Live of Apostle Bartholomew:
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle is one and the same person as Nathanael , mentioned in the Gospel of Saint John the Theologian ( John 1:45ff ; John 21:2 ). Nathanael was from the Galilean city of Cana. The Lord called him among the first to follow Him. Here is how it happened. When the Lord called Philip, he was filled with great joy, and his heart longed to share this joy with others. Then he went to his friend Nathanael. “We have found Him,” he hastened to convey the greatest news to Nathanael with a joyful face, “we have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote: this is Jesus, the son of Joseph, of Nazareth.” But Nathanael doubted: Philip’s words seemed strange to him. Nazareth was a city in Galilee, and Galilee was home to many pagans, with whom the native Jews who inhabited Galilee maintained close relationships. For this reason, they were held in contempt by the other Jews , and Nathanael shared this general prejudice against the Galileans. He was also familiar with the Jewish wisdom of the books and knew that the Leader who would shepherd Israel would come from the land of Judea (see Micah 5:2 ). "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" he objected to Philip. "Go and see for yourself," Philip replied. He was confident that Nathanael, as soon as he saw the Lord and heard His divine words, would immediately believe that He was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. Nathanael went. "Behold, a true Israelite, one without passions," said Christ, seeing Nathanael approaching Him. "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked in surprise. "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Something special must have happened under the fig tree for Nathanael: the mere hint of this circumstance astonished him. "Teacher! You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel!" he exclaimed in tenderness. "You believe what I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' you will see more than that," Christ continued, and solemnly said: "Truly, truly, I say to you, from now on you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God alternately ascending and descending upon the Son of Man" ( John 1:45-51 ). From that time on, Nathanael firmly believed in Christ and became His disciple. When the 12 apostles were chosen, he, under the name of Bartholomew, was also numbered among them by the Lord ( Luke 6:14 ; Mark 3:18 ).
When, 12 years after the Lord's Ascension into Heaven, the time came for the apostles to disperse from Jerusalem to preach the name of Christ, St. Bartholomew set out with the word of the Gospel. He preached alone for some time, then joined St. Philip the Apostle and shared in apostolic labors with him. They were also assisted by St. Mariamia, St. Philip's sister. The site of their joint apostolic labors was Lydia, Mysia, and Phrygia—regions of Asia Minor. There they met St. John the Theologian, who joined them for a short time. He parted from them in Hieropolis in Phrygia after they, through the power of prayer, had together slain a viper, which was revered as a goddess in Hieropolis. Seeing that the miracles and preaching of the saints... The evangelists converted many to Christ, and the priests began to ask the mayor to put them to death. He condemned them to crucifixion. They crucified St. Philip first, then St. Bartholomew. Then a terrible miracle occurred: the earth opened up, and the mayor, all the priests, and many pagans disappeared into its depths. This miracle astounded the survivors, and to avoid a greater punishment, they rushed to take down the crucified ones. St. Bartholomew was taken down, but St. Philip could not be taken down, and he died on the cross. St. Bartholomew honorably buried the body of the Apostle Philip. This terrible miracle converted many to Christ, and St. Bartholomew baptized all who believed. Having installed Stachys, whom he had healed with St. Philip and with whom they had found refuge, as bishop of Hieropolis, and having established the newly founded Church , St. Bartholomew went to India. There, he labored for quite some time in evangelizing Christ, established a Church, and translated the Gospel of St. Matthew into the local language, which he always carried with him. Upon leaving India, St. Bartholomew left both Gospels for the Christians there: the one translated into the Indian language and the one written in Hebrew.
From India, St. Bartholomew moved to Greater Armenia. As soon as the holy apostle appeared in a village, the unclean spirits inhabiting the idols, unable to bear his presence, fled the land. Likewise, the possessed were healed by the mere presence of St. Bartholomew. Many began to convert to Christ. The daughter of King Polonius was possessed by an evil spirit. "And from here you drive us away, Bartholomew!" the unclean spirit cried loudly through her lips. Then Polonius ordered that St. Bartholomew be found, and when the holy apostle entered the possessed princess's room, the evil spirit immediately left her, and she became healthy. Thinking to thank St. Bartholomew in royal fashion, Polonius sent him a great deal of gold, silver, and all manner of precious things on camels. But the holy apostle sent everything back. "I do not seek these things, nor do I acquire them; I seek human souls, and if I acquire them and lead them to heaven, I will then appear as a great merchant before the Lord," Bartholomew told the king. Polonius was moved by these words and came to believe in Christ. St. Bartholomew baptized him and his entire family, many nobles, and a multitude of people. Following the king's example, ten cities embraced the Christian faith.
