God gave Peter and John an opportunity to advance the Kingdom of Christ by healing the beggar sitting at the temple gate by the power of the Name of Jesus Christ.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode.
This is episode 7 in our Acts Bible Study Podcast. This episode is entitled, Peter and John Heal a Famous Beggar, where we’ll discuss Acts 3:1-10. I’m Wes Treadway and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
So, we’re going to see the effect of Jesus having transferred his supernatural, wonder-working power to his apostles in the early stage of the church, their healing ministry established here in the Book of Acts. And so, the healing, physical healings that Jesus did in amazing numbers… And the apostles didn’t even come close to Jesus on that. He healed huge populations of people. But the fact is that he had committed to them, some of that same wonder-working power. And it became a strategy by which huge crowds would be attracted to a proclamation of the gospel, which we’ll get to, God willing, next time. But we’re going to see the wonder-working power of Jesus at work in Peter and John.
Wes
Well, let me go ahead and read Acts 3:1-10, as we begin our time together.
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.
But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Andy, as we begin, how does this account relate to Acts 2:43, and what were the circumstances of this great healing?
Andy
Okay, so the very last verse of chapter 2, the last statement, it says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who are being saved.” And so, this is the time of explosive growth of the church. 3000 people added to the church in one day, the day of Pentecost. And more were going to come after that. And we’re going to find out throughout the Book of Acts, how significant signs and wonders, especially healings, would be in showing the authority of the apostles and the truthfulness of the message they preached. Also, the author of Hebrews says that the apostles preached and used signs and wonders. Paul also says that his ministry was characterized by these signs and wonders. Predominantly in Jesus’ life, they were healings. I would say 90% plus of the miracles and the signs and wonders were healings.
And so, this is just a display, an anecdote, a story of one particular person who was healed. And then the effect that it had on Peter and John’s ability to preach the gospel, so it fits together. The end of Acts 2 shows a five verse or so vignette or description of what life was like in the early church. And part of that was an evangelistic explosion, and this is a story concerning that.
Wes
Now, what does verse 1 teach us about Peter and John’s daily life?
Andy
Okay, so they’re still going to the temple to pray. And that’s where the Christians were meeting, in a place we would find out later, called Solomon’s Colonnade, where they would meet together to pray. So, they needed some place to come together. Also, it teaches us that they were still following essentially the same patterns of their Jewish life. They’re still going to the temple. But we know that the end of animal sacrifice has already been achieved by the death of Christ. The curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The time of temple worship and of animal sacrifice should have ended at that point. If all of the Jews had believed in Jesus as the Messiah and understood the significance of the curtain in the temple being torn in two from top to bottom, they would’ve ceased attending the temple. There would’ve been no need to go to the temple anymore.
As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father… God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21,24). There would not be one Christian place where Christian pilgrims would go from all over the world to worship. However, the early church still followed the Jewish pattern of going to the temple to pray, and Peter and John did the same.
Wes
Why is it noteworthy that the beggar was crippled from birth? And why is it significant that he was placed there at the gate every day to beg from people going into the temple courts?
Andy
Yeah, I don’t really know for certain why it’s significant that he was crippled from birth. We do know from John 9 that with a man born blind, there were some questions, theological questions about sin. Generally, the Jews, like with the Book of Job, saw that if some really bad thing happened in your life, it must be probably because of some sin in your life. You’re getting justly punished by the righteous God. And the best thing you can do is repent of the sin, come out with it, and God will heal you and restore you.
The problem comes when a baby is born blind, as in John 9, or this baby is born crippled from birth. Maybe he has some kind of a birth defect, and he’s unable to walk. Who sinned, this man or his parents? And Jesus said in John 9, “Neither this man, his parents sinned, but this happened that God’s glory might be revealed in him.” Maybe a similar thing with this man crippled from birth.
Wes
How about the place? What’s significant about him being here begging from these people as they came into the temple courts?
Andy
And so, the title of this podcast is that Peter and John Healed a Famous Beggar. The idea is everybody knew this guy, and you’re going to have to walk by him to get into the temple. So, it’s a feeling of, okay, here we go again and got to deal with him. And he sat every day. But the Jews would be generous and giving to the poor, alms or money given to the poor. And so, they had to walk by him regularly, so he would be strategic. And when he’s healed, everyone would recognize him as the same beggar who used to sit begging. And in that way, he was famous.
Now, it’s interesting, I was involved in a campus ministry, evangelical campus ministry when I was a student at MIT. And one of the things I noted and came to reflect on a little differently later as I went on in my Christian life, was the desire that the campus ministry had to convert some of the movers and shakers on the campus, like the quarterback on the football team or the point guard on the basketball team because they could have real influence. Well, look at the famous person that gets healed here. He’s a beggar, he has nothing to offer. And so, it’s funny how God chooses the not many wise, influential, or of noble birth. He chooses a broken-down man who gets healed.
