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| Jesus Christ |
Jesus of Nazareth, The Messiah, Jesus Christ, or Christ; He was born in Bethlehem (h. 6 BC). - He was kidnapped, executed, and crucified in Jerusalem (h. 30 AD). Founder of love as practice and foundation of loving each other to apply justice, equality, and well-being to all. Of Aramaic Jewish origin and cinnamon-copper skin color. From his mission and passage through the land, he gave rise to Christian doctrine. He was the planter of the "Good News". His primitive followers recognized him as the true Son of God. The name of Christ means in Greek "the anointed one", and it comes to be a title equivalent to that of Messiah. Although the Christian civilization fixed the count of the years from the moment of his birth (with which the first year of our era would begin), it is known that Jesus of Nazareth was born a little before the written date, since it was in the time of Herod (who died in the year 4 B.C. It was precisely Herod's persecutions that led the humble family Nazarene after the circumcision of Jesus, to take temporary refuge in Egypt. Once the death of the ruler arrived, they were allowed to return to their native region. For the rest, the childhood of Jesus Christ passed normally in Nazareth, where his father worked as a carpenter. The Bible narrates that he grew in wisdom and stature like an infant of his time, but there is no clarity in the narration of facts about his growth from a child to an adult male. At the age of 12, he was aware of the mafia that governed the religious, political, commercial, and spiritual affairs of the population, he knew the power to heal that lived within his nature, his mission was to destroy injustices and cleanse iniquities of humanity. With such "doctors of the law", he faced inside the temple that was the lair of the manipulators, and he was sure that evil and the trick of tyrants, exploiters, and dictators, coexisted there.
From that moment he spoke with them to clean up the immorality or double life of those who believed themselves to be powerful, and he urged those responsible for the misfortune of the majority to avoid the theft of privileges and opportunities. With force and without fear he explained to those individuals grouped in ideological currents with petty and miserable private interests the idea of justice and freedom for the people of God. Later, those same ones planned the kidnapping of Jesus of Nazareth, and his rapid and unjust execution, with the direct participation of the Hebrew Empire (religious empire), the Roman Empire (political empire), and the heartless men of the former Sanhedrin (spiritual regime). ..
This is how the sacred book narrates: The child Jesus in the temple: «41 His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Passover festival; forty-two and when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the festival. 43 When they returned after the festival, the child Jesus remained in Jerusalem, unknown to Joseph and his mother. 44 And thinking that he was among the company, they walked a day's journey; and they sought him out among his relatives and acquaintances; 45 But when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem looking for him. 46 And it happened that three days later they found him in the temple, sitting with the doctors of the law, listening to them, and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him marveled at his intelligence and his answers. 48 When they saw him, they were surprised; and his mother said to him: Son, why have you done this to us? Behold, your father and I have searched for you with anguish. 49 Then he said to them: Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that in my father's business it is necessary for me to be? 50 But they did not understand the words that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and returned to Nazareth, and he was subject to them. And his mother kept all these things in his heart» (Luke 2: 41-51).
Around thirty years of life, Jesus Christ began his short public activity (the empire killed him before his time), joining the mission started by his cousin John the Baptist. After hearing the voice of the Father of him, God of him, Jesus had himself baptized in the Jordan River, at which point John pointed him out as the incarnation of the Messiah promised by God to Abraham. John, who had decried Herodias's scandalous remarriage with Herod Antipas (Herod's son and successor), was soon arrested and then beheaded at the instigation of Herodias and his daughter Salome. After baptism and a forty-day retreat in the desert, Jesus Christ began his pastoral work as an eternal priest. He fundamentally addressed the popular masses and vulnerable sectors, among whom he called a group of the chosen faithful (the twelve apostles), with whom he toured Palestine. He preached love of neighbor, service to the poor and compassion for those who suffer, detachment from material goods and all riches, forgiveness, and the hope of eternal life; in the Sermon on the Mount, with his admirable beatitudes, is one of the best syntheses of his message. His simple and poetic teaching, sprinkled with parables, announcing a future of salvation for the humble, found a greater echo among the poor and some of the rich in the cities through which he passed. His popularity increased when the news spread about the miracles attributed to him by his followers with irrefutable facts not understood by the arrogant and arrogant, considering each miracle as proof of the supernatural powers of Jesus Christ coming from God's heaven. This popularity, together with his direct accusations against the moral hypocrisy of the Pharisees and of the same society of the past, together with the denunciations against the cruel Sanhedrin, ended up worrying the Jewish priests and authorities who branded him a revolutionary and planned to kill him. to silence the crowds that were already revolting against the regime.
