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By what power? Political prowess by the powers that be
“By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
ACTS of the Apostles of Jesus Christ 4:7b

Previously and Prior to that..

Peter Replied: Signs Preached from Solomon’s Porch

Basilica Πέτρος ἀπόστολος

Their Previous Scene at the Temple

Solomon’s Porch (portico) among the grand columns of HEROD’S temple, lasting project of a previous administration also pretentiously guarding what little power Rome would allow, may have seemed to Jerusalem’s authorities a public square upon which Simon Peter was now placing a Name of a new Authority (that was not them). In their minds he may have well proclaimed to the crowds, this Temple will now become THE APOSTLE PETER’S BASILICA.

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them.. And they laid hands on them and put them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening.

Their Night in a Familiar Prison

So the powers that be threw Peter, John and the healed lame beggar in jail overnight to be held over for trial the next day. (At least their actions could not be so clandestinely preplanned to hold this hearing at night as these same powers that be had done previously on the eve of Passover.)

Peter, John and the healed beggar lie now in the palace prison, a place familiar to the Apostles from the trials of Jesus and even back to the imprisonment of John the Baptizer. In this dark palace near the Temple they await their trial and fate for preaching the Name of Jesus Christ.

Power Prior to that..

John, Peter and the healed man would know much more of the recent and ancient power struggles for Jerusalem than we do. So allow me to brief you on this first century A.D. ascension of the powers that be in Jerusalem to their positions of political/religious leadership of Jerusalem.
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All dates approximate for context of this chronology. The Apostles were Jews well aware of this history.
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- 586 B.C. – Solomon’s Temple destroyed
- 516 B.C. – Zerubbabel rebuilt Jerusalem’s Second Temple
- 167 B.C. Antiochus IV Epiphanes ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple
The lands of the former Kingdom of Israel and Kingdom of Judah (c. 722–586 BCE), had been occupied in turn by Assyria, Babylonia, the Achaemenid Empire, and Alexander the Great’s Hellenic Macedonian empire (c. 330 BCE), although Jewish religious practice and culture had persisted and even flourished during certain periods. – source: Wikipedia incl. below
200 BC Seleucid rule over the Jewish parts of the region then resulted in the rise of Hellenistic cultural and religious practices
168 BC

ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟΧΟΥ ΘΕΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ
(King Antiochus, the divine Epiphanus, Bringer of Victory.)
Enter the Maccabees
- In 175 B.C.E. Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“[god] manifest”) took the Seleucid throne.
  - Then Antiochus attempted to obliterate the Jewish religion by forbidding Temple sacrifices, traditional festivals, Sabbath worship, and the rite of circumcision (the sign of the covenant), upon pain of death.
- When Antiochus’ emissary came to the little town of Modein and demanded that the people offer sacrifices, Mattathias, of priestly stock, refused. Seeing one of the Jews about to comply, he rushed forward and slew him at the altar and then killed the king’s emissary, “acting zealously for the law of God, as Phinehas had done” (cf. Num 25:6-15). Then he and his sons fled to the hills and were joined by many others.
- At his death, his son Judas Maccabeus took charge and waged a successful guerilla war against the Seleucids, retook Jerusalem, and
- 164 BC – 63 BC
  - in 164 restored and rededicated the Temple, giving birth to the Feast of Hanukkah (“Dedication”) or “Lights.” Thus began a long war which, despite great odds, ended in victory and the establishment of the Maccabean, or Hasmonean kingdom, an independent kingdom which lasted until 63 BCE.
  - source: The Jewish Roman World of Jesus, by Dr. James Tabor [RECOMMENDED further reading]:
  - the Roman general Pompey was invited to settle a dispute between two Maccabeans
The World of Augustus Caesar

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias..
Gospel of Luke 1:5a KJV
- from this point forward, Palestine was considered to be controlled by Rome, and in the reorganization by Augustus it fell under the administration of the imperial province of Syria.
  - Unlike senatorial provinces, imperial provinces were governed by a military governor called a “Legate” (who, in this case resided at Antioch), and Roman troops were stationed to keep order.
  - There were also “districts” that were testy enough to be governed directly by the emperor through his “prefect” (later “procurator”).
  - The chief responsibilities of the governors were civil order, the administration of justice (including the judicial right of life and death), and the collection of taxes.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
Gospel of Luke 2:1-3 KJV

from Herod the Great to Acts of the Apostles

As you can see and Luke has already referenced in his first account, power and authority in Jerusalem seem historically fleeting. This scene where Peter preaches in ‘Herod’s Temple‘ takes place where political power remains disputed to this very day.

