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E01902: The Apostolic Constitutions, of 375/380, recommend that martyrs be honoured, invoking the examples of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030) and *James ('brother of the Lord', S00058). It also condemns the veneration of false martyrs, and prohibits belching, debauchery, singing, and various pagan practices, perhaps associated with Christian feasts. Written in Greek, probably in Syria.
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posted on 2016-10-10, 00:00 authored by BryanApostolic Constitutions, Book 5
8. Περὶ δὲ τῶν μαρτύρων λέγομεν ὑμῖν, ὅπως πάσῃ τιμῇ ὦσιν παρ’ ὑμῖν, ὡς καὶ παρ’ ἡμῖν τετίμηνται ὁ μακάριος Ἰάκωβος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος καὶ ὁ ἅγιος ἡμῶν συνδιάκονος Στέφανος. Οὗτοι γάρ εἰσιν καὶ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ μεμακαρισμένοι καὶ ὑπὸ ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν τετιμημένοι, καθαροὶ πάσης πλημμελείας, ἄτρεπτοι πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν, ἀμετάπειστοι τῶν καλῶν, ἀνενδοίαστοι πρὸς ἐγκώμια, περὶ ὧν καὶ ὁ Δαυὶδ ἔλεγεν· «Τίμιος ἐναντίον Κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ὁ Σολομών· «Μνήμη δικαίων μετ’ ἐγκωμίων.» Περὶ ὧν καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· «Ἄνδρες δίκαιοι αἴρονται.»
9. Ταῦτα δὲ περὶ τῶν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ μαρτυρησάντων εἴρηται, ἀλλ’ οὐ περὶ τῶν ψευδομαρτύρων, περὶ ὧν τὸ λόγιόν φησιν· «Ὄνομα δὲ ἀσεβῶν σβέννυται· μάρτυς γὰρ πιστὸς οὐ ψεύδεται, ἐκκαίει δὲ ψευδῆ μάρτυς ἄδικος.» Ὁ γὰρ ἐν μαρτυρίῳ ἐξελθὼν ἀψευδῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, οὗτος ἀληθινὸς μάρτυς, ἀξιόπιστος ἐν οἷς συνηγωνίσατο τῷ λόγῳ τῆς εὐσεβείας διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου αἵματος.
‘8. We [=the Apostles] talk to you about the martyrs, in order that they be held in the highest honour among you, just as the blessed James, the bishop, and our holy fellow deacon, Stephen, are honoured among us. For they have been made blessed by God, and honoured by righteous men. They are pure of all blame, free from sinful inclination, undistracted from good things, a safe subject for praise. About them David said: Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints. And Solomon: The memory of the righteous is with praise (Prov. 10.7). About them the prophet also said: Righteous men are taken away (Isaiah 57.1).
9. All this has been said about those who have suffered martyrdom for Christ, not about the false martyrs, about whom the quote says: The name of the wicked withers away (Prov. 10.7); a truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness spews lies (Prov. 14.5). For a true martyr is he who has come out of martyrdom without a lie for the sake of truth, worthy to be believed alongside those whom he joined in the struggle for the true religion by his own blood.
Chapter 10 contains a series of prohibitions against vain, shameful, and humorous talk, belching, debauchery, wrath, pagan and shameless singing, and invocations of idolatrous gods and demons.
Chapter 11 prohibits the veneration of idols.
Chapter 12 Prohibits the singing of pagan songs, various practices of divination and astrology.
Text: Metzger 1986
Translation: E. Rizos
8. Περὶ δὲ τῶν μαρτύρων λέγομεν ὑμῖν, ὅπως πάσῃ τιμῇ ὦσιν παρ’ ὑμῖν, ὡς καὶ παρ’ ἡμῖν τετίμηνται ὁ μακάριος Ἰάκωβος ὁ ἐπίσκοπος καὶ ὁ ἅγιος ἡμῶν συνδιάκονος Στέφανος. Οὗτοι γάρ εἰσιν καὶ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ μεμακαρισμένοι καὶ ὑπὸ ὁσίων ἀνδρῶν τετιμημένοι, καθαροὶ πάσης πλημμελείας, ἄτρεπτοι πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν, ἀμετάπειστοι τῶν καλῶν, ἀνενδοίαστοι πρὸς ἐγκώμια, περὶ ὧν καὶ ὁ Δαυὶδ ἔλεγεν· «Τίμιος ἐναντίον Κυρίου ὁ θάνατος τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ ὁ Σολομών· «Μνήμη δικαίων μετ’ ἐγκωμίων.» Περὶ ὧν καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγεν· «Ἄνδρες δίκαιοι αἴρονται.»
9. Ταῦτα δὲ περὶ τῶν κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ μαρτυρησάντων εἴρηται, ἀλλ’ οὐ περὶ τῶν ψευδομαρτύρων, περὶ ὧν τὸ λόγιόν φησιν· «Ὄνομα δὲ ἀσεβῶν σβέννυται· μάρτυς γὰρ πιστὸς οὐ ψεύδεται, ἐκκαίει δὲ ψευδῆ μάρτυς ἄδικος.» Ὁ γὰρ ἐν μαρτυρίῳ ἐξελθὼν ἀψευδῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας, οὗτος ἀληθινὸς μάρτυς, ἀξιόπιστος ἐν οἷς συνηγωνίσατο τῷ λόγῳ τῆς εὐσεβείας διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου αἵματος.
‘8. We [=the Apostles] talk to you about the martyrs, in order that they be held in the highest honour among you, just as the blessed James, the bishop, and our holy fellow deacon, Stephen, are honoured among us. For they have been made blessed by God, and honoured by righteous men. They are pure of all blame, free from sinful inclination, undistracted from good things, a safe subject for praise. About them David said: Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints. And Solomon: The memory of the righteous is with praise (Prov. 10.7). About them the prophet also said: Righteous men are taken away (Isaiah 57.1).
9. All this has been said about those who have suffered martyrdom for Christ, not about the false martyrs, about whom the quote says: The name of the wicked withers away (Prov. 10.7); a truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness spews lies (Prov. 14.5). For a true martyr is he who has come out of martyrdom without a lie for the sake of truth, worthy to be believed alongside those whom he joined in the struggle for the true religion by his own blood.
Chapter 10 contains a series of prohibitions against vain, shameful, and humorous talk, belching, debauchery, wrath, pagan and shameless singing, and invocations of idolatrous gods and demons.
Chapter 11 prohibits the veneration of idols.
Chapter 12 Prohibits the singing of pagan songs, various practices of divination and astrology.
Text: Metzger 1986
Translation: E. Rizos
History
Evidence ID
E01902Saint Name
James the Brother of the Lord, also known as James the Just, ob. 1st c. : S00058 Stephen, the First Martyr : S00030 Martyrs, unnamed or name lost : S00060Saint Name in Source
Ἰάκωβος ΣτέφανοςRelated Saint Records
Language
- Greek
Evidence not before
375Evidence not after
380Activity not before
100Activity not after
380Place of Evidence - Region
Syria with PhoeniciaPlace of Evidence - City, village, etc
Antioch on the OrontesPlace of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Antioch on the Orontes Thabbora ThabboraCult activities - Festivals
- Saint’s feast
Cult activities - Activities Accompanying Cult
- Feasting (eating, drinking, dancing, singing, bathing)