Jesus was denounced before the Roman governor (Pontius Pilate), for having publicly proclaimed himself Messiah and king of the Jews; if the first was true, and reflected a conflict between the new faith and the traditional religious structures of Judaism, the second ignored the fact that the proclamation of Jesus as king was metaphorical: it alluded only to the "kingdom of God" and did not call into question constituted political powers although he strongly denounced the double standards of the politicians and rulers of his time. Aware that his end was near and that he would physically disappear from the planet, a few days before Easter he went to Jerusalem, where at his entrance he was cheered by the crowd and expelled the merchants from the Temple. Jesus celebrated the last supper to bid farewell to his disciples; then he was arrested while praying on the Mount of Olives, due to the betrayal of one of them, named Judas, who indicated to the priests of the Sanhedrin the ideal place to capture him. Thus began the Passion of Christ, which would lead him to death after suffering multiple hardships and cruel martyrdoms; with it he gave his disciples an example of sacrifice in defense of faith and belief, which they would assimilate exposing themselves to martyrdom during the time of persecution that followed. Jesus was tortured by Pilate, who, however, preferred to leave the fate of the prisoner in the hands of the local religious authorities; they decided to sentence him to death by crucifixion. The cross, a common torture instrument at the time, later became a basic symbol of the Christian religion. The political empire, the religious empire, and the spiritual regime are guilty of his execution and the disastrous responsibility fell on the Roman empire, the Hebrew people, the Jewish religious empire, and the organization of the Sanhedrin.
The four gospels tell that Jesus Christ rose three days after his death and appeared several times to his disciples, entrusting them with the spread of the faith; Forty days later, according to the Acts of the Apostles, he ascended to heaven. Judas committed suicide, repentant of his betrayal, while the remaining apostles spread throughout the British, Mediterranean, island territory, and other places, to preach the good news of true love. One of them, Peter, was at the head of the Church as a spiritual leader or community of believers following Christ (Christians), by decision of Jesus Christ himself who gave him the spiritual keys of heaven. New converts would soon join the preaching, including Paul of Tarsus, who promoted the spread of Christianity beyond the borders of the Jewish people. Before he died, he promised to send his Vicar to Earth, or the consoling lawyer, and it was fulfilled with the arrival of the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God, on the day of the Pentecost feast. The work of Pablo de Tarso made Christianity stop being a schismatic Jewish sect as it was known and conceived at the beginning of evangelization, and became a universal movement, which expanded to the ends of the Roman Empire until it became the IV century in the official confession by authorization of the emperor Constantine.
From the fifteenth century, with the era of European discoveries, it spread throughout the rest of the world, being today the most widespread doctrine of humanity, although it is divided into several Churches, such as the Anglican, Anglo-Catholic, ancient Anglo-Catholic, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, other Orthodox, several of Christian origin or of the Catholic movement, and many others, which we call Protestant but are as Christian as the first-mentioned here.
