The Lord’s Apostles

The first thing we are told about the newly Spritit-filled church on the Day of Pentecost is that “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). Clement of Rome wrote at the end of the first century: “The apostles received the gospel for us from the Lord Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ was sent forth from God.” Approximately 200 A.D., Tertullian was more explicit: “We Christians are forbidden to introduce anything on our own authority, or choose what someone else introduces on his own authority. Our authorities are the Lord’s Apostles, and they in their turn chose to introduce nothing on their own authority. They faithfully passed on to the nations the teachings which they had received from Christ” (Prescription against Heretics).
When the time came to settle the canon of the New Testament, the supreme question about every disputed book was whether it possesses apostolic authority. Had it been written by an apostle? If not, did it come from their circle and represent their teaching?

The Orthodox Church today is the Church of the Apostles. It continues to teach not one person’s interpretation of the faith, i.e. Luther’s or Calvin’s but the complete deposit of faith as it was handed down to the Apostles of Jesus.

Kontakion
Today Christ the Rock glorifies with supreme honour The Rock of Faith and Leader of the Apostles, together with Paul and the Company of the Twelve, whose memory we celebrate with eagerness of faith, giving glory to the One who gave glory to them.

SS. Peter and Paul

Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome under Emperor Nero in the year 67. Peter was crucified head down, at his own request, and Paul, as a Roman citizen, was beheaded. The Church unites them in a common celebration and gives them identical honour.

After his conversion from being a persecutor of Christians, St. Paul became, in heart and soul, a zealous and courageous apostle of Christ. “Paul was a wolf,” says St. Chrysostom, “but he became a lamb. He was a thorn, but he became a fruitful vine. From an enemy, he became a friend; from a weed, he became wholesome bread… The blasphemer became a theologian; the persecutor, a herald of good news; the tormentor – a leader; the traitor – a fellow champion.”

On the feast of SS. Peter and Paul, St. Ambrose said, “This day, brothers, is well known to us and to the whole world, for today is the commemoration of SS. Peter and Paul. Their feast cannot be confined to one part of the world.” St. Augustine, in one of his sermons in their honour, says; “Although we know from tradition that they did not die at the some time, nevertheless, we hour the memory of both on this same day, since St. Paul died a year later on the some day on which Peter was freed from the bonds of the body and was transferred to the world of the angels.”

In the aposticha of Small Vespers we read: “O Peter, foundation of Apostles, rock of Christian faith, head of the Christians … O Paul, preacher of the gentiles, protector of Christians, lamp of the universe, great voice of Christ, the living God… O Peter, supreme disciple; Paul, the ideal of the Apostles.” The stichera of the Great Vespers service extols them with these praises: “Terrible swords of the spirit, splendid ornaments of Rome, nourishers of the whole universe; spiritual tablets of the New Testament written by God… founders of the Church, true pillars, foundation, and trumpets of the divine teachings of Christ, sharers in his sufferings… O Peter, rock and foundation of faith, and Paul, chosen vessel…”

Their voices went out through all the earth and their words to the far ends of the world.

The Holy Apostle Bartholomew of the Twelve

The Holy Apostle Bartholomew was born at Cana of Galilee and was one of the Twelve Apostles of Christ. After the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, it fell by lot to the holy Apostles Bartholomew and Philip (November 14) to preach the Gospel in Syria and Asia Minor. In their preaching they wandered through various cities, and then met up again. Accompanying the holy Apostle Philip was his sister, the holy virgin St Mariamnne.

Traversing the cities of Syria and Myzia, they underwent much hardship and tribulations, they were stoned and they were locked up in prison. In one of the villages they met up with the Apostle John the Theologian, and together they set off to Phrygia. In the city of Hieropolis by the power of their prayers they destroyed an enormous viper, which the pagans worshipped as a god. The holy Apostles Bartholomew and Philip with his sister confirmed their preaching with many miracles.

At Hieropolis there lived a man by the name of Stachys, who had been blind for 40 years. When he received healing, he then believed in Christ and was baptized. News of this spread throughout the city, and a multitude of the people thronged to the house where the apostles were staying. The sick and those beset by demons were released from their infirmities, and many were baptized. The city prefect gave orders to arrest the preachers and throw them in prison, and to burn down the house of Stachys. At the trial pagan priests came forth with the complaint that the strangers were turning people away from the worship of the ancestral gods.

Thinking that perhaps some sort of magic power was hidden away in the clothes of the apostles, the prefect gave orders to strip them. But St Mariamne became like a fiery torch before their eyes, and none dared touch her. They sentenced the saints to death. The Apostle Philip was crucified upside down. Suddenly there was an earthquake, and a fissure in the earth swallowed up the prefect of the city, together with the pagan priests and many qf the people. Others took fright and rushed to take down the apostles from the crosses. Since the Apostle Bartholomew had not been suspended very high, they soon managed to take him down. The Apostle Philip, however, had died. After making Stachys Bishop of Hieropolis, the Apostle Bartholomew and St Mariamne left the city and moved on.

