Andrew

Andrew was the first apostle to follow Jesus, not only the first, but the eldest apostle. He was called in the year 26AD, when he was 33, a year older than Jesus. Originally he was a disciple of John the Baptist, but recognized Jesus as the messiah and brought his brother Peter to serve with Jesus. Peter was the more gifted speaker, but this never caused conflict. Peter’s speech on Pentecost converted two thousand, that evening Andrew said to him “I could do that, but I am glad to have a brother that does”, Peter replied “If it wasn’t for your bringing me to the Master, and you keeping me with him, I wouldn’t have been here to do this”. Andrew was the first to record on paper the teachings of Jesus, and he distributed them freely among the Christians, where they were edited, collected and eventually destroyed in Alexandria during a fire a century later.

There are several traditions about Andrew, some overlap with events, but each has a slightly different account of his life and where he traveled, one tradition even says he traveled as far as Ethiopia. For the most part the traditions hold that he first traveled with Peter to Antioch, then to Sinope (on the Black Sea), Armenia, Clochis (Georgia in Russia), Scythia (Ukraine) and then back towards Europe by way of Ephesus, where he lived with John. He returned to Jerusalem in 50AD for the First Synod of the Apostles (to question paul?). He traveled to Byzantium, later known as Constantinople, today known as Istanbul, where he ordained Stachys establishing the unbroken line of 270 patriarchs to this day.

 [verify http://www.dynahost.net/education/berosus2/neareast/ne07a.html#Andrew]

The longest and most detailed account of Andrew is also the most incredible, The Acts of Andrew, written about 260 AD. It recounts several acts that follow the life of his teachings and martyrdom. The first five acts seem to be nothing more than tales of miraculous acts, but the martyrdom tale is an epic that reveals the man of Andrew.

Acts of Andrew

After Jesus’ ascension the apostles went to their chosen corners of the world to preach with Andrew preaching in Achaia (one of the larger Greek islands). There an angel appeared to Andrew telling him that the fellow apostle Mattais had been imprisoned and tortured, where his eyes were gouged out. The angel said that he must travel to Mermidona (Murgondy possibly) to free Mattais. When he arrived at the prison Andrew prayed for Matthew, and not to make waste of his good fortune Mattais fled the city. The people were incensed that Matthew had escaped they captured and tied Andrew so tightly that he bled from his wrists. The legend says Andrew prayed for the conversion of his captors, his prayed was granted, and he was freed.

He then traveled to Antioch where he met Demetrius of Amasea. Demetrius had an Egyptian boy who had just died of a fever. Demeterius was so despondent for the boy that he threw himself at Andrew’s feet begging for help. He offered anything to Andrew if he could help. “If he were restored would you give him to serve the Lord with me?” Demetrius agreed, Andrew reached down and touched the boy’s eyes. “Rise child and serve” with those words the boy was restored to life and served as Andrew’s aid.

The next episode tells of the young believing man Sostratus. He came to Andrew with a particularly foul problem: his mother wanted the son to sleep with her, but he had resisted. The humiliation of rejection and her foulness steamed up a torment of planned vengeance. She reported to the proconsul that the young man had tried to rape her. The proconsul called for Sostratus, and Andrew accompanied him to the trial.

At the trial the mother exclaimed that it was Andrew who polluted the son causing the son to attack her, making matters worse the proconsul believed the mother. He ordered Andrew to be imprisoned, and the son to be bound in a sack and thrown into the river. Andrew could bear no more he yelled out in prayer. Immediately an earthquake responded to his prayers violently shaking the city and court. The proconsul was terrified falling to his knees begging for mercy, as for the mother she “withered up and died”. The proconsul then became a believer, and the tale says that all in his household (which meant family, extended family, slaves, servants, and their family too) were immediately baptized.