The powers that be send their men to arrest Peter as before they had arrested both Jesus and John the Baptist.
- Hērǭdēs; c. 72 BC – (4 or 1 BC), also known as Herod the Great, was a Roman client king of Judea
  - The Romans assented to Herod’s proclamation as King of the Jews, bringing about the end of the Hasmonean rule over Judea.
  - Judea proper, Samaria and Idumea became the Roman province of Iudaea in 6 CE. (AD 6)
Herod’s final will, slightly modified by Augustus, divided his kingdom among his three sons. Philip (4 B.C.E. to 33 or 34 C.E.) was named “tetrarch” of the largely non-Jewish regions northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Herod Antipas (4 B.C.E. to 39 C.E.) became tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, an area across the Jordan River.
Herod Antipas is the king of Galilee in the gospel stories (cf. Luke 13:31-33, “that fox”) and is remembered for the execution of John the Baptist (cf. Mark 6:17-29) and for his contemptuous treatment of Jesus (Luke 23:6-12).
The third son, Archelaus, was given Samaria and Judea in the South. He was opposed by his subjects and by his brother, Herod Antipas. Also at this time there was unrest in Galilee caused by a certain Judas the Galilean so that there was soon total revolt in Judea.
source
- The later Herodian rulers Agrippa I (11 BC – AD 44) {ruling AD 39-33}) and
- Agrippa II [Marcus Julius Agrippa]
  - Agrippa was overthrown by his Jewish subjects in AD 66 and supported the Roman side in the First Jewish–Roman War.
Luke/Acts

ALTHOUGH THE EVENTS OF ACTS TAKE PLACE IN THE AD 30’S, LUKE writes both his GOSPEL and ACTS for a later audience in great need of encouragement – THE CHURCH.
Roger@TalkofJesus.com

A.D. 60 or 61

A.D. 60–62

Acts of the Apostles 4:

On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.
Acts 4:5-6

Do you recognize these same power brokers who were part of Christ’s crucifixion where Peter had denied knowing Jesus just two months prior to this?

Rulers, elders, scribes, Annas, Caiaphas and more.

John and Peter know them well. In fact, they may know the place in Herod’s palace where they have just been imprisoned for the night – a place where Herod had imprisoned their former teacher, John the Baptist before having him beheaded.

So now Peter and John face this political/religious court known for what they have done previously with both John and especially Jesus, just weeks before.
- John the Baptist in prison
- head of John the Baptist presented to Herod
John the Baptist
⁷When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire,
“By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,

Rulers of the people and elders..

Here is the same Simon Peter who cowered by a fire denying Jesus to a servant girl outside this same place.

Now the emboldened Apostle defends John, the healed man and himself formally before their political/religious leaders.

‘By what power,’ they ask? ‘In what name,’ they inquire?

Luke has already testified that the Power of the Holy Spirit speaks through Peter!

Once again, Peter replies:

If we are on trial today answering 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.

(How these same political/religious power brokers who condemned Jesus must have reacted.)

Referring to the Psalms and Prophets Isaiah and Zechariah, Peter continues:

He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief cornerstone.

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.
Acts of the Apostles 4;13 NASB – reaction of Jerusalem’s leaders to Peter’s defense

And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.

A post-conference of the political powers that be

But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, 16 saying,

“What are we to do with these men?

For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let’s warn them not to speak any longer to any person in this name.”

Again, just two months earlier Jerusalem’s religious power brokers had quelled the stirrings of the Palm Sunday crowds and managed to turn them against Jesus of whom they had shouted, SON OF DAVID.

What to do with these bold disciples of this man they had nailed to a cross.

And then they had to conspire by false witnesses a way to explain His empty tomb. Of course these politically savvy religious leaders would find a way to dismiss Peter and John to leave them to their comfortable power.

The Sentence of the Court

18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

That’s it?

A sentence by the Council showing mercy with a, ‘don’t do this again’ warning?

These lowly Galileans now without their Teacher would certainly go home never to be heard from again — or so they hoped.

19 But Peter and John [with a healed lame man standing along side them] answered and said to them,

Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, make your own judgment; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Acts of the Apostles 4:19b-20 NASB – The Apostle Peter’s challenge to religious leaders who ordered them NOT to witness the miracles of God’s Messiah.