Archbishop Leonardo Marin-Saavedra Apostolic Succession
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| 12 Apostles of Jesus christ |
THESE ARE THE NAMES OF 12 APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST
Andrew: Andrés was the brother of Peter, and son of Jonás. He lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum and was a fisherman before Jesus called him. He was originally a disciple of John the Baptist (Mark 1:16-18). Andrew brought his brother Peter to Jesus (John 1:40). He is the first to have the title of Missionary at Home and Abroad. He is claimed by three countries as their Patron Saint – Russia, Scotland, and Greece. Various scholars say that he preached in Sitia, Greece, and Asia Minor. Andrew brought others to Jesus as well. Although circumstances placed him in a position where it could have been easy for him to become jealous and resentful, he was optimistic and content in the background. The main purpose in his life was to bring others to the Master. According to tradition, Andrew died as a martyr in Achaia, Greece, in the town of Patra. When Governor Aepeas's wife was healed and converted to the Christian faith, and shortly after the Governor's brother became a Christian, Aepeas became incredibly angry. He arrested Andrew and sentenced him to die on the cross. Andrew, feeling unworthy to be crucified on a cross in the same way as his Master, begged that he be different. So, he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, which to this day is called St. Andrew's cross, and is one of his apostolic symbols. The symbol of two crossed fish is also used to refer to Andrew since he was originally a fisherman.
Bartholomew: Bartholomew Nathanael, son of Talmai, lived in Cana of Galilee. Tradition says that he was a missionary in Armenia. Several scholars believe that he was the only disciple who came from royal blood, or from a noble family. His name means Son of Tolman or Talmai (2nd Samuel 3:3). Talmai was king of Geshur whose daughter, Maaka, was the wife of David, mother of Absalom. Bartholomew's name appears on every list of the disciples (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). This was not his first name; however, it was his middle name. His first name was Nathanael, whom Jesus called "a true Israelite, in whom there is no guile." (John 1:47). The New Testament gives us truly little information about him. Tradition indicates that he was a great investigator of Scripture and a student of the law and the prophets. He became a man of complete surrender to the Carpenter of Nazareth, and one of the most adventurous missionaries in the Church. He is said to have preached with Philip at Phrygia and Hierapolis, also in Armenia. The Church of Armenia claims him as its founder and martyr. However, tradition says that he preached in India, and his death seems to have taken place there. He died as a martyr for the Lord of him. He was skinned alive with knives. The apostolic symbol of him is three parallel knives.
Santiago, the Elder: Santiago, the Elder, Boanerges, son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of John the Apostle; a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Jerusalem. He preached in Jerusalem and Judea and was beheaded by Herod in AD 44 (Acts 12:1,2). He was a member of the Inner Circle, so-called because it was made up of those given special privileges. The New Testament tells us extraordinarily little about James. His name never appears separately from that of his brother Juan. They were an inseparable duo (Mark 1:19-20; Matthew 4:21; Luke 5:1-11). He was a man of courage and forgiving spirit – a man without envy, living in the shadow of John, a man of extraordinary faith. He was the first of the twelve to become a martyr. His symbol is three crustacean shells, as a sign of his pilgrimage through the sea.
James, the Less (or Younger): James, the lesser or younger, son of Alphaeus, or Cleopas and Mary, lived in Galilee. He was the brother of the Apostle Judas. According to tradition he wrote the Epistle of James, preached in Palestine and Egypt, and was crucified in Egypt. James was one of the lesser-known disciples. Some scholars believe that he was the brother of Matthew, the tax collector. Santiago was a man of strong character and one of the most ardent types. Tradition tells us that he also died as a martyr and his body was cut into pieces. The saw became his apostolic symbol.
John: John Bocanegras (black-mouth), son of Zebedeo and Salomé, brother of Santiago, the apostle. He was known as the beloved disciple. A fisherman who lived in Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Jerusalem and was a member of the Inner Circle. He wrote the Gospel according to Saint John, 1st John, 2nd John, 3rd John, and Revelation. He preached among the churches of Asia Minor. Banished to the Isle of Patmos, he was later released and died a natural death. John was one of the prominent apostles. He is mentioned in several places in the New Testament. He was a man of action; he was overly ambitious; and a man with an explosive temper and an intolerant heart. His middle name was Boanerges, which means Son of Thunder. He and his brother James came from a family of higher status than the rest of the apostles. Since his father hired servants in his fishing business (Mark 1:20) he may have felt above the rest. He was awfully close to Peter. They acted together in the ministry. Pedro, however, was always the group's spokesman. Juan matured over time. In the later stage of his life, he had forgotten everything, including his ambition and explosive temper, except his commitment of love to the Lord. It is said that an attempt was made on his life by means of a chalice of poison from which God saved him. He died of natural causes. A chalice with a serpent in it is his symbol.
