenced to death with Jacob. On his way to the dead end, Jacob embraced him, healed him and said, "Peace be to you and forgiveness."Thus, Jacob was the first Apostle to suffer for Christ, 44/45. years. Herod Agrippa commanded the sword to be cut off (Acts 12: 2), thus fulfilling the Savior's foretelling (Luke 21:16). He was buried in Jerusalem, and the relics were later transferred to Spain, where they are today.To distinguish himself from Jacob the Younger, he was called Jacob the Elder. The Apostle Jacob Zevedev is celebrated on April 30 / May 13.
-The Apostle Jacob Zevedev
The Apostle John
John - Apostle and Evangelist, one of the 12 disciples of Christ, writer of the fourth Gospel, three epistles, and Revelation, named after him in the text itself (Rev. 1: 4).
His father's name was Zebedee, a fisherman from Galilee, and his mother, by comparison (Mt 27,56) and (Mk 15,40), Salomiah, otherwise the daughter of Joseph the betrothed of Mary the Virgin, and is one of the women who served the Lord with her estate . He was the brother of the Apostle Jacob, and according to (Mk 1: 2) and (Jn 18:15), it can be concluded that John belonged to an influential family, and that apart from his home on the shore of Lake Galilee, he also had a home in Jerusalem.He was first mentioned in (John 1:35) as a disciple of John the Baptist, and when he pointed to Christ with the words "Behold, the Lamb of God" (John 1:36), he decided to follow Jesus Christ immediately; however, he continued to fish until Christ himself called him into apostolic ministry (Mt 4:21).Until the crucifixion of Christ, he remained with Him in the most intimate relationship; Christ, however, commands particular love and tenderness for the "disciple they loved" (John 19:26; 13:23), and at the Last Supper he "leaned on the arms of Jesus" (John 13:23, 25).Because of his ardent love and zeal, he was given the name "Voanerges, which means sons of thunder" with his brother Jacob (Mk 3:17). John and his brother James and Peter were honored to attend the resurrection of Jair's daughter (Lk 8:51), the conversion of Christ on the Mount (Mt 17: 1), and his pre-death prayer in Gethsemane (Mt 26:37).At the Last Supper, we see John resting his head on the breast of Jesus and asking who would betray him (John 13: 23-25). He accompanied the Lord with Peter to the court of the high priest, and from there to the praetorium (courtroom), where he entered with Peter, probably using his acquaintance with the high priestAfter this, he is the only one of the Apostles under the cross of Christ with His mother and receives the last covenant - to take care of the Mother of God (Jn 19:25).Early in the morning on the day of the Resurrection, hearing from Mary Magdalene that the body of Jesus was taken from the tomb, he first with Peter hurried to the Tomb to receive the true good news (John 20: 1-10). Shortly before the Ascension of Christ, we see him with Peter on the Sea of ​​Galilee, where he returned to his usual occupation (John 21: 1).Here he first recognized the Lord on the shore and said to Peter, "This is the Lord." (John 21: 7) Otherwise, this fellowship of John and Peter is noticeable later, when the two are mentioned with the other Apostles on the Day of Ascension and on Pentecost.(Acts 1 and 2), when they enter the Jerusalem temple together for prayer (Acts 3: 1), they testify jointly to Christ, without looking back at the threats of Sinedrion (Acts 4:13);the other Apostles together send them to Samaria to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14); together they attend the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15: 1-33).The Acts of the Apostles does not give details of John's life after the Council of the Apostles. He remained in Judea until the retirement of the Virgin. After her success, she goes with her student Prohor to spread the Gospel to Asia Minor.His presence in Asia Minor is linked to the prohibition of the Holy Spirit, who did not allow the Holy Spirit. Paul to go and preach in Asia and Vitia (Acts 16: 6-7), lest he "build upon another's foundation" (Rom 15:20).He survived the other apostles as the authentic testimony of Christ. When the persecution of the Christians under Dometian occurred, John was brought from Ephesus, the site of his apostolic work, to Rome, tortured, beaten, given him poison to drink, and since nothing could harm him, they were eventually thrown into a cage of boiling fat. but it came out intact.Then Dometian was afraid of being immortal and ordered to be sent into exile, to Patmos Island in the Aegean, where he did not stay long. There he wrote to the Apocalypse, Revelation, 95 AD.When the persecution ceased, John returned to Ephesus again, where he worked with renewed vigor to spread the Gospel and the Church in his advanced years. Because of his frequent admonition to the commandment of love, he was called the Apostle of Love, and his first epistle to the witness testifies to that love.Of John's disciples, let us mention St. Ignatius of the Blessed Virgin, Bishop of Antioch, and St. Polycarp, who later became Episkop of Smyrna. According to one source, the Apostle John died at the age of 94, and according to others, he was over 100 when he retired.He was buried in Ephesus and is celebrated on May 8 / May 21 and September 26 / October 9.The Church of the Theology Faculty in Belgrade is dedicated to this Apostle of Love and High Theology, which is why he was called the Theologian at the earliest age of the Church.
