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Sometimes the voice of
the past is the clearest and most vivid guide for the minds and hearts
of men of today, taking them out of the confused values of this life.
Sometimes the lives and deeds of men of the past are unforgettable and
stand as lightposts to illuminate the road for a future achievement.
They stand as unshakable rocks on which the waves of disappointment of
life lose their force and disappear. The Apostles of Christ are both the
rocks and the lightposts for our life. To them, our ancestors in the
Christian heritage and faith, this pamphlet is humbly dedicated, that
both the writer and the reader might imitate their devotion and work and
appreciate their convictions in Christ, "in Whom they lived and moved
and had their being" (Acts 17: 28).
ORIGIN AND DEFINITION
The only sources on the subject of the Twelve Apostles are the four
Gospels and the first chapter of the Acts, describing the relationship
between Jesus and His Apostles during His ministry on earth. Although
the Apostles are the ultimate authors of the Gospels they do not appear
prominently in them; they are never magnified in them. The Gospels refer
to them only because Jesus Himself was occupied with them, teaching and
training them to understand His origin and mission, in order to transmit
to others correctly His personality, His Gospel and His deeds.
Whenever they appeared later in their ministry, they spoke with
authority and determination on behalf of the Lord Who sent them to
present His Gospel to the world. They never usurp or appropriate for
themselves the new teachings. It is true that the Gospel took some human
aspects of their individual personalities. But these aspects were such
that they showed their understanding and limitation of the words and
deeds of their Lord; a reflection of the good news in their own simple
and humble life. The Apostles are both the preachers and the examples of
the New Creation.
The Greek word "apostle" conveys to us the meaning of messenger,
delegate, envoy or collector of tribute paid to the temple service. In
the Gospels the Twelve were simply to be Christ's envoys. As Jesus was
sent by His Father, so the Apostles were sent by Jesus. Jesus Christ
used contemporary terms for "apostle" and gave it His own content and
interpretation stressing the idea of being "sent," which means that an
Apostle is a man with a mission throughout his entire life.
Jesus Christ Himself gave the title "Apostle" to the Twelve in Luke 6:13
and Mark 3:14, "whom he also named apostles." The term "apostle" ("apostolos"
in Greek; a derivative from "apostellein", meaning "to send") signifies
a special mission. An apostle is the commissioner of the person who sent
him. Therefore, the term apostle is more definite than the term
messenger (in Greek "angelos"). The apostle does not merely transmit a
message, but he works to put it into practice among the recipients, both
to let them understand it aright and to apply its contents in their
faith and life.
Jesus "Called" His Apostles: The First Approach
Some of the Twelve Apostles were disciples of the Forerunner of Christ,
John the Baptist. They were acquainted with the Scripture and the
expectations of their master. When John the Baptist was "looking upon
Jesus as he walked, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God"' (John 1:36).
Andrew, one of John's disciples, with another, "heard him speak, and
they followed Jesus" (v. 37). They followed him without asking!
Thus the Apostolic Church began. The took of their own to find out-to
discover the truth for themselves. They persisted, and "came and saw
where he (Jesus) dwelt, and abode with him that day" (v. 39). They had a
long audience with Jesus. What did they discuss? We do not know. What we
do know is that they came out of this sanctuary with, a definite faith
in Him. He was the One they were expecting. Andrew felt the impulse to
express his belief to others. He first found his brother Simon and said
to him, "We have found the Messiah", which means Christ, and "he brought
him to Jesus" (v. 42). St. Andrew's act stands as an example for every
disciple and apostle thereafter.
First, the pure desire to seek the Truth; second, acquaintance with
revelation and obedience to it; third, acceptance and conviction of the
Truth, and then a full confession and proclamation of the faith. These
acts make the Church a growing and moving entity.
