1st Period

- Starting from the time of Saint Apostle Paul until the settlement of the Slavs in the Balkans.

The Christianization or the christening of our people has started since the earliest times, since the 1st century. The first facts about the period are found in the Acts of the Apostles chapter 16 line 9: And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; there stood a man from Macedonia and prayed him, saying: “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” Saint Apostle Paul obeyed the call from the angel of the Macedonian people and passed from Asian soil to Europe for the first time. It happened first in Philippi, in that part of Macedonia, the chief city, a Roman colony, the Word was sown on a good soil, and it bore fruit. Saint Lydia was the first one to open her heart for Christ, and received Him inside herself. She was baptized, as well as her relatives. Macedonia truly showed itself as a good soil for the seed i.e. Christ’s Word.

Although the Macedonians had temptations, the first Christian communities were founded in Macedonia, not to mention in Europe as well. Churches were born in Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, Berea and Thessalonica, for which Saint Apostle Paul boasted in his letters in front of the Achaeans (the Greeks) and the Jews for their pious and honest life, and the abundance of blessing upon the Churches in Macedonia.

Now I would like us to look at another, a little bit hidden, side of the mission of the great preacher of Christianity, St. Apostle Paul. We all know about the three great journeys of St. Apostle Paul. The Aposltle himself says: I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum. (Rom. 15; 19) At that time the province of Illyricum was adjacent to Macedonia and with the territorial division of the Roman Empire from that time, it also had a part in today’s ethnical Macedonia. St. Apostle Paul mentions Illyricum here, but Illyricum is not mentioned in his known journeys, which means that the Apostle had some other journeys that are not noted. One such journey of the Apostle, according to the Holy Tradition, was to the pagan people in as far as Dalmatia, which again is not mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles or in the Letters. Now the question is: How did the Apostle get there? One thing is certain, it was not by plane. Another way is by ship. This possible variant can as well be eliminated, since it is not in the spirit of the Apostles or the effective missionaries to travel by ship. And the third possibility is that St. Apostle Paul reached Dalmatia traveling by land, which is the most probable one. If it is so, in that case Macedonia cannot be surrounded. It is certain that at that time the Gospel was preached all over Macedonia, a lot of people accepted it and were baptized. Even a part of the 70 Apostles were Macedonian. Aristarchus and Secundus were from Thessalonica; Gaius was from Derbe which is supposed to have been situated between today’s Strumica and Valandovo, Sopater was from Berea and Epaphroditus from Philippi.

In the Acts of the Apostles and in the hagiographies of the Saints we can read that there were other Apostles, not only St. Apostle Paul, who preached in Macedonia. Saint Apostle Andrew The First-Called is the first organizer of the Macedonian Church. He appointed Saint Urban as the first episcope in Macedonia. Apart from him, Saint Apostle Siluan was the first episcope in Thessalonica. St. Apostle Timothy used to travel across our areas delivering St. Paul’s letters to the Christians. St. Apostle and Evangelist Mark traveled across the whole Macedonian land preaching. Apart from them, St. Apostle and Evangelist Luke, Titus and Trophimus preached individually. We should not forget the more-honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, the most pure and ever blessed, Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, who, wanting to visit the four-days-dead Lazarus together with the greatest of the Theologians – the Apostle and Evangelist John, went to Athos instead of Cyprus. The traditions say that when the Mother of God put her foot on Athos, all idolatrous temples ruined themselves and the people who lived there started to believe in her Son, God Jesus Christ. The Mother of God stayed for some time on the peninsula preaching Christ’s Gospel. Later on the emperor Saint Constantine sent the Patriarch of Jerusalem Clement who carrying an icon of the Mother of God christened the local people. The Emperor himself raised three Churches on the peninsula. After him, the Holy Emperor Theodosius I (the Great) ruined all pagan temples and raised the Monastery Vatoped. His daughter Pulcheria built Xiropotam and Esphigmen. One event is connected to the Empress Pulcheria, which is remembered and respected on Athos to this day. When she wanted to enter Vatoped, she heard a strong woman’s voice preventing her from entering. It was the voice of the Mother of God, and since that event women are not allowed to walk on the Mount Athos.