-The Apostle John
The Apostle Philip
Philip, the Apostle, one of the Twelve. He is mentioned in: (Jn 1: 43-44), (Mt 10: 3), (Mk 3:18), (Lk 6:14), (Dap 1,3). In his life until the election of the Apostle, nothing is known except that he was a native of Vitsaida, according to John the Evangelist, "from the city of Andrew and Peter" (John 1:44; 12:21).He was among those gathered around John the Baptist when John pointed to the "lamb of God." He thought something but did not hesitate for a long time when he heard the divine call "follow me" to bring Nathanael soon (Jn 1: 43-45).The Gospel mentions it in describing the feeding of several thousand people with five breads and two fish (Jn 6: 14-14). When the Yelins approached Philip by asking, "Sir, shall we see Jesus,"he must not have personally conveyed their wish to the Lord, but had previously told her to Andrew, and then they both conveyed it to Jesus Christ (Jn 12: 19-22).After the Last Supper, when the Lord spoke in apology to the Apostles about his departure to the Father, Philip, under the influence of human feelings and worldly performances, said, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be enough" (John 14: 8).His name is the fifth among the names of the twelve Apostles, behind two brothers of the brothers: Peter and Andrew, Jacob and John.According to the Lord's Ascension, Philip is mentioned with the other Apostles, who remained in Jerusalem in the upper chamber and awaited the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1: 13-14).The legend says that the Apostle Philip preached in Scythia and Phrygia (Asia Minor), that he was martyred - he was crucified on the cross in Jerapolis in 86 AD, at the time of Emperor Dometian. Also according to legend, he was married and had three daughters.In his letter, Polycrates, Episkop of Ephesus writes that one of the great luminaries the Lord will seek in the last day is: "Philip, one of the twelve Apostles, who was buried in Jerapolis with his two daughters, who are aged as virgins," and the third the daughter, who "spent her life in the Holy Spirit resting in Ephesus."The church celebrates it on November 14 / November 27. A native of Vitsaida near Lake Galilee, as well as Peter and Andrew. From the moment he was taught the Scriptures, Philip immediately responded to the call of the Lord Jesus and followed Him (Jn. 1,43).At the descent of the Holy Spirit, Philip zealously preached the Gospel in many parts of Asia and in Greece. In Greece, the Jews wanted to kill him, but the Lord saved him with his mighty miracles. So the Jewish arhijerej, who rushes to Philip to beat him, is suddenly blinded and blackened.And the earthquake would be great, and the earth would dissolve and swallow the wicked pursuers of Philip. And many other miracles have come to pass, especially the healing of the sick, which made many Gentiles believe in Christ.In the city of Phrygian Jerapolis Philip found himself in a joint gospel business with John the Theologian, his sister, Mary, and Bartholomew the Apostle. There would be some dangerous snake, which the Gentiles fed carefully and worshiped as a god.The apostles of God, by spear-killing, killed that serpent. In doing so, they incite the wrath of the eclipsed people. And the wicked Gentiles took Philip, and crucified him up in the tree, and crucified Bartholomew. In this, the country dissolves and swallows the judge and many others with him.In great fear, the men rushed to take down the crucified Apostles. But only Bartholomew managed to take them alive; Philip was exhaling.Bartholomew baptized Episkop Stachy, whom he and Philip had previously healed of blindness and baptized. Stachia was blind for 40 years.The relics of Sv. Philip was later transferred to Rome. This wonderful Apostle, 86, suffered during the reign of Emperor Dometian.