After Andrew and Peter and John, "one of the two", Jesus found Phillip
in Galilee, and called him to His crew; Phillip not only followed Him,
but stated his conviction to Nathanial, we have found Him of whom Moses
in the Law and also the prophets wrote ... come and see" (John 1:45,
46), and Nathanial saw Him and believed in Him: "You are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel," he exclaimed in words to be echoed by
millions in the generations to come. One day passed and five promising
people were His devoted companions. Christ was no longer alone - except
at His agony, and on the Cross.
Demand and Dedication
After the acquaintance of Jesus with His first disciples both in Judea
and in Galilee, a recess took place. The center of His ministry had to
be selected. After the imprisonment of John the Baptist, Jesus stated in
Galilee that the city of Capernaum would be the center of His expedient
strategy. The inhabitants of that city were Jewish people, and its
position was more suitable to command Galilee.
Walking along the shore of the "sea of Galilee", which actually is a
lake, Jesus met again the two brothers, Simon and Andrew, who were
casting their nets. He commanded them now to follow Him and become
fishers of men. At the same time and place Jesus found James and his
brother John, fishers at the shore of the sea of Galilee. He called them
to follow Him. All obeyed instantly (Mark 1:16-20). Jesus called
Matthew, Levi, in the same way (Mark 2:16; Matt. 9:9) in Capernaum. He
was a collector of taxes, probably of the customhouse of this city.
Matthew
left this position, bade farewell to his fellow officials and followed
the Lord. What a challenge for us today - for the merchants and the
white collar workers! They left work and home, pleasures and habits;
they discarded the dreams of their youth and on the ruins built firmly a
new fortress of defense and appeal. They demonstrated that an immutable
conviction in the living God can move mountains.
What was the intention for calling these disciples? They were to capture
men instead of fish, once they had passed through a period of training.
He did not send them immediately on a special mission. The disciples
were to take intensive training in divine attitudes, in the new
interpretation of the Scriptures and in obedience to the Lord. They were
invited to meet the new standards of moral life and to grow in courage
to spread the Gospel and nourish its growth in mankind. The loyal Eleven
have proven themselves worthy of the Mission. They have changed
the orbit of the world in the name of Jesus.
The Choice and Installation
Jesus attracted many disciples. He knew them all, but He also knew that
not all would be capable of being fishers of men. He had determined to
make a formal selection of a definite number from the body of His
disciples (Mk. 3:13; Lk. 6:13). It was one of the crucial moments for
the destiny of His mission. Even for human activities the founders of a
organization look carefully for co-workers of integrity and the
capability to promote their ideals. The farsightedness of leadership is
in being able to select capable men to accomplish the mission, rather
than attempting the work alone, regardless of the wonders one man may be
capable of. A good leader is not afraid of co-workers, but is very
careful I selecting them. Jesus Christ spent one night praying to His
Father for the right choice (Lk. 6:12). He sought specific guidance in
this critical hour of His life. His choice would affect the future
mission, and the world.
For this reason: "He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all
night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called unto Him His
disciples. And of them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles:
Simon (whom he also named Peter) and Andrew, his brother; James and
John, Phillip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of
Alphaeus, Simon called Zelotes, Judas the brother of James and Judas
Iscariot, which also was the traitor" (Lk. 6:12-16).
In the New Testament there are four lists of the Apostles, in Matt.
10:2-4; Mk. 3:16-19; Lk. 6:14-16 and in Acts 1:13. The arrangement of
names in these lists are made in three steps, with changes occurring in
each step. Peter appears first and Judas last. There is no primacy of
Peter in the sense of jurisdiction or authority over his fellow
Apostles. Such an authority Peter never received and never exercised.
"His position is that of the foremost among equals; a position due not
to any formal or official appointment, but to the ardor and force of his
nature." (Hastings)
What was our Lord's aim in selecting His special group? St. Mark states
that the purpose was that they might be with Him so He might send them
forth to proclaim the approach of the Kingdom of God, and so He could
endow them with the power to heal and to exercise. St. Mark (3:14,15)
records:
"He ordained twelve that they should be with Him, and that He might send
them forth to preach and to have power to heal sickness and to cast out
devils." But the Lord's aim was more than that. It is described by Him
on the eve of His death. He expected them to be His envoys on earth.