Judas Iscariot: Judas Iscariot, the traitor, was the son of Simon who lived in Kerioth of Judah. He betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and then hanged himself (Matthew 26:14,16). Judas, the man who became the traitor, is the supreme enigma of the New Testament because it is extremely hard to see how someone who was so close to Jesus, who saw so many miracles and heard many of the master's teachings, could deliver him into the hands of his enemies. His name appears in three lists of the 12 Apostles (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:19; Luke 6:19). Judas is said to have come from Judah, near Jericho. He was a Jew, and the rest of his disciples were Galileans. He was the group's treasurer and was among those leading conversations. Judas is said to have been a violent nationalistic Jew who followed Jesus in the hope that through him his nationalistic dreams and flame might be realized. No one can deny that Judas was a greedy man and sometimes used his position as group treasurer to take money from the common purse. There is no certain reason Judas betrayed his teacher, but it was not his betrayal that put Jesus on the cross, but our sins. His apostolic symbol is the noose of gallows or a small bag of money with pieces of silver falling out of it.
Judas Thaddeus: Judas Tadeo, or Lebeo, son of Alfeo or Cleofás and María. He was the brother of Santiago the younger. He was one of the apostles about whom little is known and lived in Galilee. Tradition says that he preached in Assyria and Persia and died as a martyr in Persia. Jerome called him "Trinomios" which means "a man with three names". In Mark 3:18 he is called Thaddaeus. In Matthew 10:3 he is called Lebeo. His last name was Tadeo. In Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 he is called Judas the brother of James. Judas Tadeo was also called Judas the Zealot. Because of his character, he was an intense and violent nationalist with the dream of world power and domination of the chosen people. According to the New Testament records (John 14:22), he asked Jesus at the Last Supper, “how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Judas Tadeo was interested in making Christ known to the world. Not as a suffering Savior, but as a ruling King. We can clearly see from the answer Jesus gave him that the way of power can never be replaced by love. It has been said that Judas went to preach the Gospel in Edessa near the Euphrates River. There he healed several and many believed in the master's name. Judas went from there to preach the Gospel in other places. He was killed with arrows on Ararat. The symbol chosen for him is the boat because he was a missionary taught to be a fisher of men.
Matthew: Matthew, or Levi, son of Alphaeus, lived in Capernaum. He was a publican or tax collector. He wrote the gospel that bears his name. He died as a martyr in Ethiopia. Matthew's call to the apostolic group is mentioned in Mark 2:14, Matthew 9:9, and Luke 5:27-28. From these passages, we learn that Matthew was also called Levi. It was a common custom in the Middle East at the time of Christ for men to have two names. Mateo's name means "a gift from God." The name Levi may have been given to him by Jesus. It is interesting that James the Less, who was one of the twelve apostles, was the brother of Matthew, also the son of Alphaeus. Although we know little about Matthew personally, the outstanding fact about him is that he was a tax collector. The Reina-Valera version calls him a publican, which is Latin for Publicans, emphasizing a commitment to public service, a man who handled public money, or a tax collector. Of all the nations in the world, the Jews hated tax collectors the most. For the devout Jew, God was the only one to whom it was right to pay tribute and taxes. Paying it to anyone else was infringing on God's rights. The tax collector was hated not only on religious grounds but also because most were notoriously unfair. In the minds of many honest Jewish men, these tax collectors were considered criminals. In New Testament times they were classed as prostitutes, Gentiles, and sinners (Matthew 18:17; Matthew 21:31, 33; Matthew 9:10; Mark 2:15, 16; Luke 5:30). Tax collectors have been known to assess the amount due on impossible sums and often offer loans to travelers at very high-interest rates. So was Matthew. Still, Jesus chose a man whom all men hated and made him one of his own. Jesus Christ could see the potential in the Capernaum tax collector. Matthew was different from the other apostles, who were all fishermen. He was able to use a pen to write, and by his pen, he became the first man to present to the world, in the Hebrew language, an account of the teachings of Jesus. It is clearly impossible to estimate the debt that Christendom owes to this despised tax collector. The average man would have thought it impossible to reform Matthew, but with God all things are possible. Matthew became the first man to write down the teachings of Jesus. He was a missionary of the gospel, who changed his life by the faith of his Master. Matthew's apostolic symbol is three bags of money which remind us that he was a tax collector before Jesus called him.