Wes
Now, Peter and John would’ve been amongst that throng of people who would’ve probably recognized this man as they entered the temple. How do John and Peter respond to the beggar’s request? And why do you think Luke makes so much of the eye contact and personal attention between the beggar and the apostles here?
Andy
Yeah, so they’re going into the temple for prayer. They go past the temple gate called Beautiful. I don’t know why it was called that. It’s interesting. Must have been unusually decorated, maybe with precious stones or something like that. I don’t really know. But it was particularly beautiful part of the temple. And so, this beggar was put there every day. So that’s the number one gate you want to go through, would be the one called Beautiful, I would think. But you got to deal with this beggar.
And so, they knew him, everybody knew him, and they’re walking by and just the same old thing is happening. He’s asking for money, like he did every day. I mean, give us this day our daily bread, in the Lord’s prayer every single day you have certain needs. And so, the beggar needed money, as he did every day.
And so, Peter and John are about to enter. He sees Peter and John about to enter, and he asks them for money like he always did. He probably had some pattern, “Alms for the poor, alms for the poor beggar. Crippled from birth.”, something like this. But he did that to everybody who came in. It wasn’t anything particularly special about Peter and John. But then Peter interacts with him and looks at him, looks right at him. And it’s interesting later, Paul is going to see an individual, a cripple in Asia minor when he is ministering, he saw that he had faith to be healed.
Now, it doesn’t say any such thing here, but there is that sense of making eye contact as you said. And I think it also reminds me of the parable of the good Samaritan where there’s a man that’s left bleeding by the side of the road. And the priest sees him and goes by on the other side, and the Levite sees him and goes by on the other side. But the good Samaritan comes and cares for him. So, Peter and John look at this individual and they want to help him. So that eye contact, it means everything. And then Peter wants that man to look at him. He’s looking at the whole crowd. He’s looking at anybody that might have an interest in giving money.
You could see that sometimes, and we see that with beggars, where they want to make eye contact with you. And if they can make eye contact with you, maybe they can draw you into their misery and their situation and you’ll give money. But at this point, the beggar’s looking away, and so Peter commands him, “Look at us.” And so the man turns and looks, but he’s expecting money. That’s what he wants. And so, that’s how the whole thing begins.
Wes
Yeah, so he has very different expectations even than what’s about to happen. Though, I think we would agree that what is about to happen to him is amazing beyond probably what he would’ve ever imagined when being carried to that gate that day to sit and ask for help. What should we make of the fact that Peter was the one who spoke? And what’s the significance of Peter’s statement when he says, “I have no silver and gold?” No doubt, this beggar, after turning his attention to Peter, would’ve been maybe initially disappointed when Peter expresses that he has no silver or gold.
Andy
Yeah, I mean that’s all this man wants is money. And sometimes that’s how it is. It is with all kinds of natural people all over the world. It’s like the Book of Ecclesiastes says, “Money is the answer for everything.” But it really isn’t money. Money is not the answer for everything. For example, money can’t buy this cripple the ability to walk. And really, if he had a pocketful of money and was crippled and could trade his pocketful of money for the ability to walk, would he do it? Of course he would.
Wes
In a heartbeat. Yeah.
Andy
I mean a heartbeat, absolutely. And so, what he has to give is far more valuable than money. But what’s significant? First of all, you asked, why is it significant that Peter spoke? I think we’re going to see in the early part of the book of Acts, Peter is the leader. Later, others are going to step up and be leaders. Even in Jerusalem, James was seen to be the central leader of the church in Jerusalem. And then of course, Paul is the central leader in the rest of the Book of Acts or Acts, especially Acts 13 on he’s the leader. But at this point, definitely it’s Peter, and Peter is the one that’s speaking.
And what’s the significance of the fact that he says, “Silver or gold, have I none., or, “I have no silver or gold.”? Well, what it means is that Jesus didn’t make these people wealthy, he didn’t make them rich. They weren’t financially well off from following Jesus. Actually, he said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). At one point, his disciples were walking through the grain fields picking heads of grain and rubbing them together in their hands and eating them like poor people. That was destitute people that did that.
The church was not built with finances, not built with silver and gold.
And so, they don’t have any money. They’ve not made any money from being followers of Jesus. They don’t have anything to give. And if they did, they would’ve given because Jesus taught giving to the poor and needy. But it’s a significant thing. The church was not built with finances, not built with silver and gold.
Wes
What’s the relationship between Peter’s statements, “What I do have I give you. And in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk?”
Andy
Yeah, I have something to give you far more valuable than silver or gold, far more valuable. And that is I have the ability to give you healing. Now, I think it’s amazing how this works. It must be a hidden internal movement of the Holy Spirit where they’re following the Spirit’s lead saying, “I will heal this man.” Jesus did not come into the world to heal every one of every possible malady. The answer to all of our physical maladies is the resurrection from the dead. All of the physical healings are temporary. I mean, this lame man eventually was made lame again by death. All of the healings are essentially undone by death. And so, death is the last or the final enemy. The church isn’t here to drive out all sickness and pain and suffering.
