Articles
Acts 3 - The Lame Beggar
Acts 3 - The Lame Beggar
Here was a man that was in the public eye – sitting every day at the gate of the temple in plain sight of all the visitors to the temple at this festive time. He had been lame from his mothers womb and was now ‘a man’ (an adult).
Peter gives him a gift worth more than money – the healing of his legs and the gift of walking. There, in public, at the gate of the temple, where everyone could see. The man with a leap, stood up and began walking and leaping and praising God (wouldn’t you?). There was no learning time. All the people saw him. They were filled with wonder and amazement!
Peter then gives another sermon similar to the one in chapter 2. Closing with the command: “repent and return (‘turn back’ ESV, ‘be converted’ KJV) so that your sins may be wiped away…” Remember, this same point in the previous sermon commanded them to “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38).
While we are told 3000 obeyed the gospel in Acts 2, here we are not informed how many (if any) obeyed. Something that IS different is that Peter gives them a strict warning that to NOT HEED would result in their being ‘utterly destroyed from among the people’. What would you have done? Many of us, upon hearing the gospel did just like those in chapter 2 – we received the Word and were baptized. If you haven’t responded that way, you need to. Today. Now.
Hugh DeLong
