E. Jesus Gives Authority To His Apostles

ST. PETER

SAINT THOMAS

SAINT JAMES (The Lesser)

SAINT ANDREW

SAINT JUDE

SAINT JAMES (The Greater)

SAINT JOHN

SAINT PHILIP

SAINT BARTHOLOMEW

SAINT MATTHEW

SAINT JAMES

SAINT MATHIAS

The only church that Christ established is the Catholic Church. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)

And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying:  All power is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”  (Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus says to  Simon Peter: “Whom do you say that I am?”   Simon Peter answered and said :

   “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God.”   And Jesus answering, said to him:   “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar— Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father Who is in Heaven.  And I say to thee :“Thou art Peter; and upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:16-18)

Who were the twelve (12) disciples / apostles of Jesus Christ?

Answer: The word “disciple” refers to a learner or follower. The word apostle means “one who is sent out.” While Jesus was on earth, His twelve followers were called disciples. The twelve disciples followed Jesus Christ, learned from Him, and were trained by Him. After His resurrection and ascension, Jesus sent the disciples out to be His witnesses (Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:8). They were then referred to as the twelve apostles. However, even when Jesus was still on earth, the terms disciples and apostles were used somewhat interchangeably.

The twelve disciples and apostles were ordinary men whom God used in an extraordinary manner. Among the twelve were fishermen, a tax collector, and a revolutionary. The Gospels record the constant failings, struggles, and doubts of these twelve men who followed Jesus Christ. After witnessing Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples/apostles into powerful men of God who turned the world upside down  (Acts 17:6).  What was the change?  The twelve apostles/disciples had “been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). May the same be said of us !

The History of the Catholic Church : Christianity spread throughout the early Roman Empire, despite persecutions due to conflicts with the pagan state religion. In 313, the struggles of the Early Church  were lessened by the legalisation of Christianity  by the Emperor Constantine I.  In 380, under Emperor Theodosius I,   Christianity became the state religion   of the Roman Empire by the  decree of the Emperor, which would persist until the fall of the Western Empire,   and later, with the Eastern Roman Empire,  until the Fall of Constantinople.  During this time the period of the {Seven Ecumenical Counsels}  there were considered five primary sees jurisdictions within the {Catholic Church} according to  Eusebius: Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria, known as the Pentarchy.

After the destruction of the western Roman Empire, the Church in the West  was a major factor in the preservation of  classical civilization,  establishing monasteries,  and sending missionaries to convert the peoples of northern Europe, as far as Ireland in the north. In the East,  the ByzantineEmpire preserved  Orthodoxy,  well after the massive invasions of  Islam in the mid-7th century. The invasions of Islam devastated three of the five Patriarchal sees,  capturing Jerusalem first, then Alexandria, and then finally in the mid-8th century,  Antioch.

The whole period of the next five centuries was dominated by the struggle between Christianity and Islam throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The battles of Poitiers, and Toulouse preserved the Catholic west, even though Rome itself was ravaged in 850, and Constantinople besieged. In the 11th century, already strained relations between the primarily Greek church in the East, and the Latin  church in the West, developed into the East-West Schism,  partially due to conflicts over Papal Authority.  The fourth crusade, and the sacking of Constantinople by renegade crusaders proved the final breach. In the 16th century,  in response to the Protestant Reformation, the Church engaged in a process of substantial reform and renewal known as the  Counter-Reformation.  In subsequent centuries, Catholicism spread widely across the world despite experiencing a reduction in its hold on European populations due to the growth of  Protestantism and also because of religious scepticism during and after the Enlightenment.

The Gospels record the constant failings, struggles, and doubts of these twelve men who followed Jesus Christ. After witnessing Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into Heaven, the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples/apostles into powerful men of God who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). What was the change?  The twelve apostles/disciples had “been with Jesus”. (Acts. 4:13) May the same be said of us.

 

The only church that Christ established is  the Catholic Church. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be condemned.”                       (St. Mark 16:16) 

And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. power is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.”     (St. Matthew 28:18-20)

                          “Who were the twelve (12) disciples / apostles of Jesus Christ ?”

Answer: The word “disciple” refers to a learner or follower. The word “apostle” means “one who is sent out.” While Jesus was on earth, His twelve followers were called disciples. The twelve disciples followed Jesus Christ, learned from Him, and were trained by Him. After His resurrection and ascension, Jesus sent the disciples out to be His witnesses (St. Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:8).  They were then referred to as the twelve apostles. However, even when Jesus was still on earth, the terms “disciples” and “apostles” were used somewhat interchangeably.

