Who was chosen as an apostle instead of Judas? He was one of the unnamed disciples of Christ, but then became one of the twelve. The Suffering of Saint Apostle Matthias

Life of the Apostle Matthias

Holy Apostle Matthias was born in Beth-le-e-me, came from the colony of Judah; from early childhood he studied the Law of God from sacred books under the guidance of the holy Simeon of God. pri-im-tsa. When the Lord Jesus Christ revealed Himself to the world, Saint Matthias believed in Him as the Messiah, immediately followed Him and was chosen among 70 scholars, whom the Lord “sent two before His face” (). According to the Ascension of the Spa-si-te-la, the apostle Matthias was chosen by lot among the 12 apostles instead of the fallen Judas Is-ka-ri-from-sko-go (). After the Coming of the Holy Spirit, Apostle Matthias propagated the Gospel in Jerusalem and Judea together with pro-chi-mi apo-sto-la-mi (). From Ieru-sa-li-ma with apo-sto-la-mi Peter and An-dre-em he went to Antio-chia of Syria, was in cap-pa-do-kiy- in the city of Ti-an and in Si-no-pe. Here the apo-sto-la Matthia is the key to the one from which he was miraculously freed by the apo-sto-lom An-dre- I am First-Called. After this, Apostle Matthii went to Ama-sia, a city on the bank of Ponta. During the 3rd journey of the apostle Andrei, Saint Matthias was with him in Edessa and Se-vastia. According to the church tradition, he was with his father in Ethi-o-pii Pontic (present-day Western Georgia) , Ma-ke-do-nii, many times exposed to mortal danger, but the Lord kept him alive for a long time ney-shay pro-po-ve-di Evan-ge-lia. Once upon a time, it was time to drink a poisoned drink. Apo-table drank it and not only remained unharmed, but also healed other prisoners who had become blind from this drink. When Saint Matthias came out of prison, the pagans searched for him in vain, since he became invisible to them. Another time, when the tongues rushed forward in rage to kill the apostle, the earth opened up and swallowed them. Apostle Matthias returned to Judea and did not cease to enlighten his compatriots with the light of the teachings of Christ -va. He did great miracles in the Name of the Lord Jesus and converted many to faith in Christ. The Jewish first-priest Anan, who hated Christ, who previously gave the order to throw off the temple from the heights apo-sto-la Ia-ko-va, brother of the Lord, ordered to take apo-sto-la Matthias and bring him to court si-ned-ri-o- on in Ieru-sa-li-me. The wicked Anan made a speech in which he blasphemed the Lord. In response, Apostle Matthias spoke on the prophecy of the Old Testament that Jesus Christ is the True God, the Messiah , promised by God from-ra-i-lu, Son of God, One-existent and Co-eternal with God the Father. After these words, Apostle Matthias was condemned to death and stoned. When Saint Matthias was already dead, the Jews, hiding the crime, cut off his head as against the ke-sa-rya . (According to some sources, the apostle Matthias was crucified on the cross. Some indicate that he died started in Kol-khi-de). The apostle Matthias accepted death for Christ and the crown of the mu-che-ni-ka around the year 63.

Song 1

Irmos: Let us praise the Lord,/ who led His people through the Red Sea,/ for He alone was gloriously glorified.

Chorus: Holy Apostle Matthew, pray to God for us.

I sing with your luminous songs, Matthew, now is the triumph, / praying for the dawn of salvation from Heaven.

The great sun, you appeared to the Great Light, most wonderfully, / you were with us, you talked, without intercession, to the apostle.

By the law of the Lord, blessed one, obeying, / through the depths of your tongue you catch the ends of ignorance.

Theotokos: In total, the Word of the Most Divine goodness saves me, / having desired to be incarnate from Thy womb, / the Pure Mother of the Virgin.

Song 3

Irmos: You are the affirmation/ of those who flow to You, Lord,/ You are the Light of the darkened/ and my spirit sings of You.

Thou hast been able, strengthened by life-giving, wise, beckoning, / strong self-interest to delight and enslave through grace.

Loving the Teacher,/serving Him with an all-effective wave,/you save people from delusion, most miraculously.

The omnipotent Spirit, O God-speaking, chooses thee to the twelve number of disciples of the holy face.

Theotokos: Having Your help,/ evil enemies aspirations, Pure One, I am not horrified, / having You as a Representative, I defeat those regiments.

