Peter and John heal a beggar

The new church was growing. More and more people began to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. Their hearts were joyful and they loved meeting together. They often went to the temple to praise God. One afternoon Peter and John decided to go to the temple for the time of prayer. On their way they passed a beggar. This beggar could not walk. He had been like this from the day he was born. His friends used to carry him to one of the temple’s gates, the Beautiful Gate. There he sat and begged from the people who went to the temple. In the evenings his friends fetched him and took him home. The man saw Peter and John passing him to go to the temple. He called them and asked for money. Instead of throwing him a coin and going away as quickly as possible, Peter and John stopped and looked at the man. Peter said, “Look at us!” The man looked up at them, hoping that they would give him something. Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold. But I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk.”

Then Peter took him by the right hand and slowly helped him up. Suddenly the man’s feet and ankles felt strong. He could stand! First the beggar stood up straight and tall for the first time in his life, and then he began to walk. He walked all on his own into the temple courtyard. Then he got so excited that he soon began jumping up and down and praising God. Everyone saw that the happy man was the beggar who used to sit at the gate, the one who could not walk. They were amazed at what had happened to him. What a wonderful thing God had done through his followers Peter and John! Everyone came running over to see this miracle, but Peter said, “You should not be surprised. God did this. He raised his Son Jesus from the dead. He can heal a beggar, too.”

Acts 3