21 When they had threatened them further, they let them go (finding no basis on which to punish them) on account of the people, because they were all glorifying God for what had happened; for the man on whom this miracle of healing had been performed was more than forty years old.

A PostScript on Peter

(Known to most readers of ACTS even in the first century A.D.)

Peter was crucified under the reign of Nero in ~A.D. 64 (most likely in Rome), as were other Apostles and saints of the early Church.

Persecution by the Powers that be (Jewish & Roman)

ACTS OF PERSECUTION by the hand of the powers that be in Jerusalem, Rome and throughout the Empire will certainly impact and martyr the lives of many saints to whom Luke writes.

The dangers (in these early decades of the 60’s of the first century) are real and present as they read Luke’s Gospel and Acts of the Apostles.

As Luke continues not only with Peter’s ACTS and JOHN’s ACTS, but the ACTS of many saints of the early Church, he lifts the persecuted followers of Jesus Christ into understanding by faith that which the APOSTLES all witness.
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To be continued...

NEXT: They lifted up their voice to God 
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November 15, 2021
Preaching from Herod’s Porch
You’ve never heard it called ‘HEROD’S PORCH,’ but certainly that must have been the inferred imagery when Herod the Great named it, ‘Solomon’s Porch,’ (porticum Salomonis, in the Latin of Herod’s Roman friends).

Now while Kefa and Yochanan were being held by him, all the people ran together to them at the Portico which is called Ulam Sh’lomo, and the people were utterly astonished.
Gevurot 3:11 Orthodox Jewish Bible – Peter & John, with a healed beggar clinging to them, enter the temple’s Portico of Solomon.

A growing gathering of worshipers

We recognize signs of the Holy Spirit burning in the witness of a NEW growing gathering who are part of God’s plan of worship for the JEWS.

Luke, so far, has numbered followers of the Apostles growing from:
- at least seventy-two (72) disciples of Jesus among the multitudes
- thousands [4000 & 5000 & many more] who witnessed Jesus’ miracles
- multitudes [10,000’s] who entered Jerusalem greeting their Messiah Jesus with palms,
- many who remained faithful even after Christ’s crucifixion in Jerusalem just two months ago
Saul of Tarsus (who may possibly have been present along with so many important Jewish officials) later writes to the Church at Corinth: [1 Corinthians 15:6]
- After that He appeared to more than five hundred [500] brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep..
No doubt MANY of these faithful have come here to Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost and they gather to hear Peter preach at the Temple and to hear more witness by the Apostles of their risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Herod’s Week-long Festival in Jerusalem
- one-hundred twenty (120) who received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
  - [Peter’s first sermon] and
- that day there were added about three thousand [3000] souls.
The Apostle John and a lame beggar who can now walk stand here with Peter on Solomon’s Porch.

Building a New Synagogue of Simon – שִׁמְעוֹן

(Just one problem though — THIS is HEROD’S TEMPLE (and not the house of the LORD built by Solomon)

Herod’s Rebuilt Temple

The Jews loved to recall the greatness of David and Solomon. Several successors to Herod the Great knew the drawing power of Herod’s great building projects, infrastructure successes under the political power of Rome. Political and religious leaders conspired with each other and Rome for their own piece of power in first century Jerusalem.

A Herod attempted to murder a baby Jesus & a Herod had Him crucified.

Source: The Herod family

Peter and John certainly knew some of the dangers at the hands of religious and political leaders lurking about near this place where Peter would preach.

As you may recall, it has only been about two months since young John and a terrified Peter had witnessed the frenzied trials and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus here, as well as a manipulated mania of the multitudes incited by the politically powerful.

Renovation began ~20/19 BC. In 9 BC. the temple was dedicated. But even at the time of the Lord Jesus the renovation was not completely finished.

Source: (includes several drawings & detailed descriptions)

The Magnificence of Herod’s Temple
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Source New Testament History Special Study 1 - Temple of Herod.pdf NOT secure
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This building project begun by Herod the Great renovated the second temple of Zerubbabel, but it differed so greatly from it and the first Temple of Solomon that the Jews referred to it as Herod’s temple.
The Temple itself had the same dimensions as Solomon’s, but it stood 60 cubits high – about 90 feet [9-12 stories].
Each of four square public courtyards were about 233 feet square – about like 70 yards of a football field with 10 yards added on each sideline, room for very large crowds
Behind the 60 cubit towering Temple the long Western Wall of the Temple Mount was 1590 feet long (the length of about 4.5 football fields) – source
The Royal Porch [Solomon’s Portico] overhung the southern wall
It had a central open area (nave) of about 41 feet
and two side aisles 30 feet from the center
the center aisle was 100 feet long
the whole structure was supported by 162 Greek Corinthian style columns
Acts 3:

9 And all the people saw him walking and shouting, “Baruch Hashem!”
10 And they recognized him, that he was the one sitting at the Sha’ar Hatiferet (Beautiful Gate) of the Beis Hamikdash begging for tzedakah; and they were mishpoyel (standing in awe) and amazement at what had happened to him.
Gevurot 3:9-10 Orthodox Jewish Bible

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s.

