Before his baptism, Christopher was called Reprobus, but after his baptism he was called Christopher, which means Christ-bearer, because he bore Christ in four ways: upon his shoulders when he carried Him, in his body by his fortifications, in his mind by his devotion, and in his mouth by professing and preaching Him.

Christopher, a Canaanite, was a man of prodigious size, being twelve cubits in height, and fearful of aspect. According to certain authors who have written down his deeds, he was in the service of the king of the Canaanites, when the idea came to him that he should go in search of the most powerful king on earth, and should enter his service. Thus he went to a certain very great king, of whom it was commonly said that no other king on earth equaled him in power. And when the king saw him, he gladly received him, and gave him lodgings in his palace. But one day, in the presence of the king, a minstrel sang a song in which the Devil was named several times. And the king, who was a Christian, made the sign of the cross each time that the Devil's name was mentioned. Christopher was astonished thereat, and wondered why the king did this, and what the sign meant. But the king refused to tell him, until he said: 'Unless thou tell me, I shall no longer remain with thee!' Then the king said: 'Each time that I hear the Devil's name, I make this sign as a safeguard, lest he gain power over me and do me harm!' Then Christopher replied: 'If thou fearest that the Devil harm thee, he must be more puissant than thou! Therefore am I thwarted in my hope, for I thought to be in the service of the most powerful king on earth. So now farewell, for I shall seek out the Devil, and take him for my lord and give myself into his service!' Then he left the king and hurried off in search of the Devil. And in the desert he came face to face with a great host, whose leader, a soldier fierce and terrible of visage, came to him and asked whither he was going. And Christopher answered: 'I am in search of my lord the Devil, that I may take service with him.' And the soldier answered: 'I am he whom thou seekest!' Christopher rejoiced, and bound himself forever to the Devil. But as they marched along a common road, they came upon a cross, and the Devil, terrified, took flight, and leaving the road, led Christopher through a wild desert, and returned to the road at some distance. He asked the reason thereof, and when the Devil refused to answer, said: 'Then shall I quit thy service, unless thou tell me!' And the Devil was forced to reply: 'A certain man named Christ was once nailed to a cross, and since that time, at the sight of the cross, I take fright and flee!' 'This Christ,' answered Christopher, 'must therefore be greater and more puissant than thou; and once more I have labored in vain, for I have not yet found the most powerful king on earth! Farewell then, for I go to seek Christ!'

Long he sought for someone who could give him word of Christ until at last he found a hermit, who preached Christ to him and diligently instructed him in the faith. And the hermit said to him: 'The King whom thou desirest to serve demands of thee that thou fast oftentimes in His honor!' And Christopher answered: 'Let him demand somewhat else, for to fast I am not able!' 'Then He demands,' said the hermit, 'that thou offer Him many prayers!' 'Nor can I do this service,' answered Christopher, 'for I know not how to pray!' Then the hermit said: 'Knowest thou a certain river, into which many who attempt to cross tumble and are drowned?' 'I know it,' replied Christopher. 'Since thou art mighty of stature and strong of arm,' responded the hermit, 'thou couldst dwell beside the river, and carry over all who wished to cross. This would be most pleasing to Christ, the King Whom thou desirest to serve; and I hope that He may show Himself to thee there!' 'This at last is a thing that I can do,' said Christopher, 'and I promise to do it for the service of Christ!' He betook himself therefore to the river, built a hut upon its bank, and using a great pole as a staff to steady himself in the water, he bore across all who sought his aid.

When many days had passed, he lay asleep one night in his hut, when he heard a child's voice calling him and saying: 'Christopher, come out and carry me across the river!' Swiftly he hurried out of his hut, but found no one. And when he went back indoors, the same voice called to him a second time; but going out again, he found no one. But at the third call he went out, and found a child standing on the river bank, who earnestly besought him to carry him across. Christopher took the child upon his shoulders, and taking up his staff, set out through the water. But little by little the water rose, and the child became heavier than a leaden weight; and the farther he went, the higher rose the water, and the heavier grew the child, until Christopher was so sorely tried that he thought he would founder in the waves. But at last he made his way to the other bank, and set the child down, saying: 'Child, thou hast put me in dire peril, and hast weighed so heavy upon me that if I had borne the whole world upon my shoulders, it could not have burdened me more heavily!' And the child answered: 'Wonder not, Christopher, for not only hast thou borne the whole world upon thy shoulders, but Him Who created the world. For I am Christ thy King, Whom thou servest in this work! And as a sign that I say the truth, when thou shalt have returned to the other side of the rjver, plant thy staff in the earth near thy hut, and in the morning thou shalt see it laden with flowers and fruits!' And straightway He disappeared. And Christopher planted his staff in the earth, and rising in the morning he saw that it had borne leaves and fruits, like to a palm tree.