Peeping Tom

The son of Cratinus of Sinope had been bathing in the woman’s baths (apparently quite a serious offense) and had been possessed by a demon. Hearing about the pervert Andrew sought him out at his home. When he found him, he saw that the entire house was infested with disease and fevers. Andrew cast out the demon from Catinus, and told the young man that by his sins he truly deserved to die. “Yes, I truly do”, he accepted his guilt and was miraculously cured of the demon’s fever. Andrew then turned to his wife who was also stricken with disease, and charged with infidelity. He prayed that if she were to change her ways that she should live, or die immediately (not much to choose from). The water broke out of her body (at the time disease was considered to be a fluid) and she was immediately healed. Cratinus was very grateful for Andrew’s works and brought him many gifts; Andrew refused them saying “It is better for you to give them to the poor”.

From there he traveled to Nicea where he ran into seven devils disguised as a pack of wild dogs. He called the devils to him, ordering that they retreat to “where they would harm no man”. The devils departed as they were commanded. Afterwards, Andrew met with a funeral procession for a man that was killed by these devils. Andrew wept as he realized these were the same devils that he had sent away. After wailing and praying by Andrew the dead man was restored to life.

The last episode in the Acts of Andrew tells of his martyrdom. Stratoklis became so impassioned for the faith that he was later made Bishop of Patras. It is said that here Andrew made his prophecy that the city of Kiev would become a stronghold of Christianity. [where to tie in? verify]

Maximillia

Andrew eventually arrived in the city of Patras in Achia. Even then in his eighties, he would publicly preach at the praetorium every day. He was successfully converting people to the Christian faith, so successful that he soon had the audience of the proconsul’s brother Stratokles. According to legend Stratokles was a high ranking Roman intellectual and his conversion by Andrew’s passionate rationale swayed many of the city’s people to Christianity. The conversion of Stratokles, and the excitement caused by Andrew soon caught the attention of the proconsul of Aegeates. Aegeates considered arresting Andrew for being disruptive, but eventually dismissed him as eccentric and harmless.

Aegeates had other problems to deal with, his wife, the Greek noble-woman Maximillia, refused to sleep with him. She would go to great extents to deceive him, at one point she cajoled her maid Euclia into dressing like a prostitute and seducing her husband to occupy him allowing Maximillia to sneak out into the city. One night while out on the town, an angel spoke to her and led her to the praetorium. There she then heard Andrew speak for the first time, and it changed her life. She sat and listened for hours as he spoke.

Late that night her husband was about to go looking for her. He started to walk down the road leading to the preatorium and heard some ladies speaking. Pausing to listen, he heard his wife complaining about woman’s issues with her maid. The angel, pretending to be Maximilla and the maid had fooled Aegeates. Satisfied, and not wanting to be involved in a woman’s issue conversation he returned home.

Maximillia would go daily to the praetorium to hear Andrew’s preaching. When the proconsul heard of that his wife was out spending her days with another man he became insane with jealousy. Aegeates rushed to the praetorium ordering Andrew’s arrest, then turned to his wife he said: “Maximillia, my parents considered me worthy of being with you, and to be married to you, not because of wealth and stature, but for the goodness of my soul. For the sake of my parent’s wishes and our life together I will reserve my tongue, but, I have come here to ask you one thing: Answer me honestly, will you return to the way you were when we were first married? Sleeping, conversing and having children with me. If so, I will not be harsh with you, no, I will be more than gentle, I will free him. If not, I will afflict him worse than he is now. Think about it Maximillia, and answer me tomorrow, but be warned I am fully prepared to carry out my threat.”

The next morning she went to see Andrew in prison, telling him of Aegeates demand. Andrew spoke “I know Maximillia, my child, that you despise the filth and foulness of your marriage, and that this has long been your intentions. And now, you ask for my opinion. Oh Maximillia, don’t do it. Don’t be bullied by him, don’t be confused by his debates, don’t fear his shameful counsels, don’t fall into his artful flattery, don’t surrender to his spells. Put up with it, because you know that he will weaken and fail the longer you hold out.

