Bible Study Series: Acts 3:1-10. Miracles are possible today
I write to learn. Let’s learn together and apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn. The translation is mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many other translations, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 3:1-10
1 Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the time of prayer. 2 And there was a certain man, disabled from his mother’s womb, and he was carried along and placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, in order to beg for money from those going into the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go inside the temple, he asked to receive money. 4 Peter, with John, while he was gazing on him, said, “Look at us!” 5 He looked intently at them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I don’t own silver and gold, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” 7 When he seized him by the right hand, he lifted him up. Instantly his feet and ankles were strengthened, 8 and he leaped up, stood upright, and walked around. He entered into the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9 And everyone saw him walking and praising God 10 and recognized that this was the one sitting before the temple’s Beautiful Gate, begging. And they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had come together for him. (Acts 3:1-10)
Comments:
1:
John and Peter went to the temple to pray, at 3:00 p.m. (15:00). The three times of prayer in Judaism (on a sunrise timetable): (1) early in the morning with the sacrifice; (2) at the ninth hour with the evening (afternoon) sacrifice; (3) at sunset. Cornelius received his visitations at the ninth hour (10:3, 30). (Longenecker, comment on v. 1; Bock, comment on v. 1).
Did Peter and John go up to the temple to offer animal sacrifices? Polhill is right: “These had become prescribed times of prayer, and people would come to the temple at the sacrifice times to observe the ceremony and pray. The largest crowds would thus have been found at the times of sacrifice, as Peter and John must have been well aware; for they went to the temple for prayer and for witness” (comment on v. 1). In other words, they went there for prayer with other believers in Jesus and to witness to their unconverted fellow Jews. But some law-keeping followers of Jesus did offer some sacrifices to fulfill their vows of purification (21:26).
The temple—the Colonnade of Solomon (see v. 11, below)—is their meeting place. Call it a mega-church of sorts, because Acts 2:41 says 3000 people were being added to the new Messianic community, and then Acts 4:4 adds 5000 more.
The apostles were regular prayer warriors. Are you?
“prayer”: Christians direct it towards the living God. I like to believe that they leaned in toward him and prayed their requests fully expecting an answer. It is not a mere wish or heartfelt payer to a pagan deity.
Prayer flows out of confidence before God that he will answer because we no longer have an uncondemned heart (1 John 3:19-24; Rom. 8:1); and we know him so intimately that we find out from him what is his will is and then we pray according to it (1 John 5:14-15); we pray with our Spirit-inspired languages and our native languages (1 Cor. 14:15-16). But that’s what all believers should do; however, too often theory outruns practice. Pray! For a theology on how to respond when God does not answer our prayers, as when James was executed by Herod, see Acts 12 and the very last application section.
Prayer can be (1) for oneself, like overcoming sins and vices in your heart and mind or receiving wisdom from above (James 3:17) and not being double-minded about receiving it (Jas. 1:5-8), but (2) it is also for the needs of the community. It was coming under attack, so prayers were offered. Praying for boldness to reach out and spread the word is wonderful. We should do it more often. (3) Further, prayer brings down the manifest presence of God. God is omnipresent (everywhere) of course, but his presence can make itself felt and experienced. God showed up and shook the place where they were gathered.
Prayer can be visualized like a pebble in a pond, and the ripples go outward. (1) It starts with oneself and one’s needs; (2) then it goes outward to one’s own family and (3) to the Christian community (your home church). (4) It goes out to evangelism and the needs of the world around the community, (5) and finally to parts around the globe. But this prayer here in Acts varies the order, which you may do, if you like. Prayer is ultimately and most deeply a conversation with God.
What Is Biblical Intercession?
2:
It is not as easy as tourist companies would have us believe that the exact location of the Gate called Beautiful (or Beautiful Gate) can be pinpointed. It seems that most go with the Nicanor Gate, named after a man who wanted to be thrown overboard with the gate while it was being transported from Alexandria, Egypt, to Jerusalem, during a perilous storm (Longenecker, comment on vv. 2-3). It was called Beautiful because it was more ornately decorated than the other gates, though the other gates were decorated with silver and gold (Bruce, comment on vv. 1-3).