-The Apostle Philip
Apostle Bartholomew
Bartholomew - Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles. In the lists of the Apostles cited by Matthew, οarkο and Luke are mentioned next to their friend Philip (Mt 10: 2; 3:18; Lk 6: 14-16).Based on this, it is inferred that John the Evangelist mentions him as Nathanael (Jn 1:45; 21: 2). This is probably his original name, and Bartholomew (son of Tolomey) shows his lineage (family).Bartholomew was present at the Ascension of the Lord (Acts 1:13). Many theologians equate him with Nathanael (Jn 1: 45-51; 21: 2). There are several reasons for this.First of all, Bartholomew is not a real name, but signifies ancestry; that name does not appear anywhere in the Gospel of John, until the name Nathanael appears in the other three synoptic Gospels; Bartholomew connects with Philip on the lists of the Apostles at Luke and Matthew, and at Mark's side, which agrees with the fact that Philip brought Nathanael to Christ; Nathanael was from the region of Galilee where Christ found other apostles besides Judas; at the appearance of the Risen Christ on the shores of the Sea of ​​Tiberias, was also attended by Nathanael, along with several Apostles. Although the probability is very high, it cannot be said with complete certainty that Bartholomew and Nathanailo are the same person.In the scriptures, the earliest appearance of the Apostle Bartholomew is found in Jevsevi, who mentions that Pantanius, while preaching in India, was told that the Apostle preached there before him, and that he conveyed to Matthew the Gospel, translated from the Hebrew language, which always found in the church he founded.At that time, the geographical term "India" covered a large expanse, which included some parts of Arabia. According to tradition, besides India, he preached in: Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Jeremiah, Licinia, Phrygia and the Black Sea coast.Associated with the Apostle Philip and his sister Philip, the virgin Mary - and for some time with St. John the Theologian - preached the Gospel first in Asia, then in India and finally in Armenia, where he ended his martyrdom.In Jerapolis, these Holy Apostles, by prayer, killed the great serpent, which the worshipers of the temple held and worshiped. In the same city they prayed to see Stahi, who had been blind for forty years. The crowds rose up there, and Philip and Bartholomew were crucified (Bartholomew upside down).Then there is an earthquake, from which evil judges and many people are killed. Feeling it as God's punishment, many rushed to remove the Apostles from the crosses, but Philip was already exhaled, while Bartholomew was still alive.After that Bartholomew went to India, where he preached and translated in the Indian language the Gospel of Matthew. He then moved to Armenia, where he healed the czar's daughter of insanity.However, the enviable brother of the Emperor Astyagh captured the apostle of God and crucified him, then skinned his scaffold and finally cut his head in Albanopoly Armenian. His body is buried honestly in the lead box by Christians.Since many miracles were happening over his relics, the Gentiles took the crate and threw it into the sea. But the water brought the crate to the island of Liparski, where Bishop Agaton, upon discovering it in a dream, welcomed him and buried him in the temple.St. Bartholomew appeared in the Church of the Reverend Joseph the Songwriter, dressed in white shirts, and blessed him with the Gospel, so that he could sing spiritual songs, "Let the waters of heavenly wisdom flow from your tongue!"He also contacted Emperor Anastasia (491-518) and told him that the newly built city of Dari would guard him. Later the relics of this great Apostle were transferred to Benevent and to Rome.Great miracles were happening over them. They spread on June 11 / June 24.
