Житие, подвиги и страдание святого славного и всехвального верховного Апостола Павла

The Holy Apostle Paul, before his apostleship called Saul 4252, was a Jew by origin, from the tribe of Benjamin; He was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, from noble parents who formerly lived in Rome, then moved to Tarsus of Cilicia 4253, with the honorary title of Roman citizens, which is why Paul was called a Roman citizen. He was a relative of the holy protomartyr Stephen and (probably together with him) was sent by his parents to Jerusalem to study the Law of Moses; there he was among the disciples of the famous teacher Gamaliel in Jerusalem. His fellow student and friend was Barnabas, who later became an Apostle of Christ. Saul thoroughly studied the law of his fathers, became a great adherent of it and joined the party of the Pharisees (strict zealots of everything domestic and outwardly pious). At that time, in Jerusalem and in surrounding cities and countries, the holy Apostles spread the gospel of Christ; Moreover, they often had long disputes with the Pharisees and Sadducees (who rejected tradition and did not believe in the immortality of the soul) and with all the scribes and teachers of the law, who constantly hated and persecuted the preachers of Christ. Saul also hated the holy Apostles, and did not even want to listen to that sermon about Christ, mocked Barnabas (who had already become an apostle of Christ), and blasphemed the Lord Christ. And when the holy First Martyr Stephen was stoned by the Jews, Saul not only did not regret the blood of his own, innocently shed, but also approved of the murder and guarded the clothes of the Jews who struck Stephen. After that, having asked for authority from the bishops and elders of the Jews, he tormented the church (the assembly of the faithful) with even greater fury, entering houses and seizing men and women, sending them to prison. Not satisfied with the persecution of the faithful in Jerusalem and continuing to breathe threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, he went to Damascus 4254, with letters from the high priest to the synagogues, so that there, whomever he found among the believers in Christ, both men and women, he would bind to Jerusalem. This happened during the reign of Tiberius 4255. When Saul was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him (so suddenly, strongly and dazzlingly that he fell to the ground), and at the same instant he heard a voice saying to him: “Saul, Saul! Why are you chasing me?” Full of amazement, he asked: “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; it is difficult for you to go against the pricks” 4256. Saul asked in awe and horror, “Lord, what do you have me do?” And the Lord said: “Get up and go into the city; and it will be told to you what you must do” (Acts 9:4-6). The soldiers who walked with Saul were also terrified and, struck by the extraordinary light, stood in a daze: they heard a voice speaking to Saul, but saw no one. At the command of the Lord, Saul rose from the ground and with his eyes open he saw no one: his bodily eyes were blinded, but his spiritual eyes began to see. Saul's guides and assistants led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus; There he stayed for three days, seeing nothing, and in a feeling of repentance, he did not eat or drink, and only incessantly prayed that the Lord would reveal His will to him. In Damascus there was the holy Apostle Ananias 4257, to whom the Lord, appearing in a vision, commanded to find Saul, who lived in the house of a certain man named Judas, and to enlighten his bodily eyes with a touch, and his spiritual ones with holy baptism. The apostle answered: “Lord! I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to Thy saints 4258 in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him: “Go, for he is My chosen vessel, to proclaim My name before the nations and kings and the children of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for My name" 4259. Saint Ananias, setting out at the command of the Lord and finding Saul, laid his hands on him: and immediately, as if scales fell from his eyes, suddenly he received his sight and, getting up, received baptism and was filled with the Holy Spirit, consecrating him to the apostolic ministry, and was renamed from Saul to Paul, and immediately began to preach in the synagogues about Jesus that He is the Son of God 4260 . And everyone who heard was surprised (at this change in the thoughts of the persecutor of the Church of Christ) and said: “Isn’t this the same one who persecuted in Jerusalem those who call on this name?” And that’s why he came here, to bind them and lead them to the high priests? (Acts 9:21) And Saul became more and more strengthened in faith and confused the Jews living in Damascus, proving to them that this is Christ (i.e., the promised Messiah). The Jews finally became angry with him, agreed to kill him, and kept watch at the city gates day and night so that he would not escape from them. The disciples of Christ, who were in Damascus with Ananias, learned about the meeting of the Jews who decided to kill Paul, took him and at night lowered him in a basket from the window of a house adjacent to the city wall. Having left Damascus, he did not immediately go to Jerusalem, but first went to Arabia 4261, as he himself writes about this in the Epistle to the Galatians: “I did not then consult with flesh and blood, and did not go to Jerusalem to the Apostles who preceded me, but went to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus. Then, three years later, I went to Jerusalem to see Peter” (Gal. 1:16-18). Having come to Jerusalem, Saint Paul tried to join the disciples of the Lord, but they were afraid of this, not believing that he was already a disciple of the Lord. The Holy Apostle Barnabas, seeing him and being convinced of his conversion to Christ, rejoiced and, taking him by the hand, led him to the Apostles, and Paul told them how he saw the Lord on the way, and what the Lord said to him, and how he - Paul - boldly preached in Damascus in the name of Jesus. And the holy Apostles were filled with joy and glorified the Lord Christ. Saint Paul, in Jerusalem, competed with the Jews and Hellenists 4262 about the name of the Lord Jesus and proved to them that Jesus is the Christ predicted by the prophets. One day, while standing in church and praying, Paul unexpectedly and involuntarily went into a frenzy 4263 and saw the Lord. The Lord told him: “Hurry up and leave Jerusalem quickly, because [here] they will not accept your testimony about Me.” Paul said: “Lord! They know that I imprisoned those who believed in You and beat them in synagogues, and when the blood of Stephen, Your witness, was shed, I stood there, approved of his murder and guarded the clothes of those who beat him.” And the Lord said to him: “Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles” (Acts 22:18–20). After this vision, Saint Paul, although he wanted to stay a few more days in Jerusalem, consoled by the meeting and conversation with the Apostles, but could not: the Jews, with whom he argued about Christ, became enraged and wanted to kill him. Having learned about this, the Jerusalem Christians escorted him to Caesarea 4264 and from there they sent him by sea to Tarsus (his homeland), where he stayed for some time, preaching the word of God to his compatriots. Later, at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas came here and took Paul with him to Syrian Antioch, knowing about his appointment to be the Apostle of the Gentiles; preaching here for a whole year in the synagogues, they converted many to Christ and called them Christians 4265. After the year had passed, both