Peter: Simon Peter, son of Jonah, was a fisherman who lived in Bethsaida and Capernaum. He did evangelistic and missionary work among the Jews, going as far as Babylon. He was a member of the Inner Circle and wrote the two New Testament epistles that bear his name. Tradition says that he was crucified in Rome upside down. In every apostolic list, the name Peter is mentioned first. However, Pedro had other names. At the time of Christ, the common language was Greek, and the familiar language was Hebrew. Thus, his Greek name was Simon (Mark 1:16; John 1:40, 41). His Hebrew name was Cephas (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:22; 9:5 and Galatians 2:9). The Greek meaning of Simon is rock. The Arabic meaning of Cephas is also rock. Due to his commercial activity, Pedro was a fisherman. He was a married man (1 Corinthians 9:5) and he was Capernaum. Jesus established his headquarters there when he visited Capernaum. Peter was a Galilean as were several of his other disciples. Josephus described the Galileans this way: “They were always fond of innovation and by nature open to change and delighted in sedition. They were always ready to follow the leader and start an insurrection. They were quick to temper and given to fighting and were very gentlemanly men.” The Talmud says this of the Galileans: "They were more eager for honor than to win, hot-tempered, impulsive, emotional, easily aroused by the idea of an adventure, loyal to the end." Peter was a typical Galilean. Among the twelve, Peter was the leader. He stands out as the spokesman for the apostles. It is he who asked the meaning of the parable in Matthew 15:15. It is he who asked how often we should forgive. It is he who inquired about the reward for all those who follow Jesus. It is he who first confessed to Jesus and declared him to be the Son of the Living God. It is he who was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It is he who saw the daughter of Jairus rise from the dead. And yet, it is he who denied Christ before a servant. He was an apostle and a missionary who gave his life for his Lord. It's true, Peter.
Philip: Tradition says that Philip preached in Phrygia and died as a martyr in Hierapolis. Philip came from Bethsaida, the town from which Peter and Andrew came (John 1:44). The resemblance is that he, too, was a fisherman. Although the first three Gospels record his name (Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13), it is in the Gospel of John that Philip becomes a living personality. Scholars disagree about Philip. In Acts 6:5 we have Philip as one of the seven ordained deacons. Some say this is another Felipe. Some believe that this really is the apostle. If he is the same Philip, then his personality took on more life because he had a successful campaign in Samaria. He led the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ (Acts 8:26). He also stayed with Paul at Caesarea (Acts 21:8) and was one of the influential figures in the missionary endeavors of the early church. The Gospel of John shows Philip as one of the first among many to whom Jesus addressed the word “Follow me.” When Philip met Christ, he immediately found Nathanael and said "we have found him, of whom Moses ... and the prophets wrote." Nathanael was suspicious. But Philip did not argue with him; he simply replied, “Come and see.” This story tells us two important things about Philip. First, it shows his correct approach to the one he mistrusts and his simple faith in Christ. Second, it shows that he had a missionary instinct. Felipe was a man with a warm heart and a pessimistic head. He was one who would have liked very much to do something for others, but he did not see how to manage to do it. Still, this simple Galilean gave everything he had. That's why God used him. It is said that he was hanged to death. As he was dying, he asked that his body be wrapped not in linen but in papyrus because he was not worthy of even his body being treated like the body of Jesus. Felipe's symbol is a basket, for his participation in the feeding of the five thousand. It is he who marked the cross as a sign of Christianity and victory.