-The Apostle Bartholomew
The Apostle Thomas
Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles, commonly known as the Unbelieving Thomas. The first three Gospels are only mentioned in the list of Apostles; in (Matt. 10: 3) it is stated together with Matthew, in (Acts. 1,33) with Philip.The name Thomas comes from the Aramaic word meaning - twin. The Gospel of John mentions three times the Greek form Didim, Gemini (Jn 11:16; 20,24; 21,2).However, the question, whose twin he was, cannot be answered. According to several traditions from Syria and Egypt, his personal name was Judah. Only the Gospel of John speaks of the person of Thomas.He was ready to go to the tomb of Lazarus with Jesus Christ and perish at the hands of the Jews (Jn 11:16). He confessed that he did not know where Jesus was going when He announced to them His forthcoming purpose (John 14: 5). Thomas's conduct on the news of the Resurrection of Christ bore him the nickname Unbelieving Thomas.Specifically, Thomas was not with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them (John 20:24), and he wanted to believe it only if he received certain and tangible evidence of the Resurrection of Christ (John 20:25). A week later, Christ answered the disciples again and gave Thomas the opportunity to testify to the truth of the Resurrection.Thomas's words, "My Lord and my God" (Jn 20:28) are considered the supreme confession of faith in Christ crucified and resurrected.According to legend, the Apostle Thomas preached the Gospel in India, reaching south to Myapora, not far from Madras, where he also suffered.In the area, there is still a granite stone on which a cross was engraved and an inscription about it, dating from the seventh century.In addition, on the west coast of southern India, in the province of Kerala, there are still Christians today who use some form of Syriac language in the Liturgy.Whether these are the spiritual children of the Apostle Thomas, it cannot be determined with certainty, but it is known that at the Council of Nicaea (325) there was also Episkop John of Syria-Chaldean of India and Persia.The relics of the Apostle Thomas were transferred from India to Edessa in 232 AD. Today they are also in Italy. The church celebrates it on October 6 / October 19, while the whole week, dedicated to the unbelief of Thomas, begins on the first Sunday after Easter, the so-called. Tom's Sunday.One of the twelve great Apostles. Through his suspicion of the resurrection of Christ the Lord, new confirmation of this miraculous and salvific event was obtained. To the name: The resurrected Lord appeared again to the disciples, to reassure Thomas.And the Lord said unto Thomas, Stretch forth thy hand, and put it in my ribs, and be not unfaithful, but faithful. And Thomas exclaimed, My Lord and my God (Jn 20)! After the descent of Sv. Spirit, when the Apostles throw a dice, where anyone will go to the sermon, a dice falls on Tom to go to India.He feels a little sorry for having to go this far, but the Lord answers him and encourages him. In India, St. Thomas converted many, great men and poor, into the faith of Christ, and founded a church there, and appointed priests and bishops.Among other things, Tom's conversion to faith and two sisters, the wives of two princes of India, Tertian and Migdoni. Because of faith, both of these sisters were tormented by their husbands, with whom they did not want to live after their baptism, and were released.In getting rid of marriage, they lived a godly life until death. Dionysius and Pelagius, first betrothed to each other, when they heard the apostolic sermon, did not relive but devote themselves to the feat.Pelagia ends her life as a martyr for the faith, and Dionysius was appointed by the Apostle as Bishop. Prince Muzdius, the husband of Tertianus, to whom Thomas baptized both his wife and son, Azai, sentenced the Apostle to death, and sent 5 soldiers, who pierced him with 5 spears.And so he delivered his soul into the hands of Christ his Holy Apostle Thomas. Before his death, he, like the other Apostles, was miraculously transferred to Jerusalem for the funeral of the Blessed Virgin.But upon reaching the dock, he mourned bitterly, and at his request opened the tomb of the Holy Pure, but found no bodies in it. The Lord had taken His mother into His heavenly settlements.And so, St. Thomas, there, through his unbelief, established faith in the Resurrection of the Lord, and here through His transfiguration he revealed to us the wonderful glorification of the Mother of God.