This was a symbolic healing. It was a literal healing, I believe, and a literal miracle that was done. But it was symbolic of a much bigger, deeper healing that needed to happen, spiritual healing, and a greater healing that will come at the resurrection. And so, he says, “I do have something to give you. What I do have, I give you.” What do I have? I have the ability to heal you. And I think the only way that could have happened is the Spirit moved in him first to let him know, “Yeah, we’re going to do this. This power is here for the healing.”
Wes
That idea of power is much on display in these signs that are done, like you said, at the outset, really to testify to the power of the gospel, the power of Jesus. What does this miracle teach us about the power of the name of Jesus?
Andy
Yeah, I mean what he says, “What I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk.” So, it’s just amazing. First of all, Jesus is his given name, Christ is the title of Messiah, the Son of David. Nazareth was his hometown where he grew up. And so, you definitely have that sense of the incarnation here, where Jesus, the Son of God, was Jesus of Nazareth. And in that specific name, there’s no doubt at all who he’s healing him, in whose name he’s healing him. And so, he’s sticking a banner in it, and he wants everyone to know it is by the name of Jesus. And he’s going to make this super clear in the next chapter when he’s asked, “By whose name did you do this?” He’s going to say, “Glad you asked.” He didn’t say that but-
Wes
Let me tell you.
Andy
… yeah, it’s in the name of Jesus.
Wes
I’ve got even more than you’re asking, I’ve got to tell you.
Andy
So, he’s absolutely, it’s in Jesus’ name. Also, it shows, I think it’s the vine in the branches, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So, Peter is nothing. And Paul will say this in 1 Corinthians, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). So, in this case, Peter and John are nothing. Jesus and his Spirit and his power is everything.
Wes
Why did Peter grab him and help him to his feet? And what happens when he does this?
Andy
I don’t know. I mean, it’s interesting how the actual mechanics of healings are different, one after the other. It is just different every time. It’s not one pattern. So, with the man born blind, Jesus spit and made mud with his spittle and smeared it on the man’s eyes and told him to go away and go wash the mud off. And when he did, he could see. A lot of times, Jesus touched people and healed them by touch. Like Peter’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and he touched her, and the fever left her. Same thing with the leper, he touches. He does a lot of healings by touch. So, I wonder if that’s what’s going on here where in the touch, the power goes from Peter through the touch into the man. But also, there’s a practical side.
He hasn’t walked his whole life. And so, it’s amazing that he doesn’t have to learn to walk. You can imagine, what is it, occupational therapist or physical? It’s like we’re going to be six months learning to walk. But no, it’s instant healing here. So, at the same time, he’s picking him up and getting him on his now healed legs so he can begin to walk.
Wes
Yeah, it’s amazing. One question that I think may arise in our listeners’ minds and in all of our minds, when we think about the power of God to heal, clearly this healing was done by God’s power. And God had the same power the day before the healing. Why didn’t God heal the beggar sooner when he had the power to do so? And what do we learn about God’s sovereignty in that?
Andy
Well, I think going back to the man born blind, Jesus said, “Neither this man or his parents sinned, but this happened so that God’s glory might be revealed in him” (John 9:3). So, the reason that this paralyzed man or crippled, not paralyzed, but crippled man wasn’t healed the day before or a year before or 10 years before, was so that Peter and John could heal him in Jesus’s name on that specific day. Everything’s orchestrated by God.
Now that God could heal the entire world of all of its disease and sickness in an instant, is clearly true in the Bible. But we also need to realize where injury and sickness and death come from. They come from Adam’s sin and from the connection between Adam’s sin and all of our sins and death and the process of death. And so, as we said from 1 Corinthians 15, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Death is going to be with us until the second coming of Christ. And so, there’s going to be injury until the second coming of Christ. And there’s going to be degenerative diseases until the second coming of Christ. In no way do we as Christians think that this impugns God’s power to heal, or that Jesus is any less capable of healing. He can heal anytime.
And by the way, he does heal still miraculously in answer to prayer. Christians can gather around a sickbed and lay hands on individuals and pray for them. And again and again, there are testimonies of amazing healings in answer to prayer. Happens today. But that’s a little different than Peter and John as apostles going around in Jesus’ name healing many people. That’s a healer, a miraculous healer. I’ve heard no reputable accounts of that since the apostolic age ended. There are a lot of accounts, but I’ve heard no reputable accounts of traveling healers. And so, this is unique.
And so yes, the power of God was there. It’s always there. And we should always trust God for a healing. If he’s willing to heal, we should ask him for it, as James 5:14-15 says, “Is anyone sick? You should call the elders of the church to anoint him with oil and pray over him. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will raise him up.” So that’s the best answer I can give. You’re really asking a very deep, broad question about the problem of suffering and pain in the world.