Simon: Simon the Zealot, one of the little-known followers called Canaanites or Zealots, lived in Galilee. Tradition says that he was crucified. In two places in the 1960 Reina-Valera Version, he is called a Canaanite (Matthew 10:4; Mark 3:18). However, in two other places, he is called Simon Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). The New Testament tells us nothing about him personally except that he was a Zealot. The Zealots were fanatical Jewish nationalists who had heroic disregard for the suffering involved and the fight for what they considered to be the purity of their faith. The Zealots were driven mad with hatred for the Romans. It was this hatred for Rome that destroyed the city of Jerusalem. Josephus says that the Zealots were reckless people, jealous, in good practice, and extravagant and reckless in the worst kinds of actions. From his surroundings, we see that Simon was a fanatical nationalist, a man devoted to the Law, a man with a bitter hatred for anyone who dared compromise with Rome. Still, Simon clearly stood out as a man of faith. He gave up all his hatred for the faith he showed towards his Master and the love he was willing to share with the rest of the disciples and especially with Matthew, the Roman tax collector. Simon the Zealot, the man who once might have killed out of loyalty to Israel, became the man who saw that God's will has no forced service. Tradition says that he died as a martyr. His apostolic symbol is a fish on a Bible, indicating that he was a fisherman who became a fisher of men through preaching.
Thomas: Thomas Didymus lived in Galilee. Tradition says that he labored in Parthia, Persia, and India, suffering martyrdom near Madras, on Mount St. Thomas, India. Thomas was his Hebrew name and Didymus was his Greek name. He was sometimes called Judas. Mateo, Marco, and Lucas do not tell us anything about Tomás except his name. However, John defines it more clearly in his Gospel. Thomas appeared at the raising of Lazarus (John 11: 2-16), in the Upper Room (John 14: 1-6) where he wanted to know how to know the way Jesus was going. In John 20:25 we see him saying that unless he sees the marks on Jesus' hands and on his side, he would not believe. Therefore, Thomas became known as Thomas the Unbeliever. Thomas came to believe through doubt. By nature, he was pessimistic. He was a bewildered man. Still, he was a man of courage. He was a man he couldn't believe until he had seen. He was a man of devotion and faith. When Jesus rose, he came back and invited Thomas to put his finger on the marks left by the nails in his hands and on his side. And it is here that we see Thomas making the greatest confession of faith: "My Lord and my God." Thomas's doubts were transformed into faith. Thomas was always like a little boy. His first reaction was not to do what he was told to do and not to believe what he was told to believe. The good news for him was always too good to be true. Through this fact, Thomas' faith became greater, more intense, and more convincing. It is said that he was commissioned to build a palace for the king of India and was speared to death as a martyr by his Lord. His symbol is a group of spears, stones, and arrows.
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| Leonardo Marin-Saavedra |
THE SEVENTY HOLY APOSTLES AND DISCIPLES
The Holy Seventy Apostles
We do not know the names of all of the original Seventy, for as Saint John the Evangelist tells us, the time came when: "...many of His disciples went back, and walked with Him no more. Then said Jesus to the Twelve, Do you also want to go away?" (John 6:66-67). As the Lord's Passion approached, the number of His disciples decreased further: hardly any of the Seventy remained, and one the Twelve betrayed Him. After the Resurrection, Matthias was numbered with the Twelve, while the ranks of the Seventy were gradually filled with men newly converted to piety by the Twelve Apostles and by Saint Paul, who was called by heaven to preside (with Saint Peter) over the apostolic choir.
