There were only 12 of them. And they were not followed by regiments of trained soldiers. The weapons did not sparkle in the sun. The mighty horses did not snore under the heavy riders. They were not warriors, but simple fishermen from a distant province. There were only 12 of them. And all but one died a painful death. But they changed our world forever.
Before we move on to talking about the personalities of the apostles, whose lives we will publish on the Thomas website in the series, we need to answer the most important questions: who were these people, what was their ministry and what connects our Church with them today?
Who are the apostles?
"Apostle" (Greek: apostolos) means "messenger". This Greek word, firmly established in the Russian language, refers to people called by Jesus Christ, who became His disciples and sent by Him to preach the Gospel and build the Church. The apostles faced an incredibly difficult task: to move the rusty wheel of human History, to spread Christianity to the ends of the earth... If I preach the gospel, then I have nothing to boast about, because this is my necessary duty, and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!(1 Cor 9:16) A number of people who brought the good news to nations that did not know about Christ, often at the risk of their lives, were called equal to the apostles in the Church and glorified as saints.
Why twelve?
In fact, there were more apostles. We know that many people followed Christ. In Scripture we find mention of seventy disciples closest to Him, who are also called apostles. One of the most famous apostles, Paul, was also not one of the twelve.
So why was it necessary to single out this small group of people and assign some special service to them? The fact is that the number 12 coincides with the number of the twelve tribes of Israel.
By the time of Christ’s preaching, of the twelve generations of Israel, only two and a half remained: Judah, Benjamin and half of Levi. The remaining nine and a half clans were considered extinct since the conquest of the Northern Kingdom (722 BC). The Jews believed that God would bring these disappeared tribes, dissolved among other nations, to their homeland and restore the people of God. The election of the twelve apostles by Christ clearly indicates that this long-awaited time is coming. However, instead of gathering somewhere the disappeared tribes of the people of Israel, that is, instead of restoring the former, Old Israel, Christ creates New Israel - the Church. To do this, He chooses 12 ancestors of the New People of God - the apostles - and sends them into the world.
What happened to the apostles?
The Savior warned the disciples: I send you like sheep among wolves(Matthew 10:16). These words may seem unusual if we remember that they were spoken to the apostles who were going to preach in Galilee, that is, among their fellow Jews. Indeed, the first period of preaching was serene. The apostles were received in homes, listened to, shown respect... However, these words began to be perceived completely differently by the disciples when Christ was crucified and His name began to be blasphemed by the Jewish elders and spiritual leaders. In Israel itself, the apostles began to be persecuted; their mission was even more dangerous outside Israel, in pagan lands.
The apostles were repeatedly beaten, thrown into prison, and subjected to other persecution and torture. Only one of the twelve closest disciples of the Savior, the Apostle John the Theologian, died a natural death. All the rest suffered for Christ and were killed.
Who succeeded the apostles?
Creating Christian communities, the apostles left behind people everywhere who were entrusted with a special ministry - spiritual care believers. This is how the first successors of the apostles appeared, appointed directly by themselves - the bishops of the Church. They, in turn, passed on their ministry to the next generation of clergy through the Sacrament of the Priesthood - and every living priest is connected with the apostles by a long line of people who passed on their ministry to each other. That is why the Church is called Apostolic. One of the most famous continuers of the work of the twelve apostles was the Apostle Paul, who did not know the Savior during His earthly life. Initially a persecutor of Christians, Saul miraculously converted to faith and became one of the most famous preachers of Christ. He is called “the apostle of the Gentiles” because Paul was one of the first to take the preaching of Christianity beyond the borders of the Jewish world.
In the apostolic reading for the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost, we read the following words of the Apostle Paul: “Those who want to boast in the flesh force you to be circumcised only in order not to be persecuted for the Cross of Christ, for even those who are circumcised do not keep the law, but want you to be circumcised.” to boast in your flesh. But I do not want to boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:12-14).