He continued “But what I really need to say, and I can not rest until the destiny I see for you happens: In you, Eve has repented. In me, Adam has returned. What she suffered in ignorance you (and for your I soul I suffer) sets right by returning. And for which the spirit that suffered which was overthrown with her, and slipped away from itself, is set right in me, with you who sees yourself brought back. Her flaws you have fixed by not suffering like Eve, and Adams flaw I have perfected by taking refuge with God. What she disobeyed you have obeyed. Where he consented to, I flee from, and what they failed in we are aware of, and it is destiny that everyone should arise from their own failings.

“Don’t go yet, there is more that I need to say: Well done O nature! You have been strong and not hid away like Adam did. Well done O soul that cries for what you have suffered and returns to you! Well done O man that understands what is yours and holds dear to it! Well done because you hear what is spoken, I see you to be greater than thoughts or words. I know you are more powerful than the forces that seem to overpower you, I know you are more beautiful than those who pervert you and imprison you. Understand then that this is all in you, you are holy, like he that was unborn, you are intellectual, beautiful, heavenly, radiant, pure, above the flesh, above the world, above its rulers, above the principalities. You are over them in truth. Understand then your situation, receive full knowledge and know where you excel. Then, take a look at yourself and break your bonds – not only the bonds by birth, but all bonds above birth. Remember the teachings, remember the names of those which are exceedingly great, seek out the One that was revealed to you, the One that does not come into being, yet you alone will recognize with confidence.

“Maximillia, I hope you understand what I am saying. Just as Adam died in Eve because he consented to her confession, so I now live in you that you will keep the Lord’s commandments and establish the dignity of your being. You will stomp on Aegeates threats because God will have mercy on us. Don’t let his noise sway you, stay chaste – let him torture me with chains and wild animals, or burn me, or throw me from a cliff. What do I need to say? There is but this one body, let him abuse it, it is his own abuse.

“If you hold out against him Maximillia, I will sleep even though I will be forced to leave this life for your sake, and mine. If you don’t I will be tormented until you yourself saw that I had given my life for a soul unworthy.

Will you assist me, you who I see not only as a woman, but also as a man. That I may become perfect, that you will recognize your true-self, feel with me in my suffering that you will understand the nature of suffering yet escape it, so you will see what I see so that you will understand what you should and should not see. Listen to what I say, forget what you have heard.”

With that she left the prison. Stratocles, the converted brother of Aegeates came to see Andrew. He entered the prison and was crushed by seeing Andrew in chains. Andrew, annoyed turned to him “Why are you crying? Why are you so oppressed? What causes your spirit to be so crushed? Pain? Anguish? Why? Don’t you understand all that I have said? Don’t you know why I want you to think the same way?  Has this all touched your keen intellect? Don’t I find myself in you? Aren’t you the one that speaks as though you were me? Has he [Aegeates] tormented you? Is there a side of you that is a stranger to what I have taught you? Is that stranger a serpent? A cheat, a sorcerer, a liar, or a devil? Have I been wasting my time?”

Stratocles hung his head shamefully, more gently Andrew continued “No, no I haven’t… says the man within you my Stratocles” Andrew reached out and took his hand, “I have Him who I loved, I will rest on Him who I look for. Your grief is a sign that I have already found rest. I know that I have not spoken in vain.”

Stratocles spoke “Don’t think that there is any other reason for my grief than your suffering. But your words, every one of them, is an arrow that strikes and burns me. I think they are the words of the tormented, understandably, since you foresee that the end is near. But afterwards, what am I to do? Who am I to learn from? Who will keep me company and console me? You have given me the seeds of salvation. How will I make it grow? I need you Andrew. What else can I say? I need your mercy and help so that I will grow to be worthy of these seeds. Otherwise, I fear, they won’t grow into the light”

“This, my child, is what I saw in you. I thank the Lord that my thoughts were not wasted. But, you should know the truth, that tomorrow Aegeates will have me crucified. Maximillia will enrage him, and in his fury he will think to console himself with my death”.