Sedalen of the Apostle, tone 8

With the lightning of your Divine words/ you have burned down the evil one, you have enlightened the faithful,/ you have sung in the flesh the coming of the blessed One who rules over all,/ and you were jealous of His more Divine passions./ , we celebrate your holy memory, rejoicing, / and in accordance with your cry :/ Matthew the Apostle, pray to Christ God to grant forgiveness of sins/ to those who honor your holy memory with love.

Glory even now, voice 2

The unsetting sun has appeared, / joined to the great sun, / and also enlighten those who are in the darkness of foolishness, / driving away illnesses from souls and bodies, Matthew, mysteries of your own, / and to the servant of Christ truly, / pray I tell Him about all of us.

Song 4

Irmos: I have heard, O Lord,/ of Thy mystery,/ understood Thy works,/ and glorified Thy Divinity.

There is one nature of the Divinity, / one kingdom and dominion, proclaiming, O most blessed one, / you have caught the tongues of the flock.

The Lord will bring you to the sea of life, wise, / like a horse, confusing the polytheism of bitter waters.

With the Word of the Divine you have renewed the frozen hearts, the more glorious,/ of all piety and knowledge of the truth.

Theotokos: Virginity in the vessel and uncontainable nature of the village, / enlighten my soul, / darkened by many passions.

Song 5

Irmos: Thou hast cast me away / from Thy presence, O Light that never sets in, / and an alien darkness has covered me, O accursed one? / But turn me and to the light of Thy commandments / guide my path, I pray.

Like a prolific vine, the true one spreads grapes, / making grapes, shedding saving wine, / who drank, blessedly, possessed by foolishness, / rejecting the charms of drunkenness.

You appeared to the twelve disciples, filling the countenance of the blessed, / from whom the traitor rejected himself, / you received bitter oppression, you raised your heel against Christ, / the secrecy preacher Matthias became wonderful.

Divine salt, you, blessed one, were cast into the world, Matthew the Apostle, / cleansing the purulent delights with sweet teachings, / driving away illnesses and taking away the ulcers of souls and bodies, most praiseworthy.

Theotokos: Adam, the Virgin, was stripped of ugly vestments and the ancient mortification, / by Thy most pure birth, Bride of God, / and was clothed in holy and true clothing, / in no way defiled by passions.

Song 6

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, / for my iniquities are many, / bring me up from the depths of evil, I pray, / for I have cried out to You, and hear me, / God of my salvation.

You were ordained to be God, we are adored by the unity of God, / and you received the rays of the faithful from God, you enlightened the faithful, / and you cleared the earth from the darkness of idols.

Behold, O disciple, all the prophecies of the sacred prophets are included in you:/ for being a witness of God, he proclaimed God of old,/ to the servant Matthias, and likewise an apostle.

Theotokos: Sanctification is intelligent and inviolably purifying, / the candlestick of gold and the table is animated, / the bread of the belly, Virgin, vernis, we call Thee.

Kontakion, tone 4

Shining like the sun, your broadcast has gone out into the whole world/ enlightens the pagan Church with grace,/ wonder-working Matthew the Apostle.

Ikos

Give me a stream of words, O Lord, who created the watery nature, / and strengthen my heart, O Compassionate One, / Who established the earth with Your word, / and enlighten my thoughts with light, like a robe, I say and sing like this:/ I am worthy of honor, Much-merciful, Your apostle Matthias.

Song 7

Irmos: The fathers of Judaism in the furnace/ boldly trampled down the flame/ and turned the fire into dew, crying out:/ Blessed are you, O Lord God, forever.

The current has dried up your delights with the flood of your Divine wisdom/ and you have given a flood of food to drink with faith that is crying out, more glorious:/ God, blessed are you.

By the power of the Almighty God, the enemy’s treachery was exhausted / in the face of your procession, apostle / and the mountains and hills of godlessness were crushed.

Theotokos: Behold, even as Isaiah spoke to the Virgin with great spirit, / in the womb of God he conceived and gave birth, to Him we sing: / Lord God, blessed are you.

Song 8

Irmos: With the sevenfold furnace/ the Chaldean tormentor/ he furiously kindled the godly,/ they were saved by a better power, seeing this,/ crying out to the Creator and Savior:/ children, bless,/ priestess, praise,/ people, exalt to all ages.

