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Faith at the Gate, Part 2 Ron Ward Now, skipping down to verse 16, we see that his faith in Jesus’s name has made this man strong. But through whose faith in Jesus was the man healed? Keeping in perspective with the book of Acts, we look back to verse 15 and see that Peter and John witnessed the resurrection of Jesus. Verse 16 shows that it was the faith that Peter and John had in Jesus that miraculously healed the lame man. It did not require faith on the lame man’s part in order for him to be healed. After Peter told the man to rise up and walk (verse 6), Peter took the lame man by the hand and lifted him up. The man felt strength immediately. The man did not have faith to get up and walk. Peter took the man’s hand and lifted him up, encouraging him to walk. This man then felt strength in his feet and ankle bones. This miracle was not done only to heal the lame man -- it was done as a sign to confirm the reliability of the apostles’ teaching (Mark 16:20). This miracle was done through the faith that Peter and John had in the Son of God. This miracle did not depend on the faith of the lame man. Whether the lame man believed in God or not did not matter. This miracle served its intended purpose to confirm the reliability of the apostles’ teaching in front of the people at the temple. As a result of this man’s miraculous healing, many souls were saved in Jerusalem. Even today, as we read and study the Bible, many are saved indirectly from this miracle. Yes, the healing of this man confirmed the apostles’ teaching back then, even as it still does for us today. |