After this he came into Samos, a city of Lycia; and not understanding the language of this place, he prayed the Lord to give him understanding thereof. And as he prayed, the judges, thinking him mad, left him alone; and having obtained his request, he covered his face, and went to the circus, and there comforted the Christians who were being tortured for the faith. Then one of the judges struck him a blow in the face. And Christopher uncovered his face, and said: 'Were I not a Christian, I should quickly avenge this blow!' Then he planted his staff in the earth, and prayed to the Lord to make it to bloom, in order that the people might be converted. And straightway this was done, and eight thousand men were converted. Then the king sent two hundred men to seize him; but when the soldiers came and found him in prayer, they dared not molest him. The king sent as many more; and they, likewise finding him in prayer, prayed with him. Then Christopher arose and said to them: 'Whom seek ye?' And the soldiers answered: 'The king has sent us to bind thee and bring thee to him!' And Christopher replied:'If I so will, ye shall not be able either to bind me or to lead me away!' 'If thou art unwilling to come with us,' they said, 'take thy freedom and go where thou wilt, and we shall say to the king that we could not find theel' 'Not so,' said Christopher, 'I am ready to go with you!' But first he converted them to the faith of Christ: then he made them to bind his hands behind his back, and they led him to the king. And at the sight of him the king was terror-stricken, and fell from his seat. Then his servitors lifted him up again, and he questioned Christopher about his name and his place of origin. 'Before I was baptized,' said Christopher, 'I was called Reprobus, the outcast; but now I am called Christopher, the Christ-bearer!' And the king said. 'A fool's name hast thou taken, calling thyself after the crucified Christ, who could do naught for Himself and can do naught for thee! Mischief-doer, wherefore dost thou not offer sacrifice our gods?' And Christopher replied: 'Well art thou called Dagnus, for thou art the death of the world and the fellow of the Devil, and thy gods are the works of the hands of men!' And the king said: 'Thou art reared among the wild beasts, and speakest wild things, not to be understood by men. Now, however, if thou offerest sacrifice, thou shalt have great honours of me; else thou shalt perish in torment!' And when the saint refused to sacrifice, he commanded him to be thrown into prison; and the soldiers who had been sent to Christopher and had been converted by him were beheaded. Then the king sent into his cell two young women fair of form but of abandoned life, called Nicaea and Aquilina, promising them rich rewards if they would entice Christopher to sin with them. But when the saint saw them, he gave himself up to prayer. And when the women sought to arouse him by gently stroking and embracing him, he arose and said to them: 'Whom seek ye, my children, and for what end have they sent you here?' And they, overcome with the brightness of his countenance, replied: 'Saint of God, have pity on us, and help us to believe in the God Whom thou preachest!' Learning of this, the king had them brought before him and said: 'You too have allowed yourselves to be led astray! I swear by the gods, if ye do not offer sacrifice, ye shall die an evil death!' Then they made answer: 'If thou wilt have us offer sacrifice, command that the streets be cleared, and that the folk gather in the temple!' Then, entering the temple, they threw their girdles about the necks of the idols and pulled them to earth, and they crumbled to dust. Then they said to the people: 'Go now, and bring physicians to heal your gods!' Then, at the king's order, Aquilina was hanged, a great stone was attached to her feet, and all her bones were broken. And when she had breathed forth her soul to the Lord, her sister Nicaea was thrown into the fire, but emerged unscathed; whereupon the king had her beheaded.

Christopher was then brought before the king, who ordered him to be beaten with iron rods, and an iron casque, heated in the fire, to be placed upon his head; and he had an iron seat made, and Christopher bound thereon, and a fire lighted underneath, and pitch thrown upon the flames. But the seat fell to pieces like wax, and Christopher arose unharmed. Then the king had him tied to a pillar, and ordered four thousand soldiers to shoot arrows at him. But the arrows hung in mid-air, nor could a single one of them touch Christopher. And when the king, thinking that he was already transfixed with arrows, shouted invectives at him, suddenly an arrow fell from the air, turned upon him, struck him in the eye, and blinded him. Then Christopher said: 'I know, O king, that I shall be dead on the morrow. When I am dead, do thou, tyrant, make a paste of my blood, rub it upon thine eyes, and thou shalt recover thy sight!' Then at the king's order he was beheaded; and the king took a little of his blood, and placed upon his eyes, saying: 'In the name of God and Saint Christopher!' And at once he was made whole. Then the king was baptized, and decreed that whoever should blaspheme against God or Saint Christopher should at once be beheaded.