As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he said unto the ruler of the synagogue,
Be not afraid, only believe.
Read Chapter 5
Aphrahat the Persian Sage
AD 345
When the chief of the synagogue asked him about his daughter, Jesus said to him: “Only firmly believe and your daughter shall live.” He believed and so his daughter lived and arose. Similarly when Lazarus died, our Lord said to Martha, “If you believe, your brother shall rise.” Martha said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe.” And he raised him after four days…. So let us draw near then, my beloved, to faith, since its powers are so many. For faith raised up [Enoch] to the heavens and conquered the deluge. Faith causes the barren to sprout forth. It delivers from the sword. It raises up from the pit. It enriches the poor. It releases the captives. It delivers the persecuted. It brings down the fire. It divides the sea. It cleaves the rock, and gives to the thirsty water to drink. It satisfies the hungry. It raises the dead, and brings them up from Sheol. It stills the billows. It heals the sick. It conquers hosts. It overthrows walls. It stops the mouths of lions, and quenches the flame of f...
Only believe. Dissenters grossly abuse this and other similar texts of Scripture, to prove that faith alone will suffice for justification; whereas God only declares, that he requires a faith in his almighty power for the performance of miracles, and that without this necessary predisposition, he will not do any miracles. See ver. 5, of the following chapter.