Having been the mouth of God, you snatched away the murderers from the throat, / whose cruelty you devoured and made food for your wickedness, wisdom, / and with the bath of rebirth you brought the Lord, singing incessantly: / people, exalt in all eki.

The charms of the sword, the malice of the weapon, the weapon of the Word of God, more glorious, / you have completely exhausted the demands of idols, / you have overthrown the pillars and temples with Divine power, / you have made the temples of the Trinity, crying out: / you have exalted wear it all the time.

The sky appeared verbally, telling the ineffable glory of the Only Begotten, / Matthias the all-wise, the lightning of grace, the catcher of the lost, / the priest of the Divine illumination, the ineffable secret place, / that Let us sing in harmony with the oil.

Theotokos: More than nature did you conceive,/ more than the word did you give birth to the Creator of human nature,/ formerly Man, inseparable from the Father, the Pure Lady./ Whom all creation sings:/ youths, bless the priests, sing, O people, exalt to all ages.

Song 9

Irmos: Fearing every hearing/ the ineffable condescension of God,/ as the Most High came down to the flesh by the will of him// from a virgin’s womb he became a Man./ Moreover, we magnify the Most Pure Mother of God, Verniy.

The Savior spoke of thee, the servant of the commandment, the blessed apostle, / and the heir of His Kingdom, on the next terrible day of the neighbor, / Matthew the Wise, the disciple of the twelve, fulfillment.

With sail, O blessed one, you passed the troubled sea of life across the Cross,/ you reached the haven of peace and extreme desire/ and, rejoicing, you now stand with an apostolic countenance,/ praying for us to the Lover of Mankind.

The priest is truly golden, / the shining luminary of the Spirit, your tongue appears, / scorching foreign teachings, extinguishing the fire, wise, alien, / light shining in the darkness of foolishness to those sleeping.

Theotokos: Thou hast instituted in one woman the primordial oath, O Bride of God,/ Thou hast been born unto the indescribable flesh that can be described,/ Thou hast renewed the limits of nature, Unfilthy,/ standing before Thy glorious intercession You connected them.

Luminous of the Apostle

The flow of your red feet, Matthew the Apostle, / having returned to the Heavenly procession, you ascended, rejoicing, / and, having presented yourself to the Trinity, in the Father you see the Son and the Divine Spirit. / For this reason, by faith We celebrate your divine and divine memory.

The Holy Apostle Matthias was born in Bethlehem, came from the tribe of Judah; from early childhood he studied the Law of God according to Holy Books under the leadership of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver. When the Lord Jesus Christ revealed Himself to the world, Saint Matthias believed in Him as the Messiah, relentlessly followed Him and was first chosen among the 70 lesser apostles, about whom the Gospel says: “The Lord also chose seventy others (disciples) and sent them two before Him” (Luke 10:1).

Election of Saint Matthias as one of the twelve apostles

After the fall of Judas, the face of the 12 apostles lost its completeness, and with it the right to be named twelve. The Lord chose twelve ancestors of the New Testament community, just as ancient Israel traced its descent from twelve patriarchs. Therefore, the supreme of the apostles, Saint Peter, standing in the middle of the meeting of the first Christians, proposed to choose an apostle instead of Judas: “and they appointed two: Joseph, called Barsaba, who was called Justus (the just), and Matthias” - witnesses of the earthly life of the Lord from His Baptism to the Ascension .

In order to elect one of them as an apostle, those present cast lots, before turning to the Lord in prayer and saying: “You, Lord, knower of the hearts of all, show of these two the one whom You have chosen” (Acts 1:24). Just as at one time Jesus Himself chose apostles for Himself, so the disciples themselves did not choose the twelfth apostle into their ranks, but turned to the Risen Teacher so that He himself would choose the “missing” disciple. The lot fell on Matthias, who became the twelfth. This election was soon confirmed by the Lord by sending the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire, which granted him equal grace with the other disciples.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the apostles cast lots as to which of them and to which country should go to preach the Gospel. Saint Matthias was given the lot of Judea, where he worked, going around the cities and villages.

From Jerusalem with the apostles Peter and Andrew he went to Syrian Antioch, was in the Cappadocian city of Tyana and in Sinope. Here Apostle Matthias was imprisoned, from which he was miraculously released by Apostle Andrew the First-Called. After this, the Apostle Matthias traveled to Amasia, a city on the banks of the Pontus. During the 3rd journey of the Apostle Andrew, Saint Matthias was with him in Edessa and Sebastia. According to the apocryphal Acta Andreaae, he was allegedly miraculously saved from the “cannibals” (Scythians?) by the Apostle Andrew.

