Chapter 12—The Disciples of Christ
With mighty power the disciples preached a crucified and risen
Saviour. They healed the sick, even one who had always been lame
was restored to perfect soundness, and entered with them into the
temple, walking and leaping and praising God in the sight of all the
people. The news spread, and the people began to press around the
disciples. Many ran together, greatly astonished and amazed at the
cure that had been wrought.
When Jesus died the chief priests thought that there would be no
more miracles wrought among them, that the excitement would die,
and that the people would again turn to the traditions of men. But,
lo! right in their midst, the disciples were working miracles, and the
people were filled with amazement, and gazed with wonder upon them.
Jesus had been crucified, and they wondered where the disciples had
obtained this power. When he was alive they thought that he imparted
power to his disciples; when Jesus died, they expected those miracles
would end. Peter understood their perplexity, and said to them, Ye
men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on
us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to
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walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our
fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied
him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
But ye denied the Holy One, and the Just, and desired a murderer to be
granted unto you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised
from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. Peter told them that it was
faith in Jesus that had caused this perfect soundness of a man who was
before a cripple.
The chief priests and elders could not bear these words. They laid
hold of the disciples and put them in confinement. But thousands were
converted, and believed in the resurrection and ascension of Christ,
by hearing only one discourse from the disciples. The chief priests
and elders were troubled. They had slain Jesus that the minds of the
people might be turned to themselves; but the matter was now worse
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