The Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Foremost Apostles Peter and Paul

Icon of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Photo: blagovist.info

The feast of the Holy Foremost Apostles Peter and Paul – is a feast celebrated on July 12 according to the New Style. It is named in honor of the Apostles Peter and Paul, who preached Christianity throughout the world. Both apostles suffered martyrdom for the faith one year apart.

Before becoming a disciple of Christ, Peter was a fisherman. The Lord called Peter and his brother, the future Apostle Andrew the First-Called, while they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee.

It was Peter who was the first among the disciples to call the Teacher the Christ, that is, the Messiah. For this, the Lord gave him the name Rock (which is what the name Peter means). Upon this rock of Peter's faith, the Lord promised to build His Church, which the gates of hell shall not prevail against.

When Christ was arrested by the chief priests before the Crucifixion, Peter denied the Lord three times, just as He had foretold. But Peter repented and redeemed his betrayal by becoming a fervent preacher of the faith of Christ. And he truly served as a foundation of the Church — the community of those faithful to the Savior.

Two catholic epistles of the Apostle Peter have survived to our day. They are included in the New Testament. In his epistles, Peter addresses Christians in the provinces of Asia Minor, strengthening them in the faith and warning them against the influence of false teachers.

Toward the end of his life, Peter returned to Rome, where he was arrested and executed for preaching the Gospel. This occurred in the year 67. The apostle was crucified upside down at his own request: he considered himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as the Lord.

Paul was not a disciple of Christ during the Savior's earthly life. Moreover, Saul (as Paul was known before his conversion to Christianity) was a persecutor of Christians.

Saul was born in Asia Minor, in a city many of whose inhabitants, being Jews, held the rights of Roman citizens — rights that conferred real privileges, the right to special state protection, and the right to have any charges heard in the imperial Roman court. For the Jewish people, this was a comparatively rare occurrence. Saul received a good education in Jerusalem and was apparently being prepared for the office of rabbi. After completing his studies, he was granted authority to officially persecute Christians even beyond the borders of Palestine — in Damascus.

It was on the road to Damascus that the Lord called Saul to apostolic ministry. During the journey, the future apostle was surrounded by a brilliant light, and he fell to the ground blinded. A voice came to him: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" To the question "Who are You?" the Lord answered: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."

Christ commanded Saul to go to Damascus. His companions heard the voice of Christ but did not see the light. The blinded Saul was led to Damascus, instructed in the faith, and baptized on the third day. At the moment of immersion in the water, Saul's sight was restored. From that time on, he became a zealous preacher of the Risen Christ.

The Jews were outraged by his conversion to Christ, and Saul was forced to flee to Jerusalem. There he joined the Christian community and became acquainted with the apostles. Once again, Jewish indignation followed, along with threats of murder — from which his Roman citizenship saved him.

But Jerusalem had to be left behind. Saul set out on his first apostolic journey, which lasted from 45 to 51 AD. The apostles traveled throughout the entire island of Cyprus; it was during this period that Saul came to be called Paul. Together with Saint Barnabas, he founded Christian communities in several cities of Asia Minor.

Paul undertook several more apostolic journeys. He enlightened people with the teaching of Christ in Macedonia, Greece, and other lands. Over the many years of his life and preaching, the Apostle Paul wrote 14 epistles, which are included in the New Testament.

Paul was arrested on multiple occasions, and after his final imprisonment he suffered martyrdom by the sword. He was not crucified because he was not a slave but a Roman citizen. This occurred near Rome in the year 67, during the reign of Emperor Nero.

The Union of Orthodox Journalists previously reported that a large-scale international forum on the legacy of the Apostle Paul is being held in Greece.

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