-The Apostle Thomas
The Apostle Matthew
Matthew, an evangelist, writer of the first canonical Gospel, one of the Twelve. He was from Jerusalem and there wrote the Gospel in the Hebrew language, which St. John translated into Greek.Clement of Alexandria testifies that Matthew lived a rigorous shelf life and spent fifteen years in Palestine preaching a new science. He also preached in Arabia, Persia, Macedonia, Syria, Ethiopia, present-day Armenia.The church celebrates it on June 30 / July 13.Matthew himself speaks little of himself, and when he does, he seems unconcerned.He had two names, which was a common occurrence of that time (Acts 1,23; 13,9; Col 4:11), in his Gospel(Mt 9: 9; 10: 3) He calls himself exclusively Matthew, which is a shortened form of the Jewish name Matanyah (God-given; Bozidar); and Mark (Mark 2:14) and Luke (Luke 5:27, 29) refer to him as Levi the son of Alpheus.By profession he was a customs officer (Greek: τελÏŽνης), therefore, a member of the hated occupation among the people of Israel, because the customs officers were in the service of an alien, Roman government.and because, for personal gain, they demanded more taxes and other charges for the Roman authorities, much more than the authorities themselves would require.Perhaps Matthew was not a collector of customs (taxes) over one area, for Christ found him "sitting at customs" when he was called to ministry (Mt 9: 9). His call to the apostolic ministry is also spoken of by Mark (2:14) and Luke (5:27), with Luke adding that Matthew prepared a great feast for Christ, where he was in the company of many customs officers (Lk 5: 29-32 ).In his Gospel, Matthew states his name in the list of the Twelve with the ugly nickname "customs officer" (Mt 10: 3), while in the second (Mk 3: 18) and in the third Gospel (Lk 6:15), as well as in (Acts 1. 13) mentions without him, which can be interpreted as saying that Matthew wanted to point out his unholy service, which he had before he became an Apostle.Likewise, Matthew does not mention who hosted the house where the feast was held after his call to the Apostle, which the other two evangelists do; he kept his name as the host of the feast out of modesty.Also out of modesty, in the lists of the Apostles, only Matthew lists himself in the eighth place, after the Apostle Thomas, while in the other three places he is listed as the seventh Apostle, and without the addition of "customs officer". Mark calls Matthew "the son of Alpheus."He lived in Capernaum, in a town that was a developed trading post, with an important customs house. As an Apostle, he was a participant in all the events of Christ's earthly life, as well as all events in the early Church.After the Ascension of Christ (Acts 1:13), we see that Matthew is among the Twelve, with whom he also received the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles on Pentecost in Jerusalem.St. Matthew wrote the Gospel in Aramaic, but that version was already unknown to Church teachers at the end of the 1st century, since it was translated into Greek, then the world language, in the Roman Empire; it is not known who the translator is, though there are opinions that the writer Matthew did.The Holy Fathers quote it solely according to the Greek version of the written Gospel. Biblists reject the hypothesis that Matthew wrote two Gospels, one in Aramaic and the other in Greek.It is generally believed that the Greek text of the Gospel is essentially identical to Aramaic, except that it is not a literal translation of the Aramaic original text. The Greek text is identical not only in substance but also in basic terms with the Aramaic original. That is why it is the true Gospel of Matthew.Since Matthew originally wrote the Gospel in Aramaic, it can be concluded that it, like its Greek version that we have preserved today, is intended for the Judean Christians, ie. to the Judeo-Christians. Irenaeus of Lyons, Origen, Jerome,but the most reliable reasons for this claim are internal in nature: Judaic customs and institutions are not determined more closely, because they are assumed to be well known to readers (compare Mt 15:12 with Mk 7:15); the Old Testament is often and very thoroughly quoted, proving that Jesus is the Messiah,whom God had promised to His people; The law of Moses attaches great importance. In addition, the writer expects readers to have a good knowledge of the geography and topography of Palestine, so he does not specify Palestinian places more closely (compare Mt 8.28 with Luke 8.26).Only in this Gospel does Jerusalem be referred to under the Jews by the well-known name "Holy City" (Mt 27.53). As the purpose of writing this Gospel is to show that Jesus Christ is indeed in the Old Testament the God-promised Messiah, the author for this purpose and writes the Gospel, and gives the whole life of Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.The Gospel was probably written in Palestine (Mt 27,53; 28:15), and the time when it was written we know from the Church tradition - before the other Gospels.Since there is no mention in the Gospel of the destruction of Jerusalem as a finished act (Mt 24), it is certainly not written after AD 70, when this city was destroyed; it is the final year by which the Gospel could have been written. We can take the 63rd year as the starting year, because according to St. Irinej Lyonski, Matthew's Gospel written when Sts. Peter and St. Paul preached in Rome, and Paul arrived there as a slave only in 61.However, in Paul's epistles from Rome (Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians), written from 61 to 63, the Apostle Peter did not even mention his work in Rome, so the Gospel of Matthew could be written between 63 and 63 67, when St. Paul was struck with the sword, and St. Peter crucified.Other Biblists argue as accurate Jevsevi's record that Matthew wrote his work when he intended to leave Palestine and left in 44 for the persecution of Christians by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12: 1).However, Jevsevi meant the Aramaic version. In support of the view that the Gospel was the fruit of the sixties, the note of Sts. Clement of Alexandria that the Gospels were first written with genealogies, genealogies, i. Matthew and Lucas,though there are unresolved issues here as well, it cannot yet be reliably stated which Gospel was written first.Exegetes agree that Matthew's only Gospel is systematic. "In order to carry the basic thesis of the kingdom of heaven through the whole Gospel, the evangelist linked and arranged the different material, similar in content, into five great parts" (ÄŒarnić).Of all evangelicals, Matthew's Gospel invokes the Old Testament prophecies the most, and places special emphasis on the miracles of Christ, which affirmed the truth of the new teaching and its messiahship, which is why it is called the Gospel of the Messiah.It is often referred to as the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, and also the evangelical gospel, because the word of Christ is addressed to all nations (Mt 28: 19-20), and as it is read most in the church - the gospel of the church.