According to church tradition, he preached in Pontic Ethiopia (present-day Western Georgia), where he endured much torment for the name of Christ. They beat him, and dragged him on the ground, and hanged him, and planed him with a sharp iron, and burned him on fire - the apostle went to all these torments with joy and endured them with courage.

Matthias preached the Word of God in Macedonia. The idolatrous Greeks wanted to test the power of the faith they preached. They forced Matthias to drink poison that deprives a person of his sight. The apostle drank the potion and not only remained unharmed, but also healed about two hundred and fifty other prisoners who had become blind from this drink.

When Saint Matthias came out of prison, the pagans looked for him in vain, since he had become invisible to them. Finally, he himself surrendered into the hands of the people - then the apostle was tied up and thrown into prison. Matthias was surrounded here evil spirits, grinding his teeth furiously. The very next night the Lord Himself appeared to him, in the radiance of radiant heavenly light. The Lord freed Matthias from his bonds by opening the doors of the prison. Then the apostle again stood openly before the people and fearlessly preached the Word of God. The embittered pagans wanted to immediately kill the preacher of Christ with their own hands. The ground suddenly opened up and swallowed them up. The surviving people, amazed by this miracle, believed in Christ and were baptized.

The Apostle Matthias returned to Judea and did not cease to enlighten his compatriots with the light of the teachings of Christ. He performed great miracles in the Name of the Lord Jesus and converted many to faith in Christ.

Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Matthias

The high priest became extremely angry. He didn’t want to hear another word from Matthias, and covered his ears, grinding his teeth. “Blasphemy! blasphemes! - Ananias shouted furiously and turned to the apostle: “You yourself have testified to yourself. Your blood will be on your head.”

When the apostle was already dead, they cut off his head with an axe. This was done to show that Matthias was an opponent of the Roman government, and to remove responsibility for his death.

Christians buried the body of the martyr for the name of Christ with honor. (According to the Greek menaia, the Apostle Matthias was crucified on the cross. Some indicate that he died in Colchis). The Apostle Matthias accepted death for Christ and the crown of martyr around the age of 63.

Sometimes the names of the two apostles are confused: the evangelist Matthew (Levi) and Matthias. The differences in their names can be seen by looking at their translation from Aramaic. Matthew – Mattaya (translated as “gift of the Lord”), Matthias – Matthias. Apostle Levi Matthew was one of the first to be called, and Matthias was the last.

For some time in the early Christian world, the Gospel attributed to Matthias was known, but later it was lost; only a few sentences from it came to us in a retelling of other sources.
It is known that the honest head of the Apostle Matthias was kept in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople. Some of his relics were seen in Rome. There is information that the holy relics of the apostle were kept in a certain “monastery of the Armenian brothers” on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. However, for many centuries this monastery has been hidden by the waters of the lake, and expeditions organized to discover it have not yet yielded encouraging results.

Relics of St. Apostle Matthias in Three re

Part of the holy relics of the Apostle Matthias, transferred to Germany by Empress Helena, is kept in the city of Trier (one of the imperial residences in the Roman era) in the Abbey of St. Matthias, on the territory of the Benedictine monastery.

The ark with the relics of the Apostle Matthias is mounted at the base of a pedestal, stylized as a high tombstone made of black marble, on which lies a white marble figure of the apostle. In Trier in the Middle Ages the veneration of St. Matthias was very developed. In the German city of Goslar, the Matthias (mafiry) coin was minted from silver mined in the Harz mountain range.

Oksana asks: Please clarify the text from the Gospel of Matthew 19:28 “Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the end of life, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Who will be the 12th apostle to judge the tribes of Israel after the fall of Judah: the newly elected Matthias (Acts 1:26) or Paul?

Sister Oksana, peace and grace to you from the Father and Jesus Christ!

Thanks for the good question. There are numbers in the Bible - symbols that convey a certain idea. For example, the number 3 is the number of Divinity, Divinity.