Wes
What did the beggar do after Peter raised him to his feet? And given the fact that you mentioned a moment ago that he’d never walked in his life, what must he have been feeling at that moment?
Andy
It’s incredible. I don’t even know how to explain this, how a man can never have walked his entire life, and then he immediately jumps up and begins leaping and dancing and jumping around. He goes through all of the stages that a toddler goes through and all that until he is an expert walker. But it says his feet and ankles instantly became strong. So, he could feel in his ability, he could feel in his body, I can walk. But he doesn’t just want to walk. He wants to jump around and praise God, so he ends up dancing-
Wes
That’s right.
Andy
It is so awesome.
Wes
The text says as much that he’s praising God. What can we learn from the beggar’s praise and thankfulness in this situation?
Andy
Well, I mean, there’s a lot of exuberant psalms. Wes, you know them all. There’s the shout unto the Lord and clap your hands. And there’s all kinds of stuff. And some of our brothers and sisters of a different kind of pattern of worship, do that every Sunday. It’s very physical and very excited, and that’s awesome. We have a different pattern, but someone in our church will raise their hands, others will get excited. But this guy, he cuts loose. I mean, he just goes crazy. And he’s just so filled with joy. And so, I think it’s amazing the level of joy. And I think for us, we should seek to have a similar level of joy, that we’re going to express it differently, that we’d be filled with joy at the salvation that we have received from Christ.
Wes
Yeah, I love that. We think about worship as a response to what God has done, a response to who God is. And this man has experienced firsthand the power of God in his life, and he can’t help but respond with great joy in thanksgiving.
What was the effect of the beggars loud, noticeable, you might even say unseemly, display in the temple court? This was not the way people normally acted in the temple.
Andy
When a miracle is done, it attracts a crowd, and then the preaching happens. And the real point is the preaching.
Yeah. Well, no. And so, the noise would’ve attracted a crowd anyway. But it’s like, “Wow, wait a minute, that’s the beggar. And look at him. He’s jumping around.” And we’re going to talk about that, that’s openly said and attracts a crowd. And we’ll get to that, God willing, next time. But yeah, I mean, the fact is that’s the point. And we’re going to see this throughout the Book of Acts. When a miracle is done, it attracts a crowd, and then the preaching happens. And the real point is the preaching. So, we’re going to get to that, the preaching next.
But here the beggar is not thinking strategically, “How can I attract a crowd so that the gospel can be preached?” No, he’s just happy, and he is filled with joy. He’s just jumping around and praising God, and it’s reasonable to do that.
Wes
We’ve talked about this a little bit, but the significance of people recognizing him, what was that and why was it important that they recognized this man? And maybe what final thoughts do you have for us on this passage we’ve looked at?
Andy
Well, it’s part of the impact is- that’s part of what drew the crowd. So, they walk by this guy every day, and so they recognize him. And they’re able to say, “Here’s the man that used to sit begging all the time. And now look at him.” And they can ask questions and they want to know why. They want to know how. And so, everything, the table’s set for the banquet. And the banquet is going to be the preaching of the gospel that Peter and John are about to do in the rest of the chapter.
Now, some time ago, I came across a powerful story that just talked about materialism in the church. And it goes back to the statement, “Silver or gold, have I none. But what I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise and walk” (Acts 3:6). And it had to do with Thomas Aquinas, who was a scholastic theologian in the Middle Ages. And he visited the Pope. And the Pope, when he came in, was counting huge stacks of coins, gold and silver coins. And Thomas just stood there quietly. Thomas Aquinas stood there, and the Pope looked up and he said, “You see, Thomas, the church can no longer say, ‘Silver or gold, have I none.'” “That’s true, holy Father, but neither can the church say, ‘Rise and walk.'” And that was just a very impactful thing, that sometimes when the church goes after worldly possessions, worldly power, money, all of those things, it loses spiritual power.
Now, I don’t know if the church were still every bit as dedicated to gospel ministry and giving away money to the poor and needy that God would still have had wonder working power working in the church that we don’t know. But I do know that worldliness saps power, and the real healing is not physical, but the real healing is conversion. It’s people that are able to rise and walk spiritually and follow Christ, coming to Christ and walking with him. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction. And many enter through it, but small is the gate, narrow of the road that leads to life. And only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
And so that gives you a sense of a journey, like the Two Journeys ministry we have here. There’s a way that leads to God. And you can be literally paralyzed and be walking that way. You’re walking spiritually, you’re walking by faith. And so, the real thing is, does the church have the power to say, “Rise and walk spiritually?” And if we go after worldly things like silver and gold, we may lose the power to win lost people for Christ.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 7 in our Acts Bible Study Podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for Episode 8 entitled, Peter’s Sermon in The Temple, where we’ll discuss Acts 3:11-26. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Thank you for listening to this resource from twojourneys.org. Feel free to use and share this content to spread the knowledge of God and build his kingdom, only we ask that you do so for non-commercial purposes and in accordance with the copyright policy found at twojourneys.org. Two Journeys exists to help Christians make progress in the two journeys of the Christian life, the internal journey of sanctification and the external journey of gospel advancement. We do this by exporting biblical teaching for the good of Christ’s church and for the glory of God.