And when Peter saw it he addressed the people:

“Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this,
or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
Acts 3:12b English Standard Version

NEXT: Peter’s Sermon from Solomon’s Portico

To be continued…
November 8, 2021
We are Beggars in the House of God
Begging for Blessing

You may have had a beggar at your door recently. My new neighbor asked me if he should expect any ‘trick or treaters’ invading our neighborhood. Probably not, I responded. We generally have sweets here for ourselves that I could give away to a beggar, I assured. But he thought it might be best to go out and buy some treats just in case.

My neighbor then left to buy some sweets so as to not disappoint some little child at his door expecting a blessing.

ACTS of Simon Peter

Building a New Synagogue of Simon – שִׁמְעוֹן

Continuing in Jerusalem from where we last left Peter:

You may ask what my neighbor buying a treat to bless some little beggar at his door has to do with Peter and the Apostles as they enter into the gates and public courtyards of the Temple in Jerusalem.

I can think of more than one parallel to our 21st century walk as disciples of Jesus Christ.

So as we resume our journey with Simon Peter in Acts of the Apostles, don’t miss the Apostles’ hearts of graciousness accompanying the powerful signs of the Holy Spirit continuing to attract crowds to yet another sermon by Peter.

Acts of the Apostles

What has happened so far?

Miracles, Wonders & Signs: Peter’s Amazing Answer

Luke’s account begins with a brief look back at his first account, the Gospel.
- To these [the Apostles] He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days.. – Acts 1:3a
- [The risen Christ Jesus had assured them] “..but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
The Apostle Simon Peter has already preached to the crowds:
- Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (a group of about 120 people was there together) [in an upper room in Jerusalem]. – Acts 1:15b
- And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. – Acts 2:2
- .. they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with different [languages], as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out.. [Those in the crowds of Jerusalem were amazed and asked each other] And how is it that we each hear them in our own [dialect in] which we were born? – Acts 2:4,7,8 excerpt
- But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, [preaching in the power of the Holy Spirit from Old Testament scripture]:
And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
Acts 2:14a, 17a – Simon Peter preaching to the crowds of Pentecost in Jerusalem from the prophet Joel
- [Simon tells the crowds: ] ..he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses. – Acts 2:32
.. the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear.

Into this context and setting in first century Jerusalem we continue with Simon Peter and the Eleven as they obediently have remained in Jerusalem and the church continues to grow.
Be saved from this perverse generation!

Peter said to them,
“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.

Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

44 And all the believers were together
and had all things in common;
45 and they would sell their property and possessions
and share them with all, to the extent that anyone had need.
46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple,
and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and
having favor with all the people.

HERE ARE SINNERS REPENTANT, BLESSING EACH OTHER AND OTHERS — DAILY — IN WORSHIP AND COMMUNITY.

THIS is the WITNESS OF THE CHURCH to ALL who encounter them, THAT, an evidence and sign in itself.

And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
ACTS of the apostles 2:47b

A Beggar at the Temple Door

ACTS 3:

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

The Day of Pentecost is past and three thousand souls have been worshiping day by day with the Apostles.
And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple
What will be the next ACT of the Apostles Peter and John?

Christian Witness with an Everyday Beggar

Imagine it — this is no child at your door, a costumed beggar charming you out of some candy.

NO, these desperate men of no means were as familiar at the entrances and exits of the public places as defeated men by the highway having no place to go with temporary signs – beggars asking alms of ANY who might help the invisible poor.

Yet Luke reveals that this beggar must had friends. They carried him to the place of worship daily. Or perhaps these men were part of his family who relied on his help by generated mercy of others.

The crowds who passed him by knew who he was; NOT a child, but a man handicapped from birth. No fault of his, but what could they do?