holy Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, returned to Jerusalem and told the holy Apostles what the grace of God had accomplished in Antioch, and greatly rejoiced the Church of Christ in Jerusalem 4266. At the same time, they brought abundant alms from willing donors in Antioch, in favor of the poor and wretched brethren living in Judea 4267, since at that time, during the reign of Claudius 4268, there was a great famine, predicted, by a special revelation of the Holy Spirit, by Saint Agave, one of the 70 Apostles 4269. Having left Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul again came to Antioch. When they had been here for some time in fasting and prayer, in serving the Divine Liturgy and in preaching the Word of God, it pleased the Holy Spirit to send them to the pagans to preach 4270. The Holy Spirit said to the elders in the Antioch assembly: “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). Then the presbyter, having fasted and prayed and laid his hands on them, sent them away 4271. At the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Paul came to Seleucia 4272 and from there sailed to the island of Cyprus (the homeland of the Apostle Barnabas). Here, having been in Salamis 4273, they preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews and walked the entire island even to Paphos 4274, where they found a certain Elimus (magician) false prophet of the Jews, named Barijesus, who was with the local proconsul Sergius Paulus, a wise man and, apparently, had influence on him. The proconsul, calling Barnabas and Saul, wished to hear the Word of God from them and listened to their sermons. And Elymas the sorcerer, resisting them, tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Saint Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and fixing his gaze on the sorcerer, said: “O, full of all deceit and all villainy, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness! Will you stop turning aside from the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you: you will be blind and will not see the sun until the time comes. And suddenly darkness and darkness fell upon him, and he turned hither and thither, looking for a guide” (Acts 13:10-11). And suddenly darkness and darkness fell upon the sorcerer, and he, turning here and there, looked for a guide. Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, fully believed, marveling at the teaching of the Lord. Many people believed with him, and the congregation of the faithful increased. Sailing from Paphos, Paul and those who were with him arrived in Perga, which is in Pamphylia, from Perga to Antioch of Pisidia 4275. Here they preached about Christ, and when they had already led many to faith, the envious Jews incited the leading people in the city who were committed to paganism and, with their help, expelled the Apostles of the saints from the city and its environs. The apostles, having shaken off the dust from their feet here, went to Iconium 4276 and, staying there for quite some time, boldly preached and led a great multitude of Jews and pagans to faith, not only by preaching, but also by signs and wonders that were performed by their hands; There they also converted the holy virgin Thekla and brought her to Christ. And the unbelieving Jews incited the pagans and their leaders to resist the Apostles and stone them. Having learned about this, the Apostles withdrew to the Lycaonian cities - Lystra and Derbe - and their surroundings 4277. While preaching the gospel in Lystra, they healed a certain man who had been lame from his mother’s womb and had never walked; In the name of Christ they raised him to his feet, and he immediately stood up and began to walk. The people, seeing this miracle, raised their voices, saying in Lycaonian: “The gods have come down to us in human form” (Acts 14:11). And they called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermias 4278, and bringing oxen and bringing wreaths, they wanted to offer sacrifices to the Apostles. But Barnabas and Paul (hearing about this) tore their clothes and, approaching the people, said loudly: “Men! What are you doing? And we are men like you” (Acts 14:15). And they offered a word to them about the One God, who created heaven, and earth, and the sea, and everything that is in them, and sends rains and fruitful times from heaven, and fills the hearts of people with food and joy. And saying this, they barely convinced the people not to make sacrifices to them. While they were in Lystra and teaching, some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and convinced the people to leave the Apostles, boldly saying that they were not saying anything true, but were all lying, and they incited the gullible to even worse things, for Saint Paul, as the chief preacher, was stoned and dragged out of the city, considering him already dead. He (with the help of the believers), getting up, entered the city again, and the next day withdrew with Barnabas to Derbe. Having preached the Gospel in this city and having acquired quite a number of disciples, they returned through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples and begging them to continue in the faith. Having ordained them elders for each church, they prayed, observing fasting, and handed them over to the Lord in whom they believed. Then, having passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia 4279, and having preached the word of the Lord in Perga, they descended to Attalia 4280, and from there they sailed to Antioch of Syria, from where they were originally sent by the Holy Spirit to preach the word of the Lord to the pagans. And having arrived in Antioch, they gathered the faithful and told everyone what God had done with them, and how many pagan people had been brought to Christ. After some time, a dispute arose between believing Jews and Hellenists in Antioch regarding circumcision: some said that it was impossible to be saved without circumcision, others considered circumcision a difficult matter for themselves. Therefore, it turned out to be necessary for the Apostle Paul and Barnabas to go to Jerusalem to the elder Apostles and elders - to ask their opinions regarding circumcision and at the same time inform them that God had opened the door of faith to the pagans; With this latest news they greatly rejoiced all the brethren of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, at a council meeting, the holy Apostles and elders completely abolished Old Testament circumcision, as unnecessary under the new grace, and commanded only to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from fornication, and not to offend one’s neighbor in any way, and with this decision they released Paul and Barnabas from Jerusalem to Antioch, and with them Judas and Silas. Arriving in Antioch, the Apostles stayed there for quite some time and again went to the pagans, separated from each other: Judas returned to Jerusalem; Barnabas, taking with him Mark, his relative, headed to Cyprus; and Paul, having chosen Silas, went to Syria and Cilicia, and passing through the cities there, he established the faithful. Having come to Derbe and Lystra, he circumcised Timothy, his disciple, in Lystra, just to quench the murmur of the Judaizing Christians 4281 and took him with him. From there he went to Phrygia and the Galatian country, then he came to Mysia and thought about going to Bithynia 4282, but this did not please the Holy Spirit 4283. For when Paul was with his companions in Troas 4284, he had the following vision at night: a man who looked like a Macedonian stood before him and begged him, saying: “Come to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). From this vision, Paul realized that the Lord was calling him to preach in Macedonia. And sailing from