-The Apostle Matthew
The Apostle Jacob Alfeyev
The Apostle Jacob the Alpine, also known as the James the Younger, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ, the son of Alpheus and Mary, the brother of the Apostle and the Evangelist Matthew.Roman Catholics mistakenly equate it with James the Righteous, the Lord's brother, which stems from the original mistake made by Blessed Jerome. The church celebrates it on October 9 / October 22.Jacob of Alfey is rarely mentioned in the New Testament on the lists of the Holy Apostles: (Mt 10: 3; Mk 3:18; Lk 1,13; Acts 1,13), as well as concerning Mary his mother: "And they were there were women looking from afar, among them was Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jacob the Little and Josiah, and Salomiah. "(Mk 15,40), while (Mk 16: 1) and (Mt 27,56) mention" Mary Jacob, "respectively," Mary the mother of Jacob. " one of the twelve great Apostles.Born brother of the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew. Witness the true words and wonders of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, witness of His distress, resurrection and Ascension. After the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost,It fell to the apostle James to preach the gospel of Christ in Eleutheropolis and surrounding places, and then in Misir,where he also suffered for his Savior.With great force, both in words and in deed, St. Jacob the saving gospel of the incarnate God the Word,overthrowing idolatry, casting out demons from people, healing every anguish and every disease by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.His hard work and his zeal are crowned with great success. Many Gentiles believed in Christ the Lord, churches were established and ordained, priests and Episkops set up.He was killed in Misir, Ostracin, on a cross crucified by a gentiles.And so he moves into the kingdom of heaven this great and wonderful Apostle of Christ, to reign immortally with the Emperor of glory.
-The Apostle Jacob Alfeyev
The Apostle Thaddeus
Thaddeus, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ, the brother of James the Just, also known as Judas James, and Lebede Thaddeus.We must not confuse him with Judas Iscariot, who betrayed the Savior, nor with Thaddeus, one of the seventy Apostles. The church celebrates it June 19 / July 2.In Luke in (Lk 6:16) and (Acts 1:13), it appears under the name Judas James, and in Matthew, instead of the name Judas, the name Thaddeus appears, and in some scripts Levi.The early Christian fathers explain that this variety of names for this Apostle comes from the desire to give it another name, for ease of distinguishing it from the traitor Judas Iscariot.In John (Jn 14:22), there is a reference to a disciple named Judas, who during the Last Supper asks, "Lord, what is it that you will report to us and not to the world?"It is in this quotation of the Gospel that this Holy Apostle of Judas is clearly distinguished from the traitor of Judas, for it is said in the quotation above: "Judas said to him, not Iscariot."One of the Twelve. Son of Joseph and Salomin, and brother of James, brother of the Lord. With Salom, the daughter of Angei, son of Varahin Zechariah, Joseph had a carpenter four sons: Jacob, Josiah, Simon and Judah.This Judas is sometimes called the Judas of Jacob, after his brother James, who is more famous than himself.St. Judas begins his epistle like this: "Judas the servant of Jesus Christ, brother of James" (Jd 1: 1). And if he too could be called the Lord's brother as much as Jacob, he did not do so out of humility and shame, because at first he did not believe in Christ the Lord; and when Elder Joseph wanted to give Jesus a portion of the estate as he and his other children before his death, everyone objected to it, even Judas, only Jacob willingly separated a portion from his portion and assigned it to Jesus.Judas is still called Levi and Thaddeus. There is another Thaddeus of the Seventy Apostles (see August 21 / August 3), but this Thaddeus, or Judas, was one of the great Apostles.He preached the Gospel of Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Idumea, Syria, Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Armenia.In Edessa, the city of Avgar, he supplemented the sermon of the other Thaddeus. When preaching in the regions around Ararat, he would be caught by the Gentiles, crucified and killed by arrows, to reign forever in the Kingdom of Christ.