The priests could not bear such a defeat for paganism by one man. It was hard for them to watch the idols being destroyed, their temples empty, the sacrifices cease, and it became even harder for them at the thought that they would soon, perhaps, be deprived of food altogether. They were deeply embittered against St. Bartholomew and began to incite the king's brother, Astyages, to avenge the dishonor inflicted on the gods and destroy Bartholomew. Astyages heeded their malicious advice and, choosing an opportune moment, led St. Bartholomew away in chains to the city of Albaka, on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, today's Baku. Astyages tortured the holy apostle in every way, and then crucified him upside down. But St. Bartholomew... Bartholomew, enduring terrible torment, rejoiced that he was suffering for Christ, and on the cross he continued to instruct Christians and admonish the pagans. Astyages, completely mad with anger, blinded himself, devised a new, horrific torture for the apostle, ordering him to be flayed alive. And then the Lord's words, once spoken to St. Bartholomew, were fulfilled. As a disciple of Christ, he wore a purple robe, and Christ, once pointing to it, told St. Bartholomew that he would later rend the garments of his body... A new, terrible torture began for the holy apostle. St. Bartholomew remained steadfast, continuing to teach the people and glorify God. Fear for the sufferer himself grew. Astyages broke out in a cold sweat, and he ordered the sufferer's head and skin cut off. St. Bartholomew died in such terrible agony. His death occurred on June 11, and on this day the Holy Church celebrates a feast in his honor.
Believers removed the apostle's precious body from the cross, placed it, head and skin included, in a tin reliquary, and buried it in the same city of Albak. Those afflicted with various ailments were healed by the relics of the holy apostle, and many unbelievers, amazed by the miracles of healing, converted to Christ. At the beginning of the sixth century, Emperor Anastasius built the city of Dara in Mesopotamia. Saint Bartholomew appeared to him and declared that he himself would protect the city. Anastasius then transferred the relics of the holy apostle there. But they did not remain there for long. In the second half of the sixth century, the Persians conquered Mesopotamia, and some Christians, fleeing the formidable conquerors who did not believe in Christ, took the relics of Saint Bartholomew and fled to the shores of the Black Sea. But here too, their enemies overtook them, took their precious relics from them, and cast them into the sea in a tin casket to drown them. They cast the relics of the holy martyrs Papian, Lucian, Gregory, and Ananias together, each in a separate casket. Then, by the will of God, a wondrous miracle occurred: the caskets containing the relics did not sink into the sea, but floated peacefully upon it. They sailed the entire Black Sea, passed through the Bosphorus Strait, sailed along the Sea of Marmara, crossed the Dardanelles, sailed through the Aegean and Ionian Seas, reached the island of Sicily, and, leaving Syracuse to the left and turning west, approached the island of Loparo. Here, the casket containing the relics of St. Bartholomew landed on the shore, and the caskets containing the relics of the holy martyrs... The martyrs sailed again across the sea and landed at various places. Meanwhile, Agathon, the Bishop of Lopar Island, received a revelation from God about the relics of the holy apostle. Accompanied by all the clergy and a multitude of people, he went ashore and saw the reliquary containing the precious relics of St. Bartholomew. Everyone was filled with great amazement, rejoiced, and glorified God. The reliquary was solemnly brought into the church., and myrrh flowed from the relics, which healed the most incurable illnesses. For many years, the relics of St. Bartholomew remained on the island of Lopar. In the first half of the ninth century, Lopar fell into the hands of the Arabs. Then Sicard, governor of the city of Veneida, near Rome in Italy, who had long heard of the miracles of St. Bartholomew's relics, and moved by a fervent faith in them, commissioned skilled swimmers to bring the apostle's venerable relics from Lopar. Sicard believed that they should not be left in a land controlled by infidels, for the infidels would not treat them with honor. Sicard's pious wish was fulfilled—the swimmers he sent to Lopar returned safely with the relics of St. Bartholomew. Sicard, along with the Bishop of Veneida and a multitude of people, joyfully greeted the precious treasure. With great solemnity and honor, the holy relics were brought to Veneida and placed in the cathedral church. At that time, an annual celebration was established in memory of the transfer of the relics of St. Bartholomew the Apostle from the island of Lopar to Veneida. This celebration is still celebrated by the Church on August 25. In Veneida, many miraculous healings occurred from the holy relics of St. Bartholomew. The holy relics remained there until the 10th century, when they were transferred to Rome. They remain in Rome to this day.