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode.
This is episode 7 in our Acts Bible Study Podcast. This episode is entitled, Peter and John Heal a Famous Beggar, where we’ll discuss Acts 3:1-10. I’m Wes Treadway and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these verses that we’re looking at today?
Andy
So, we’re going to see the effect of Jesus having transferred his supernatural, wonder-working power to his apostles in the early stage of the church, their healing ministry established here in the Book of Acts. And so, the healing, physical healings that Jesus did in amazing numbers… And the apostles didn’t even come close to Jesus on that. He healed huge populations of people. But the fact is that he had committed to them, some of that same wonder-working power. And it became a strategy by which huge crowds would be attracted to a proclamation of the gospel, which we’ll get to, God willing, next time. But we’re going to see the wonder-working power of Jesus at work in Peter and John.
Wes
Well, let me go ahead and read Acts 3:1-10, as we begin our time together.
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.
But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Andy, as we begin, how does this account relate to Acts 2:43, and what were the circumstances of this great healing?
Andy
Okay, so the very last verse of chapter 2, the last statement, it says, “And the Lord added to their number daily those who are being saved.” And so, this is the time of explosive growth of the church. 3000 people added to the church in one day, the day of Pentecost. And more were going to come after that. And we’re going to find out throughout the Book of Acts, how significant signs and wonders, especially healings, would be in showing the authority of the apostles and the truthfulness of the message they preached. Also, the author of Hebrews says that the apostles preached and used signs and wonders. Paul also says that his ministry was characterized by these signs and wonders. Predominantly in Jesus’ life, they were healings. I would say 90% plus of the miracles and the signs and wonders were healings.
And so, this is just a display, an anecdote, a story of one particular person who was healed. And then the effect that it had on Peter and John’s ability to preach the gospel, so it fits together. The end of Acts 2 shows a five verse or so vignette or description of what life was like in the early church. And part of that was an evangelistic explosion, and this is a story concerning that.
Wes
Now, what does verse 1 teach us about Peter and John’s daily life?
Andy
Okay, so they’re still going to the temple to pray. And that’s where the Christians were meeting, in a place we would find out later, called Solomon’s Colonnade, where they would meet together to pray. So, they needed some place to come together. Also, it teaches us that they were still following essentially the same patterns of their Jewish life. They’re still going to the temple. But we know that the end of animal sacrifice has already been achieved by the death of Christ. The curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The time of temple worship and of animal sacrifice should have ended at that point. If all of the Jews had believed in Jesus as the Messiah and understood the significance of the curtain in the temple being torn in two from top to bottom, they would’ve ceased attending the temple. There would’ve been no need to go to the temple anymore.
As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father… God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:21,24). There would not be one Christian place where Christian pilgrims would go from all over the world to worship. However, the early church still followed the Jewish pattern of going to the temple to pray, and Peter and John did the same.
Wes
Why is it noteworthy that the beggar was crippled from birth? And why is it significant that he was placed there at the gate every day to beg from people going into the temple courts?
Andy
Yeah, I don’t really know for certain why it’s significant that he was crippled from birth. We do know from John 9 that with a man born blind, there were some questions, theological questions about sin. Generally, the Jews, like with the Book of Job, saw that if some really bad thing happened in your life, it must be probably because of some sin in your life. You’re getting justly punished by the righteous God. And the best thing you can do is repent of the sin, come out with it, and God will heal you and restore you.
The problem comes when a baby is born blind, as in John 9, or this baby is born crippled from birth. Maybe he has some kind of a birth defect, and he’s unable to walk. Who sinned, this man or his parents? And Jesus said in John 9, “Neither this man, his parents sinned, but this happened that God’s glory might be revealed in him.” Maybe a similar thing with this man crippled from birth.
Wes
How about the place? What’s significant about him being here begging from these people as they came into the temple courts?
Andy
And so, the title of this podcast is that Peter and John Healed a Famous Beggar. The idea is everybody knew this guy, and you’re going to have to walk by him to get into the temple. So, it’s a feeling of, okay, here we go again and got to deal with him. And he sat every day. But the Jews would be generous and giving to the poor, alms or money given to the poor. And so, they had to walk by him regularly, so he would be strategic. And when he’s healed, everyone would recognize him as the same beggar who used to sit begging. And in that way, he was famous.
Now, it’s interesting, I was involved in a campus ministry, evangelical campus ministry when I was a student at MIT. And one of the things I noted and came to reflect on a little differently later as I went on in my Christian life, was the desire that the campus ministry had to convert some of the movers and shakers on the campus, like the quarterback on the football team or the point guard on the basketball team because they could have real influence. Well, look at the famous person that gets healed here. He’s a beggar, he has nothing to offer. And so, it’s funny how God chooses the not many wise, influential, or of noble birth. He chooses a broken-down man who gets healed.