List: Hippolytus of Rome (+235) had produced an early list of the Seventy Apostles,however it was regarded as dubious, and was put in the Appendix of his works in the voluminous collection of Early Church Fathers. Dorotheus of Tyre (+362) traditionally is the one credited with recounting the names of the Seventy Apostles.These names were also given in the Chronicon Paschale, a 7th-century Byzantine universal chronicle of the world. However there were errors in the list attributed to Saint Dorotheus, including the repetition of four names, the omission of other names, and the inclusion of some men who were Apostles at first, but later fell from the faith and the dignity of their office. It was St. Dimitri of Rostov (+1709) who consulted the Holy Scripture, the traditions passed down by the Fathers, and the accounts of trustworthy historians in attempting to correct the mistakes and uncertainties in the list when compiling his collection of Lives of the Saints.
A widely accepted canon in the Orthodox Church is thus
given in "The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints (Volume 5: January"), compiled by St.
Demetrius of Rostov: This is related by Bishop (the seventieth)
Dorotheus of Tyre who
was one of the seventy and also a pious martyr in the reign of Emperors
Licinius and Constantine. He wrote on
various subjects in Greek and Latin and after the deaths of Diocletian
and Licinius, Julian "the torturer" came to power and killed christians
secretly to avoid public censure. Dorotheus journeyed to
the city of Odessus where he was seized on Julian’s orders and after
suffering torture, but still confessing Christ, he died as a martyr in
his advanced age. He speaks of "seventy apostles and
disciples of Christ" who were bishops and who St. Paul mentions by
salutations in his epistles. After the Resurrection he found all of the
names and thus recorded them for posterity.
(Quote).
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| Holy Spirit |
(72 or 73)
1. JACOB, brother of the Lord, first bishop of Jerusalem, who was ordained by the Lord Himself, whose head was crushed by a whiffletree and he died.
2. CLEOPAS, was the second bishop of Jerusalem like Simeon, brother of the Lord; he saw the Lord after the resurrection, and died crucified by Emperor Dometian.
3. THADDEUS, who carried the letter to Avgar in Edessa: he cured the latter of his illness.
4. ANANIAS, who baptized the holy Apostle Paul, was bishop of Damascus.
5. STEPHEN, the first martyr, died after being stoned by the Jews.
6. PHILIP, one of the seven [deacons], who baptized Simon the sorcerer and Canalace’s eunuch, was bishop of Asian Tralia.
7. PROCHORUS, also one of the seven, was bishop of Bithynian Nicomedia.
8. NICANOR, one of the seven, died on the same day as Saint Stephen, together with two thousand believers in Christ.
9. TIMON, one of the seven, was bishop of the island of Arbia, and died after being burned by the Hellenes.
10. PARMENAS, also one of the seven, died in front of the apostles’ eyes while he was serving.
11. NICOLAS, also one of the seven, was bishop of Samaria; but he deviated from the true faith together with Simon.
12. APOLLOS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Smyrna before Saint Polycarpus..
13. BARNABAS, who served the Word together with Paul, and preached Christ in peace, was bishop of Milan.
14. MARK, the Evangelist was ordained bishop of Alexandria by the Apostle Peter.
15. SILAS, who preached the Gospel together with Paul, was bishop of Corinth.
16. LUKE, who preached the Gospel all over the world together with Paul, was bishop of Salonika. Luke the Evangelist came from Syrian Antioch, and went to Macedonian Thebes as a doctor during the reign of Emperor Trajan. He first wrote the holy Gospel to a certain ruler Theophilus, who believed in Christ. Then, many years after the passion of our Lord, and the holy Apostle Peter having commanded him to narrate the acts of the holy apostles, Saint Luke narrated the acts of the holy apostles to the same TheophiIus, And having done this, he gave up his soul to God in peace; and thus he died in Thebes. His holy relics were translated from Thebes to the church of the Holy Apostles, and were layed under the altar table.
17. SILVANUS, who preached the Gospel together with bishop of Salonika.
18. CRISPUS, whom the apostle (Paul) mentions in his epistle to Timothy, was bishop of Galilean Chalcedon.
19. EPENETUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle Romans, was bishop of Carthage.
20. ANDRONICUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Pannonia.
21. AMPLIAS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans. was bishop of Odissa.
23. STACHYS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans; when Andrew the apostle, traversing the sea of Hellespont, reached Agricopolis, he ordained Stachys as bishop of Byzantium.