If we take into consideration the hagiographies of the Saints and the archaeology we can see that at the time of the persecution of the Christians, Church Communities existed, the so called Home Churches, where the Christians gathered for prayer and the Eucharist. One such Home Church is discovered at the archaeological site in Stobi, at which foundations the first Christian Church in Macedonia was built later on, somewhere in the middle of the 4th century.

At the time of the persecution the prisons were full with Christians. In the hagiography of the Great Martyr Anastasia of Rome (Odvrzitelka) (feast day: 22nd Dec. /4th Jan.) it is said that the Emperor Maximilian gave order for all the Christians in the prisons to be killed in one night, so that the next day they could imprison new ones.

Macedonia gave a lot of Holy Martyrs. Some of them were born Christian. The great amphitheatres are a proof of the great struggles of countless Christian Martyrs. We should not forget that the first Christian Churches were built on the relics of Martyrs, and there are a lot of Churches of that kind, the so called Martyriums in Macedonia. The Fathers say: The blood of the Martyrs becomes a seed for the new Christians. A lot of people, even whole towns, seeing the more that human struggles of the Christians, accepted Christ as their only true God and Saviour, and were christened.

The year 313 is considered to be a turning point for the whole course of Christian history, but for the history itself as well. Emperor Constantine acknowledged the Christian religion, he was christened, and he brought the whole Roman Empire the Christianity through the font of revival (pakibitie). Then the Macedonian people – the wild olive tree was grafted to the root of the cultivated one, the Christianity; Macedonia officially went under the rule of Constantine in 316 and before that it was under the rule of Likinius.

At that period people started to accept the new faith and were christened. At the archaeological excavations in the ancient city Bargala, a coin with the portrait of the Emperor Saint Constantine was found in front of the great baptistery. It bears witness of the time of christening of the Macedonian people.

When Emperor Julian the Apostate came to the throne (361-363), the paganism was brought back to the Roman Empire for a short period and again there was a time of persecution of Christians. At that time the preachers: Timothy, who took part in the first Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325, Evsevius and Theodore, running away from the beastly hand of the Apostate, from Nicaea through Thessalonica took shelter in Tiveriopol, present day Stumica. There, as it is written in the hagiography of the 15 Tiveriopol Martyrs, they found a rich field, full of abundant fruits, people who were christened, living pious life. Theodore became an Episcope of the Church in Tiveriopol. Later on they were accompanied by several others, becoming fifteen. They lived in a monastery, serving God and preaching Christ’s Gospel, and there wasn’t anyone in the area of Tiveriopol that respected idolatry. When the emperor Saint Theodosius the Great came to the throne, he abolished the pagan religion, closed down their university, destroyed their temples and raised Christian ones. He used to stay in Macedonia, Thessalonica was his favourite town, and he had a palace in Stobi.

If we also take archaeology into account, as a science of the source of historical facts, we will come to a more vivid picture of Macedonia in the past. There is a saying: The history of Macedonia lies under the earth, and that saying is true. Today with many archaeological explorations on the territory of Macedonia, we got hold of a lot of new and important discoveries and information of our history. They bear witness of a rich spiritual and secular culture of our people. The presence of a lot of Roman coins from the period of the Christian Emperors, epigraphic monuments, Christian tombs, abundant stone plastic, relics, crosses, fragments of old frescos, the terracotta icons from Vinica and a lot of other monuments which are discovered or not yet discovered bear witness of the diffusion of Christianity in this area.

