And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
Peter took the crippled beggar by the right hand and lifted him to rise, and at once his feet and ankle bones were given strength. He had been lame from birth for about forty years, a helpless and poverty-stricken invalid carried daily to beg at the Beautiful gate of the temple. He was healed instantly and completely, standing and walking and leaping free from pain in perfect soundness, and going into the temple praising God. The cure was wrought not by Peter's own power or holiness but by the name and miraculous power of the risen Jesus working through His disciples. Done openly before thousands who knew the man, it stood as undeniable living proof of Christ, and it remains the pattern by which God still gives immediate strength through believing human agency joined to divine power.
The Healing Described
Peter took the man by the right hand and lifted him to help him rise, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and became strong. The touch and lifting enabled him to stand and walk, ending his inability to use his limbs.
The man had been lame and crippled from birth, about forty years old after forty years as a helpless, impotent cripple. He was distressed and poverty-stricken, having known no other life than pain and infirmity, and he had long desired to be healed by Jesus but was helpless and far from His labors until he learned Jesus had been put to death. Kind persons carried him daily to beg alms at the temple gate known as Beautiful.
Peter and John met him as they went up to the temple to worship a short time after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They had come immediately after fervent prayer and regarded him with compassion. They commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to rise and walk, and Peter declared his own poverty, at which the man's countenance fell and then grew bright with hope and faith.
He was healed at once and completely, leaping up to stand, walk and leap. He gained full use of his limbs free from pain and was restored to perfect soundness and bodily health within a few hours. He entered the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God, seen by all the people who knew him as the beggar.
What the Miracle Proves
The strength that came at once into feet and ankle bones came through the name and miraculous power of Jesus Christ, not by Peter's own power or holiness nor by any human power. It was wrought in Jesus' name as a mighty miracle, showing that the risen and ascended Jesus imparts power to His followers. Though He had died, His miraculous power continued through His disciples, and within a few hours the helpless cripple was restored to soundness of body. The cure proves the resurrection of Christ and His power in heaven to perform miracles on earth through His apostles.
The disciples' works, like their words, represented Jesus and showed that they had learned from Him. They preached a crucified and risen Saviour with mighty power and worked signs and wonders in His name, healing the sick and restoring the man lame from birth to perfect soundness. In that healing human action was joined with divine power, with Christ as the real source and active force behind the work, an example of Christlike medical missionary work.
The visibly restored man became a convincing living witness and visible evidence of the power of Jesus working through the apostles. His immediate restoration to sound health and bodily soundness added weight to Peter's testimony and preaching as he stood beside Peter. He stood whole before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin the day after the healing as the proof that the cure was accomplished by the power and name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the Jewish leaders crucified and whom God raised from the dead.
Done in the full light of day before a crowd at the temple gate, the miracle became known to thousands and astonished Jerusalem. The news of the cure spread while astonished crowds pressed around, and all the people who knew him as the beggar saw him walking and leaping and praising God and were filled with wonder and amazement and excitement. A man long known for infirmity was thus turned into a public witness praising God in the sight of all the people, entering the temple with Peter and John walking and leaping and praising God. It could not be denied or covered by falsehood, and it helped lead many to believe the apostles' preaching on the occasion when Peter preached Christ to the people.
The undeniable cure exposed the priests and rulers, who saw that the work would bring many believers to Jesus and bring disgrace and guilt for murder upon themselves, so they sought to stop it. Yet they dared only threaten the apostles and release them, because all the people glorified God for what was done. Peter's fearless declaration of its source in the face of imprisonment and death redeemed his denial of Christ.
Pattern for Healing Ministry
The verse gives the pattern by which God heals through human agency, when one filled with the Spirit of God takes the invalid by the hand and bids him arise and be whole in the name of the Lord. At that touch and word new life shoots through the sick person's veins as holy faith takes possession of him. Immediate strength is given to rise from bed, to stand upon the feet, to walk, and to praise God with joy and gratitude.
The same power that instantly restored strength to the disabled man's feet and ankles so he could rise and walk is seen when prayer for an injured foot is answered at the command to rise and walk. The woman then stood, walked, and was relieved of her pain. The Lord still strengthens limbs and especially ankle bones so that a person can walk fast and climb stairs up and down as well as others, even through demanding travel with repeated changes and late rest. Such strengthening is the Lord's doing and calls for thankfulness and praise to Him.