Preaching the Word of God, Mariamne arrived in Lykaonia, where she peacefully died (February 17). The Apostle Bartholomew went to India, where he translated the Gospel of Matthew into their language, and he converted many pagans to Christ. He also visited Greater Armenia (the country between the River Kura and the upper stretches of the Tigrus and Euphrates Rivers), where he worked many miracles and healed the daughter of King Polymios from the demons afflicting her. In gratitude, the king sent gifts to the apostle, who refused to accept them, saying that he sought only the salvation of the souls of mankind.

Then Polymios together with his wife, daughter, and many of those close to them accepted Baptism. And people from more than ten cities of Greater Armenia followed their example. But through the intrigues of the pagan priests, the Apostle Bartholomew was seized by the king's brother Astiagus in the city of Alban (now the city of Baku), and crucified upside down. But even from the cross he did not cease to proclaim the good news about Christ the Savior. Finally, on orders from Astiagus, they flayed the skin from the Apostle Bartholomew and cut off his head. Believers placed his relics in a leaden coffin and buried him.

In about the year 508 the holy relics of the Apostle Bartholomew were transferred to Mesopotamia, to the city of Dara. When the Persians seized the city in 574, Christians took the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew with them when they fled to the shores of the Black Sea. But since the enemy overtook them there, they were compelled to leave the coffin behind, and the pagans threw it into the sea. By the power of God the coffin miraculously arrived on the island of Lipari. In the ninth century, after the taking of the island by the Arabs, the holy relics were transferred to the Neapolitan city of Beneventum in Italy, and in the tenth century part of the relics were transferred to Rome.

The holy Apostle Bartholomew is mentioned in the Life of St Joseph the Hymnographer (April 4). Having received from a certain man part of the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew, St Joseph conveyed them to his own monastery near Constantinople, and he built a church in the name of the Apostle Bartholomew, placing in it a portion of the relics. St Joseph ardently desired to compose hymns of praise in honor of the saint, and he fervently besought God to grant him the ability to do so.

On the Feast day in memory of the Apostle Bartholomew, St Joseph saw him at the altar. He beckoned to Joseph and took the holy Gospel from the altar table and pressed it to his bosom with the words, "May the Lord bless you, and may your song delight the whole world." And from that time St Joseph began to write hymns and canons to adorn not only the Feast day of the Apostle Bartholomew, but also the Feast days of many other saints, composing about 300 canons in all. Sts John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Epiphanius of Cyprus and certain other teachers of the Church regard the Apostle Bartholomew as being the same person as Nathanael (John 1:45­51,21:2).

The Holy Apostle Jude, the Brother of the Lord

Jude was a cousin of the Lord according to the flesh. Matthew refers to him as “Labbeus, known as Thaddeus.” He wrote the last of the Ecumenical Epistles, addressed to the Jews of the Dispora. This letter was written sometime after the catastrophic destruction of Jerusalem under Emperor Vespasian in the year 10.

Kontakion
O Apostle Jude, brother of the Lord and his witness, a preacher of Christ perfect in your wisdom, you came forth from a noble ancestry. You nourish the whole world with the wealth of your doctrine, teaching the Orthodox Faith of the Lord, for you are closely related to Christ, the Source of Grace.

Pentecost: The Coming Of The Holy Spirit

Yesterday the Orthodox Church celebrated the Feast of Pentecost Sunday.

Before ascending into heaven, our Lord gave specific instructions to His Apostles: remain in Jerusalem and wait for “the Promise of the Father.” And just what was this “promise?” It was the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Book of Acts relates how after sharing an emotional farewell with their Master, the Apostles obediently went back to the same Upper Room where they had shared the Mystical Supper with Him. They waited for 10 long days for the fulfillment of God’s promise, and on the day of Pentecost, their patience was rewarded. With a rushing of a mighty wind and the appearance of tongues of fire, the Holy Spirit descended upon them! Thus the words of St. John the Baptist were made manifest concerning Christ: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16) The Holy Spirit filled the Apostles with a “burning desire” to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the whole world. These simple fishermen went out into the streets of Jerusalem and used their own tongues to communicate this important message to Jews from all over the world who had gathered there for this great festival. It is recorded that some 3,000 people were converted by them that very day, which we appropriately call the “birthday” of the Church. The Apostles were no longer frightened: they now believed that they had the strength to “Go and teach all nations” as Christ had commanded them to do.

The Feast of Pentecost reminds us that we too are expected to be “witness” for Christ as well. When we received the grace of the Holy Spirit on the day of our baptism, we were urged to follow the example of the Apostles and do our part in winning souls for our Saviour.
The Orthodox Weekly …… Vestal, Cliffwood, New Jersey …… Litho in U.S.A.