In addition to June 11, when the repose of the holy apostle Bartholomew is celebrated, and August 25, the day of the transfer of the holy relics of the apostle to Venid, the feast of St. Bartholomew is also celebrated on April 22, together with the holy apostles Luke and Clement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Live of Apostle Barnabas:
The Holy Apostle Barnabas was born on the island of Cyprus and descended from the tribe of Levi. His parents were wealthy, and while living in Cyprus, they also owned land in Jerusalem with a house and a large garden. They took care to provide their son with a good education. From childhood, Barnabas, then still known as Joseph, began studying bookish wisdom. When he came of age, his parents sent him to Jerusalem to the then-renowned Jewish teacher of the law, Gamaliel. Here Joseph was raised alongside the young Saul, who later became the first Apostle Paul. Both of them, as the best students, gifted with great spiritual abilities and zealously seeking enlightenment, could not help but form a close friendship in Gamaliel's school. But Divine Providence was pleased to lead them to Christ by different paths. While Paul became a follower of Christ only after His death, Joseph believed in Him during the Lord's lifetime.
While studying under Gamaliel, Joseph diligently attended the Temple in Jerusalem, strictly observed the fasts, and generally lived a pious life. At this time, the Lord Jesus Christ had already begun His public life. On His journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, a multitude of people followed Him, beholding His divine face and listening to His sweet words. When Christ began preaching the Holy Gospel in Jerusalem and performing miracles, Joseph desired to see Christ, hear His divine sermon, and witness the miracles He performed. And as soon as this desire was fulfilled, Joseph loved the Lord with all his soul, believed in Him, and became His disciple.
From that time on, Joseph never abandoned Christ, following Him everywhere, witnessing many of His miracles, and being called to the apostleship among the seventy disciples chosen by Christ. When, shortly before Christ's Passion, most of the seventy disciples abandoned Christ, St. Barnabas the Apostle remained among the few of the seventy who remained faithful to Christ.
After the Savior's ascension to heaven and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, when the believers lived in brotherhood, sharing everything in common, Joseph was among those who sold their possessions and laid the proceeds at the apostles' feet. It was probably after this that he was named Barnabas by the apostles, meaning "son of consolation" ( Acts 4:36 ). It is believed that he received this name because he was endowed with the special gift of comforting the grieving . 35 At the same time, Saint Barnabas zealously preached the word of God. According to the book of Acts, he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith ( Acts 11:24 ). Amid his apostolic labors, he grieved over his friend Saul, who was a stubborn enemy of Christ and persecuted believers. Soon after, Barnabas was overjoyed by Saul's miraculous conversion to Christ. Three years after his conversion, the Apostle Paul arrived in Jerusalem. But the Lord's disciples feared him and avoided him, not believing him to be a Christian. Then Saint Barnabas introduced him to the apostles, telling them of his miraculous calling and conversion. When the holy apostles subsequently sent Barnabas to the newly converted Christians in Syrian Antioch to strengthen them in the faith, he successfully labored there alone for some time, and then, to further spread the Christian faith, he summoned the Apostle Paul. For a whole year, they labored together in proclaiming the Holy Gospel, and the number of believers in Antioch increased daily. When a famine began in Jerusalem, the Christians of Antioch gathered aid for the Christians of Jerusalem and sent the holy apostles Barnabas and Paul with it. Having fulfilled their mission, Paul and Barnabas, along with the Apostle John-Mark, Barnabas's nephew, went to Antioch, where they spent their time fasting, praying, and preaching the word of God. When they soon set out, at the command of the Holy Spirit, to preach the name of Christ in other lands, Mark left them and returned. Barnabas, along with Paul, traveled through Cyprus, preaching the word of God in Salamis, proclaiming the teachings of Christ on the island of Paphos, then passing through Pisidia and Iconium before returning to Antioch. Wherever the apostles went, they first offered their teachings to the Jews of the Diaspora, and then to the Gentiles. Their preaching was so successful that they founded churches in many cities. But this success cost the apostles dearly. During their apostolic journey, Barnabas and Paul suffered terrible hardships, cruel persecution, and were repeatedly in danger of being killed.