Their supreme duty was to bear witness to Him; to teach the world how He
lived, what He said, what He wrought. Jesus prayed for them: "As Thou
hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the
world" (John 1 7, 18).
Apostles' Training
The Apostles were God-fearing people. Only a religious tie bound them to
Jesus. Their integrity, justice and mercy cannot be denied. They were
diligent, honest and pious people, and above all dedicated to the Lord
and to His command. They were not men of high education, but neither
were they illiterate. Most of them spoke Aramaic and Greek. They were
educated in the knowledge of. God in synagogues, and they managed a
discipline of high standards.
Four of them were fishermen, one was a collector of taxes and the rest
belonged to the general working classes. They were not of rank or
distinction. They worked to sustain themselves. The Gospels do not
present them as men of genius, or original thinkers. All of them were
young men about the same age as our Lord or younger. They were men of
different background, temperament and habits. They had in common their
devotion to Jesus and their pious life. They came together under the
same roof to learn and to obey.
The Apostles accompanied the Lord from place to place. They heard all
His preaching and admonition, His private advice to the people and His
ambitions. They witnessed the healing of people and learned the causes
of sickness and the power of the evil spirits. They learned not only in
the clinic of preaching and pastoral work. The Twelve formed a Jesus
Christ was the head. They had a common purse and one was appointed
treasurer. The sources of their supplies came from their own property
and gifts, especially the generosity of several women who
accompanied them on some of their journeys (Lk. 8:2-3).
They were together for living and training. First of all they were
training in the personality of Jesus. His presence was an education in
itself. His acts and words in everyday life, in dealing with the
depressed and humble, meeting the sinners, protecting the
underprivileged and encouraging people of the rank an file - all these
things were an education to them. They saw Him preaching and praying,
healing infirmities and restoring broken hearts. Again they were aware
of the Master's acts against dry customs and aware of the Sabbath,
circumcision,
foods and times of prayer. They learned much from the Sermon on the
Mount, from the parables and statements such as, "God is spirit - and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:24).
A second phase of their Apostle's training involved the miracles
performed by Jesus. The Messiah was expected to work miracles, but the
actual performance of the miracles kept the Apostles astounded. The
nature of these works was beyond explanation then and still is today.
The Apostles bore witness to many miracles - the catch of fish (Lk.
3:1-7), the stilling of the storm (Mk. 4:39), walking on the sea (John
6:16) and many others. They learned, too, that the miracles were made
nor only for the sake of the miracles, but also as a sign of conviction
and faith, and a lesson of moral uprightness, as in the case of the fig
tree. Finally, the Apostles were trained in Jesus' teaching. For them He
was the Teacher. He spoke with confidence.
Christ "Sent" His Apostles
The Apostles spent less than three years with their Master. He called
them "that they might be with Him" (Mk. 3:14) to be trained and
educated, and then "that He might send them forth to preach" the Gospel
and minister unto the people. Their work between these two stages is in
agreement. It has been changed only in the stages of advancement. But
what a change! From pupils they became teachers; from followers of
Christ, they became leaders, bringing people to Christ. They started as
disciples and in three years advanced as Apostles. Their visible Guide,
their Lord, became the Invisible One, "The Spirit of Jesus" (Acts 1:6,
7), always present as He was before.
Jesus Christ selected them after devoting one night in prayer for their
ministry. After their training, Jesus prayed for them and their future,
even up to a few moments before His arrest. The prayer was recorded by
one of His Apostles. He empowered them with the Holy Spirit on the day
of the Pentecost The mighty Spirit as "tongues of fire" descended on the
Apostles and transfigured their doubts and fears and attitudes in such a
marvelous way that they became heralds of the new mission.
Their chief duty was to bear witness to the Savior Jesus Christ, His
life, teaching, and atoning work, and especially to bear witness to
Christ's
resurrection, "a witness to his resurrection", "proclaiming in Jesus the
resurrection of the dead." "And with great power the Apostles gave their
testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 1:22; 4:2,33).