And mostly, their alms on occasion made them feel a little better about their own charity to him.
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Note: Peter and John do not simply give the man something (or look away from him and move on, but the Apostles engage this beggar in conversation of lasting consequence.
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Peter and John had witnessed the power of Jesus’ compassion

Luke 10:

The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; but the one who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”

Now the seventy-two returned with joy, saying,

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!”

Turning to the disciples, He said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see the things you see..

Eternal Life

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law?

Jesus engages the man in conversation, meaningful conversation which the Lord illustrates with the now familiar to us parable of the Good Samaritan. (Remember, Judeans did not particularly like the Jews from Samaria and those from other distant states or regions.)

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers..
But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.”
Gospel of Luke 10:30b,33 CSB + Jesus addressing the question: ‘Who is my neighbor?’

This man who was robbed on his journey to Jericho was no beggar. But Jesus points out that he certainly needs help.

Jesus asks, ‘Which of the the three helped the man;’ that is, ‘who was his neighbor’?

The Apostles knew both the parable and the accompanying miracles. Seventy-two disciples of Jesus had just worked many miracles when the lawyer had asked what to do to inherit eternal life.
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Returning now to Peter and John headed to the temple for worship:
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Peter’s ACT of compassion

Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms.
Acts of the Apostles 3:3 RSV

And Peter directed his gaze at him, with John, and said, “Look at us.”

The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting some money.

But Peter said, “I do not have silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you:
Acts of the Apostles 3:6a NASB20

Do you suppose the two-way conversation between the eyes of the lame beggar and Peter continues in intense anticipation here?

You are the beggar at the door and the man says ‘I have no money.’

Peter is a neighbor who has gone out of his way to give a sweet blessing to this poor man…

So many do little or just pass by.. YOU lay there HELPLESS still.. you, a poor lame beggar.

Yet Peter and John continue with their own intense and compassionate stares…

They ACT personally, as if the two are alone in their transaction..

Then the man who has NOT passed by you, helpless at the gate of the place of worship continues:

In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”
The command of Peter: Acts 3:6b

Peter had witnessed Jesus Christ the Nazarene make a man walk!

And Simon Peter had touched and seen the Lord’s hands and feet which had been nailed to a Cross!

Peter and John had a commission from Christ to build His church once receiving the Holy Spirit.

Yet another sign of the Holy Spirit

With John at his side, as they had both been observers of Jesus healing a man like this lowered by friends into a room full of Jews listening to Jesus preach, Peter now reaches down to the man near the crowds before him:

And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened.
Act of Peter reaching down to a man lame from birth + Acts 3:7

Recalling Christ’s Authority to Heal

Luke 5:

Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s…

But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,

“Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” ..

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear; from now on you will be catching people.”

When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

This had been three years ago. Since then, Peter and John have seen MANY more miraculous things — unexplainable signs from God — ACTS of Jesus’ power and authority over men and creation.
- While He was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man covered with leprosy; and when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” And He reached out with His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” And immediately the leprosy left him.
- One day He was teaching, and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the Law sitting there who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing. And some men were carrying a man on a stretcher who was paralyzed; and they were trying to bring him in and to set him down in front of Him. But when they did not find any way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down through the tiles with his stretcher, into the middle of the crowd, in front of Jesus.
Simon Peter and John had witnessed the power of God through Jesus many times.

A Beggar Worshiping with the Apostles

And leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
And all the people saw him walking and praising God; and they recognized him as being the very one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg for charitable gifts, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Acts of the Apostles 3:8-10 NASB

The very sight of this crippled man everyone knew LEAPING UP must have taken away the breath of those who witnessed this great sign!
- REMEMBER the lame man lowered by his friends into a crowded room so that Jesus could heal him?
- What was it the Lord had said?
And seeing their faith, He said,
“Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” .. “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
Gospel of Luke 5:20, 24b NASB + Jesus commanding a Lame man to walk

Peter and John saw a beggar’s faith

And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
Acts of the Apostles 3:11 Authorized Version

Friend, your sins are forgiven you, or at least they could be — IF only you would come to the Lord Jesus Christ.

For by our admitted failings, like Peter, we are all sinful men and sinful women.

In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!”
The command of Peter: Acts 3:6b

Won’t you walk on in witness in the name of Jesus Christ beside John and Simon Peter and the Apostles? For they were, after all, just sinners like you and like me.

ALL are beggars before the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will greet us at the gate.
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NEXT: Simon Peter walks to Solomon's Portico to preach to the crowds
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November 3, 2021