Troas, he arrived on the island of Samothrace, the next day in Naples 4285, from there to Philippi, the nearest city of Macedonia, which was a colony of the Romans. In Philippi, he first of all taught the faith of Christ and baptized the woman Lydia, who sold scarlet (crimson or red fabrics and clothes); she begged him to live with her disciples in her house. One day, when Paul was walking with his disciples to the congregation for prayer, he was met by some servant girl possessed by an unclean spirit of divination, who with her divinations brought great income to her masters. Walking behind Paul and his companions, she shouted, saying: “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who show us the way of salvation” (Acts 16:17). She repeated this for many days. Paul, indignant 4286, turned to her and, rebuking the spirit in the name of Jesus Christ, drove him out of her. Then her masters, seeing that the hope of their income was lost, seized Paul and Silas and led them to the leaders of the city, saying: “These people, being Jews, are disturbing our city and preaching customs that we Romans should neither accept nor practice” (Acts 16:20-21). The commanders, tearing off the clothes of the Apostles, ordered them to be beaten with sticks, and after giving them many blows, they were thrown into prison. Here, about midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying, the prison shook, all its doors were opened, and the bonds were loosened. Seeing this, the prison guard believed in Christ, brought the Apostles to his house, there he washed their wounds, immediately was baptized himself with his entire household and offered them a meal. And the Apostles returned to prison again. The next day, the city leaders came to their senses that they had cruelly punished innocent people, and sent ministers to prison with orders to release the Apostles to freedom - let them go wherever they want. But Paul said to them: “We, Roman citizens, were publicly beaten without trial and thrown into prison, and now we are being secretly released? No, let them come and lead us out themselves” (Acts 16:37). And the messengers, returning, retold the words of Paul to the commanders; the commanders were afraid that the prisoners whom they had beaten turned out to be Roman citizens; and having come to them, they begged them to leave the prison and the city. Having left the prison, they first came to the house of Lydia, with whom they had previously lived, and brought joy to the faithful gathered there. Having said goodbye to them, they went to Amphipolis and Apollonia and from there to Thessaloniki 4287. In Thessalonica, when they had already gained many with the gospel, the envious Jews, having gathered several worthless people, rushed to the house of Jason, where the Apostles of Christ were staying. And not finding the Apostles there, they seized Jason and some brothers and dragged them to the leaders of the city, slandering them as opponents of Caesar, who recognize another king - namely Jesus. And Jason was barely freed from this misfortune. А святые Апостолы, успев скрыться от этих враждебных людей, ночью вышли из Солуни и пришли в Берию 4288 ; but even there the evil envy of the Jews gave Saint Paul no rest; когда солунские иудеи узнали, что и в Берии проповедано Павлом Слово Божие, то пришли и туда, возбуждая и возмущая народ и подстрекая его против Павла. Вынужден был Апостол святой и оттуда уйти, не из личной боязни смерти, но по настоянию братии, да сохранит жизнь свою, ради спасения многих, и братия отпустили его к морю. Спутников же своих Силу и Тимофея – Апостол оставил в Берии, чтобы утвердили в вере новообращенных, так как он знал, что иудеи только его одного головы ищут. He himself boarded the ship and sailed to Athens 4289. In Athens, Paul was troubled in spirit at the sight of the idols that filled that city, and grieved over the destruction of so many souls. He began to interpret in synagogues with the Jews and daily in the squares with the Greeks and their philosophers. The listeners brought him to the Areopagus (that was the name of the place where a public trial was held at the idol church). They brought him there partly in order to hear something new from him in the former assembly, and partly also (as Saint Chrysostom thinks) in order to bring him to trial, torment and death, if they heard from him anything worthy of execution. Saint Paul, having previously seen some kind of altar in the city, on which was written: “to an unknown god,” began his speech on this matter and began to preach to them the True God, hitherto unknown to them, saying: “This, whom you worship without knowing, I preach to you” (Acts 17:23). And he began to tell them about God, the Creator of the whole world, and about repentance, and about judgment, and about the resurrection of the dead. Having heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of the listeners scoffed, while others wanted to hear about it even more. And Paul left their meeting not condemned, as innocent of anything: and the Word of God preached to him was not without benefit for winning souls: for some men, having joined him, believed in Christ; among them was Dionysius the Areopagite and a certain noble woman named Damar, and many others were baptized. Leaving Athens, Paul came to Corinth 4290 and lived there with a certain Jew named Aquila; Silas and Timothy came here from Macedonia to him and preached together about Christ. Aquila and his wife Priscilla were tent makers by trade; Paul was familiar with this craft, and he worked with them, and with his labor he acquired food for himself and his companions, as he himself says about this in his letter to the Thessalonians: “They ate no one’s bread for free, but labored and labored night and day, so as not to burden any of you” (2 Thess. 3:8). And again: “These hands have ministered to my needs and to those who were with me” (Acts 20:34). А во всякую субботу убеждал в синагогах иудеев, доказывая, что Иисус есть Христос. Но так как они упорно противились и злословили, то он, отрясши одежды свои, сказал им: «Кровь ваша на главах ваших; I am clean; From now on I go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6). И когда он решил уйти из Коринфа, явился ему Господь в видении, ночью, и сказал: «Не бойся, но говори и не умолкай, ибо Я с тобою, и никто не сделает тебе зла, потому что у Меня много людей в этом городе» ( Деян.18:9–10 ). И оставался Павел в Коринфе год и шесть месяцев, поучая Слову Божию иудеев и греков, и многие уверовали и крестились, и сам начальник синагоги, Крисп, уверовал в Господа со всем домом своим и крестился. А некоторые, из не уверовавших иудеев напали целой толпою на Павла и привели его пред судилище к проконсулу Галлиону (который был братом философа Сенеки 4291 ), но он отказался судить Павла, говоря: «Если бы от него была какая-нибудь обида, или злой умысел, то я имел бы основание выслушать вас и судил бы его; but in your dispute about doctrine and about your law, I don’t want to be a judge.” And he drove them away from the judgment seat. After this, Saint Paul, having remained there for quite some days, said goodbye to the brethren and sailed to Syria with those who were with him. Aquila and Priscilla followed him, and on the way they all stopped in Ephesus 4292. There, preaching the word of the Lord, the holy Apostle Paul performed many miracles, and not only were his hands miraculous, healing every ailment with one touch, but also his handkerchiefs and headbands, soaked in the sweat of his body, had the same miraculous power: for, being placed on the sick, they immediately healed them and cast out unclean spirits from people. Seeing this, some of the wandering Jewish exorcists dared to call on the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying: “We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches.” But the evil spirit answered them: “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” And a man in whom there was an evil spirit rushed at them, and having overcome them, he received such power over them that he beat them and wounded them, so that they could barely escape naked from the hand of the demoniac. This became known to all the Jews and Greeks of Ephesus, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was glorified, and many believed in Him. And even of those who practiced sorcery, many, upon accepting the holy faith, collected their magic books, and having counted their prices, found that they cost 50 thousand drachmas 4293, and they publicly burned all the books. So the word of the Lord grew and became powerful. Paul was preparing to go to Jerusalem and said: “Having been there, I must see Rome also” (Acts 19:21). But at this time there was a major rebellion in Ephesus from silversmiths who were making models of the Church of Artemis. After the rebellion was tamed, Saint Paul, having stayed in Ephesus for 3 years, went to Macedonia, from there he came to Troas, where he stayed for seven days. On the very first day of the week, when the faithful gathered to break bread, Paul had a long conversation with them, since he intended to leave them the next day, and continued it until midnight in an upper room illuminated by many lamps. Among the listeners, one young man, named Eutychus, sitting on the window, fell into a deep sleep and, staggering sleepily, fell down from the third floor (floor), and he was raised unconscious. Saint Paul, descending, fell on him and embraced him, saying: “Do not be alarmed, for his soul is in him” (Acts 20:10). And again Paul went up into the upper room; They brought the young man alive and were greatly consoled. Paul talked for a long time, even until dawn, and after saying goodbye to the believers, he left from there. Having arrived in Miletus 4294, Paul sent to Ephesus to call the elders of the church to him, for he himself did not want to go there, so as not to delay his journey, since he was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. And when the elders of Ephesus gathered to the Apostle, he spoke an instructive word to them and among other things said: “Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). And he predicted to them that after his departure fierce wolves would come among them, not sparing the flock. He told them about the upcoming journey: “And now, at the pull of the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will meet me there; only the Holy Spirit testifies in all cities, saying that bonds and sorrows await me. But I do not consider anything and do not value my life, so long as I finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus with joy” (Acts 20:22-24). Then he said: “And now, behold, I know that you will all see my face no more” (Acts 20:25). Then they cried a lot. Falling on Paul's neck, they kissed him, especially grieving at the word he had spoken that they would no longer see his face. And they escorted him to the ship. He, having given everyone a final kiss, set off on his way. And having passed through many cities and countries, both off the coast of the sea and on the islands, and having visited and established the faithful everywhere, he landed in Ptolemais 4295; from there he came to Caesarea Stratonova 4296, and settled in the house of St. Philip the Apostle. One day a prophet named Agabus came here to Saint Paul, and taking Paul’s belt, tied his hands and feet, and said: “Thus says the Holy Spirit: The man whose belt is this will be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles” (Acts 21:11). When the brethren heard this, they began to ask Paul with tears not to go to Jerusalem; but Paul answered and said to them, “What are you doing? Why are you crying and breaking my heart? I not only want to be a prisoner, but I am ready to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). And the brothers fell silent, saying: “The will of the Lord be done!” After this, the holy Apostle Paul went to Jerusalem with his disciples (among whom was Trophimus the Ephesian, who converted from the pagans to Christ) and was cordially received by Saint James and the entire assembly of the faithful 4297. At this time, the Jews came from Asia 4298 to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost, who were constantly enemies of Paul and everywhere incited rebellion against him. Seeing Paul in the city and with him Trophimus the Ephesian, they complained against Paul to the Jewish chief priests and scribes and elders, that he was destroying the law of Moses, did not order circumcision, preached the crucified Jesus everywhere, and they incited each other against Paul in order to arrest him. And when they saw Saint Paul on a feast day in the Temple of Solomon, they suddenly came up with a slander against him, outraged the whole people and rushed to lay hands on him, shouting: “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everywhere against the people, the law and this place (the temple); finally, he brought the pagans into the temple and desecrated this holy place” (they thought that Paul and Trophimus brought into the temple). At these shouts, the whole city began to move, and there was a crowd of people; The rebels, seizing Paul, dragged him out of the church, and hastily closed the doors: they wanted to kill Paul, but not in the church, so as not to desecrate the holy place. At this time, news reached the commander of the regiment that all of Jerusalem was indignant. He immediately gathered soldiers and centurions and hurried to the church; The rebels, seeing the captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul. Then the captain took him and ordered him to be bound with two iron chains; then he began to interrogate who he was and what he had done? The people shouted to the captain to put Paul to death. But due to the noise and heterogeneous talk among the people, the commander was in no way able to find out what exactly Pavel was guilty of, and ordered him to be taken to the fortress. The multitude of the people followed the captain and the soldiers, shouting that Paul be killed. When they reached the highest porch leading to the fortress, Paul asked the captain to allow him to say a few words to the people; he allowed. And Paul, stopping on the steps, turned to the people and spoke loudly in Hebrew, saying: “Men, brethren and fathers! Hear now my justification before you” (Acts 22:1). And he began to tell them about his former zeal for the law of Moses, and how on the way to Damascus he was shone with heavenly light, and how he saw the Lord sending him to the pagans. But the people, no longer wanting to listen to him, began to shout, turning to the commander of a thousand: “Destroy such a one from the earth! For he should not live!” Shouting in this way, they threw their clothes and threw dust into the air, carried away by rage, and insisted on killing Paul. The commander of the thousand ordered him to be brought into the fortress and ordered to scourge him in order to extort from him: for what guilt were the people so angry with him? But when they tied Paul to the stake with straps, he said to the centurion standing with him: - “Are you allowed to scourge a Roman citizen, and even without trial?” (Acts 22:25) Hearing this, the centurion came up and reported to the captain, saying: - Look what you want to do! This man is a Roman citizen. Then the captain approached Paul and asked: - Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? The commander of a thousand said embarrassedly: – I acquired this citizenship for a lot of money. And he immediately freed him