ABSTRACT
The record answers yes to each of these questions. Jesus was so successful in discipling the Twelve that the church exploded with excitement, growth, and vitality. In short order, just ten days after Jesus’ ascension, on the day of Pentecost, the church was officially “incorporated.” Their call to be fishers of men proved to be truer than they could have ever imagined. After the initial three thousand were baptized, another five thousand were saved. Then with more miracles flowing from the apostles, “all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number”. All that Jesus had poured into them, they were now pouring into the newly birthed church. The multiplier effect was overwhelming. Jesus’ strategy to invest in the Twelve was more than validated. It has been calculated that he worked in close proximity with nearly one hundred people over the course of his ministry.
