/christian/ - Christian Discussion and Fellowship

2)

When they woke up, they remembered that Decius was looking for them in order to torture them. So, they were discussing this issue. Maximilian said to the others: “If we, my brothers, get arrested by Decius, let us stand bravely and not betray our faith. You, brother Jamblicus, go and buy bread, but buy even more since yesterday afternoon you bought a little and thus we slept feeling hungry. In addition try to find out what Decius thinks about us.

So, Jamblicus went to Ephesus, saw the sign of the Holy Cross in the city and was puzzled. Seeing the sign of the Holy Cross in other parts of the city, noticing that the houses had changed and the people were different, he thought that he was having a vision or he was in ecstasy. He got to the bakery, bought the bread and as he was getting ready to go back to the cave, he saw the bakers showing each other the coins and turning their glance at him and saying that he must have found a treasure since the coins he paid with had on them the picture of the former ruler Decius.

When Jamblicus heard that, he got frightened and from fear he could not speak, because he thought he had been recongnised and was going to be delivered to the ruler Decius. So, he begged them saying: “I beg you my lords, take the money and your bread but let me go”. The bakers said to him: “Show us the treasure you found and give us a share of whatever you discovered as well, otherwise we will kill you.”

When they saw the Holy Youth standing morose, they put a chain round his neck and took him to the agora. Then they took him by force to the proconsul in Ephesus in order to be questioned. When the proconsul saw him, he asked him: “Tell us, my young man, how did you find the treasure, how much is there and where is it?” Jamblicus answered them that he had never found anything, and that the coins that he gave had been taken from his parents. He also added: “What is has happened to me, I do not understand.”

3)

The proconsul asked him again which city he was from. The Holy Youth answered: “This is the city I come from, if this is Ephesus.” The proconsul went on asking him: “Who are your parents? Let them come in front of us and when the truth is revealed then we, ourselves, shall believe you.” Jamblicus replied: “Such and such is my father, such and such is my grandfather, such and such are my relatives.”

Then the proconsul said to him: “The names you told us do not exist, are unknown and differ from the ones that are currently used today. So, we cannot trust you.” So, Jamblicus said:” If you cannot believe that I am telling you the truth, I do not know what else to say.” The proconsul replied to him:” You are disrespectful, your coin shows from its inscription that it was issued two hundred years or more ago, during the era of the ruler Decius and you are much younger and you are trying to deceive us.“

Then Jamblicus, after falling at the feet of the people who were there, pleaded them saying: “I beg you my lords to tell me where ruler Decius, who came to this city, is.” They answered to him: “There is no Decius in our era, since he ruled many years ago.” Jamblicus told them: “This is the reason why you doubt my lords. Follow me to the cave and from all the things you are going to see you will be assured about what I am saying, because I know that we left because of Decius and that yesterday when I came to buy bread I saw him coming into this city.” This is what the Holy Youth said. The Bishop in Ephesus, whose name was Marinos said to the proconsul: “I think that there is something miraculous going on in this case. Let us all follow him!”

4)

So, the proconsul, the Bishop and a lot of other people followed him and when they reached the cave, Jamblicus went into the cave first and then the Bishop who saw on the right side of the cave entrance a box sealed with two seals. This box was put there by the Christians named Roufinos and Theodor, who were sent by Decius, together with others, to block the cave entrance. They, themselves, first wrote about the Holy Youths’ lives and carved the Saints’ names on sheets of lead plates. When all the men of rank and the proconsul gathered, they unsealed the box, in which the sheets of lead were found, and they were all stunned, when they read the writing on them.

When they got deeper into the cave and found the 7 Holy Youths they fell at the Saints’ feet.

Then, they sat and asked them a lot of things. The Saints narrated first their lives and then the ruler Decius’ crimes. So, they all admired and glorified the God’s wondrousness.

Then, the proconsul together with the Bishop sent a report to King Theodosius describing all the events to him. When the king received the letters, he was overjoyed by the news and immediately came to Ephesus. When he entered the cave, he fell to the ground and with his tears he washed the feet of the Seven Holy Youths. He was delighted and his soul was pleased, because the Lord had not ignored his prayers but He had showed the resurrection of the dead in this obvious way.

While the king, the bishops and a lot of the noblemen were talking with the Saints, the Saints began to feel a bit sleepy and in this way they delivered their holy souls into God’s hands.

5)

Then, the king gave precious vestments, gold and silver and ordered seven cases to be made in order to put the relics of the Saints. But during that very night the Saints appeared to the king in vision and said to him: “Oh king leave us in this cave in which we were resurrected.”When at the assembly of the Bishops and the noblemen, the king placed the relics of the Saints into the ground of the cave, as the Saints, Themselves, had revealed in the vision to the king.

Then, the king made a joyous celebration, offering great hospitality to the poor in Ephesus and gladdening all the people, hosting them bountifully and royally. He released from the prison all the Bishops who had been imprisoned for preaching the resurrection of the dead. Then, a common celebration took place, with everyone glorifying and blessing our Lord Jesus Christ.

Short hymn

The One Who made wondrous Your Saints on the earth, before Your second and awesome Coming, through the strange awakening of the Youths, Christ, You showed the resurrection to the ones who ignored it, by having shown imperishable clothes and bodies and convinced the king who shouted; indeed there is the resurrection of the dead.

The Ones who gave up the things of the world as perishable, and the imperishable gifts they received, though dead they remained incorrupt; so having been awakened after a great number of years, they buried every unfaithfulness of the unfavourable; today the faithful applaud them, praising Christ.

A dogma is overturned when it is subdued; the Holy Youths, resurrected from the dead, declared to everyone about the future resurrection of mortals, yet to happen, in the final hour.

Movie by Mel Gibson WHEN?

Imagine waking up one day and America was actually Christian

>>683907

At the general resurrection we will wake up and see that all the Earth is Christian.

>>683909

:3

>>683904

I also thought that that's some movie tier stuff when i first read it

It just made me think about how Christ never left us and how much more faith the first Christians had compared to us now.