After the christening of the last pagan Roman Emperor, Macedonians were allowed to express their religious feeling freely and they immediately started to praise the only true God, the Creator of the Heaven and the Earth, of all visible and invisible, generously giving all they could, through their hands, building Him Churches. At that period, on the whole territory of Macedonia, a lot of early Christian Basilicas were built. Many of them were great, splendid, richly decorated, giving proof that the Macedonian people kept Christ deep in themselves, hiding him because of the abolishment to confess Christianity. Until today, with the archaeological explorations in the Republic of Macedonia, 50 Churches and 235 regions with stone elements from Churches have been discovered, and it is considered that in the Republic of Macedonia there are more than 300 Basilicas of that kind dating from the period between the first half of the 4th century till the 6th century. It is the period from the christening of the Roman Empire to the barbaric incursions of the Avars and the Slavic people. The little Basilica in Stobi is considered to be the first Church, built in the first half of the 4th century. All the other Churches did not fall behind it for a longer period of time.

As a result of the Christianisation that was carried out in the first three centuries, since the beginning of the 5 century, The Christians on the territory of Macedonia had an organised Church with a Church hierarchy, whose episcopes regularly took part in the Local and Ecumenical Councils. There were Metropolitanates and Episcopacies in Thessalonica, Stobi, Heraclea, Lihnida, Bargala, Zapara, Tiveriopol, Skupi, Philippi, Berea, Larissa and in other places. It is thought that there were 120 episcopes. The episcope of Thessalonica was on the rank of an Archbishop, a Roman vicar (representative) and the first before all the other episcopes. Together with Constantinople, Ravenna and Rome, they had the leading role in the Christianity.

In 379, when the territories of Macedonia and Dacia became a part of the prefecture Illyricum, under the rule of the eastern emperor Theodosius I, and especially after 381, after the Second Ecumenical Council, when the dignity of the Patriarch in Constantinople was raised on a rank just behind the Roman Pope, a struggle began between Rome and Constantinople for Thessalonika, i.e. for the Macedonian eparchies. The Roman Pope, partly as his care for keeping the Orthodox confession of the faith, and partly as a result of the struggle for supremacy (because at that time the Macedonian episcopes, without exception, were considered “western episcopes” whose decisions were always made in the Orthodox spirit, opposite to the different movements of the eastern world) passed several subsequent Acts for the Episcope of Thessalonica i.e. for the Macedonian eparchies. Firstly he entitled episcope to choose and appoint new archpriests, but only after they notify the Pope, to convene Synods and to arrange things himself. He also subdued the eparchies in: Ahaia, Thessaly, Old and New Epirus, Crete, Mediterranean Dacia, costal Dacia, Moesia I, Dardania, Praevalitana i.e. everything above Illyricum as well as the province Praevalitana. The most prestigious Episcope of Thessalonica was Aholiy, who was at the same time the most influential priest in the Emperor’s Capital City, and he himself christened the Emperor Theodosius I. On the other hand, in Thessalonica, Emperor Theodosius passed the famous Law in which the contents of the faith were defined.

