29. Hike the Bible – Peter of Capernaum 3 – Heals lame man

Posted by: BibleScienceGuy | January 2, 2013

29. Hike the Bible – Peter of Capernaum 3 – Heals lame man

Peter & John healing lame man at the temple

Peter & John heal a lame man at the temple gate

Our virtual hike through Galilee has reached the ruins of Capernaum, the home base for Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 4:13).

Capernaum is mentioned 16 times in the Gospels and was the site for much of His teaching and many of His miracles. Matthew calls Capernaum Jesus’ “own city.” (Matthew 9:1; Mark 2:1)

This is the third of several blog posts on Capernaum’s most famous homeowner, the Apostle Peter (Mark 1:21,29), leader of the disciples. The first post introduced Peter and reviewed the miracles of Jesus with which Peter was personally involved. The second one used Peter’s own words and works from the Gospels to illustrate his leadership.

Jesus re-named Simon to be “Peter” (rock), yet throughout the Gospels Jesus almost always called him Simon. In Acts Peter (Cephas) lives up to his new name of “Rock,” as he is almost uniformly referred to as Peter. He appears as the leader of the Christians and as an intrepid witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Here are examples of Peter’s words and works from the book of Acts that show his courageous leadership of the fledgling Christian church.

Peter called for the selection and appointment of a new Apostle to replace Judas Iscariot in order to fulfill Scripture. Speaking to about 120 people, Peter quoted from Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8 and said, “Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas…It is therefore necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us–beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us–one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection.” (Acts 1:15-26)
Standing with the 11 other apostles, Peter boldly delivered the Day of Pentecost Sermon. He defended the tongues of fire and speaking in many languages as prophesied manifestations of the Spirit of God. He testified of the works, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth and called for repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Peter proclaimed, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified. Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” Peter’s sermon led to the salvation of about 3,000 people. (Acts 2:1-41)
Approaching the temple with John, Peter saw a lame beggar at the temple gate who asked them for alms. Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Peter seized him by the right hand and pulled him to his feet. Immediately he was healed and entered the temple, “walking and leaping and praising God.” All the people were filled with astonishment and amazement by the beggar’s healing, for the man was more than 40 years old and had been lame from birth. (Acts 3:1-10; 4:21-22)

Here’s a 2-minute YouTube video re-enacting the healing of the lame man at the temple accompanied by the song “Silver and Gold Have I None.”
Peter leveraged the miracle for evangelism. Peter addressed the crowd to explain the healing of the lame beggar with the result that about 5,000 men believed (Acts 4:4). “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this … as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered up and … put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know.” Peter saw a continuity of Old Testament history with this miracle of his own day. The same God who acted for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the One Who sent and glorified Jesus and through His power healed the beggar. Peter boldly proclaimed “Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. … And it shall be that every soul that does not heed that prophet [Jesus] shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.” Peter taught that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophetic promises to their fathers: “All the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers.”
(Acts 3:11-26)
As a result of Peter’s sermon following the healing of the lame beggar at the temple, Peter and John were arrested and imprisoned. When brought before the chief priests and elders to explain the miracle, Peter confidently answered, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead — by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:1-12)
Conflicted over what to do with Peter and John, the Jewish leaders said, “The fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” They warned Peter and John and ordered them “not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.” Peter and John boldly replied, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:13-33)
When Peter and John were released and reported what happened, everyone began praising God by first acknowledging Him as Creator: “They lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is Thou who DIDST MAKE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.”
(Acts 4:23-24)
“Maker of heaven and earth” is on God’s Business Card. The Bible begins by introducing God as Creator (Genesis 1:1), and this is how God presents Himself to man throughout the Bible. This understanding is the essential starting point for meeting God!

Here’s a YouTube video (3:21) using words from Acts 4 and various Old Testament passages to praise God for His creative work, similar to the praises of the early Christians following Peter’s and John’s report.

The next blog post will continue with examples of Peter’s leadership from Acts.

Read the prequels in this sub-series on the life and work of Simon Peter of Capernaum:
27. Hike the Bible – Peter of Capernaum 1
28. Hike the Bible – Peter of Capernaum 2
Read the sequel:
30. Hike the Bible – Peter of Capernaum 4 – Ananias & Sapphira

Soli Deo Gloria.

The Hike the Bible series is currently covering points of interest along two hiking trails through Galilee, the 40-mile Jesus Trail and the 39-mile Gospel Trail. These two trails re-create possible routes Jesus likely traversed during His sojourns in Galilee.

Read the sequel:
30. Hike the Bible – Peter of Capernaum 4 – Ananias & Sapphira

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:4)
Wednesday January 2, 2013 A.D.

Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23)