from his shackles. The next day the captain ordered the high priests and the entire Sanhedrin to come and placed Saint Paul before them. Paul, looking towards the Sanhedrin, said: - Men, brothers! I have lived with all my good conscience before God until this day (Acts 23:1). The high priest Ananias, at these words, ordered those standing before him to strike Paul on the mouth... - God will beat you, you whitewashed wall! You sit to judge according to the law, and, contrary to the law, you order me to be beaten 4299 (Acts 23:3). Noticing that in the assembly one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul cried out, saying: - Men, brothers! I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; I am being judged for hoping for the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6). When he said this, a quarrel arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided: for the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, no angel, no spirit, but the Pharisees admit both. There was a great cry. The Pharisees said: “We don’t find anything bad in this man.” The Sadducees argued the opposite, and the great strife continued. The commander of the thousand, fearing that the assembly would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to take him from among them and take him to the fortress. The next night the Lord appeared to Saint Paul and said: - Be brave, Pavel; for as you testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome (Acts 23:11). As daylight came, some of the embittered Jews held a council and swore not to eat or drink until they killed Paul. And it turned out that there were more than forty souls who cast such a spell. Having learned about this, the commander sent Paul, with a large detachment of armed soldiers, to Caesarea, to the governor Philip. Having heard about this, the high priest Ananias and the elder members of the Sanhedrin went themselves to Caesarea and slandered the governor against Paul, blasphemed him before the governor and strongly sought his death, but they did not succeed in anything, for no guilt was found in him worthy of death. However, the governor, wanting to please the Jews, left Paul in bonds. Two years have passed. Porcius Festus replaced Philip as ruler. The bishops asked him to send Paul to Jerusalem. And they started this with evil intent: on the road they hoped to kill the Apostle of Christ. And when Festus asked Paul if he wanted to go to Jerusalem for judgment, Paul answered: “I stand before the court of Caesar, where I should be judged. I did not offend the Jews in any way, as you well know. For if I am wrong and have done something worthy of death, then I do not refuse to die; and if there is nothing of what they accuse me of, then no one can hand me over to them. I demand the judgment of Caesar” (Acts 25:10–11). Then Festus, having talked with the advisers, answered Paul: - You demanded the judgment of Caesar, and you will go to Caesar. A few days later, King Agrippa came to Caesarea 4300 to congratulate Festus and, having learned about Paul, wished to see him. And when Paul, having presented himself to King Agrippa and the governor Festus, told them in detail about Christ the Lord and how he believed in Him, King Agrippa said to him: “You’re not convincing me to become a Christian.” – I would pray to God that, whether you know how much or not, not only you, but also everyone who listens to me today, would become like me, except for these bonds (Acts 26:29). After these words, the king, the ruler and those who were with them stood up; stepping aside, they consulted among themselves and decided: “This man has done nothing worthy of death or chains.” “It would have been possible to free him if he had not demanded a trial from Caesar.” Thus, they decided to send Paul to Rome to Caesar and gave him and some other prisoners to the centurion of the royal regiment, named Julius; and he, having received the prisoners and Paul, put them on the ship, and they all set sail. Their navigation was very unsafe due to contrary winds; when they sailed to the island of Crete and entered a place called “good landings,” Saint Paul, foreseeing the future, advised them to spend the winter there with the ship; but the centurion trusted the helmsman and the captain of the ship more than the words of Paul. When they sailed into the middle of the sea, a stormy wind rose against them, there was great excitement and such fog fell that for 14 whole days they did not see either the sun during the day or the stars at night, and did not even know what place they were in, because they were carried by the waves, and in despair they did not eat during all these days and were already expecting death. There were 276 people on the ship. Paul stood in their midst and consoled them, saying: - “Men! You had to listen to me and not leave Crete, which would have avoided these difficulties and harm. Now I urge you to take heart, because not a single soul of you will perish, but only the ship. For the Angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, appeared to me that night and said: “Do not be afraid, Paul! You must appear before Caesar, and behold, God has given you all those who sail with you.” Therefore, be of good cheer, men, for I believe in God that it will happen as I have been told” (Acts 27:21–25). And Paul persuaded everyone to take food, saying: – “This will serve to preserve your life; for none of you will lose a hair from his head” (Acts 27:36). Having said this and taking the bread, he thanked God in front of everyone and, breaking it, began to eat. Then everyone took heart and also took food. When day came, they saw land, but did not recognize which side it was, and they directed the ship towards the shore. Approaching it, the ship hit a spit and ran aground; the bow got stuck and remained motionless, and the stern was broken by the force of the waves. The soldiers conferred among themselves to kill all the prisoners, so that someone would not swim out and run away; but the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from this intention and ordered those who knew how to swim to be the first to rush and go ashore; and looking at them, others began to swim, some on boards, others on whatever was available from the ship's things, and all came to land healthy and were saved from the sea. Then they learned that this island was called Melit 4301. Its inhabitants, foreigners, showed them considerable kindness, for, due to the former rain and cold, they lit a fire to warm up those who were wet at sea. Meanwhile, Paul gathered a lot of brushwood and put it on the fire; At this time, the viper, coming out of the heat, hung on his hand. When the foreigners saw the snake hanging on his hand, they said to each other: “That’s right, this man is a murderer when, having escaped from the sea, God’s judgment does not allow him to live.” But Paul, having shaken the snake into the fire, suffered no harm. They expected that he would have inflammation, or that he would suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing that no trouble had happened to him, they changed their minds and said that he was God. The ruler of that island, named Publius, took those rescued from the sea into his home and treated them in a friendly manner for three days. At this time his father was lying, suffering from a fever and pain in his stomach. Paul went in to him, prayed to the Lord, and laying his hands on the sick man, healed him. After this event, other sick people on the island came to the holy Apostle and were healed. Three months later, all those who escaped from the sea with the Apostle sailed from here, already on another ship, and sailed to Syracuse 4302, from there to Rigia, then to Puteoli 4303 and finally reached Rome. And