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Disciples of Christ
191
matter was now worse than before. They were openly accused by the
disciples of being the murderers of the Son of God, and they could
not determine to what extent these things might grow or how they
themselves would be regarded by the people. They would gladly
have put Peter and John to death, but dared not, for fear of the people.
On the following day the apostles were brought before the coun-
cil. The very men who had eagerly cried for the blood of the Just
One were there. They had heard Peter deny his Lord with cursing
and swearing when charged with being one of His disciples, and they
hoped again to intimidate him. But Peter had been converted, and he
now saw an opportunity to remove the stain of that hasty, cowardly
denial and to exalt the name which he had dishonored. With holy
boldness, and in the power of the Spirit, he fearlessly declared unto
them, “By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified,
whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand
here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought
of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither
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is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
The people were astonished at the boldness of Peter and John
and took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus; for
their noble, fearless conduct was like that of Jesus when before His
enemies. Jesus, by one look of pity and sorrow, reproved Peter when
he had denied Him, and now as he boldly acknowledged his Lord,
Peter was approved and blessed. As a token of the approbation of
Jesus, he was filled with the Holy Spirit.
The priests dared not manifest the hatred which they felt toward
the disciples. They commanded them to go aside out of the council,
and then conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to
these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them
is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny
it.” They were afraid to have the report of this good deed spread
among the people. Should it become generally known, the priests
felt that their own power would be lost, and they would be looked
upon as the murderers of Jesus. Yet all that they dared to do was to
threaten the apostles and command them to speak no more in the
name of Jesus, lest they die. But Peter declared boldly that they
could but speak the things which they had seen and heard.