Wes
Now, Peter and John would’ve been amongst that throng of people who would’ve probably recognized this man as they entered the temple. How do John and Peter respond to the beggar’s request? And why do you think Luke makes so much of the eye contact and personal attention between the beggar and the apostles here?
Andy
Yeah, so they’re going into the temple for prayer. They go past the temple gate called Beautiful. I don’t know why it was called that. It’s interesting. Must have been unusually decorated, maybe with precious stones or something like that. I don’t really know. But it was particularly beautiful part of the temple. And so, this beggar was put there every day. So that’s the number one gate you want to go through, would be the one called Beautiful, I would think. But you got to deal with this beggar.
And so, they knew him, everybody knew him, and they’re walking by and just the same old thing is happening. He’s asking for money, like he did every day. I mean, give us this day our daily bread, in the Lord’s prayer every single day you have certain needs. And so, the beggar needed money, as he did every day.
And so, Peter and John are about to enter. He sees Peter and John about to enter, and he asks them for money like he always did. He probably had some pattern, “Alms for the poor, alms for the poor beggar. Crippled from birth.”, something like this. But he did that to everybody who came in. It wasn’t anything particularly special about Peter and John. But then Peter interacts with him and looks at him, looks right at him. And it’s interesting later, Paul is going to see an individual, a cripple in Asia minor when he is ministering, he saw that he had faith to be healed.
Now, it doesn’t say any such thing here, but there is that sense of making eye contact as you said. And I think it also reminds me of the parable of the good Samaritan where there’s a man that’s left bleeding by the side of the road. And the priest sees him and goes by on the other side, and the Levite sees him and goes by on the other side. But the good Samaritan comes and cares for him. So, Peter and John look at this individual and they want to help him. So that eye contact, it means everything. And then Peter wants that man to look at him. He’s looking at the whole crowd. He’s looking at anybody that might have an interest in giving money.
You could see that sometimes, and we see that with beggars, where they want to make eye contact with you. And if they can make eye contact with you, maybe they can draw you into their misery and their situation and you’ll give money. But at this point, the beggar’s looking away, and so Peter commands him, “Look at us.” And so the man turns and looks, but he’s expecting money. That’s what he wants. And so, that’s how the whole thing begins.
Wes
Yeah, so he has very different expectations even than what’s about to happen. Though, I think we would agree that what is about to happen to him is amazing beyond probably what he would’ve ever imagined when being carried to that gate that day to sit and ask for help. What should we make of the fact that Peter was the one who spoke? And what’s the significance of Peter’s statement when he says, “I have no silver and gold?” No doubt, this beggar, after turning his attention to Peter, would’ve been maybe initially disappointed when Peter expresses that he has no silver or gold.
Andy
Yeah, I mean that’s all this man wants is money. And sometimes that’s how it is. It is with all kinds of natural people all over the world. It’s like the Book of Ecclesiastes says, “Money is the answer for everything.” But it really isn’t money. Money is not the answer for everything. For example, money can’t buy this cripple the ability to walk. And really, if he had a pocketful of money and was crippled and could trade his pocketful of money for the ability to walk, would he do it? Of course he would.
Wes
In a heartbeat. Yeah.
Andy
I mean a heartbeat, absolutely. And so, what he has to give is far more valuable than money. But what’s significant? First of all, you asked, why is it significant that Peter spoke? I think we’re going to see in the early part of the book of Acts, Peter is the leader. Later, others are going to step up and be leaders. Even in Jerusalem, James was seen to be the central leader of the church in Jerusalem. And then of course, Paul is the central leader in the rest of the Book of Acts or Acts, especially Acts 13 on he’s the leader. But at this point, definitely it’s Peter, and Peter is the one that’s speaking.
And what’s the significance of the fact that he says, “Silver or gold, have I none., or, “I have no silver or gold.”? Well, what it means is that Jesus didn’t make these people wealthy, he didn’t make them rich. They weren’t financially well off from following Jesus. Actually, he said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). At one point, his disciples were walking through the grain fields picking heads of grain and rubbing them together in their hands and eating them like poor people. That was destitute people that did that.
The church was not built with finances, not built with silver and gold.
And so, they don’t have any money. They’ve not made any money from being followers of Jesus. They don’t have anything to give. And if they did, they would’ve given because Jesus taught giving to the poor and needy. But it’s a significant thing. The church was not built with finances, not built with silver and gold.
Wes
What’s the relationship between Peter’s statements, “What I do have I give you. And in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk?”
Andy
Yeah, I have something to give you far more valuable than silver or gold, far more valuable. And that is I have the ability to give you healing. Now, I think it’s amazing how this works. It must be a hidden internal movement of the Holy Spirit where they’re following the Spirit’s lead saying, “I will heal this man.” Jesus did not come into the world to heal every one of every possible malady. The answer to all of our physical maladies is the resurrection from the dead. All of the physical healings are temporary. I mean, this lame man eventually was made lame again by death. All of the healings are essentially undone by death. And so, death is the last or the final enemy. The church isn’t here to drive out all sickness and pain and suffering.