By now Maximillia had arrived at the praetorium. She had understood Andrew’s words and took them to heart. There at the praetorium she resolved herself to swear off the flesh, and returned to her home to tell her husband about her resolutions. “My Maximillia, you have come home. So, what is your answer? Will you return to the love of our early days? Be mine and mine only?”

“No. I have come to tell you my answer is ‘no’”

“You understand that I will indeed make him suffer. Suffer like I have, no, I don’t think I could make him suffer the way you pained me, but, I will try. Go now before I rescind my generosity to you” Aegeates returned to his dinner and was lost in thought figuring out what method of execution would be most the painful.

She immediately left the household to return to Andrew’s prison. She arrived to a crowd of people fearing something worse had already happened she thrust her way through the crowd. At the front of the crowd she saw Andrew, in chains, deeply preaching to the crowd.

“Brothers, I was sent by the Lord as an apostle to this place where he felt I was worthy. He sent me here not to teach but to remind every man that they live in evils which are temporal, delighting in their own delusions. I have always told you to leave these things, to struggle for those things that endure, take flight from all that is transitory. All things, even the customs of men, are easily changeable. All of this has happened because the soul in untrained, and errs toward nature. I count them blessed who have become obedient to the word, and see the mysteries of their own true self, for whose sake all things have been built up

“Please, my beloved children firmly build yourselves up on the foundation that has been laid out for you, it is unshakable, and no evil will overcome. Be rooted in this foundation, be established in all that you have seen and heard while I was with you. You have seen works done through me that you can not but believe, and these signs even made dumb nature proclaim. I have given you words which I pray may be received by you just as the words would have it. Be established then, my children, in all that you have seen, heard, and are part of, and God, in who you believe, will have mercy on your and present you into himself giving you rest unto all ages.

Now, as for what is going to happen to me. Don’t let it trouble you as some strange spectacle. I am a servant of God who will be driven out of this temporal life by an evil man. Not just me, but to all that have loved Him and confess Him will also suffer.” Andrew continued throughout the night, praying with them until his last sunrise. On the morning of November 29^th (59AD) Aegeates sent for Andrew to appear in the court.

Aegeates addressed the prisoner: “The end of your judgment is at hand, you stranger, you enemy of life, and foe to my household. Tell me, what made you think to come to places where you are not welcome, to come and corrupt my wife? Why? Why have you done these things to me and to my people? I will give you a gift, just as you gave to me!” Aegeates ordered the guards to scourge and beat Andrew, when the where done they were to execute him.

Escape

The guards took the beaten Andrew and lead him away for his execution. The crowd at the prison saw Andrew and they began to yell and throw rocks at the soldiers. From the crowd the brother of Aegeates, Stratocles ran up and started to attack the soldiers. They withdrew leaving Andrew behind. Stratocles grabbed Andrew and ran off towards the sea ranting under his breath at Aegeates.

The guards returned to Aegeates and told their story. Aegeates demanded that they return to their task, and avoid confrontation with Stratocles “I know his temper, and he could kill even me. Don’t answer any of his questions” In a hiding spot, Andrew turned to Stratocles and said “My child, you are tormented in your soul. To be a worthy servant of the Lord you have to let go of that temper. You can not become inflamed inward or outwardly. Listen to me, so long as you, and all them, believe he is beaten. He will find no comfort, no consolation, so keep your eyes on him, so that you will be valiant even if he slaughters you.” Andrew led them away to the place by the sea where he was to be crucified. Arriving there, Andrew spoke to the cross:

“Hail to you my cross, be glad indeed! I know full well that you will soon be at rest. You have been waiting a long time for me, being all set up there. I have come, and I know you are for me, and you yearn for my body. I know your purpose, why you have been set up. You are planted in the earth to stabilize the unstable things, one part reaches to heaven. You spread to the right and to the left that it might scare off the evil one and gather into one those who are scattered.