when the brethren who were in Rome learned about Paul’s arrival, they went out to meet him even as far as Appian Square and three hotels 4304. When Paul saw them, he was comforted in spirit and gave thanks to God. In Rome, the centurion who accompanied the prisoners from Jerusalem handed them over to the military commander, and allowed Paul to live separately with the soldier guarding him. And Paul lived in Rome for two whole years, and received everyone who came to him, preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching about our Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness without restraint. Hitherto about the life and works of Paul from the book of the Acts of the Apostles, written by Saint Luke; He himself talks about his other labors and sufferings in 2 Corinthians as follows (in comparison with others, he was): “more in labor, immeasurably in wounds, more in prisons and many times at the point of death. Five times the Jews gave me forty [strikes] minus one; three times I was beaten with sticks, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the depths [of the sea]; I [was] traveling many times” (2 Cor. 11:23–26). Having measured the latitude and longitude of the earth by walking, and the sea by swimming, the Apostle Paul also experienced the height of heaven, being caught up to the third heaven. For the Lord, consoling His Apostle in the painful labors he endured for the sake of His holy name, showed him heavenly bliss, which the eye had never seen, and he heard there ineffable verbs that cannot be retold by man. How the holy Apostle accomplished other feats of his life and activity, Eusebius Pamphilus, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, historian of church events 4305, tells. After two years of captivity in Rome, Saint Paul was released as if innocent of anything, and preached the word of God first in Rome and then in other Western countries. And Saint Simeon Metaphrastus 4306 writes that after the Roman bonds the Apostle worked for several more years in the gospel of Christ: leaving Rome, he walked through Spain, Gaul and all of Italy, enlightening the pagans with the light of faith and turning them to Christ from the deception of idols. When he was in Spain, one noble and rich woman, having heard about the apostolic sermon about Christ, wished to see the Apostle Paul himself and persuaded her husband Probus to beg the holy Apostle to come to their house so that they could cordially entertain him. And when Saint Paul entered their house, she looked at his face and saw the words written in gold on his forehead: “Paul is Christ’s Apostle.” And seeing this (which no one else could see), she fell at the feet of the Apostle with joy and fear, confessing Christ as the true God and asking for holy baptism. And she was the first to be baptized (her name was Xanthippe), then her husband Probus, and their whole house, and the ruler of the city Philotheus, and many others were baptized there. Having passed through all these countries in the West, illuminating them with the light of the holy faith, and seeing his approaching painful death, the holy Apostle again returned to Rome, from where he wrote to his disciple Saint Timothy, saying: “For I am already becoming a victim, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; But now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day” (2 Tim. 9:6-8). Church historiographers have different reports about the time of the suffering of the Holy Apostle Paul. Nicephorus Callistus 4307 in the 2nd book of his history, in chapter 36, writes that Saint Paul suffered in the same year and on the same day as the Holy Apostle Peter, for the sorcerer Simon, whom he helped Peter defeat. Others say that a whole year after the death of Peter, Paul suffered on the same 29th day of the month of June, on which Saint Peter was crucified the year before. The reason for Paul's death is that he exhorted girls and women to a chaste, pure life through the preaching of Christ. However, there is no great disagreement in this news: for in the life of Saint Peter (according to Simeon Metaphrastes) it is said that Saint Peter did not suffer immediately after the death of Simon the Magus, but after several years, because of two concubines beloved by Nero, whom the Apostle Peter converted to Christ and taught to live chastely. And since Saint Paul lived in Rome and the surrounding countries at the same time as Peter, it could easily have been both, i.e. that Saint Paul helped Saint Peter and Simon the Magus, during his first stay in Rome, and having come to Rome for the second time, again with Saint Peter he unanimously served the salvation of people, instructing men and women in a chaste, pure life. And thus the holy Apostles aroused the rage of the wicked and depraved king Nero, who lived 4308, who, condemning them both to death, executed Peter, as a foreigner, by crucifixion, and Paul, as a Roman citizen (who could not be put to a dishonorable death), by beheading, if not in the same year, then on the same day. When Pavlov's honest head was cut off, blood and milk flowed from the wound. The faithful, having taken his holy body, laid it in the same place with Saint Peter. Thus died the chosen vessel of Christ, the teacher of the nations, the world preacher, the witness of heavenly heights and heavenly goodness, the object of wonder of Angels and men, the great ascetic and sufferer, who endured the wounds of his Lord on his body, the holy Supreme Apostle Paul, and a second time, apart from his body, he was ascended to the third heaven and appeared before the Trinity Light, together with his friend and co-worker, the holy Supreme Apostle Peter 4309, having passed from the militant church to the triumphant church, with joyful thanksgiving, the voice and exclamation of those celebrating, and now they glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the one God in the Trinity, to whom honor, glory, worship and thanksgiving are sent from us sinners, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Pray to the Mother Apostles, and the universal teacher, the ruler of all, to grant peace to the universe and great mercy to our souls. Firm and divine preachers, the top of your apostles, Lord, have you received your good things and peace into enjoyment; You have accepted illness and death more than any other fruitfulness, the only one who knows your heart. Saul is a Hebrew name meaning “desired”; "begged"; Paul is a Roman name, meaning “small.” Some scholars think that he was the long-awaited, first-born son and received both names at birth, as a Roman citizen, through his father. And Saint Demetrius of Rostov, following the opinion of St. Chrysostom, Ambrose and others, think that Saul was renamed Paul at his baptism. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles there is no information about when and for what reason this change of name took place. Tarsus is once a large and populated city in the southeast of Asia Minor, the main one in the province of Cilicia, near the river. Kidne, near the Mediterranean Sea. And now it is a significant and commercial city with 40 thousand inhabitants. Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world. Already during the time of King David, it was the main city of an independent state; even before the birth of Christ, it fell under the rule of the Romans. The Faith of Christ was confirmed here by the disciples of the Lord who had scattered after the murder of Stephen. The synagogues of Damascus were subject to the high priest of Jerusalem; Civil authorities did not interfere in the religious affairs of Jews. In Damascus, they still point out the house where the Apostle Paul was baptized, and the place from where he was lowered down the wall. In 1516, Damascus was annexed to the Turkish Empire, and is now a very commercial and wealthy city, with 200 thousand inhabitants. From Jerusalem it is located to the northeast, at a distance of about 200 versts, in Syria, at the foot of Anti-Lebanon. Tiberius - Roman emperor, from 14 to 37 AD. Jesus Christ was crucified under him. Going against the pricks is a popular proverb expressing the futility of efforts to resist an irresistible, and even more so omnipotent, Divine force. Ananias - was a Jewish Christian, then appointed bishop in Damascus and died a martyr - stoned in Eleutheropolis (between Jerusalem and Gaza). – His memory is October 1. Thy saints - this is how Christians were called at first, after their sanctification into Christ, because of their immaculate life and mutual love. “Before the Gentiles” - they are placed in the foreground as a sign that Paul will be a preacher primarily among them. “I will tell him” are the words of the Lord soothing for Ananias; their meaning: go, do not be afraid: now none of the Christians will suffer from Saul, on the contrary, he himself will suffer for My name. “Laid hands” - as a sign of communicating to him the grace of the Lord even before baptism: everything concerning Paul, although it was done through a person, but God Himself was the performer of everything. – “The scales fell away”: this was only Pavel’s inner feeling; It seemed to him that scales had fallen away from his eyes. His immediate preaching in Damascus shows his fiery spirit and his complete acceptance of faith in Christ. The details of his stay in Arabia are completely unknown. He probably devoted himself to the study of Scripture and prepared for the new activity indicated to him by the Lord. “Hellenists” were the Jews who lived in different countries of the pagan world and spoke the then widespread Greek language. “Frenzy” (otherwise known as ecstasy) is an extraordinary state of a person that does not happen by his will, when in his waking position the outer world seems to be closed to his bodily senses, and to his inner sense the phenomena of the invisible, spiritual world are revealed, which God wants to bestow upon him in vision; The Apostle Peter was in this state. Caesarea was the ancient name of many cities of the Roman Empire. Here we mean Caesarea in Palestine, built by Straton, in honor of Caesar Octavius ​​Augustus, by the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 miles from Jerusalem, to the northwest, which was the seat of the Roman rulers of Judea; it was fortified and decorated by Herod, once with an excellent harbor; now it is a pile of ruins. In Palestine there was another Caesarea, at the foot of Mount Lebanon, built by the tetrarch Philip of Galilee in honor of Caesar Tiberius, and called Caesarea Philippi (in ancient times it was called Vansei). The name “Christians” did not originate among the followers of the Lord, who usually called each other brothers, disciples, believers; it was first used outside the Church and most likely given to the followers of the Lord by the pagans of Antioch, who, meeting a very significant number of believers, ceased to consider them a Jewish sect and gave Christianity an independent meaning. “Church in Jerusalem”, that is: a general liturgical meeting of Christians; churches, like buildings, appeared later. The Holy Apostles Jason and Sosipater were perhaps the first to erect a beautiful church in the name of St. First Martyr Stephen. This was the first unity of the Church of Christ from the pagans with the church from the Jews, in which brotherly love was solemnly expressed; at the same time, this was evidence of the great grace of God operating in the pagan church. Claudius Caesar, Caligula's successor, occupied the Roman throne from 41 to 54 AD; During this time, famine more than once raged in different regions of the Roman Empire. Memory of St. Agave takes place on April 8th. “It pleased the Holy Spirit,” i.e. in the general meeting of the Antiochian Church, when the service was taking place, with the celebration of the Eucharist, one or more prophets participating in the service expressed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit - to separate Barnabas and Saul to preach to the pagans. Or perhaps the Apostles Barnabas and Paul themselves explained their calling to the congregation, and the congregation dismissed them. Thus, here begins the first apostolic journey of St. Pavel. He was prepared for it by an extraordinary revelation - the rapture to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:1-5). For the omnipotence of God, of course, it did not mean anything to temporarily completely capture Pavlov’s soul from his body; but it is difficult (notes St. Chrysostom) to see the need for such a separation of the soul from the body in a living person, unprecedented for the holiest people. “The spiritual world, into which Paul was caught up as not subject to space, exists everywhere; and therefore, it is only required that the ability to communicate with him be revealed in the spirit of a person, and he, remaining in the body without any change of place, can be in heaven - in the company of Angels and blessed souls (Innocent of Kherson). The performance of special fasting and prayer at this time showed that the Jerusalem church recognized the embassy of Paul and Barnabas to preach to the pagans as a matter of special importance. Seleucia is a small port city near the Orontes River, where the river flows into the sea. Salamis is a seaside city where the Apostles landed. Paphos, the main city of the island of Cyprus, the seat of the ruler, was located on the coast opposite Salamis: obviously, the Apostles passed through the entire island and, of course, preached about Christ. Antioch Pisidian, Roman colony; in it Paul and Barnabas first preached the Gospel to the pagans. It must be distinguished from Syrian Antioch or Seleucia. The latter was founded 300 years BC near the Orontes River, 30 miles from the sea, by Seleucus Nicator, the founder of the Seleucid kingdom, as one of the many Greek colonies; it quickly became one of the vast and famous cities of Syria and its capital. In the Christian Church it occupied second place after Jerusalem; its leaders received the title of patriarch, now their residence is in Damascus. And Antioch itself is now a poor Turkish city - Antakya. Iconium - southeast of Pisidian Antioch, in Asia Minor, at the foot of Mount Taurus; a city that was once the main one in the Lycaon diocese. Lycaonia is a region of Asia Minor neighboring Pisidia; Lystra and Derbe are small cities in it, southeast of Iconium. Zeus and Hermias (otherwise Jupiter and Mercury) are the names of the pagan gods of the main and messenger of his will, who sometimes accompanied him, the patron of trade, the mediator between people and the gods. Pisidia and Pamphylia are regions of Asia Minor, southwest of Lycaonia. Now Adalia, a coastal city in Pamphylia, southeast of Perga. Timothy was the son of a Jewish woman (who converted to Christianity) and a pagan, and himself a sincere Christian, approved by the brethren; with his consent, Paul circumcised him, “for the sake of the Jews,” since they would never have decided to listen to the word of God from an uncircumcised man, whose father, moreover, was a pagan. Phrygia and Galatia are the interior regions of Asia Minor; Mysia and Bithynia are the northwestern regions in it. The actions of the Spirit are not indicated by the writer, whether they were external or internal, but the Apostles clearly recognized them as direct actions of the Holy Spirit. Troas is a seaside city, from where it was not far to cross the sea to Europe. – Macedonia is a coastal region adjacent to the Archipelago from the northwest. Seaside city of Thrace, the first