"They called to each other and said: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord of Hosts! the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)

“And each of the four living creatures had six wings around, and within they were full of eyes; and neither day nor night they have peace, crying: holy, holy, holy The Lord God Almighty, who was, is and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

Listen, Israel: " Lord our God, Lord there is one..." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

The number 4 is the number of the environment in which humanity lives: “Then the goat became extremely exalted; but when it grew stronger, the great horn was broken, and in its place four came out, facing four winds of heaven." (Daniel 8:8)

“And after this I saw four angels standing on four corners of the earth holding four wind of the earth, so that the wind does not blow on the land, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.” (Revelation 7:1)

The number 6 is the number of incompleteness, because... man was created on the 6th day, but the completion of creation occurred on the 7th day.

The number 7 is the number of completeness, perfection.

The number 10 is a symbol of human diversity and human organization. The people of Israel were divided into tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.

The number 12 is the number of the Covenant.

The number 40 is the number of God's testing (Moses in the desert, people in the desert, Jesus in the desert, etc.)

The number 12 is a symbol of the Covenant. When we read Numbers 2, we see that God speaks of the camps of 12 tribes, although there are actually 13 tribes: “These are the children of Israel who were numbered according to their families. All those who were numbered in the camps, according to their armies, were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty. A Levites were not numbered with the children of Israel, as the Lord commanded Moses.” (Numbers 2:32,33)

The same can be said about the apostles. 12 is a symbolic number - a symbol of Christ’s closest disciples. At some time, their number included Judas, at some time Matthias, chosen by the apostles, and at the same time Paul - chosen by God. History says nothing about Matthias, about his activities, but probably at one time he was perceived by the church as an apostle. Paul proved to some churches that he had received his apostleship from Jesus.

Will it be on 12 walls or bases Jerusalem I don’t know the names of Levi or Ephraim, the names of Matthias or Paul. Yes, this is not the main thing for Paul or Matthew.

“Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the end of life, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Matthew 19:28)

The fact that the speech here is symbolic is also confirmed by the fact that in the context of the New Testament there is neither Jew nor Greek. Israel is all those who accepted Christ by faith.

With respect and wishes for blessings,
Sergey Molchanov

Apostle Matthias (Greek Ματθίας, lat. Matthias) is one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, who by lot took his place among the twelve apostles instead of the fallen Judas Iscariot.

The Holy Apostle Matthias was born in Bethlehem, came from the tribe of Judah; from early childhood he studied the Law of God from the Holy Books under the guidance of Saint Simeon the God-Receiver. When the Lord Jesus Christ revealed Himself to the world, Saint Matthias believed in Him as the Messiah, relentlessly followed Him and was first elected among the 70 lesser apostles, about whom the Gospel says: “The Lord also chose seventy others (disciples) and sent them two by two before Him.”(Luke 10:1).

After the Ascension of the Savior, Apostle Matthias was chosen by lot to be one of the 12 Apostles. After the fall of Judas, the face of the 12 Apostles lost its completeness, and with it the right to be named twelve. The Lord chose twelve ancestors of the New Testament Community, just as ancient Israel traced its descent from twelve patriarchs. Therefore, the supreme of the Apostles, Saint Peter, standing in the middle of the meeting of the first Christians, proposed to choose an apostle instead of Judas: “and they appointed two: Joseph, called Barsaba, who was called Justus (just), and Matthias”- witnesses of the earthly life of the Lord from His Baptism to the Ascension. In order to elect one of them as an apostle, those present cast lots, before turning to the Lord in prayer and saying: “You, Lord, knower of the hearts of all, show of these two one whom You have chosen.”(Acts 1:24). Just as at one time Jesus Himself chose apostles for Himself, so the disciples did not themselves choose the twelfth apostle into their ranks, but turned to the Risen Teacher so that He himself would choose the “missing” disciple. The lot fell on Matthias, who became the twelfth. This election was soon confirmed by the Lord by sending the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire, which granted him equal grace with the other disciples.

The election of the holy Apostle Matthias by lot among the twelve apostles reminds us of the truth that "God owns the lot". This has always been the case in the Old Testament, whether we are talking about the prophet Jonah, who fled from the face of the Lord on a ship to Tarshish, and who was thrown into the sea by lot; or about the election by lot of Saul the son of Kishov to the kingdom. At the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, Zechariah enters the temple of the Lord by lot to burn incense (Luke 1:9). After Pentecost, in the first Christian communities, ministry was also distributed by lot, which at the same time determined the “eschatological lot or eternal destiny” bestowed by God. The apostles, by lot, receive the land where they must preach the gospel. Mother of God, according to legend, takes the lot of service in the land of Iveron. This is the covenant Apostolic Church until the end of time. The lot is an appeal to God Himself. This method is necessary in moments that decide the fate of the Church, provided that everyone understands the significance of what is happening. As it was during the election of Patriarch Tikhon. In the midst of a solemn spiritual atmosphere, in the midst of the prayer of the entire Church, filled with faith and trust. The whole Church must come to prayer. So that the number of apostles is always complete.