“My cross, you device of the salvation of the Most High! O cross, trophy of the victory over the enemies! My cross, planted upon the earth and having your fruit in the heavens! My name of the cross - a thing filled with all.

“You have done well, my cross that has tied down the mobility of the world. Well done, O shape of understanding that has shaped the shapeless! Well done, O unseen punishment that sorely humbles the substance of the knowledge that has many gods, and drives out from among man him that devised it! Well done, you that did clothe your with the Lord, and did bear the thief as a fruit, and did call the apostle to repentance, and did not refuse to accept us! But I am delaying, speaking like this, and so not embracing the cross. By the cross I may be made alive, and by the cross win the common death of all and depart out of life?” By now the guards had arrived, Andrew turned to them “Come now; enjoy your punishments on me, you servants of Aegeates. Fulfill both our desires, bind the lamb to the wood of suffering, and bring the man to his maker and his soul to his Savior”

Not wasting any time, the guards tied him to the cross as commanded by Aegeates. It was planned that Andrew would be hung rather than be nailed allowing him the chance to command Maximilla to return to Aegeates. To speed up Andrew’s decision, Aegeates planned that dogs would maul him. After setting him on the cross, the guards departed.

The crowds who were made disciples in Christ by Andrew began to gather. They had never known martyrdom and wanted to understand. Andrew looked over to them and smiled. Stratocles asked "why do you smile? You laughter confuses us because we grieve for you”. “My son Stratocles, shouldn’t I laugh at the Aegeates’ wasted ambush where he thinks he punishes us? We are strangers to him and his conspiracies. He hasn’t heard! Because he would have heard that the man of Jesus can’t be punished!” By now even the unbelieving came to watch Andrew’s execution, realizing his innocence they became angered with Aegeates.

“You men that are here, women and children, old and young, bond and free, and all that will hear, see beyond the vanity and deceit of this present life, but instead listen to those who hang for the Lord's sake and are about to depart out of this body! Renounce all the lusts of the world and spit on the idols, and run to the true worshipping of our God that doesn’t lie! Make yourselves a temple pure and ready to receive the word.”

The people listened intently as Andrew continued to teach throughout the day and night. The next day the crowd angrily protested to Aegeates. When they gathered at his court he dismissed them with a gesture of his hand.  They were filled with rage and were at the point of violence, numbering about two thousand, refusing to back down they demanded: “What is this judgment, O proconsul? You have ill judged! You have unjustly condemned your court is a fraud! What evil has this man done? Who or what has he offended? Now the city is troubled, you have hurt us all! Don’t destroy Caesar's city! Give us the righteous man! Give us this holy man! Don’t kill a gentle and pious man who is dear to God! For two days now he has hung and still he lives. He has not eaten, but fills our hunger with his words so that we believe in the God he preaches of. Take down the righteous man and we will all turn philosophers; release the innocent man and all Patras will be at peace! Set free the wise man and all Achaia will be set free by him!”

Ageates saw their rage and feared there would be a rising against him. He rose up from the judgment-seat and went with them, promising to release Andrew. Some of the crowd ran ahead to tell Andrew and to the rest of the people. When they heard the news the crowd rejoiced together with Maximilla and Stratocles. But when Andrew heard it, he began to say: “The dullness and disobedience of my children! How many times have I told you? Even now I haven’t been able to persuade them to escape from the love of earthly things! They are still bound to them and continue with them, and won’t depart from them. What is the meaning of this love and sympathy with the flesh? How long will you dwell on worldly and temporal things? Let me forever to be put to death as you see, let no man by any means loose me from these bonds, it is my destiny to be with the Lord, with who  I am also crucified.”