European city, now Kavana. Paul was indignant at this confession of an unclean spirit, not wanting to have support for his preaching from the enemy of God and men, just as the Lord himself did not accept the confession of demons (Mark 1:24–25, 34; Mark 3:11–12, etc.). Amphipolis is the main city in the 1st district of Macedonia, southwest of Philippi; Apollonia - (now the town of Yerisso) southwest of Amphipolis, in the northern part of the Athos Peninsula; Thessalonica (or Thessalonica) is the main city in the 2nd district of Macedonia, on the bay of the Aegean Sea, now an important trading city in Turkey, a warehouse for Macedonian trade. Beria is a city southwest of Thessaloniki. Athens is the main city of Greece, the center of the then Greek science, art and trade. According to legend, it was founded around 1550 BC, in its long life it was the capital of a kingdom, a republic, a duchy, in the 15th century. conquered by the Turks in the 19th century. freed from them and became the capital of the Greek kingdom. Corinth - west of Athens, on the isthmus, famous in antiquity for its extensive trade, then the residence of the Roman ruler. Seneca was born in Spain, soon after Christ, he arrived in Rome, where he gained fame as a philosopher, became the teacher of Emperor Nero, who then sentenced him to death; Seneca discovered his own blood and thus fulfilled his death sentence. Ephesus is a coastal trading city and the main city of the Asia Minor province of Ionia; it later became the center of Ap. John the Evangelist; here was the 3rd Ecumenical Council in 431; now Ephesus is the poor Turkish village of Ayasaluk. A drachma is about 20 kopecks, therefore books worth up to 10 thousand rubles were burned. silver Miletus is a seaside city, south of Ephesus, once prosperous, founded many colonies, now a simple village. Ptolemais is an ancient seaside city in the south of Phenicia, within Palestine, now Saint-Jean-d'Acre, which successfully withstood the siege of Bonaparte in 1799. Jacob, brother of the Lord, eldest son of Joseph the betrothed, by his first wife; he accompanied Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus on their flight to Egypt; after His resurrection, the Lord honored him with His special personal appearance (1 Cor. 15:7); After the Ascension of Christ, he was appointed by the Supreme Apostles as the first bishop of the Jerusalem Church, having been destined for this by the Lord Himself, and in his spiritual life he enjoyed the high respect of the Apostles themselves, presided over the Apostolic Council and, having spent his entire life in Jerusalem, even acquired the title “Righteous” from unbelievers. – His memory is October 23. Asia - the so-called western provinces of Asia Minor - Mysia, Lydia, Caria, i.e. the entire western coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which was under the control of the proconsul. The severe reproach of the Apostle Paul is explained by the fact that he either did not recognize the high priest, due to the weakness of his eyesight, or by the fact that in front of him was not the same high priest he had once known. Having denounced obvious and unfounded insolence, Paul followed the example of Jesus Christ, Who also denounced the injustice of those who struck Him before condemnation. Now we have spoken about Ap’s weakness of vision. Paul, - indeed, it was an illness that he often complained about; it was precisely that “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7) from which he suffered. The Lord left the inflammatory condition of the eyes on the Apostle as an indelible sign of His miraculous appearance to him on the way to Damascus; Paul himself said that he lost his sight from the sudden glory of that light, so that with his eyes open he saw no one, and if later sight was granted to him, weakness could still remain in him: a midday journey under the burning Syrian sun, the brilliance of the light that surpassed even this midday light and the blindness that befell the Apostle - could cause inflammation and weakening of his eyes; his stay in the desert and Damascus, where many suffer from eyesight, could maintain this weakness of vision, and at times strengthened it. The words of Paul in the letter to the Galatians: “you did not despise my temptation in my flesh and were not abhorred by it... I testify about you that if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me” (Gal. 4:14-15) hint quite clearly at the damage to vision, which at times had its attacks and was accompanied by headaches. That is why, having reproached the high priest who had offended him, Paul had reason to justify himself by saying that he could not consider that his offender was a high priest. King Agrippa - this was Agrippa II, the son of Herod Agrippa I, the last king of the Herod family, the ruler of some regions in Syria. Melite - present-day Malta, an island south of Sicily; In Malta, there is still a legend about the stay of the Apostle Paul there. Syracuse is a seaside city on the southeastern coast of Sicily, 18 miles from Malta. Rigia - now Reggio, in southern Italy, opposite Messina, on the north-eastern coast of Sicily. Puteoli is now Puzzolo, a seaside town near Naples. Appian Square is a small town, about 60 miles from Rome. Three hotels - a place 15 miles from Rome. Eusebius Pamphilus - Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (268-340), a church historian who was close to many great events of his time. Simeon Metaphrastus - collector and compiler of the lives of saints, secretary of Emperor Constantine VII; died approx. 940 Nikephoros Callistus - Greek church historian; especially remarkable is his “Ecclesiastical History” in 23 books, of which the first 18 have reached us, and only excerpts from the rest; died in 1350 Nero, the Roman emperor (54–68), stained himself with his cruelty even towards his closest relatives and especially towards Christians. At the same time, he was the patron of scientists, poets, singers and himself participated in the Olympic Games. Vain, depraved, unbridled, he stirred up a conspiracy against himself and was forced to kill himself. St. Apostle Paul left us in his letters the names of his other co-workers. They helped him with such love, and he himself was so pleased with them that in the sketch of his life it is worth mentioning at least some of them, which he himself recalls with gratitude. So, for example, he calls Luke, praised by all the churches for the Gospel and, moreover, chosen from the churches to accompany Paul for good (2 Cor. 8:18-19), Timothy, who, like the Apostle, worked for the work of the Lord, and Paul had no one equally zealous. Timothy serves him in the gospel as a son to his father (1 Cor. 16:10; Phil. 2:19–22); calls Tychicus as a beloved brother and a faithful servant in the Lord, capable of delivering heartfelt consolation (Eph. 6:21–22); Priscilla and Aquila, their fellow servants in Christ Jesus (Rom. 16:3); Epaphras, his beloved co-worker and faithful servant of Christ (Col.1:7); Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, co-workers for the Kingdom of God and as their delight ( Col. 4:10–11 ); Titus, the true son of the common faith, to whom Paul entrusted to complete the unfinished work in Crete, who consoled him with his arrival, and joy, and disposition towards the believers: “this is my companion and colleague” (Tit. 1: 4–5; 2 Cor. 7: 6, 13, 15, 8:23); Sosthenes, who was later bishop of Colophon (1 Cor. 1:1). Let us finally remember Silas, who, together with Timothy, remained in Beria amid all the dangers, just to confirm the brethren in the faith, according to the desire of Ap. Paul (Acts 17:13–15). And there were many of them, not even named, but remembered only for their deeds of love. You might be interested in: