一、雅各 (James)

西庇太的儿子,使徒约翰之兄;当时被称为“大雅各”。在与主第一次相遇大约十七年后,这位缄默的使徒,成为教会的领袖。圣经记载:“希律王下手苦害教会中几个人,用刀杀了约翰的哥哥雅各。”(徒十二:1-2)雅各就成了第一位殉道的使徒。相传在他殉道之前,那些作假见证害他的人,见他喜乐盈溢,宛如英雄凯旋,毫无畏惧,乃深信真神基督必与他同在,竟感动了一位审判官与他一同受死。

西庇太的儿子,使徒约翰之兄。雅各是第一位殉道的使徒,行传记载了他的殉道希律王下手苦害教会中几个人,用刀杀了约翰的哥哥雅各。根据优西比乌的教会史,革利免曾于其Institution 的第七册中记载,雅各在殉道之前,喜乐盈溢,毫无畏惧。打动了负责看守雅各的罗马卫队长,因看到此景,深受感动而公开承认自己是基督徒。两人一同被带去赴死的路上, 这位卫队长要求雅各赦免他,雅各考虑了一下,回答说,「平安归于您。」并亲吻他,然后他们同时被斩首。

James the Great Son of Zebedee, was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to a lifetime of ministry. As a strong leader of the church, James was ultimately beheaded at Jerusalem. The Roman officer who guarded James watched amazed as James defended his faith at his trial. Later, the officer walked beside James to the place of execution. Overcome by conviction, he declared his new faith to the judge and knelt beside James to accept beheading as a Christian.