Notice that when Paul refers to Christ, he uses the expression “The Cross of Christ.” This substitution is common in the language of the apostle. For example, in another place he writes that God the Father was pleased “through Him (Christ) to reconcile all things to Himself, making peace through Him through the Blood of His Cross, both earthly and heavenly” (Col. 1:20). Paul calls the Gospel “the word of the Cross,” which “is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). The Apostle speaks of “the temptation of the Cross” (see Gal. 5:11), about “the enemies of the Cross of Christ” (see Phil. 3:18).
Probably, it would be more convenient for our consciousness if in these verses instead of the word “Cross” the word “Christ” was used: “to glory in Christ,” reconciliation “through Christ,” “enemies of Christ,” “by the blood of Christ.” Then our mind would feel much more comfortable. And in fact, does the Cross have blood? Why does Scripture testify to the “Blood of the Cross” and not to the “Blood of Christ”?
It must be said that a similar way of expressing thoughts is found in ancient rhetoric, where, in order to glorify a person, parts of his body, attributes of clothing, or anything else related directly to him were exalted. Scripture often uses this technique. For example, the prophet Isaiah writes: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the evangelist who proclaims peace” (Isaiah 52:7). Of course, Isaiah praises the evangelist, not his feet. Or, say, in the Gospel of Luke there are the words of a certain woman to Christ: “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts that nourished You!” (Luke 11:27). It is clear that the woman glorifies the mother of Jesus, and not her womb and breasts. Likewise, the words of Scripture to the Cross must be redirected to Christ.
In addition, it must be taken into account that the Bible is very fond of personifying inanimate objects. For example: “What is the matter with you, O sea, that you fled, and with you the Jordan, that you turned back? Why do you jump, you mountains, like rams, and you hills, like lambs?” (Ps. 113:5-6).
However, the text does not only use a literary device. The fact is that after the death and resurrection of Christ, the Cross became a symbol of the crucified Lord Himself.
In the book “The Sword of the Spirit”, in the explanation of Gal. 6:14 says, “Here is a warning for those who blaspheme the Cross. If anyone were to say that the apostle boasts not of the Cross, but of the Lord who was crucified on it, we will answer: this is the glory of the Cross, that the apostle calls it instead of Christ himself, or serves as a sign of the Crucified Himself, and whoever worships The Cross, through this he worships Christ.”
Let's try to reveal this idea. Indeed, the Cross has always been the main symbol of Christianity. But what is a symbol in the Christian understanding? IN ancient Greek“symbol” meant connection, as well as a means of bringing about connection. The symbol in Christianity is such a means. The symbol reveals the invisible reality through visible naturalness, expresses the concept with an image and connects us through the image with the prototype. Thus, by worshiping before the Cross, Orthodox Christians worship the crucified Lord Himself.
The Monk Isaac the Syrian wrote that the Glory of God dwells in the Cross of the Lord, which the ancient Jews called Shekinah. "Unlimited Power God lives in the Cross, just as she lived in an incomprehensible way in that ark, which the people worshiped with great reverence and fear... For Shekinah God's vein in him -<та самая>who now lives in the Cross: she left there and mysteriously moved into the Cross.” Moreover, the power of God dwells in all the outlines of the Cross, if only it is depicted specifically as a Christian symbol: “Immediately, as soon as this image is depicted on a wall or on a board, or is made of any types of gold or silver or the like, or is carved out of wood , immediately he is clothed with divine power, which<некогда>dwelt there, and is filled with it and becomes the place of the divine Shekinah - even to a greater extent than<ковчег>", says Saint Isaac.
The Orthodox worship the Cross as Christ and address it as the Lord because the living power of the living God dwells in the Cross. For example, in evening prayers we say: “Rejoice, Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, drive away demons by the power of our cursed Lord Jesus Christ... Oh, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen".
Of course, the Cross is not a living person, and the power that dwells in it is not autonomous. But God arranged it in such a way that His ineffable power acts in the mark of the cross; He Himself is mysteriously present in it with His energies. Therefore, “prayer addressed to the Cross of Christ ascends to Him Crucified on it; the power that comes from the Cross comes from the Lord Himself.”