The poor beggar was lame from his mother’s womb. This means “from birth,” which is how the majority of translation have it. He was over 40 years old (Acts 4:21). He was born with his disability. In John 9, a man who was born blind was healed. Some Jews of the time considered defects from birth a sign of a grave sin for which God was punishing him (presumably the parents’ sins) (John 9:1-2) (HT: Schnabel, comment on v. 2). However, it does not matter what disability one has and when one got it. Jesus through his disciples can heal it. Nothing is too hard for him.
“money”: it could be translated as the more religious-sounding “alms.” “[G]iving alms was a responsibility that Judaism took seriously as an expression of compassions that God honored (Luke 11:41; 12:33; Acts 3:3, 10; 9:36; 10:2, 4, 31; 24:17; also Matt. 6:2-4 (Bock, comment on v. 2).
3-4:
No doubt the nameless man called out to Peter and John. “Hey! Alms! Alms for a poor cripple!” He was used to doing that. But the text is silent, so I won’t push this view.
“fixing his gaze on him”: it means “stare intently or intensely.” Luke is fond of it: Luke 4:20; 22:56; Acts 1:10; 3:4; 3:12; 6:15; 7:55; 10:4; 11:6; 13:9; 14:9; 23:1. Then Paul uses it twice: 2 Cor. 3:7, 13.
You know you have God’s authority when you can stare at satanic attacks right in the face (so to speak). If you cannot, please pray for the inner strength and grace and anointing to be able to stand and not to fold or flag during satanic and broken human attacks (I pray this almost every day). In the power of the Spirit (not soul power), stare down this kind of opposition. Don’t flinch. Peter and John, both fixed their gaze on him. They were perceiving his faith. Did he want to be healed? Jesus asked the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda, who had been afflicted with his condition for thirty-eight years, whether he wanted to be healed. “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). And he asked blind Bartimaeus—who was obviously blind, since he was sitting with other blind men—“What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51 // Luke 18:41). It must never be underestimated that some people are so used to their conditions that they do not want healing. Lots of disabled people sat by the pool of Bethesda, but Jesus healed only one. Lots of people were blind on that day, but Jesus healed only two (Matt. 20:29-34). But in the beggar’s case, Peter and John deeply perceived that he had the desire to get well. See more comments at v. 10. It is not clear whether he had faith, but it is clear Peter and John did.
5:
The man returned the gaze. He was eager to get some money from the two men, whom he did not recognize as apostles. No doubt Peter and John and other apostles went through that gate every day, and no doubt this man sat there for many days? What was special about that day? It was his time. Faith and expectation converged. Maybe the expectation to get money leaked over for something deeper. Or maybe not. But something was different about that day.
6:
Peter proclaims that he did not have the natural means to make him content—silver and gold. But he had something infinitely better: the name of Jesus. In general terms the name stands in for a person and his character and then his authority and power. Authority and power flows out of who he is.
The good news is that God through Jesus can distribute authority to Jesus’s followers (Matt. 10:1; Luke 10:19; John 1:12). We stand in for Jesus when we pray in his name, by his authority and power. Everything is based on who he is—Lord and Savior and Messiah.
Peter did not pray a flowery prayer: “O thou God, if it be thy will to heal him, then I pray that in your sovereignty thou wouldst do this wonderful thing, but only in thy timing in the far-off future.” No. Peter commanded him: “Walk around!”
“name”: this noun stands in for the person—a living, real person. You carry your father’s name. If he is dysfunctional, his name is a disadvantage. If he is functional and impacting society for the better, then his name is an advantage. In Jesus’s case, he has the highest status in the universe, under the Father (Col. 1:15-20). He is exalted above every principality and power (Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-23; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8). His character is perfection itself. His authority and power are absolute, under the Father. In his name you are seated in the heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:6; Col. 3:1). Now down here on earth you walk and live as an ambassador in his name, in his stead, for he is no longer living on earth, so you have to represent him down here. We are his ambassadors who stand in for his name (2 Cor. 5:20). The good news is that he did not leave you without power and authority. He gave you his. Now you represent him in his name—his person, power and authority. Therefore under his authority we have his full authority to preach the gospel and set people free from bondages and satanic spirits and heal them of diseases.
