Peter Heals a Lame Beggar
One afternoon, Peter and John went to the temple for the three o’clock prayer. At the Beautiful Gate, they encountered a man lame from birth who begged for money. Peter’s response—“Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk”—resulted in an instant miracle that drew a crowd and led to the apostles’ first arrest.
The miracle:
At the temple gate called Beautiful (likely the Nicanor Gate, made of Corinthian bronze on the temple’s east side), a man over forty years old who had been lame from birth was carried daily to beg. When he asked Peter and John for money, Peter looked straight at him: “Look at us!”
The man gave them his attention, expecting money.
Peter said: “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up. Instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
The crowd’s amazement:
All the people saw him walking and praising God. They recognized him as the beggar who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate, and they were filled with wonder and amazement. The healed man clung to Peter and John as people came running to Solomon’s Colonnade.
Peter’s sermon:
Seeing the crowd’s astonishment, Peter seized the opportunity to preach:
Not our power: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”
Jesus healed him: “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’s name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.”
Call to repentance: “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
Prophetic fulfillment: Peter cited Moses: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.”
The result: Many who heard the message believed; the number of men who believed grew to about 5,000 (up from 3,000 after Pentecost).
The first arrest:
While Peter and John were speaking, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came upon them. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead (the Sadducees denied resurrection). They seized Peter and John and put them in jail overnight since it was evening.
Before the Sanhedrin:
The next day, the rulers, elders, and teachers of the law assembled—including Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others of the high priest’s family (the same council that had condemned Jesus).
They questioned: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly replied: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed… Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
The council’s dilemma:
The Sanhedrin was astonished at Peter and John’s courage—these were “unschooled, ordinary men.” They realized they had been with Jesus. But since the healed man stood there with them, they could not deny the miracle. Everyone in Jerusalem knew about it.
After conferring privately, they commanded Peter and John not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
The apostles’ response:
Peter and John replied: “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
After further threats, the council released them, finding no way to punish them because the people were praising God for what had happened.
Significance:
Apostolic healing: Demonstrated that Jesus’s power continued through His apostles
Faith in Jesus’s name: The miracle validated the apostles’ message—Jesus was alive and active
Boldness: Peter, who had cowered before a servant girl, now defied the Sanhedrin
Pattern established: The cycle of miracle → preaching → persecution would repeat throughout Acts
“We cannot help speaking”: Established the principle of obeying God over human authorities when they conflict
Growth: The church grew from 3,000 to 5,000 men (plus women and children)—explosive expansion despite opposition
This healing was the first apostolic miracle recorded in Acts and set the pattern for the early church’s ministry—signs and wonders authenticating the gospel message, leading to both conversions and persecution. The beggar who sat at the Beautiful Gate became a walking testimony that Jesus Christ of Nazareth was alive, and no council could silence that witness.