This was a symbolic healing. It was a literal healing, I believe, and a literal miracle that was done. But it was symbolic of a much bigger, deeper healing that needed to happen, spiritual healing, and a greater healing that will come at the resurrection. And so, he says, “I do have something to give you. What I do have, I give you.” What do I have? I have the ability to heal you. And I think the only way that could have happened is the Spirit moved in him first to let him know, “Yeah, we’re going to do this. This power is here for the healing.”
Wes
That idea of power is much on display in these signs that are done, like you said, at the outset, really to testify to the power of the gospel, the power of Jesus. What does this miracle teach us about the power of the name of Jesus?
Andy
Yeah, I mean what he says, “What I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk.” So, it’s just amazing. First of all, Jesus is his given name, Christ is the title of Messiah, the Son of David. Nazareth was his hometown where he grew up. And so, you definitely have that sense of the incarnation here, where Jesus, the Son of God, was Jesus of Nazareth. And in that specific name, there’s no doubt at all who he’s healing him, in whose name he’s healing him. And so, he’s sticking a banner in it, and he wants everyone to know it is by the name of Jesus. And he’s going to make this super clear in the next chapter when he’s asked, “By whose name did you do this?” He’s going to say, “Glad you asked.” He didn’t say that but-
Wes
Let me tell you.
Andy
… yeah, it’s in the name of Jesus.
Wes
I’ve got even more than you’re asking, I’ve got to tell you.
Andy
So, he’s absolutely, it’s in Jesus’ name. Also, it shows, I think it’s the vine in the branches, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So, Peter is nothing. And Paul will say this in 1 Corinthians, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:7). So, in this case, Peter and John are nothing. Jesus and his Spirit and his power is everything.
Wes
Why did Peter grab him and help him to his feet? And what happens when he does this?
Andy
I don’t know. I mean, it’s interesting how the actual mechanics of healings are different, one after the other. It is just different every time. It’s not one pattern. So, with the man born blind, Jesus spit and made mud with his spittle and smeared it on the man’s eyes and told him to go away and go wash the mud off. And when he did, he could see. A lot of times, Jesus touched people and healed them by touch. Like Peter’s mother-in-law was lying in bed with a fever, and he touched her, and the fever left her. Same thing with the leper, he touches. He does a lot of healings by touch. So, I wonder if that’s what’s going on here where in the touch, the power goes from Peter through the touch into the man. But also, there’s a practical side.
He hasn’t walked his whole life. And so, it’s amazing that he doesn’t have to learn to walk. You can imagine, what is it, occupational therapist or physical? It’s like we’re going to be six months learning to walk. But no, it’s instant healing here. So, at the same time, he’s picking him up and getting him on his now healed legs so he can begin to walk.
Wes
Yeah, it’s amazing. One question that I think may arise in our listeners’ minds and in all of our minds, when we think about the power of God to heal, clearly this healing was done by God’s power. And God had the same power the day before the healing. Why didn’t God heal the beggar sooner when he had the power to do so? And what do we learn about God’s sovereignty in that?
Andy
Well, I think going back to the man born blind, Jesus said, “Neither this man or his parents sinned, but this happened so that God’s glory might be revealed in him” (John 9:3). So, the reason that this paralyzed man or crippled, not paralyzed, but crippled man wasn’t healed the day before or a year before or 10 years before, was so that Peter and John could heal him in Jesus’s name on that specific day. Everything’s orchestrated by God.
Now that God could heal the entire world of all of its disease and sickness in an instant, is clearly true in the Bible. But we also need to realize where injury and sickness and death come from. They come from Adam’s sin and from the connection between Adam’s sin and all of our sins and death and the process of death. And so, as we said from 1 Corinthians 15, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. Death is going to be with us until the second coming of Christ. And so, there’s going to be injury until the second coming of Christ. And there’s going to be degenerative diseases until the second coming of Christ. In no way do we as Christians think that this impugns God’s power to heal, or that Jesus is any less capable of healing. He can heal anytime.
And by the way, he does heal still miraculously in answer to prayer. Christians can gather around a sickbed and lay hands on individuals and pray for them. And again and again, there are testimonies of amazing healings in answer to prayer. Happens today. But that’s a little different than Peter and John as apostles going around in Jesus’ name healing many people. That’s a healer, a miraculous healer. I’ve heard no reputable accounts of that since the apostolic age ended. There are a lot of accounts, but I’ve heard no reputable accounts of traveling healers. And so, this is unique.
And so yes, the power of God was there. It’s always there. And we should always trust God for a healing. If he’s willing to heal, we should ask him for it, as James 5:14-15 says, “Is anyone sick? You should call the elders of the church to anoint him with oil and pray over him. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will raise him up.” So that’s the best answer I can give. You’re really asking a very deep, broad question about the problem of suffering and pain in the world.