The influence of their witness and testimony was enormous. They simply
stated what they knew. There was no doubt in their minds as to the
certainty of their knowledge. St. John, in finishing his Gospel, sealed
it thus: "This is the disciple who bears witness to these things"
(21:24); and in starting his first Epistle he states firmly:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have
looked upon and our hands have handled, of the Word of life ... That
which we have seen and heard we declare unto you, that ye also may have
fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with His Son, Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3).
The ministry of the Apostles was guided and blessed, and they were aware
of this. They felt the presence of Christ and the companionship of the
Holy Spirit in every step and turn of their work. Also, they were aware
of their appointment. They were not presenting themselves, but were
representing the Lord as Prophet, Priest and King, with authority and
effectiveness. They appointed their successors and thus established the
special priesthood of the Church. In the Orthodox Church there is no
ordination of deacon, priest and bishop without referring to the
Apostles through the lists of names of predecessors. Thus, the Apostolic
succession is very important not only for the teaching of the Church,
but also for its sanctification. It is accepted in the Orthodox Church
that the bishops of the Church are the successors to the Apostles.
The Orthodox Church upholds the Creed in which, for centuries, the
beliefs of the Orthodox Faith have been stated. In the ninth article of
the Creed the Church is defined as "one, holy, catholic and apostolic."
One for its unique Lord; holy for its sanctification; catholic as
preserving for all ("katholou") the whole truth, and apostolic through
its establishment by the Apostles, whereby Scripture and Tradition
refers to the Apostles and, through them, to Christ. The Church is the
bulwark of the Truth because the Apostles who established the Church
trained and appointed its "Proestos" (religious leaders) and bequeathed
to it the oral and written teachings. The Apostles exercised in worship
and prayer, in preaching and pastoral work, the New Testament of the
Lord. By them and through them the believers of the Church, in the past
and the present, rejoice in learning the atoning truth and will of the
living God. The personal life of the Apostles is not very well known.
For some of them we know nothing except names. But their work remains
for generations to come. It was their intention to carry on the Lord's
work and will, rather than their own. From the fruits of their work we
visualize their character and intentions. Following is a biographical
note in brief on each of the Apostles. The names are taken from the list
according to St. Luke 6:12f.
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THE TWELVE
Simon, Peter
Born in Bethsaida in Galilee, be was a fisherman and was named by Jesus
Christ "Cephas" (in Greek, Peter), and called to be a fisher of men, an
Apostle. In all lists of the Twelve he is named first, and belonged to
the inner group of Apostles. He was present at the Transfiguration and
at the Agony of Christ. When he professed his belief that Jesus is the
Christ, the Lord promised that "Thou art Peter and on this rock will I
build My Church", meaning on the rock of faith in the Savior. Peter's
confession of faith was soon followed by a sharp rebuke, from the Lord.
Peter said that he would never leave his Lord, and was answered by the
prediction of his triple denial, which later took place. Later, Peter
made reparation for his triple denial by a triple protestation of love.
After the Ascension, Peter took the leadership of the Apostles. He spoke
on the
day of Pentecost and was the first to perform a miracle in the name of
Jesus. He accepted Cornelius for baptism and thus opened the Church to
the Gentiles. His authority is evident at the Apostles' Council at
Jerusalem, although Paul rebuked him for giving in to the demands of the
Jewish Christians to disassociate himself from the Gentiles.
Peter is the founder of the Church in Antioch. He probably went to Rome
and was crucified head downward during the reign of Nero (54-68).
