St. Andrew
The
name “Andrew” (Gr. andreia, manhood, or valour), like other Greek names,
appears to have been common among the Jews from the second or third century
B.C. St. Andrew, the Apostle, son of Jonah, or John (Mat.16:17; John 1:42), was
born in Bethsaida of Galilee (John 1:44). He was brother of Simon Peter (Mat.10:2;
John 1:40). Both were fishermen (Mat.4:18; Mark 1:16), and at the beginning of
Our Lord's public life occupied the same house at Capharnaum (Mark 1:21, 29).
From the fourth Gospel we learn that Andrew was a disciple of the Baptist,
whose testimony first led him and John the Evangelist to follow Jesus (John 1:35-40).
Andrew at once recognized Jesus as the Messias, and hastened to introduce Him
to his brother, Peter (John 1:41). Thenceforth the two brothers were disciples
of Christ. On a subsequent occasion, prior to the final call to the apostolate,
they were called to a closer companionship, and then they left all things to
follow Jesus (Luke 5:11; Matt. 4:19-20; Mark 1:17-18). Finally Andrew was
chosen to be one of the Twelve; and in the various lists of Apostles given in
the New Testament (Matt. 10:2-4); Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13) he is
always numbered among the first four. The only other explicit reference to him
in the Synoptists occurs in Mark 13:3, where we are told he joined with Peter,
James and John in putting the question that led to Our Lord's great eschatological
discourse. In addition to this scanty information, we learn from the fourth
Gospel that on the occasion of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, it
was Andrew who said: “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two
fishes: but what are these among so many?” (John 6:8-9); and when, a few days
before Our Lord's death, certain Greeks asked Philips that they might see
Jesus, Philip referred the matter to Andrew as to one of greater authority, and
then both told Christ (John 12:20-22). Like the majority of the Twelve, Andrew
is not named in the Acts except in the list of the Apostles, where the order of
the first four is Peter, John, James, Andrew; nor have the Epistles or the
Apocalypse any mention of him.
From what we know of the Apostles
generally, we can, of course, supplement somewhat these few details. As one of
the Twelve, Andrew was admitted to the closest familiarity with Our Lord during
His public life; he was present at the Last Supper; beheld the risen Lord;
witnessed the Ascension; shared in the graces and gifts of the first Pentecost,
and helped, amid threats and persecution, to establish the Faith in Palestine .
When the Apostles went forth to
preach to the Nations, Andrew seems to have taken an important part, but
unfortunately we have no certainty as to the extent or place of his labours.
Eusebius (H.E. III:1), relying, apparently, upon Origen, assigns Scythia as his
mission field: Andras de [eilechen] ten Skythian; while St. Gregory of
Nazianzus (Or. 33) mentions Epirus ;
St. Jerome (Ep.
ad Marcell.) Achaia; and Theodoret (on Ps. cxvi) Hellas .
Probably these various accounts are correct, for Nicephorus (H.E. II:39),
relying upon early writers, states that Andrew preached in Cappadocia, Galatia,
and Bithynia, then in the land of the anthropophagi and the Scythian deserts,
afterwards in Byzantium itself, where he appointed St. Stachys as its first bishop,
and finally in Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, and Achaia. It is generally agreed
that he was crucified by order of the Roman Governor, Aegeas or Aegeates, at
Patrae in Achaia, and that he was bound, not nailed, to the cross, in order to
prolong his sufferings. The cross on which he suffered is commonly held to have
been the decussate cross, now known as St. Andrew's, though the evidence for
this view seems to be no older than the fourteenth century. His martyrdom took
place during the reign of Nero, on 30 November, A.D. 60); and both the Latin
and Greek Churches
St. Andrew's relics were translated
from Patrae to Constantinople , and deposited
in the church of the Apostles there, about A.D. 357. When Constantinople was
taken by the French, in the beginning of the thirteenth century, Cardinal Peter
of Capua brought the relics to Italy and placed them in the
cathedral of Amalf1:where most of them still remain. St. Andrew is honoured as
their chief patron by Russia
and Scotland .
Orthodox church Pakistan
www.ocpak.com
by: Fr. Cyril Amer
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