Peter took the crippled beggar by the right hand and lifted him to rise, and at once his feet and ankle bones were given strength. He had been lame from birth for about forty years, a helpless and poverty-stricken invalid carried daily to beg at the Beautiful gate of the temple. He was healed instantly and completely, standing and walking and leaping free from pain in perfect soundness, and going into the temple praising God. The cure was wrought not by Peter's own power or holiness but by the name and miraculous power of the risen Jesus working through His disciples. Done openly before thousands who knew the man, it stood as undeniable living proof of Christ, and it remains the pattern by which God still gives immediate strength through believing human agency joined to divine power.
The Healing Described
Peter took the man by the right hand and lifted him to help him rise, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and became strong. The touch and lifting enabled him to stand and walk, ending his inability to use his limbs.
The man had been lame and crippled from birth, about forty years old after forty years as a helpless, impotent cripple. He was distressed and poverty-stricken, having known no other life than pain and infirmity, and he had long desired to be healed by Jesus but was helpless and far from His labors until he learned Jesus had been put to death. Kind persons carried him daily to beg alms at the temple gate known as Beautiful.
Peter and John met him as they went up to the temple to worship a short time after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They had come immediately after fervent prayer and regarded him with compassion. They commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to rise and walk, and Peter declared his own poverty, at which the man's countenance fell and then grew bright with hope and faith.
He was healed at once and completely, leaping up to stand, walk and leap. He gained full use of his limbs free from pain and was restored to perfect soundness and bodily health within a few hours. He entered the temple with them walking and leaping and praising God, seen by all the people who knew him as the beggar.
What the Miracle Proves
The strength that came at once into feet and ankle bones came through the name and miraculous power of Jesus Christ, not by Peter's own power or holiness nor by any human power. It was wrought in Jesus' name as a mighty miracle, showing that the risen and ascended Jesus imparts power to His followers. Though He had died, His miraculous power continued through His disciples, and within a few hours the helpless cripple was restored to soundness of body. The cure proves the resurrection of Christ and His power in heaven to perform miracles on earth through His apostles.
The disciples' works, like their words, represented Jesus and showed that they had learned from Him. They preached a crucified and risen Saviour with mighty power and worked signs and wonders in His name, healing the sick and restoring the man lame from birth to perfect soundness. In that healing human action was joined with divine power, with Christ as the real source and active force behind the work, an example of Christlike medical missionary work.
The visibly restored man became a convincing living witness and visible evidence of the power of Jesus working through the apostles. His immediate restoration to sound health and bodily soundness added weight to Peter's testimony and preaching as he stood beside Peter. He stood whole before Annas, Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin the day after the healing as the proof that the cure was accomplished by the power and name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the Jewish leaders crucified and whom God raised from the dead.
Done in the full light of day before a crowd at the temple gate, the miracle became known to thousands and astonished Jerusalem. The news of the cure spread while astonished crowds pressed around, and all the people who knew him as the beggar saw him walking and leaping and praising God and were filled with wonder and amazement and excitement. A man long known for infirmity was thus turned into a public witness praising God in the sight of all the people, entering the temple with Peter and John walking and leaping and praising God. It could not be denied or covered by falsehood, and it helped lead many to believe the apostles' preaching on the occasion when Peter preached Christ to the people.
The undeniable cure exposed the priests and rulers, who saw that the work would bring many believers to Jesus and bring disgrace and guilt for murder upon themselves, so they sought to stop it. Yet they dared only threaten the apostles and release them, because all the people glorified God for what was done. Peter's fearless declaration of its source in the face of imprisonment and death redeemed his denial of Christ.
Pattern for Healing Ministry
The verse gives the pattern by which God heals through human agency, when one filled with the Spirit of God takes the invalid by the hand and bids him arise and be whole in the name of the Lord. At that touch and word new life shoots through the sick person's veins as holy faith takes possession of him. Immediate strength is given to rise from bed, to stand upon the feet, to walk, and to praise God with joy and gratitude.
The same power that instantly restored strength to the disabled man's feet and ankles so he could rise and walk is seen when prayer for an injured foot is answered at the command to rise and walk. The woman then stood, walked, and was relieved of her pain. The Lord still strengthens limbs and especially ankle bones so that a person can walk fast and climb stairs up and down as well as others, even through demanding travel with repeated changes and late rest. Such strengthening is the Lord's doing and calls for thankfulness and praise to Him.