-The Apostle Thaddeus
The Apostle Simon Kananite
Simon Kananit, or Simon Zilot, one of the twelve Apostles. In the apostolic list, Matthew (10: 4) and Mark (3: 18) bear the nickname Kananite, while in both of his writings Luke is referred to as Zillot (Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13), mostly in the tenth place.The Zilots represented the most radical political movement among the Jews; they began a rebellion among the Galileans (Acts 5:37) led by Judah the Galilee "in the days of the census" (inhabitants), which was quelled.They nurtured a strong national feeling, wanted to resist the Romans by force, and so began the Judaic War in 66 AD. During the fighting, they were keenly zealous not only against the enemy of the Romans, but also against moderate followers in their own people. Because of his zeal for the Gospel, the Holy Apostle Simon was given the nickname "Zilot" (Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13), and since he was from Cana of Galilee, he was nicknamed "Kananite" (Mt 10: 4; Mk 3; 18).According to Church tradition, he was the groom from Cana, at whose wedding the Lord Christ attended with the Bogomater, and where the Lord turned water into wine (Jn 2: 11-11). Upon the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles (Acts 2), the Apostle Simon preached in Egypt, Cyrene, Libya, Numidia, and Mauritania.He was martyred. It is celebrated by the church on May 10 / May 23.One of the twelve great Apostles. Originally from Cana of Galilee. At his wedding the Lord Jesus came to him with Matthew and his disciples. When the wine is gone, the Lord turns the water into wine. Seeing this miracle, Simon groom leaves home, both parents and bride, and goes after Christ.Zilot means zealous. And to call the Zealous Simon because of his great and fiery zeal for the Savior and His Gospel.After receiving the Holy Spirit, Simon went to preach the Gospel in Mauritania, Africa.As he succeeded in converting many to the faith of Christ, he was tortured and finally crucified on the cross, as was his Lord, who prepared him a crown of glory in the Immortal Kingdom.
-The Apostle Simon Kananite
The Apostle Matthew
Matthew, chosen as Apostle in place of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1: 25-26).The election came after the Ascension of Christ and the fiery speech of St. Peter, in which he mentioned the prophecy concerning the treachery of Judas (Ps. 41: 9),as well as the second prophecy that "the episkopic shall receive his second one" (Ps 69,25; 109,8). Sv. Peter laid down two conditions that a candidate for this highest ministry in the Church of Christ must meet:
1. "who have been with us for all the time that the Lord Jesus came and went from among us," i.e. to the Ascension of Christ, and
2. "that he may witness with us his resurrection" (Acts 1: 1-22).
Two were selected: Joseph Welded Varsava, who was titled the oldest, and Matthias. In praying for the Apostles, the first Christian congregation froze the Heart (Knowing Heart): "show one of these two whom you have chosen "(Acts 1,24)." And they cast dice for them, and the dice fell on Matthew,and would be numbered with the Eleven Apostles. "(Acts 1:26) From the New Testament we know nothing more about this Apostle.According to Church tradition, Matthias first preached in Judea, then in Ethiopia, and is thought to have preached in Macedonia, where he was in prison.Finally he returned to Judea, where he was brought to court in Jerusalem by the same high priest Ananias, who had previously killed Jacob, the brother of the Lord,having convened in the meantime Sinedrion, until a new Roman noun came after Festus. Matthew was sentenced to death:he was stoned and his ax was severed his head.Celebrates on August 9 / August 22.