In the middle of the 5th century, from a secular standpoint, the countries on the Balkans, mainly Thrace, Moesia and Macedonia, were attacked by the Gothic barbaric incursions. On spiritual ground, after the coming of the unvenerable Archbishop of Thessalonica Anastasius, the relations with Rome were made worse. At that time the so called “The Schism of Acacius” arose in Constantinople. The schism happened during the reign of the Emperor Zeno (476-491) and the Patriarch of Constantinople Acacius (+483), the both of whom repelled the confession of faith of the Holy Fathers and joined the Monophisite heresy. This schism continued even after the death of the Emperor Zeno, when Athanasius (491-518) came to the throne. That is why the relations between Rome and Constantinople started to get worse. After one unsuccessful attempt for mediation by the Episcope of Thessalonica Andrew together with the Episcope of Illyricum Vetraniy, after taking the side of Constantinople, they detached themselves from Rome and the Orthodox confession of the Christological dogmas. Although Thessalonica and the whole of Macedonia joined the schism, the attempts of the Orthodox Pope to regain the eparchies of Illyricum into Orthodoxy did not finish. In several district letters to all the episcopes he explained the destructiveness of the Monophisite heresy, and his attempt bore fruit. The first ones were the episcopes of Dardania who gathered in their Metropolitanate Skupi throwing away the heresy and their obedience to the Archbishop of Thessalonica. In the letter written to the Pope there were the signatures of the metropolitan of Skupi John together with the rest of the episcopes of Dardania whose episcopacies are not mentioned. Their example was followed by the episcopes of New Epirus led by Lavrentiy of Lihnida, who in 494 showed support to Pope Gelasius remaining in the Orthodox confession of faith. Soon in 515 all the other 40 episcopes from “Illyricum and Greece” cut off their relation with their Archbishop Dorotey of Thessalonica. Being afraid of the Heretic Emperor Anastasius he remained related to Constantinople and the heresy. The schism of Acacius finished 34 years later (484-518), after the death of the Emperor Anastasius and the crowning of the new Vasilevs (Emperor) Justin whose origin was from our region. Justin passed a Law for Orthodoxy (Halkidon Confession of Faith) and threatened the people with strict punishments for those that did not follow it. In the newly developed situation the Metropolitan of Thessalonica Dorotey, who the same way as his predecessor Andrew was a devotee to the schism, gave a word to the Pope that he would call the Synod and sign the Orthodox confession of faith. In the other Macedonian eparchies the victory of the Orthodoxy over the Monophisite heresy was accepted with delight. Thessalonica continued to hold its high position in the Christian Church.

After declaring Christianity a state religion, the structure of the society itself changed. The society acquired a Christian character. The episcope became the most influential person in the city and a Pater Civitatis (the father of the city). The authority of the episcopes became so strong that it led to a formation of new centres of power which overtook the authority in the administrative- territorial communities. The new law codes of the Emperor acquired a new Christian connotation, and with that, new professions and services of purely Christian character and necessity occurred. At the beginning of the transition from paganism to Christianity, from Late Ancient to Early Christian period, the city buildings themselves acquired their own new purposes. Very often they served as the basis for Christian Churches, the luxurious pools and nympheons became baptisteriums (baptisteries) for christening the neophytes (the newly converted Christians). The Church became the bearer of the architectural activities. Rich Early Christian Churches were built – Basilicas with rich and luxurious mosaics and wall fresco painting. In one word, a whole Empire, as well as the whole territory of Macedonia was already Christianised.

In Byzantium, in that dark part of Monophisitism, a new imperial dynasty appeared which had its origin in our parts, and above all it was Orthodox and very pious. It started to lead the new Roman Empire into a new direction, experiencing a true revival on a secular as well as spiritual ground. The leader of that dynasty was Justin who descended from the small place of Berediana which a lot of scientists suppose to have been today’s village Bader near Skopje. He was an ordinary peasant, but above all clever, perceptive and very intelligent. From an ordinary soldier he advanced into a general, and later even into a commander of the imperial army – the guard of Exubitores. After the death of Anastasius, Justin was selected and proclaimed an Emperor. However, the merit and glory of this dynasty was carried by his nephew Justinian I, who was his advisor and co-ruler, descending from the small place Tauresium – today’s village Taor near Skopje. Undoubtedly the peasant Justinian from the provincial area of the Balkans was the most educated man of his time becoming the personification of the Roman universal idea. Establishing a universal Roman Empire was the longing of every Byzantine. The Holy Emperor Justinian I using his comprehensive spirit and civilising power, and above all his deep faith, succeeded in that and it was not by accident that the Church of God included him in the rank of the Divine Saints (14th Nov. /27th Nov.). It is thought that he had Slavic origin and that his Slavic name was Upravda. Maybe because he was originally from these regions, he had a tolerant and mild opinion towards the Slavs, who during his reign were a serious threat for the stability of the Roman Empire. But we will a priori reject this view as totally unproven and false, and will maintain with certainty that Justinian was Macedonian (as far as his origin is concerned we have our own developed view which is not the topic of our research but if you wish we can discuss it in some other occasion).

