Letter 59: Cyprian to Januarius, Maximus, Proculus, Victor, Modianus, Nemesianus, Nampulus, and Honoratus, his brothers, greetings.

Cyprian to Januarius, Maximus, Proculus, Victor, Modianus, Nemesianus, Nampulus, and Honoratus, his brothers, greetings. It was with deep grief of mind, dearest brothers — and not without tears — that I read your letter about the captivity of our brothers and sisters. Who would not grieve at such misfortune? Who would not feel a brother's suffering as his own? The Apostle Paul says: "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" [1 Corinthians 12:26]. And again: "Who is weak, and I am not weak?" [2 Corinthians 11:29]. The captivity of our brothers and sisters must be reckoned as our captivity, and the grief of those in danger as our own grief. We are one body, and not love alone but our faith itself demands that we act to ransom the members of the brethren. The Apostle Paul says: "Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" [1 Corinthians 3:16]. Even if love were not enough to move us, we must consider this: the temples of God have been taken captive. We cannot sit idle and let the temples of God remain in captivity through our inaction. We must act quickly. "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" [Galatians 3:27]. Christ himself is to be seen in our captive brothers and sisters, and he who redeemed us from the peril of death is to be redeemed from the hands of barbarians by the offering we make. He who rescued us by his cross and blood now allows these things to happen so that our faith may be tested — whether we will do for a fellow member of Christ what we would want done for ourselves. The churches here have taken a collection. We are sending you one hundred thousand sesterces, contributed by brothers and sisters and colleagues in our congregation. If anything further is needed — if, God forbid, the situation grows worse — write to us, and we will send more. Distribute it according to the need. We hope that nothing of this kind will happen again. But if it does, do not hesitate to let us know. Be assured that the whole church here prays earnestly and constantly that our brothers and sisters may be freed from captivity soon. Farewell, dearest brothers. [Context: Nomadic raiders — likely Berber tribesmen from the desert interior — had attacked Christian communities in Numidia (modern-day Algeria/Tunisia) and taken captives. The Numidian bishops wrote to Cyprian for help. His response was immediate and practical: a collection of 100,000 sesterces (a very substantial sum) to ransom the prisoners. The letter is a remarkable example of the church functioning as a mutual-aid network across provincial boundaries.]

Epistle 59