The History of the Catholic Church : Christianity spread throughout the early Roman Empire, despite persecutions due to conflicts with the pagan state religion. In 313, the struggles of the Early Church were lessened by the legalisation  of Christianity by the Emperor Constantine I. In 380, under Emperor Theodosius I, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire by the decree of the Emperor, which would persist until the fall of the Western Empire, and later, with the Eastern Roman Empire, until the Fall of Constantinople. During this time the period of the {Seven Ecumenical Counsels} there were considered five primary sees jurisdictions within the {Catholic Church} according to Eusebius: Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria, known as the Pentarchy.

After the destruction of the western Roman Empire, the church in the church in the West was a major factor in the preservation of classical civilization, establishing monasteries, and sending missionaries to convert the peoples of northern Europe, as far as Ireland in the north. In the East, the Byzantine Empire preserved Orthodoxy, well after the massive invasions of Islam in the mid—7th century. The invasions of Islam devastated three of the five Patriarchal sees, capturing Jerusalem first, then Alexandria, and then finally in the mid—8th century, Antioch

The whole period of the next five centuries was dominated by the struggle between Christianity and Islam throughout the Mediteranean Basin. The battles of Poitiers, and Toulouse preserved the Catholic west, even though Rome itself was ravaged in 850, and Constantinople besieged. In the 11th–century, already strained relations between the primarily Greek church in the East, and the Latin church in the West, developed into the East—West Schism, partially due to conflicts over Papal Authority. The fourth crusade, and the sacking of Constantinople by renegade crusaders proved the final breach. In the 16th century, in response to the Protestant Reformation, the Church engaged in a process of substantial reform and renewal known as the Counter — Reformation. In subsequent centuries, Catholicism spread widely across the world despite experiencing a reduction in its hold on European populations due to the growth of Protestantism and also because of religious scepticism during and after the Enlightenment.

The Gospels record the constant failings, struggles, and doubts of these twelve men who followed Jesus Christ. After witnessing Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples/apostles into powerful men of God who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). What was the change ? The twelve apostles/disciples had “been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13) May the same be said of us.

How the Apostles died / after the death of Jesus

1) Matthew: Suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.

2) Mark: Died in Alexandria, Egypt, after being dragged by horses through the streets until he was dead.

3) Luke: Was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching to the lost.

4) John: Faced martyrdom when he was boiled in huge basin of boiling oil during a wave of persecution in Rome. However, he was miraculously delivered from death. John was then sentenced to the mines on the prison Island of Patmos. He wrote his prophetic Book of Revelation on Patmos. The apostle John was later freed and returned to serve As Bishop of Edessa in modern Turkey. He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.

5) Peter: He was crucified upside down on an x-shaped cross.  According to church tradition it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die In the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

6) James: The leader of the church in Jerusalem was thrown a hundred feet down from the southeast pinnacle of the Temple when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a fuller’s club. * This was the same pinnacle where Satan had taken Jesus during the Temptation.

7) James the Great: Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus Called him to a lifetime ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem . The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.

8) Bartholomew: Also known as Nathaniel, was a missionary to Asia. He witnessed for our Lord in present day Turkey. Bartholomew was martyred for his preaching in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

9) Andrew: Was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Patras, Greece. After being whipped severely by seven soldiers they tied his body to the cross with cords to prolong his agony. His followers reported that, when he was led toward the cross, Andrew saluted it in these words: “I have long desired and expected this happy hour. The cross has been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it.” He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.

10) Thomas: Was stabbed with a spear in India during one of his missionary trips to establish the Church in the Sub-continent.

11) Jude: Was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ.

12) Matthias: The apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

13) Paul: Was tortured and then beheaded by the evil Emperor Nero at Rome in A.D. 67. Paul endured a lengthy imprisonment, which allowed him to write his many epistles to the churches he had formed throughout the Roman Empire. These letters, which taught many of the Foundational Doctrines of Christianity, form a large portion of the New Testament. Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings here are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cold cruelty faced by the apostles and disciples during their times for the sake of the Faith.  “And ye shall be hated of all men for my Name’s sake: But he that endures to the end shall be saved.”

Jesus says to Simon Peter: “Whom do you say that I am” ? Simon Peter answered and said : Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said to him : Blessed art thou, Simon Bar–Jona: because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but my Father Who is in Heaven. And I say to thee : “Thou art Peter; and upon this Rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”   (Matthew 16:16-18)

Matthew – Faith is not believing that God can, It is knowing that God Will