Soon after the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles Peter and John went into the Temple for prayer at the ninth hour or, in our terms, three o’clock in the afternoon, the hour of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the gate of the Temple, which was called Beautiful, there sat a beggar, lame from birth. He stretched out his hand to the apostles and asked for alms.

The Apostle Peter said to him, "I have no silver and gold, but I give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." He took him by the right hand and pull him up.

Immediately, the feet and ankles of the lame man became strong. He started to walk and entered the Temple with the apostles. All the people were filled with wonder at this great miracle, and ran to the portico, called Solomon’s, where the apostles were. Here the Apostle Peter delivered a second sermon about the risen Lord. Many of those who heard his word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

The many great miracles performed by the Lord through the apostles and the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit, which moved through them, excited in the believers reverential fear and, at the same time, joy and happiness. They tried in everything to fulfil the commandments of Christ and to live holy and pure lives. The believers gathered in the Temple every day and listened to preaching of the apostles; and on the day of the Resurrection, the first day of the week, Sunday, they gathered in homes for the breaking of bread — the sacrament of Holy Communion. All of them were united in great love, so it was as if they had one heart and one soul. Many sold their possessions and asked the apostles to distribute the money received to the poor. All of the believers gave thanks to God. For their love and good deeds they gained the respect and love of the surrounding people, and the number of believers was increasing daily.

With time, all the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ began to be called Christians, and the teaching and life by faith in Christ — Christianity.

Note: See Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47; 3; 4; 11:26.

• 1. The Nativity of the Holy Virgin Mary
• 2. The Entry into the Temple of the Most-holy Virgin Mary
• 3. The Announcement of the Angel about the Birth of the Forerunner
• 4. The Annunciation to the Holy Virgin Mary
• 5. The Visit of the Most-holy Virgin Mary to the Righteous Elizabeth
• 6. The Nativity of John the Baptist
• 7. The Nativity of Christ the Saviour
• 8. The Meeting of the Lord
• 9. The Flight into Egypt and Return to Nazareth
• 10. The Saviour in the Temple as a Youth
• 11. The Preaching of St John the Baptist
• 12. The Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ
• 13. The Lord Jesus Christ in the Wilderness
• 14. The Lord Jesus Christ Appears to the People. His First Disciples
• 15. The First Miracle of Jesus Christ
• 16. The Merchants are Banished from the Temple
• 17. The Conversation with Nicodemus
• 18. The Conversation with the Woman of Samaria
• 19. The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda
• 20. The Lord Chooses Twelve Apostles
• 21. The Sermon on the Mount
• 22. The Power of Prayer. The Healing of the Paralytic
• 23. Parables: the Parable of the Sower
• 24. The Stilling of the Storm
• 25. Raising of the Daughter of Jairus
• 26. The Beheading of St. John the Baptist
• 27. The Miraculous Feeding of the People with Five Loaves
• 28. Jesus Christ Walking on the Water
• 29. The Healing of the Daughter of the Canaanite Woman
• 30. The Confession of Peter. The Prediction of the Lord about His Forthcoming Death and Resurrection
• 31. The Transfiguration of the Lord
• 32. The Parable of the Good Samaritan
• 33. Jesus Christ with Martha and Mary
• 34. The Saviour Accuses the Pharisees of Sin. Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
• 35. Healing of the Man Born Blind
• 36. The Parable of the Rich Fool
• 37. The Parable of the Prodigal Son
• 38. The Raising of Lazarus
• 39. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
• 40. The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
• 41. The Betrayal by Judas
• 42. The Mystical (Last) Supper
• 43. The Prayer of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane
• 44. The Sanhedrin’s Judgement of Jesus Christ
• 45. The Apostle Peter’s Denial
• 46. The Trial of Jesus Christ Before Pilate
• 47. Pilate’s Last Judgment over Jesus Christ
• 48. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus Christ
• 49. The Taking Down from the Cross and Burial of the Saviour
• 50. The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ
• 51. The Appearance of the Risen Jesus Christ to Two Disciples on the Road to Emmaus
• 52. The Appearance of the Lord to the Apostles
• 53. The Appearance of the Lord to the Apostle Thomas and the Other Apostles
• 54. The Ascension of the Lord
• 55. The Descent of the Holy Spirit
• 56. The Life of the First Christians
• 57. Persecution of the Christians by the Jews. The First Martyr St. Stephen
• 58. The Dormition of the Mother of God
• 59. The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem
• 60. The Lives of the Apostles
• 61. The Worldwide Persecution of Christians. The Destruction of Jerusalem
• 62. The End of Persecutions and the Finding of the Cross
• 63. New Enemies of Christianity
• 64. The Ecumenical Councils
• 65. The Schism of the Roman Church. The Enlightenment of the Slavs