Wes
What did the beggar do after Peter raised him to his feet? And given the fact that you mentioned a moment ago that he’d never walked in his life, what must he have been feeling at that moment?
Andy
It’s incredible. I don’t even know how to explain this, how a man can never have walked his entire life, and then he immediately jumps up and begins leaping and dancing and jumping around. He goes through all of the stages that a toddler goes through and all that until he is an expert walker. But it says his feet and ankles instantly became strong. So, he could feel in his ability, he could feel in his body, I can walk. But he doesn’t just want to walk. He wants to jump around and praise God, so he ends up dancing-
Wes
That’s right.
Andy
It is so awesome.
Wes
The text says as much that he’s praising God. What can we learn from the beggar’s praise and thankfulness in this situation?
Andy
Well, I mean, there’s a lot of exuberant psalms. Wes, you know them all. There’s the shout unto the Lord and clap your hands. And there’s all kinds of stuff. And some of our brothers and sisters of a different kind of pattern of worship, do that every Sunday. It’s very physical and very excited, and that’s awesome. We have a different pattern, but someone in our church will raise their hands, others will get excited. But this guy, he cuts loose. I mean, he just goes crazy. And he’s just so filled with joy. And so, I think it’s amazing the level of joy. And I think for us, we should seek to have a similar level of joy, that we’re going to express it differently, that we’d be filled with joy at the salvation that we have received from Christ.
Wes
Yeah, I love that. We think about worship as a response to what God has done, a response to who God is. And this man has experienced firsthand the power of God in his life, and he can’t help but respond with great joy in thanksgiving.
What was the effect of the beggars loud, noticeable, you might even say unseemly, display in the temple court? This was not the way people normally acted in the temple.
Andy
When a miracle is done, it attracts a crowd, and then the preaching happens. And the real point is the preaching.
Yeah. Well, no. And so, the noise would’ve attracted a crowd anyway. But it’s like, “Wow, wait a minute, that’s the beggar. And look at him. He’s jumping around.” And we’re going to talk about that, that’s openly said and attracts a crowd. And we’ll get to that, God willing, next time. But yeah, I mean, the fact is that’s the point. And we’re going to see this throughout the Book of Acts. When a miracle is done, it attracts a crowd, and then the preaching happens. And the real point is the preaching. So, we’re going to get to that, the preaching next.
But here the beggar is not thinking strategically, “How can I attract a crowd so that the gospel can be preached?” No, he’s just happy, and he is filled with joy. He’s just jumping around and praising God, and it’s reasonable to do that.
Wes
We’ve talked about this a little bit, but the significance of people recognizing him, what was that and why was it important that they recognized this man? And maybe what final thoughts do you have for us on this passage we’ve looked at?
Andy
Well, it’s part of the impact is- that’s part of what drew the crowd. So, they walk by this guy every day, and so they recognize him. And they’re able to say, “Here’s the man that used to sit begging all the time. And now look at him.” And they can ask questions and they want to know why. They want to know how. And so, everything, the table’s set for the banquet. And the banquet is going to be the preaching of the gospel that Peter and John are about to do in the rest of the chapter.
Now, some time ago, I came across a powerful story that just talked about materialism in the church. And it goes back to the statement, “Silver or gold, have I none. But what I do have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise and walk” (Acts 3:6). And it had to do with Thomas Aquinas, who was a scholastic theologian in the Middle Ages. And he visited the Pope. And the Pope, when he came in, was counting huge stacks of coins, gold and silver coins. And Thomas just stood there quietly. Thomas Aquinas stood there, and the Pope looked up and he said, “You see, Thomas, the church can no longer say, ‘Silver or gold, have I none.'” “That’s true, holy Father, but neither can the church say, ‘Rise and walk.'” And that was just a very impactful thing, that sometimes when the church goes after worldly possessions, worldly power, money, all of those things, it loses spiritual power.
Now, I don’t know if the church were still every bit as dedicated to gospel ministry and giving away money to the poor and needy that God would still have had wonder working power working in the church that we don’t know. But I do know that worldliness saps power, and the real healing is not physical, but the real healing is conversion. It’s people that are able to rise and walk spiritually and follow Christ, coming to Christ and walking with him. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction. And many enter through it, but small is the gate, narrow of the road that leads to life. And only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
And so that gives you a sense of a journey, like the Two Journeys ministry we have here. There’s a way that leads to God. And you can be literally paralyzed and be walking that way. You’re walking spiritually, you’re walking by faith. And so, the real thing is, does the church have the power to say, “Rise and walk spiritually?” And if we go after worldly things like silver and gold, we may lose the power to win lost people for Christ.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 7 in our Acts Bible Study Podcast. We want to invite you to join us next time for Episode 8 entitled, Peter’s Sermon in The Temple, where we’ll discuss Acts 3:11-26. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys podcast. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
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