Martyrs Carpus, Papylus, Agathodorus and Agathonica, at Pergamus; Holy Martyr Zlata (Chryse) (1796); Benjamin the Deacon

For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

⁹This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰so that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ, ¹¹being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

¹²Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News, ¹³so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ, ¹⁴and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

Soon afterwards, he went about through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of God’s Kingdom. With him were the twelve, ²and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; ³and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others who served them from their possessions.