The Acts of the Apostles When the apostles preached “the gospel of the kingdom,” they did not preach the cross, which is central to the gospel today. They did not yet understand that Christ would have to die and be raised. In fact, late in their ministry, when Christ began to tell them of his coming death, Peter responded by saying, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.”4 Additionally the scriptures are careful to tell us the following: “ . . . they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”