The Holy First Martyr, Equal-to-the-Apostles Thekla, was born in the city of Iconium. She was the daughter of noble and wealthy parents and was distinguished by her extraordinary beauty. At the age of 18, she was betrothed to a noble young man. After hearing the sermon of the Holy Apostle Paul about the Savior, Saint Thekla loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart and firmly decided not to marry and devote her life to evangelical preaching. Saint Thekla's mother opposed her daughter's intention and forced her to marry her betrothed fiance. The betrothed of Saint Thekla complained to the governor of the city about the Apostle Paul, accusing him of turning his bride away from him. The governor imprisoned the holy apostle. 
Saint Thekla secretly ran away from home at night, bribed the prison guards, giving them all her gold jewelry, and entered the prisoner's dungeon. For three days she sat at the feet of the apostle, listening to his fatherly instructions. Fyokla's disappearance was discovered, and servants were sent everywhere to search for the missing woman. She was finally found in prison and forcibly brought home.
The court sentenced the Apostle Paul to exile from the city. Saint Thekla was again persuaded for a long time to agree to the marriage, but she did not change her mind. Neither the tears of her mother, nor her anger, nor the threats of the ruler could separate Saint Thekla from her love for the Heavenly Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. Her mother, in a frenzy, demanded from the judge the death sentence of her rebellious daughter, and Saint Thekla was sentenced to be burned. The Holy Martyr fearlessly ascended the pyre and crossed herself. At that moment, the Savior appeared to her, blessing her for the upcoming feat, and unspeakable joy filled her holy soul. The flame of the bonfire rose high, surrounded the martyr with a halo and did not touch her. Thunder crashed, and a heavy rainstorm with hail extinguished the bonfire. The tormentors fled in fear. Saint Thekla, protected by the Lord, left the city and, with the help of a Christian youth, found the Apostle Paul. The Holy Apostle and his companions, among whom was the holy Apostle Barnabas, hid in a cave near the city, fervently praying that the Lord would strengthen Saint Thekla in suffering. Saint Thekla traveled with them to Antioch to preach the Gospel. In this city, she was persecuted by a certain dignitary Alexander, who was captivated by her beauty. Saint Thekla rejected his offer to marry and, as a Christian, was condemned to death. Twice hungry animals were released on her, but they did not touch the holy virgin, obediently lay down at her feet and licked them. Through all the tortures, the holy martyr, by God's Providence, remained unharmed. Finally, they tied her to two bulls and began to drive them in different directions with red-hot rods, but the strong ropes broke like a spider's web, and the bulls scattered, but Saint Thekla remained unharmed. The people cried out, "Great is the Christian God!" The ruler himself was terrified when he finally realized that the Almighty God whom she serves protects the holy martyr. He ordered that Thekla, the servant of God, be set free. With the blessing of the Apostle Paul, Saint Thekla settled in the desolate environs of Seleucia in Isauria and lived there for many years, unceasingly preaching the Word of God and healing the sick with prayer. Saint Thekla converted many pagans to Christ; the Church worthily calls her equal-to-the-Apostles. Even the pagan priest, who had encroached on her purity, was punished for her insolence and led to Holy Baptism. More than once, the enemy of the human race tried to destroy Saint Thecla through people blinded by sin, but the power of God always preserved the faithful servant of Christ.
When Saint Thekla was already a 90-year-old old woman, pagan magi attacked her for treating the sick for free. They could not comprehend that the saint heals diseases by the power of the grace of Christ, and believed that she was especially patronized by the virgin goddess Artemis. Out of envy for Saint Thekla, they sent mercenaries to her to desecrate the saint. When the persecutors were already very close, Saint Thekla cried out for help to Christ the Savior, and the mountain parted and hid the holy virgin, the bride of Christ. So Saint Thekla gave her soul to the Lord.
The relics of Saint Thekla were located in the city of Sisa, the capital of Cilician Armenia. After the capture of Cilician Armenia by the Egyptian Mamluks, some of the relics of Saint Thekla were taken by Christians to Cyprus, where they are still kept in the convent of Saint Thekla, located on the outskirts of the village of Mosfiloti, near the city of Larnaca.
Another part of the relics of Saint Thekla is located in the women's Orthodox monastery founded by Thekla in the city of Maalula. The head of Saint Thecla is located in Milan's Duomo Cathedral in the chapel named after her.
Part of the right hand of Saint Thekla is located in the only church in her honor in Russia, in the Dormition Feklina women's desert, the village of Senino-Pervoe, Kozel diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Holy Church glorifies the "first-suffering" Thekla as "the wife of glory, the mentor of the sufferers, who opened the ways of torment to all." Since ancient times, many churches have been dedicated to her, one of which was built in Constantinople by St. Constantine the Equal-to-the-Apostles (commemorated on May 21). The name of the holy First Martyr Thekla, equal-to-the-Apostles, a prayer book for all those who strive, is commemorated at the tonsuring of women into monasticism.