After the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles cast lots as to which of them and to which country should go to preach the Gospel. Saint Matthias was given the lot of Judea, where he worked, going around the cities and villages. From Jerusalem with the apostles Peter and Andrew he went to Syrian Antioch, was in the Cappadocian city of Tyana and in Sinope. Here Apostle Matthias was imprisoned, from which he was miraculously released by Apostle Andrew the First-Called. After this, the Apostle Matthias traveled to Amasia, a city on the banks of the Pontus. During the 3rd journey of the Apostle Andrew, Saint Matthias was with him in Edessa and Sebastia. According to the apocryphal Acta Andreaae, he was allegedly miraculously saved from the “cannibals” (Scythians?) by the Apostle Andrew.

According to church tradition, he preached in Pontic Ethiopia (present-day Western Georgia), where he endured much torment for the name of Christ. They beat him, and dragged him on the ground, and hanged him, and planed him with a sharp iron, and burned him on fire - the apostle went to all these torments with joy and endured them with courage.

Matthias preached the Word of God in Macedonia. The idolatrous Greeks wanted to test the power of the faith they preached. They forced Matthias to drink poison that deprives a person of his sight. The apostle drank the potion and, by the power of God, remained unharmed. The Apostle drank it and not only remained unharmed, but also healed about two hundred and fifty other prisoners who had become blind from this drink. When Saint Matthias came out of prison, the pagans looked for him in vain, since he had become invisible to them. Finally, he himself surrendered into the hands of the people - then the apostle was tied up and thrown into prison. Here evil spirits surrounded Matthias, fiercely gnashing their teeth. The very next night the Lord Himself appeared to him, in the radiance of radiant heavenly light. The Lord freed Matthias from his bonds by opening the doors of the prison. Then the apostle again stood openly before the people and fearlessly preached the Word of God. The embittered pagans wanted to immediately kill the preacher of Christ with their own hands. The ground suddenly opened up and swallowed them up. The surviving people, amazed by this miracle, believed in Christ and were baptized.

Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Matthias

The Jewish high priest Anan, who hated Christ, who had previously given the order to throw the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord, from the heights of the temple, ordered that the Apostle Matthias be taken and brought before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. The wicked Anan made a speech in which he blasphemously blasphemed the Lord. In response, the Apostle Matthias showed through the prophecies of the Old Testament that Jesus Christ is the True God, the Messiah promised by God to Israel, the Son of God, Consubstantial and Co-Eternal with God the Father. The high priest became extremely angry. He didn’t want to hear another word from Matthias, and covered his ears, grinding his teeth. “Blasphemy! blasphemes!- Ananias cried out furiously and turned to the apostle: “You testified against yourself. Your blood will be on your head.”

After this, the high priest condemned the apostle to be stoned. Near Jerusalem there was a place of execution called “Bethlaskyla”, which means “House of those stoned.” Matthias was also brought here. Two witnesses (as required by the law) laid their hands on his head and testified that he blasphemed God, the law and Moses. They were the first to throw stones at Saint Matthias, and the latter asked that these first two stones be buried with him, as witnesses of his suffering for Christ. Then all the people began to throw stones at Matthias, and he gave up his spirit to God. When the apostle was already dead, they cut off his head with an axe. This was done to show that Matthias was an opponent of the Roman government, and to remove responsibility for his death. Christians buried the body of the martyr for the name of Christ with honor. (According to the Greek menaia, the Apostle Matthias was crucified on the cross. Some indicate that he died in Colchis). The Apostle Matthias accepted death for Christ and the crown of martyr around the age of 63.

Sometimes the names of two apostles are confused: the evangelist Matthew (Levi) and Matthias. The differences in their names can be seen by looking at their translation from Aramaic. Matthew – Mattaya (translated as “gift of the Lord”), Matthias – Matthias. Apostle Levi Matthew was one of the first to be called, and Matthias was the last.