It is important to understand that we still do not worship the Cross as God. We worship God who dwells in the Cross. And we praise not the Cross itself, but Christ crucified on it. So did the Apostle Paul, who tells us today: “I do not want to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Let us also note that it is incorrect to consider the Cross as an instrument for the murder of Christ, as some do. If Christ had only died on the Cross, then the latter would indeed have been only an instrument of execution. But Christ has risen! In this case, everything changes. Then the Cross becomes a weapon for killing the devil, and not Christ! And we rightfully honor the Cross as the great and glorious means of salvation of the human race.
In Holy Scripture there is the concept of shrine. A sacred thing is that which is set apart for God; that through which He acts in the world of men. Shrines were worshiped - for example, the temple and the ark. Also the greatest shrine Old Testament there was an altar. The Book of Exodus says: “...the altar will be a great sanctuary: everything that touches the altar will be sanctified” (Ex. 29:37). Christ, confirming the great holiness of the altar, said: “What is greater: the gift or the altar sanctifying the gift?” (Matt. 23:19). On the Old Testament altar, sacrifices were made, which were only a prototype of the great New Testament Sacrifice. The Redemptive Blood of the Savior - the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world - sanctified the New Testament altar, the Cross of the Lord. If the ancient altar was a “great shrine,” how much greater a shrine is the Holy and Life-Giving Cross, on which a terrible, incomprehensible Sacrifice was offered “for the life of the world” (John: 51)?
Therefore, we praise the Cross, as the Apostle Paul did. We bow before it, kiss it as a great shrine, for we honor Christ crucified on it. On this altar the atoning Blood was shed for our sins. On the Cross, God defeated the devil, and from now on the Cross is the glorious banner of our victory, which we cannot help but honor, because we love the Lord, we read carefully Holy Bible and learn to believe and live from the Holy Church. And the Church, through the mouth of the Apostle Paul, tells us today: “I do not want to boast except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Having drawn a little living water from the ocean of church theology, let us end our conversation with a wonderful church prayer, glorifying the great mystery of the Cross: “Lord, Thy Cross has given us a weapon against the devil: for it trembles and shakes, impatient to look at His power: for He raises up the dead, and abolishes death. For this reason we worship Your burial and uprising!”
Z Hello, dear visitors of the Orthodox website “Family and Faith”!
The holy supreme apostles Peter and Paul occupy a special place in the ranks of the holy 12 disciples of Christ, since they worked more in preaching the Gospel than all the apostles.
The Apostle Peter was a tireless preacher to the Jewish people living in Palestine and Egypt, along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and Antioch.
The Apostle Paul is called the apostle of tongues, that is, a preacher to the pagans. Having passed through many lands and countries, this great teacher of the Christian faith converted hundreds of thousands of people to God!
Below we attach the sermon of Hegumen Melchizedek (Artyukhin), delivered by him on July 12, the feast of the holy chief apostles Peter and Paul.
Sermon on the Feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
Hegumen Melchizedek (Artyukhin)
P about the testimony of the word of God, the apostles occupy a special place in the Church - everyone should understand us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God(1 Cor. 4:1).
Endowed with equal power from above and the same power to forgive sins, all the apostles will sit on twelve thrones next to the Son of Man (Matthew 19:28).
Although some of the apostles were distinguished in Scripture and tradition, for example Peter, Paul, John, James and others, not one of them was the main or even superior in honor to the rest.
But since the Acts of the Apostles mainly narrates the works of the apostles Peter and Paul, the Church and the holy fathers, reverent at the name of each of the apostles, call these two supreme.
The Church glorifies the Apostle Peter as the one who began from among the apostles to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God; Paul, as if he labored more than others and was numbered among the highest of the apostles by the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. II, 5); one - for firmness, the other - for bright wisdom.
Calling the two apostles supreme, according to the primacy of order and works. The Church inspires that its head is Jesus Christ alone, and all the apostles are His servants (Col. 1:18).
