Holy Apostles Archippus, Philemon and Apphia

Life

Archippus was one of the Seventy. The Apostle Paul mentions him in the Epistle to the Colossians and to Philemon, calling him his fellow soldier. In the city of Colossae the center of Christianity was in Philemon's house. There Christians gathered for prayer. This the Apostle Paul, writing to Philemon, called thy house church. At that time the apostles ordained their disciples as bishops, some of them to a permanent place, and some as missionaries traveling to various places. And Philemon was one of these latter. Apphia, Philemon's wife, fasted and served the house church. At the time of a certain feast to the pagan goddess Artemis, all the faithful in Colossae were by custom gathered in Philemon's house for prayer. The pagans, learning of this gathering, rushed and seized all the Christians. Philemon, Archippus and Apphia, as leaders, were first put to the whip, and then they buried them up to the waist in the ground and began to beat them with stones. And thus they killed Philemon and Apphia, and Archippus they pulled from the pit barely alive, and left him for the amusement of children. The children, however, stabbed him all over with knives. And thus this fellow soldier of Paul also well ended the course of his earthly course.

From the Hymn of Praise

Unmurmuring obedience—almost salvation,The first pearl among spiritually precious stones.This pearl slipped from Eve's necklace.After it all other treasures given by God.