24. APELLES, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Heraklion.
25. PHYGELLUS, was bishop of Ephesus; later he converted to Simon’s teaching.
26. HERMOGENES, was bishop of Thracian Megara.
27. DEMAS, whom the apostle mentions in his second epistle to Timothy, opposed the teaching of God just as Phygellus and Hermogenes did; Demas loved this present world and in Salonika was a priest of the idols; he was one of whom the apostle John writes: they came from
us, but were not one of us.
28. ARISTOBULUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Britannia.
29. NARCISSUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Athens.
30. HERODION, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Patfas.
31. AGABUS, who is mentioned in the acts of the apostles, who received the gift of prophecy.
32. RUFUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Thebes.
33. ASYNCRITUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Hyrcania.
34. PHLEGON, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Colossians, was bishop of Marathon.
35. HERMAS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Dalmatia.
36. PATROBAS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Pottole.
37. HERMES, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Philipopolis.
38. LINUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Rome after the holy apostle Peter.
39. GAIUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Ephesus after the apostle Timotheus.
40. PHILOGOGUS, whom the apostle [Paul] mentions, was ordained bishop of Sinope by Andrew the apostle.
41. RODION, whom the apostle mentions, was beheaded by Nero in Rome, together with the holy apostle Peter.
42. LUCIUS, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Syrian Laodicea.
43. JASON, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Tarsis.
44. SOSIPATER, whom the apostle mentions in his epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Iconium.
45. TERTIUS, who wrote the epistle to the Romans, was the second bishop of Iconium.
46. ERASTUS, whom the apostle mentions, was chamberlain of the church in Jerusalem; later he was bishop of Paneas.
47. Other APOLLOS, whom the apostle mentions to the Corinthians, was bishop of Caesarea.
48. CEPHAS, was bishop of Iconium.
49. SOSTHENES, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Colophon.
50. TYCHICUS, whom the apostle mentions, was also bishop of Colophon.
51. EPAPHRAS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Andriaca.
52. CAESAR, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop in Dyrrhachium.
53. MARK, the nephew of Barnabas, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Apollonias.
54. JESUS, called Justus, whom the apostle mentions in the Acts, was bishop of Eleutheropolis.
55. ARTEMUS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Lystra.
56. CLEMENT, whom the apostle mentions, saying: “and with Clement, and with my other fellowworkers,” was bishop of Sardice.
57. ONESIPHORUS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Cyrene.
58. TYCHICUS, whom the apostle mentions, was the first bishop of Bithynian Chalcedon.
59. QUARTUS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Berytus.
60. CARPUS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Thracian Berrhoe.
61. EUODIUS, was bishop of Antioch after Saint Peter.
62. ARISTARCHUS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Syrian Apamea.
63. MARK, called John, who is mentioned by Luke in the Acts, was bishop of Byblos.
64. ZENAS, the lawyer, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Giospolis.
65. PHILEMON, to whom the apostle Paul wrote an epistle, was bishop of Gaza.
66. Another
ARISTARCHUS, (We have no information)...
67. PUDENS, (We have no information)...
68. TROPHIMUS, these three suffered together with the apostle Paul through all his persecutions; in the end they were beheaded in Rome by Emperor Nero.
69. ONESIMUS, died in Potiole at the hands of the Roman ruler Tertillus.
70. Other PHILEMON. (We have no information)... (end quote).
Oftentimes when the term "Apostle" is mentioned in the early fathers, it refers not only to the original. But also to these additional unless clearly set out by the authors. We try to distinguish between the original "Twelve Apostles" and those "like unto the apostles" because early in church history "errors" were experienced. Such a one is Simon Magus and his followers who is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as attempting to buy the ability to give the Holy Spirit to those upon whom he should decide to lay hands. But as we can see he had followers who were also bishops with the power to ordain. In living the "true apostolic faith" we need to know which are counterfeit beliefs and how they came to the fore. In John's Revelation this is the "iniquity which already doth work".
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