The Holy Apostle Peter, who before his calling bore the name Simon, the elder brother of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, was a fisherman. He was married and had children. In the words of St. John Chrysostom, he was a fiery man, unbookish, simple, poor and God-fearing. He was brought to the Lord by his brother Andrew, and at the first glance at a simple fisherman, the Lord predicted for him the name Cephas, in Syriac, or in Greek - Peter, that is, stone. After the election of Peter to the number of the apostles, the Lord visited his poor home and healed his mother-in-law from a fever (Mark 1:29-31).
Among His three disciples, the Lord deigned Peter to be a witness of His Divine glory on Tabor, His Divine power at the resurrection of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37) and His humiliation according to humanity in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Peter washed away his renunciation of Christ with bitter tears of repentance, and was the first of the apostles to enter the tomb of the Savior after His resurrection, and the first of the apostles was honored to see the Risen One.
The Apostle Peter was an outstanding preacher. The power of his word was so great that he converted three or five thousand people to Christ. According to the word of the Apostle Peter, those convicted of a crime fell dead (Acts 5:5.10), the dead were resurrected (Acts 9:40), the sick were healed (Acts 9:3-34) even from the touch of one shadow of a passing apostle ( Acts 5:15).
But he did not have primacy of power. All church matters were decided by the common voice of the apostles and elders with the entire Church.
The Apostle Paul, speaking about the apostles, revered as pillars, puts James in first place, and then Peter and John (Gal. 2:9), but he ranks himself among them (2 Cor. 11:5) and compares him with Peter. The Council sends Peter to the work of ministry in the same way as other disciples of Christ.
The Apostle Peter made five journeys, preaching the Gospel and converting many to the Lord. He ended his last journey in Rome, where he preached the faith of Christ with great zeal, increasing the number of disciples. In Rome, the Apostle Peter exposed the deception of Simon the Magus, who pretended to be Christ, and converted two wives loved by Nero to Christ.
By order of Nero, on June 29, 67, the Apostle Peter was crucified. He asked his tormentors to crucify himself head down, wanting to show the difference between his suffering and the suffering of his Divine Teacher.
The story of the conversion of the holy Apostle Paul, who previously bore the Hebrew name Saul, is wonderful.
Saul, brought up in the Jewish law, hated and tormented the Church of Christ, and even asked the Sanhedrin for the power to find and persecute Christians everywhere. Saul tormented the church, entering houses and dragging out men and women, handing them over to prison(Acts 8:3). One day, “Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, came to the high priest and asked him for letters to Damascus to the synagogues, so that whoever he found following this teaching, both men and women, would be tied up and brought to Jerusalem. As he walked and approached Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly shone around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? He said: Who are you, Lord? The Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It's hard for you to go against the grain. He said in awe and horror: Lord! what do you want me to do? and the Lord said to him: Arise and go into the city; and it will be told to you what you need to do. The people walking with him stood in a daze, hearing the voice but not seeing anyone. Saul got up from the ground, and with his eyes open he saw no one. And they led him by the hands and brought him to Damascus. And for three days he did not see, nor did he eat, nor did he drink” (Acts 9:1-9).
A persistent persecutor of Christianity becomes a tireless preacher of the Gospel. Paul's life, actions, words, letters - everything testifies to him as a chosen vessel of God's grace. Neither sorrow, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor danger, nor sword, nor death could weaken the love for God in Paul’s heart.
He made constant journeys to different countries to preach the Gospel to the Jews and especially to the pagans. These travels were accompanied by extraordinary power of preaching, miracles, tireless work, inexhaustible patience and high holiness of life. The labors of Paul's apostolic ministry were unparalleled. He said about himself: he labored more than all of them (1 Cor. 15:10). For his labors, the apostle endured innumerable sorrows. In the year 67, on June 29, at the same time as the Apostle Peter, he suffered martyrdom in Rome. As a Roman citizen he was beheaded by the sword.
The Orthodox Church venerates the apostles Peter and Paul as those who enlightened the darkness of the West, glorifies Peter’s firmness and Paul’s mind, and contemplates in them the image of the conversion of those who sin and those who are corrected in the Apostle Peter - the image of one who rejected the Lord and repented; in the Apostle Paul - the image of one who resisted the preaching of the Lord and then believed.