After this, Barnabas labored to spread and strengthen the Christian faith in Antioch, and then, in 51, he was with Paul in Jerusalem at the Apostolic Council, which decided whether new Gentile converts should be forced to observe the Law of Moses. There, Paul and Barnabas reported the remarkable successes of their preaching among the Gentiles and were confirmed in their ministry by the senior apostles. Barnabas, along with Paul, was commissioned to convey the Epistle of the Council to the Christians of Syria and Cilicia, which freed new converts from observing the Law of Moses. Soon after, the apostles Paul and Barnabas decided to visit the believers in all the cities where they had preached the word of God and learn how they were living. But disagreements arose between the apostles: Barnabas wanted to take John-Mark with him, while Paul, remembering that he had already abandoned them once, was unwilling to take him along. So they parted ways: Apostle Paul, taking Silas with him, went to the cities of Syria, and St. Barnabas and Mark went to the island of Cyprus, where they spent considerable time spreading the Christian faith. According to tradition, after this, St. Barnabas was the first of the apostles to travel to Italy to preach the word of God there. He visited Rome, founded the Church in the city of Milan, and was ordained bishop of the Church of Milan. Then, returning to his homeland, Cyprus, he continued to spread the word of God there.
At the age of 76, St. Barnabas was deemed worthy of martyrdom. His zealous preaching in Salamis, the capital of Cyprus, aroused the Jews living there against him, and they resolved to kill him. Foreseeing his death, St. Barnabas summoned the believers, gave them his final instructions, and bid them farewell. He instructed his nephew, the Apostle Mark, to relate everything to St. Paul and instructed him to place the Holy Gospel of Matthew, which he had once copied himself and which he never parted with, in his tomb. After this, St. Barnabas , having received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, fearlessly appeared in the Jewish assembly and began to preach Christ to the unbelieving Jews. The embittered Jews rushed at St. Barnabas. They took the apostle out of the city, stoned him, and, not content with this, wanted to burn his body. But the body of St. Barnabas remained safe and sound and was buried by the Apostle Mark. With the murder of St. Barnabas, the Jews launched a persecution against all followers of Christ. The believers fled, and the place where the apostle was buried was forgotten. Later, when the Christian faith had spread throughout Cyprus, miracles and healings from the relics of St. Barnabas revealed the location of these holy remains.
On June 11, 488, the Cypriot Archbishop Anfiscus discovered the relics of St. Barnabas and, on their chest, the Gospel of Matthew, copied by Barnabas. Emperor Zeno rejoiced greatly at this great event. He asked the archbishop for the Gospel found on St. Barnabas's chest and placed it in his court church. With the emperor's assistance, a church was built on the site of the discovery of the holy relics, and since then the memory of the holy apostle has been celebrated annually on June 11 by both the Orthodox Church and the Roman Church. Our Russian pilgrim, Abbot Daniel, saw the relics of St. Barnabas in Cyprus in the 12th century .
A single epistle written by St. Barnabas , addressed to Christians of an unknown Church, has been preserved. The content of the epistle is entirely consistent with the convictions Barnabas advanced in his work. Just as in Antioch and at the Apostolic Council he opposed the obligatory observance of the Mosaic Law for Christians, so in this epistle he argues that with the coming of the Savior into the world, the Old Testament must give way to the New Testament. He argues that after the Passion of Jesus Christ, Jewish sacrifices lost their significance and protects those who believe in Christ from falling into Judaism. In the moral section of the epistle, St. Barnabas sets out two paths: the path of light, i.e., the virtuous one, and the path of darkness, i.e., the vicious one, and he exhorts Christians to follow the path of light.
Sources:
https://azbyka.org/otechnik/Istorija_Tserkvi/zhizn-i-trudy-apostolov/21
https://azbyka.org/otechnik/Istorija_Tserkvi/zhizn-i-trudy-apostolov/7