7:
Peter issued a command in Jesus’s name. “Walk!” Then he put action to his words and took him by the right hand and lifted him up. And that’s when the healing happened—instantly or immediately. His feet and ankles were strengthened, which is implied in the Greek that his bones were firmed up. It was a miracle of strengthening and straightening. God can do anything. Nothing is too hard for him.
Recall that Mark 11:22-24 says to speak to the mountain. Often we don’t have to pray to God, when he already gave his authority and power. We can authoritatively command. But sometimes we do have to pray first (Mark 11:24). After you pray to God command the person to be healed and the disease to go. Proving the disease to go is equivalent to Peter taking the man by the hand and lifting him up.
8-9:
It is clear what Peter and John saw in him. He leaped up. He didn’t whine or listen to fear. “I don’t know if I ready! Maybe I shouldn’t do this!” No. He leaped up. Then he stood firm. And finally he walked around. All this must have happened in just a few seconds—leaping-standing—walking about. Athletes will walk out a slight sprain, testing it. It must have been like that 2000 years ago.
As all three walked into the temple, he couldn’t stop walking and leaping. He added praise to his healing. Once again, this shows that he was ready—that it was that day of all other previous days. A big smile blessed his countenance. His praising God was audible to everyone, so he was shouting his praises. Gratitude is contagious.
Schnabel counts seven verbs in verse 8 alone. After reviewing each one, he writes: “But his [the lame man’s] reaction certainly breaks ‘physionomic convention’—he does not walk slowly, deliberately, like a man, but jumps up and down, with rapid movements, showing no self-constraint. The healed man leaps n exuberant joy and grateful acknowledgement of God miraculous intervention” (comment on v. 8). Enthusiasm at God’s blessing is appropriate.
10:
Though the words “signs and wonders” are not used here, they did take place. For a nearly complete list of miracles, signs and wonders in the New Testament and a theology of them, see the post:
What Are Signs and Wonders and Miracles?
I like Schnabel here:
However, believers in Jesus need to reckon more specifically, more typically, and more fervently that Jesus’ power can indeed heal seriously sick people. The power of Jesus continues to heal the sick as he continues to be the risen and exalted Messiah and Lord. At the same time, Jesus’ power did not prevent the Jewish leaders from throwing Peter and John into prison, which happened in the evening of the day on which the lame man was healed (4:3). (p. 199)
I add: in 3:16, faith was present. Something happened in the lame man, for him to be healed. Maybe it was a transference from Peter and John to him. We don’t know. But I suggest that we pray in faith for healing to happen and then leave the results up to God. Finally, as Schnabel wisely says, expect opposition from religious people.
Give the formerly lame man credit. Some people like their infirmity, particularly when they can make money, and begging outside the gate as people went into the temple must have been the prime spot. He may have made lots of money. Recall what Jesus asked the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda: “When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he was there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healthy?” (John 5:6). But he sincerely rejoiced at his healing. He did not secretly wish to remain lame and get charity and pity.
Keener: Healing of the lame “is an eschatological gift announcing the arrival of the messianic era (Luke 7:22, recalling Isa 35:5-6, to which Luke also alludes in the ‘leaping’ of Acts 3:8)” (p. 183).
One last point: he was forty years old and was lame from birth. He must have begged at the gate for many years. Jesus must have walked past him while the Lord was in Jerusalem. He did not heal him then. But now was the right time for the man’s healing.
But the absence of the man in the four Gospels does not add up to solid evidence, just a speculative inference.
GrowApp for Acts 3:1-10
1. Have you ever received a miracle from God, like salvation or healing or another provision?
2. Were you as grateful as the former lame beggar was?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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