This man never communicated with Jesus Christ during his earthly life and was not among the Savior’s disciples. His biography contains a lot dark spots and very strange episodes. Why did it happen that it was the Apostle Paul who eventually became one of the most revered authors of the New Testament?
In the past, it has happened more than once that an ardent opponent of a teaching subsequently turned into its zealous apologist. But the story of Saul from the city of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul, of course, stands apart. Firstly, because the texts he wrote, which were included in the New Testament, became the foundation for all Christian theological thought. And secondly, because he went not just from an opponent to a supporter, but from a persecutor and executioner of Christians to a defender of the faith, who accepted martyrdom for his beliefs.
Pharisee from Cilicia.
The future apostle was born into a noble family of Pharisees from Tarsus, the main city of Cilicia. From his very birth, he belonged to the elite because he had the status of a Roman citizen - an honor that not all residents of the imperial provinces could boast of. He was raised in abundance, but at the same time in compliance with the strict traditions of Pharisaic piety. He received an excellent religious education, knew the Torah well and knew how to interpret it. It seemed that nothing but a successful career awaited him ahead.According to some reports, Saul was even a member of the local Sanhedrin - the highest religious institution, which simultaneously performed the functions of a court. It was there that he first had to face the main ideological enemies of the Pharisees at that time - Christians. As befits a faithful follower of the Pharisaic teachings, he actively participated in the persecution.
“This is what I did in Jerusalem: having received power from the high priests, I imprisoned many saints, and when they killed them, I gave my voice to it; and in all the synagogues I repeatedly tormented them and forced them to blaspheme Jesus and, in excessive rage against them, persecuted them even in foreign cities,” these words of the future apostle are given in the Acts of the Holy Apostles. One of the most notable episodes was Saul's participation in the fate of St. Stephen, who was stoned to death. He himself did not take part in the massacre, but did not try to stop the killers and fully approved of what was happening.
Saul's life changed dramatically on the way to Damascus, where he was leading a group of Christians for punishment. According to legend, he suddenly heard a voice saying: “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? After this, he was struck by blindness for three days, which only the Damascus Christian Ananias could heal. This was the end of the story of the Pharisee Saul and the thorny path of the Apostle Paul began.
Conflict of the pillars of faith.
Immediately after his conversion, Paul began to actively preach Christianity. For 14 years he traveled around the world and spoke about Christ in Arabia, Syria, Cilicia... After some time, the Apostle Peter, the “rock” on which he founded his church, arrived in Antioch (the capital of Syria at that time). And a serious conflict broke out between the two ardent preachers. It’s an amazing thing - the former Pharisee, who had such grave sins behind him, was not afraid to accuse Peter of hypocrisy!
“...said to Peter in front of everyone: if you, being a Jew, live like a pagan, and not like a Jew, then why do you force the pagans to live like a Jew?” - Paul himself talks about this in his Epistle to the Galatians. The point was that Peter, when preaching, did not always behave sincerely, trying to simultaneously arouse the sympathy of the pagans and not incur condemnation from his fellow believers.
It is worth recalling here that Christians at first did not want to accept Paul, remembering his Pharisaic past. Actually, only the intercession of the apostles Barnabas and Peter helped him become “one of his own” among those whom he had subjected to cruel persecution just yesterday. And now, “in gratitude,” he accused the eldest among the twelve apostles of hypocrisy! It is surprising both that Paul dared to do this and that this did not cause any complaints from Peter.
It is not difficult to explain Paul's behavior. As you know, there is no more ardent fanatic than a neophyte. The enthusiasm of the newly converted Christian had not yet cooled down, and the obstacles that had to be constantly overcome on the path of this ministry only kindled the flame of faith in his soul. Moreover, Paul clearly felt superior to most of the other apostles. Against the backdrop of the sincere but inept speeches of fishermen, publicans and wanderers, the sermons of a professional theologian, who was fluent in the most complex issues of interpreting the Torah, probably sounded more convincing and bright. It is quite possible that this gave reason to consider himself better versed in matters of faith than his older, but less educated brothers. Therefore, he was not afraid to teach, sincerely believing that he knew “how it should be done.”