The new Emperor, as it is said in the eleventh novel, wanting to elevate his fatherland and his birthplace, founded the city Justiniana Prima (the First) in the place of his small village making it an Episcopal seat of the newly formed Archbishopric Justiniana Prima. Later on the Archbishops of Ohrid will accept it as their predecessor and will recon themselves to be its inheritors naming themselves as the Archbishops of Justiniana Prima. Katelian was the first Archbishop to be appointed, and its diocese included: Costal and Mediterranean Dacia, the remaining part of Pannonia II, Moesia I, Praevalitana, Dardania, and Macedonia II. After this the influence and the provinces of the Archbishop of Thessalonica were lowered. Justinian gave the new Archbishopric Justiniana Prima the highest possible rank, just behind Rome and Constantinople. Even before Alexandria, Antiochia and Jerusalem.

In his new resolution in 535, with the eleventh novel, the Emperor confirmed 132nd novel in the year 545 making minimal exceptions. Justinian’s ecclesiastical-political reform in Macedonia was an attempt for renewing the Church organisation after the period of chaotic relations, especially in the border provinces with the river Danube. Although his intention was good, it caused disapproval and fierce discussions. The episcopes of Illyricum opposed the Emperor after the announcement of his so called Teopaschite formula of faith in 533, but the Emperor made them sign it. The episcopes of Illyricum and Macedonia neither agreed with the resolutions, nor with the so called three chapters, so in 549 they held a council and expressed a written protest against the resolution of the Emperor about the three chapters and against the Archbishop Benenat as an adherent to the Emperor’s ecclesiastical politics. Their opposition went so far that later on they opposed the resolutions of the Fifth Ecumenical Council as well. But even they themselves were not unanimous, so that some of them took regular part in the Fifth Ecumenical Council and became legal signatories of its resolutions. The Archbishopric Justiniana Prima itself would continue to exist as a separate ecclesiastical-administrative body until 602.

In the 5th century, the greatest danger for the Early Christian Church in Macedonia, as well as everywhere else on the Balkans, were, above all, the barbaric Germanic tribes and the Huns, and in the period between the 5th and the 6th century those were the Avars and the Slavic people who almost destroyed it.

In the middle of the 6th century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian I, the last flourishing of the architecture in Macedonia was in progress. In that period, during the barbaric incursions of the Avars and the Slavs, there were almost no undamaged walls left in these regions. Everything was damaged. The first incursions of the Slavs on the Balkans are considered to have happened in 493. From that period until the middle of the 7th century the whole territory of Ancient Macedonia was inhabited by the Slavs. It was only Thessalonica, which thanks to the prayers of Saint Dimitrius, the protector of the city, as it is mentioned in the book The Miracles of Saint Dimitrius, was left an unconquered fortress.

Although their incursions were vandalistic, their nature barbaric, and their religion pagan, the Christianity in Macedonia never disappeared. The episcopes of Macedonia, although now in a much smaller number, continued to take part in the Local and Ecumenical Councils. The Archbishopric Justiniana Prima existed until 602, and the one in Thessalonica continued to exist with a high rank among the Orthodox Churches, at the high (fifth) level. When these regions were conquered by the Bulgarian people, they found native Macedonian Christian clergy. The first christening of the Slavic and Bulgarian people was performed by the same native Macedonian clergy, and Saint Kiril and Saint Metodij only finished christening the ones that were still not christened.

PS: This text was written in Macedonia in the monastery Vodocha where we had a rich library at disposal, with a lot of books. As I was thinking that I will spend my whole life in my beloved monastery, I failed to write down the bibliography and the foot notes. I ask you to forgive my omission.