Relics of St. Apostle Matthias in Trier

Part of the holy relics of the Apostle Matthias, transferred, according to legend, to Germany by Empress Helena, is kept in Trier (one of the imperial residences in the Roman era) in the Abbey of St. Matthias, on the territory of the Benedictine monastery.

Abbey of St. Matthias in Trier. Under the stove is sarcophagus with the relics of St. Matthias the Apostle

Tradition says that the existence of relics in Trier was known for a long time, but they were discovered by accident. In 1127, an ark containing the relics of the Apostle Matthias was excavated in the southern Roman cemetery. The miraculous discovery of the relics of the apostle, hidden from enemies, served as the reason for the construction of a temple in Trier, which received the name of the Church of St. Matthias (as the apostle is called in the Western tradition). The ark with the relics of the Apostle Matthias is mounted at the base of a pedestal, stylized as a high tombstone made of black marble, on which lies a white marble figure of the apostle. In Trier the cult of St. Matthias was once very developed. In Goslar, the coin Matthias (mafiry) was minted from silver mined in the Harz.

Church of St. Apostle Matthias in St. Petersburg

If in the West there are more than fifty Catholic, methodological and Lutheran churches dedicated to the Apostle Matthias, then in Russia there was only one Orthodox church St. Apostle Matthias (Church of the Intercession) in St. Petersburg, exploded in 1932.

Church of St. Apostle Matthias at the beginning of the twentieth century. Saint Petersburg.

This historical temple is the same age as the city. On August 9, 1704, the day of the Apostle Matthias, Russian troops took Narva. A year earlier, according to the design of Peter himself, the first wooden Church of Peter and Paul was laid. Later, when the foundation of the future stone cathedral was laid nearby, wooden church moved from Zayachy Island to Berezovy (now Petrogradsky). It was consecrated in honor of the holy Apostle Matthias in 1720 in memory of the Narva victory. This temple is also associated with the name of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg. The life of the blessed one says that “while living in St. Petersburg, Ksenia did not have any specific place of residence. For the most part, she spent the whole day wandering around the Petrograd side and mainly in the area of the parish of the Church of St. Apostle Matthias, where at that time poor people lived in small wooden houses.” Her whole life passed in the parish of this church: here she got married, confessed, received communion and was buried. Unfortunately, now in this place there is a park with an elevation from the remains of an ancient building. Since 2001, prayer stands have been held here with the aim of reviving the historical shrine.

Troparion, tone 3:
Apostle Saint Matthew, pray to the Merciful God that He may grant remission of sins to our souls.

Kontakion, tone 4:
Luminous, like the sun, your broadcast went out into the whole world, enlightens pagan church grace, wonder-working Matthew the Apostle.

August 22 Orthodox Church recalls the Apostle Matthias. He was among the 70 unnamed disciples of Christ, but became one of the 12 closest, replacing Judas.

Meeting

The name Matthias is mentioned once in the New Testament texts, and this is associated with a remarkable episode. After the fall and betrayal of Judas, the apostles choose a 12th brother for themselves in order to restore the number commanded by Christ.

“So, it is necessary that one of those who were with us all the time when the Lord Jesus stayed and spoke with us... should be a witness with us to His resurrection,” says the Apostle Peter. And then they put two people in front of him: Joseph, called Barsaba, and Matthias. The apostles pray and ask God to choose one of those brought to the place of the fallen Judas. They cast lots - the lot falls to Matthias, and he is ranked 12th in the circle of neighbors.

It is known that, in addition to the 12 closest disciples, Christ chose 70 more. He sent them ahead of himself, two by two, to the cities with a sermon about the coming of the Kingdom of God. Matthias - although his name is not mentioned, but this becomes obvious from the scene of his choice - was one of them. Why and for what merits was he given the honor of becoming 12th? Lives compiled later try to answer this question.

This is what they report: from childhood, Matthias, born in Bethlehem, studied the law of God and lived righteously. His mentor in spiritual matters was Simeon the God-Receiver. He was called the God-Receiver because he blessed the baby Jesus and accepted him as God when he was first brought to the temple. Tradition associates another story with the name of Simeon: he was one of seventy translators who worked on translating the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek (the so-called Septuagint - translation of the seventy). According to legend, Simeon translated the prophecies of Isaiah about the future coming of the Messiah. Having read the lines “Behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son,” he wanted to correct “virgin” to “wife,” deciding that this was a typo. And then, according to legend, the angel himself took his hand away, saying: “While you are still alive, Simeon, you will be convinced that the prophecy is true.” The Gospel of Luke calls Simeon a man who had the “Holy Spirit.” The Apostle Matthias had such a teacher.

