According to the Bible, Christ had 12 disciples close to him.They were called apostles.They were ordinary people, basically all the fishermen.He called them during his stay on earth.God gave them great power, so they can use it to heal all the sick, raised from the dead, cast out evil forces, as well as to tell about it all people.
apostles - is sent.They became witnesses of how Jesus was resurrected and ascended to heaven.In the upper room of Zion in the Holy Spirit came upon them, and then the apostles began to speak in different languages, before the Unseen, but most importantly, they are strengthened in their faith and become true preachers.
Andrew
first of the 12 Apostles was Andrew, he was named Andrew.He came with good news to the Dnieper River and the hills, which after a time the city was built Kiev.The chroniclers say that Andrew told his disciples that instead of huge mountains will be built a magnificent city, where it will be erected a large number of churches.Apostle after his words went up the mountain, and blessed them, and put the cross there.According to legend, Andrew went from Kiev to Novgorod, where he was struck by the way people bathing in baths, beat their rods and poured cold water and kvass.
Peter
At Andrew was the brother, whose name was Peter.People loved him, because he is with all his power preached, healed and resurrected.People even hated terminally ill relatives to the streets to at least Peter's shadow fell on them.
Two brothers
Continuing to remember the names of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ, we will talk about two brothers, John and James.The gospels were called Zebedee, since their father's name was Zebedee.The brothers had an explosive character, so Jesus gave them another name - "Boanerges," which means "sons of thunder."According to tradition, the apostle James died an agonizing death in 44 years.His remains were released to the Mediterranean Sea and are found in 813-year monk hermit Pelayo.Later, in 896-899 years, on the orders of Alfonso III at the place where the remains were found, a church was built.This place was given a beautiful name - Compostella, and the apostle James began to patronize Spain.By the way, after he was named the capital of Chile - Santiago.
Brother James, John the Evangelist, occupies a special place among the 12 apostles of Christ.He was the most beloved of his student.John preached love, because without it, he said, a person can not get closer to God.He raised the dead.John lived on the ground more than a hundred years, during which time he performed many good deeds for people.The people are very fond of this apostle.Before his death, he asked his disciples to dig a grave for itself in the form of a cross, went there and ordered to dig.After the other disciples have dug the grave, the body was not found.
Other saints
This is only part of the 12 apostles of Christ, there were Philip, Bartholomew, St. Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alpheus, Simon the Zealot, Judas and Matthias.All are depicted on the icons around the world.Their worship, they pray all religious people, because they made good deeds and there were witnesses who left behind a manuscript.
They reached to the present day, and with them the relics of the 12 apostles.Particles of these bodies of saints are usually kept in churches and temples.Icon of the 12 Apostles shows us the face of all the disciples of Christ.There are several versions, and they are all different from each other as the artists who created images that were from different countries.
Cathedrals
also in honor of the 12 apostles were erected temples, cathedrals and churches.All buildings are old, they are in the most picturesque places.Temple 12 Apostles is in Tula, in Israel, in Moscow, in the Crimea (Balaklava).
Temple Israel different from all the others for its pink dome.This building was built about in the eighties of the twentieth century.Rumor has it that at the place where the church used to be the house in which Jesus healed a man of palsy.
Tula is also famous for its building in honor of the 12 apostles.There once stood an old building made of wood, but over time it became necessary to its expansion.And in 1903 it began construction of the stone church.In 1912 the building was equipped with a school and an almshouse for the elderly.The walls of the temple murals and motifs of famous artists.This is a very large building, it can accommodate more than a thousand people.
Moscow temple of the 12 Apostles is a national monument.It was built in 1635 -1656 years of Russian masters.It has five chapters, it looks like a palace.The materials used in its construction were the most expensive, then there.Above the painting by the best painters and icon-painters.In 1917 the church was shelled by revolutionaries, and in 1918 he remade into a museum.
Another temple
in Balaclava Temple 12 apostles, along with all the other is a unique monument of the 18th century.It was built in 1794 on the foundations of the old church.The history of the church states that he was the repository of relics and banners Balaklava battalion, then transferred to the Diocesan Office.And once in the Crimea have established Soviet power, the sanctuary was closed, and functioned as a house pioneers, and later the club.
In the nineties he was handed over the Orthodox Church and began to restore.Everything was restored works of Augustine.In 1991, the temple was consecrated again.Today this courtyard of the monastery of Inkerman.There are many relics kept various saints.Inside the temple, not at all the murals, but perhaps they had previously adorned the walls of this great building.
Conclusion
We told you about the twelve apostles of Christ, learned about them the necessary information.In addition, we learned that in honor of these saints were built many churches and cathedrals.