Andrew
A disciple of John the Baptist, Andrew heard him refer to Jesus as the
Lamb of God. Andrew asked for an audience and saw Jesus for a day, then
proclaimed, "We have found the Messiah," in itself a creed and
confession for the Christian faith. He brought his brother, Simon-Peter,
to Christ. Although not one of the inner circle, he played the first
role in several events which are recorded. Eusebius in his Church
History states that Andrew later went to Scythia. According to tradition
he was martyred at Patras, Greece, crucified on an X-shaped cross, which
since has become known as St. Andrew's Cross. He is regarded as being
connected with the writing of St. John's Gospel. According to tradition,
he is the founder of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
James (The Greater)
He was the son of Zebedee. He, with his elder brother John and with
Peter, constituted the privileged group - the inner circle of the
disciples. James was present at the Transfiguration and the Agony in
Gethsemane. His zeal was ardent and he and his brother were named by the
Lord "Boanerges", which means "sons of thunder". James was beheaded by
Herod Agrippa I in A. D. 44, the first of the Twelve to suffer
martyrdom. A theory that he preached in Spain is counter to the
tradition of the Church and the Epistle to the Romans, 15:20 and 24,
which concur that he did not leave Jerusalem. According to an old
Spanish tradition, the body of St. James was transferred to Santiago de
Compostela, Spain, where St. James was one of the most revered Spanish
saints during the Middle Ages.
John
He was one of the inner circle with Peter and James. The son of Zebedee,
he and his brother James were named the "sons of thunder". John is the
author of the fourth Gospel, the Book of Revelation and three Catholic
Epistles. He was imprisoned with Peter and later appeared in the
Sanhedrin. John also was sent with Peter to Samaria, where they prayed
that the converts might receive the Holy Spirit. In Jerusalem, he was
present at the Council of the Apostles. John was "one of the two" with
Andrew who first had an audience with the Lord, He was the one "whom
Jesus loved" and who reclined on his bosom at the Mystic Supper. Jesus
from His cross entrusted His mother to John at the foot of the cross. He
was the one who ran with Peter to the tomb on the morning of the
resurrection, and who recognized the Risen Lord at the Sea of Tiberius,
where our Lord spoke to him the words that he would not die (John 21:7).
According to tradition, he went to Asia Minor and settled in Ephesus.
Later he was exiled to Patmos, an island.
Phillip
He is the Apostle from Bethsaida who obeyed the call of Jesus and led
Nathaneal to Christ. At the feeding of the 5,000 people, Jesus said to
Phillip to buy bread, and Phillip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii
would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." Phillip on
another occasion asked Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father" and Jesus
retorted, "Yet you do not know me Phillip?" Phillip the Apostle should
not be confused with Phillip, one of the seven Deacons. The Apostle
Phillip preached the Gospel in Asia and suffered crucifixion, according
to tradition.
Bartholomew
His name is patronymic, meaning "son of Tolmai". Sometimes he is
identified with Nathaneal whom Phillip led to Christ. According to the
historian Eusebius, when Pantainus of Alexandria visited India between
150 and 200 A. D., he found there the Gospel according to Matthew left
behind by Bartholomew one of the Apostles. According to tradition,
Bartholomew was flayed to death at Albanapolis in Armenia.
Matthew
He was the evangelist who was a Jew and a tax-collector referred to as
Levi before he was called by Christ, Whom be followed. He is the author
of the First Gospel. In his genealogy of Jesus Christ, he emphasizes the
Lord's human nature and origin. Therefore, in Christian symbolism,
Matthew has been represented by the figure of man (cf Rev 4:7). The icon
of Matthew in the Orthodox Church is to
be found in one of the four triangles which are formed by the arches
connected
to the dome of the Church.
Thomas
He was called the Twin. On the way to Bethany He offered to die with
Jesus. He interrupted the last discourse of Jesus with the question "We
know not whither thou goest; how know we the way?". Thomas doubted the
resurrection of Christ unless he were to touch the wounds of the Risen
Lord, but later confessed his faith in Him: "My Lord and My God" - the
first to confess so explicitly the Lord's divinity.
According to tradition, Thomas evangelized the Parthians. The Syrian
Christians of Malabar called themselves "Christians of St. Thomas" and
claimed they were evangelized by the Apostle Thomas, who was martyred
and buried at Mylapore near Madras.
James (The Lesser)
He was the son of Alphaeus. Was he the Lord's relative? This is doubted.
Was he James the younger (or the "lesser", Matt. 15:40)? There are
insufficient reasons to establish this either. Nothing is known of him.
Simon
He was called Cananaean and Zealot, two terms of the same Hebrew word.
According to the Apocryphal "Passion of Simon and Jude", both of them
preached and underwent martyrdom in Persia. In the New Testament, Simon,
one of the brethren of the Lord, was identified with Simon the Apostle.
There were many others bearing the same name in the New Testament.
Jude
He is the Apostle referred to in the Gospel as "Judas of James", "Judas
not the Iscariot". He also is known as Thaddaeus or Lebbacus. Jude was
the brother of James (or the son of James RV), the "brethren of the
Lord" - the Lord's relative. Jude is the author of the Epistle of Jude.
The Apocryphal "Passion of Simon and Jude" depicted them in Persia where
they preached and underwent martyrdom.
Judas Iscariot
A selected Apostle, one of the Twelve, he betrayed Christ to the Jewish
Sanhedrin - the supreme council and highest court of justice in
Jerusalem - and kissed the Lord at the time of the arrest. He later
committed suicide. The title "Iscariot", meaning in the Hebrew "man of
Kerioth", a place in South Palestine, implies that Judas was from Judea.
He was the only one from there, whereas the other Apostles were from
Galilee. After his suicide the Apostles elected Matthias to replace him
as one of the Twelve Apostles.
New Covenant Apostles Handed Down
The Church of Jesus Christ started in Bethlehem with His birth in the
manger it was sanctioned in His presence with angels and shepherds
worshipping Him. The Church was developed and enriched through Christ's
efforts in Palestine, and was established with His Cross on Golgotha.
Finally, after the resurrection of its Lord, the Church flourished in
the upper room in Jerusalem with "tongues of fire" of the Holy Spirit
guiding the Apostles in triumph. Thus Jesus Christ, the Founder and Lord
of the new sacred society, bequeathed his precious endowment to His
Church and made it the treasurer of salvation and eternal freedom. The
Church of Christ, to which saints and sinners belong, constitutes His
Sacred Body forever. It is, indeed, the realm of His Covenant, which the
Apostles received from Christ and handed down to us. What is this
Covenant? The Lord's new will of life was wrought by Himself and handed
down to all generations for all time. It contains the long-awaited
reconciliation between God and man. It is the new covenant through the
mercies of God, and empowered by His Son-the incarnate Logos. What is
the content Of this covenant, and who is the warrantor who secures its
riches to its heirs? Christ and His Gospel are the answer to
both questions. In Him man is destined to live anew, crossing again into
Eden, the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the New Covenant which the Apostles
received and handed down.
The new covenant is "good news of a great joy". Its title was given by
the angel proclaiming in Luke 2:10,11 that "to you is born ... a Savior
... Christ the Lord," in Bethlehem at the incarnation of the Logos. The
contents of this covenant were endorsed in Christ's baptism with His
Father's statement, "Thou art my beloved Son" (3:22). Indeed, "God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John
3:16). John the Baptist bore witness to Him, and in his admiration for
Him proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God." The signature on this covenant
was placed by Christ's new order of Love at His mystic supper - the new
testament - and ratified by His Cross and His last words, "Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do." Lastly, the eternal seal
was placed on this covenant by His triumphal resurrection, assuring the
victory and joy of life.
This covenant was heralded by the First-called Apostle Andrew in his
conviction and exclamation that "we have found the Messiah," and his
brother Peter's confession, "Thou art the Christ." His believers and
devoted followers are destined to cover the globe in all centuries. His
reign is everlasting. This mighty covenant of reconciliation - the New
Testament and Will - was handed down to the Church and entrusted to the
hands of the eyewitnesses, the Apostles of Christ. They proclaimed the
Orthodox faith in the True God and organized the new divine society in
local Churches for men to believe and worship the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit, One living Triune God. The Apostles are the first
golden links in our inherited Faith, which we today so dearly proclaim.
The Lord sent them and the faithful accepted and honor them.
Copyright: © 1990-1996 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
www.goarch.org
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