Saint Demetrius of Rostov, the author of one of the versions of the life of the Apostle, reports: Matthias followed Christ immediately when He, 30 years from birth, revealed himself to the world. He left worldly worries and “enjoyed the sight of God incarnate and the inexpressible joy of His teaching.” It was for his zeal and spiritual purity that the Lord chose him for apostolic service, concludes Saint Demetrius.

good news

Matthias was among the other apostles at the descent of the Holy Spirit - this is indicated by a line from “Acts”: “When the day of Pentecost came, all of them (the closest 12 disciples, whom Matthias had already joined. - RP) were unanimous together.” Along with everyone else that day, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.

After this, the apostles cast lots as to which of them and to which country should go to preach the Gospel, writes Saint Demetrius of Rostov. Saint Matthias received Judea by lot. How dangerous the work of preaching was among their fellow Jews is shown by the text of “Acts”: while some willingly listened to sermons and went to be baptized (it is known, for example, that the Apostle Peter baptized up to 3 thousand people after one of his first sermons), others saw in the first Christian generation, a heretical sect that distorted the law given by Moses. In each Jewish city, the court was administered by the Sanhedrin, consisting of 23 people (the Supreme, or Great, Sanhedrin in Jerusalem consisted of 71 people), among whom were representatives of the priesthood and noble families. The Sanhedrin had the right to impose the death penalty - this required a majority of two votes. Stephen, one of the leaders of the Christian community, was sentenced to death by stoning by the Sanhedrin, seeing in his words blasphemy against ancient law. In the end, the Sanhedrin was the body that condemned Christ himself to death.

The Life reports: after preaching for some time in Judea, Matthias went to Ethiopia, and then moved to Macedonia. Saint Demetrius of Rostov speaks of numerous miracles: everywhere the pagans tried to kill the apostle, and everywhere he miraculously came out of them alive, continuing to heal people, evangelize and multiply supporters in Christ.

After traveling, Matthias returned to the country of his lot - Judea. His fate was predetermined.

The Last Judgment

Shortly before Matthias returned, the Sanhedrin, led by the high priest Ananus, executed James, one of the 70 disciples of Christ. By order of the Sanhedrin, Jacob was thrown from the roof of the temple and finished off with stones on the ground, dying.

Researchers debate the identity of Anan. There are opinions that the Jewish priests Anan and Anna, to whom Christ was brought, are one and the same person. However, the version is unlikely: it is known that Anna, who talked with Christ, was old and left this post approximately in 16-18 years. AD, passing it on to his son-in-law Caiaphas and remaining with the Sanhedrin as something of a consultant. At the same time, the execution of Jacob took place, according to tradition, in the year 62, more than 30 years after the Passion of Christ. Therefore, Anna and Anan, mentioned in the life of Matthias, are most likely different people.

The author of the life calls Anan “a blasphemer and a hater of Christ, a persecutor of Christians.” The Apostle Matthias was brought to him from Galilee - he was captured in one of the synagogues, where he went to preach. He was sent to Jerusalem in custody.

Demetrius of Rostov gives a detailed description of the dialogue between the high priest and the apostle. The High Priest asks Matthias to choose one of two things: “Or follow the law, given by God through Moses, and thus save life. Or call yourself a Christian and die.” Matthias replies that for him the name of a Christian is not a crime, but glory. Anan appeals to the Mosaic Law and calls Christ's miracles witchcraft. Matthias says that Christ is the Messiah about whose coming the Old Testament prophets spoke. “Repent? - asks the Apostle Anan. “I’ll give you time to think.” The apostle refuses, explaining that he does not need time to meditate on the truth that he has already acquired. With these words he signs his own death warrant.

According to the life of the apostle, he was stoned to death in the place of execution called “veflaskyla” (“house of those stoned”). Before his death, he said to his executioners: “Hypocrites! The prophet David rightly spoke about those like you: “The crowd rushes towards the soul of the righteous and condemns innocent blood.” In retaliation for these words, the executioners cut off his head after the murder. This is what they did with those criminals who encroached on the power of Caesar. Thus, the Jews wanted to present Matthias to the Romans as an opponent of power.

Apostle Matthias finished earthly life in '63. In those places where he passed during his earthly life, Orthodox churches are thriving today.

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