He turned to Aegeates and said with a loud voice “Why do did you come, Aegeates? What would you dare to scheme, or what to take? Tell us that you have repented and have come to release us? No, if you repented will I consent to you, but not if you promise me all you are will I depart from myself, not if you say that you are mine will I trust you. And do you, proconsul, release him that is bound? Him that has already been set free? That which has been recognized by his kinsman? That has obtained mercy and is beloved of Him? Do you loose him that is alien to you? The stranger? That only appears that way to you? I have one with who I should be with forever, with who I should converse for unnumbered ages. To Him I go, to Him do I hurry, He who made you known to me, who said to me ‘Understand Aegeates don’t let his gifts and the fearful one scare you. Don’t think that he holds you because you are mine. He is your enemy: he is pestilent, a deceiver, a corrupter, a madman, a sorcerer, a cheat, a murderer, wrathful, without compassion’”

Andrew continued “Get out of my sight you worker of all iniquity!” The proconsul stood speechless and unmoving. The crowd made an uproar that he should release Andrew. Realizing the situation, Aegeates went take him down. Andrew cried out so that all could hear him “Please Lord do not allow your Andrew to be released! Rebuke this shameless devil; O Jesus, don’t let the adversary release him that is hung upon you grace; O Father, don’t let this one humiliate me who knows you greatness. But Jesus, who I have seen, who I hold, who I love, in who I am and should be, receive me in peace into your everlasting tabernacles, that by my going out there may be an entering in to you of many that are like me, and that they may rest in your majesty.” Those were his last words.

Maximilla ignoring those that stood by, came to the cross and took down his body. When it was evening she paid it the accustomed care and buried it by the sea-shore. She continued separate from Aegeates because of his brutal soul and his wicked manner of life, leading a reverend and quiet life, filled with the love of Christ, among the brethren. Aegeates tried so hard to woo her back, even promised that she should have the rule over all his affairs, but being unable to persuade her, he arose in the dead of night and cast himself down from a great height and perished.

Since Aegeates died childless, the arrangements of his estate were left to the brother Stratocles. He refused to touch any of his things saying “Let your things go with you, Aegeates. We have no need for these things, they are polluted. As for me, let Christ be my friend and I his servant. With my being do I offer to him, and I pray that by hearing the teaching of Andrew that I may be with him in the ageless and unending kingdom.”

And yet the story of Andrew continues!

Constantinople and Europe

In March of 357 the Emperor Constantine (the son of Constantine the Great who legalized Christianity) decreed that Andrew be exhumed from Patras and brought to Constantinople to be interred at the Church of the Holy Apostles there. The Greek monk Regulus had a vision from an angel that the relics were going to be moved, and that he should take as much of the remains as possible and safe guard it to the ends of the earth. Following the angels directions he removed a tooth, an arm bone, a knee-cap and several fingers from the corpse and sped away to the furthest reaches of the known world. On his journey he was shipwrecked in Scotland and there a chapel was built in 733AD. Four hundred years later a cathedral replaced the smaller chapel (1160 AD) which became an important shrine for pilgrims. Sometime around the Scottish Reformation the relics disappeared, or were destroyed along with the cathedral as part of “catholic idolatry”. Today, a plaque marks the location where the relics once were venerated. To this day, the diagonal cross on the Scottish flag, the union jack, the Australian flag and the New Zealand flag all bear witness to the diagonal cross of their patron saint Andrew.

More of his remains were stolen by the Crusaders from Constantinople in 1210 and are now in Amalfi (Southern Italy). In 1460, his head was given to the Pope Pius IV by Thomas Palaeologus to curry favor for his despotic deeds. Later in 1879 the Archbishop of Amalfi sent a part of Andrew’s shoulder blade to the catholic community in Scotland. On September 24, 1964, the head was returned to the people of Patras as an ecumenical gesture. More recently, in 1969, Pope Paul VI gave more relics to the St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Edinburgh saying “Peter gives you his brother”. As for Constantinople, what is left of Andrew is among the relics of Luke, Timothy, and Paul [verify]. [picture of the Basillica of Andrew in Almafi would be nice, and also the remains of St Andrews in Scotland too]

Figure 7 - Church of St Andrew, Patras Greece

Figure 8 - The Martydom of Andrew by Jean Fouquet