As for Peter, he had the wisdom not to argue with Paul, but to admit that he was right. After all, he, wittingly or unwittingly, touched on the most painful topic - hypocrisy. Who else but Peter, who denied his Teacher three times in one night, knew the full power of this sin! Therefore, Peter humbled himself and did not object to Paul’s accusations.
Missionary or traitor?
Another interesting question is why the cruel Pharisee Saul overnight turned into the fiery Christian Paul. The answer to this is again provided by the text of the Acts of the Apostles. When God tells Ananias to go and heal Saul of blindness, he is so surprised that he even dares to contradict: “Lord! I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to Your saints in Jerusalem.” But the Lord insists: “He is My chosen vessel, to proclaim My name before the nations and kings and the children of Israel.” And Ananias obeys.For Saul, brought up on the Old Testament principles of “an eye for an eye,” the manifestation of mercy is something strange and unusual. It is unknown what impressed him more: the revealed power of God or the behavior of Ananias, who, albeit doubting, nevertheless came and healed the worst enemy of his brothers in faith.
Before the young Pharisee, who thought that he knew in every detail how the world works, a new reality suddenly opened up, built on different, already Christian values. This sudden change in the coordinate system forced him to convert to a new faith.
It was not for nothing that God chose a man like Paul to be his “vessel.” Let's think again about his education and training. Now all these abilities were used for the benefit of Christianity. That's why the words penetrated every heart. And that is why he was heard in all corners of the earth, for which he was nicknamed “the apostle of the pagans.”
He could preach twice as effectively as any Christian because he knew in advance that the Pharisees might object to him. And therefore he emerged victorious from all disputes, thereby angering his former comrades-in-arms even more.
That's why Paul suffered tragic fate, like the other apostles. They could not forgive him for moving to another camp. The Jews wanted to kill him in Damascus, immediately after the start of his preaching. But this plan failed.
In the end, the decisive word, as in the case of , was spoken by Roman justice. Paul was executed in Rome, under Emperor Nero. Moreover, as a Roman citizen, he was beheaded, not crucified. But the words he spoke still live today.
Ivan asksAnswered by Alexander Serkov, 01/24/2014
Ivan writes:
“Hello! Please tell me why the Apostle Paul allows Timothy to drink wine? From now on, drink more than just water, but drink a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses (1 Timothy 5:23).
Peace be with you, Ivan. Yes, that's the advice. Paul gives to Timothy. And what’s interesting is that this text here is like a “stand-up”. Before and after it is a completely different topic. Paul can be understood, this is correspondence, he answers Timothy, but what Timothy wrote to him. We do not know the entire correspondence, and therefore Paul’s answer seems somehow cut short. If we read Paul's letter to Timothy from the beginning, we find a completely different instruction:
What's the matter? Is Paul really contradicting himself? Or does He make some kind of exception for Timothy?
The fact is that in Paul's day, water in the Middle East was often dangerous to drink. Physical illness such as dysentery, often caused by contaminated water, was a common occurrence. Therefore, other ways to quench thirst were often proposed.
Some commentators believe that Paul is here advocating the moderate use of fermented wine for medicinal purposes. They point out the fact that wine has thus been consumed for centuries. But this comment is not justified. Who won’t say that he doesn’t have an illness? Everyone will justify their drinking as an illness. And here everyone will have their own measure of moderation. And everyone started with this very seduction: “for appetite”, “for health”, and then “for health!” And it ends with friends drinking near his grave: “to the peace.”
Many commentators take the view that Paul is referring to unfermented grape juice (previously all this was called wine). But the question in this case is: why advise what is permitted. So what, you can only advise something that is not permitted and is harmful to health? It is very useful, for example, to drink grape juice mixed with fresh chicken egg. Honey is good for you, so is grape juice. And Paul advises Timothy to drink grape juice, or rather, mix it with water, making a grape drink instead of water.
Best regards, Alexander Serkov
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