How does the man’s walking lead into Peter’s explanation and call?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

A request for alms leads to walking in Jesus’s name, public wonder and Peter’s prophecy-based call to penitence.

Chapter breakdown

Peter and John go to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer. A man lame from his mother’s womb is carried daily to Beautiful gate to ask alms. Seeing them about to enter he asks. Peter with John fixes eyes on him and tells him to look; he looks earnestly hoping to receive something. Peter has no silver or gold but gives what he has, telling him to arise and walk in Jesus Christ of Nazareth’s name. Taking his right hand he lifts him; feet and soles immediately receive strength. He leaps, stands, walks and enters with them, walking, leaping and praising God. The people see and recognize the Beautiful-gate beggar, wondering at what happened. As he holds Peter and John, everyone runs in wonder to Solomon’s porch.

Peter asks Israel’s men why they wonder or look as if his and John’s strength or power made the man walk. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’s God, their fathers’ God, glorified His Son Jesus, whom they delivered and denied before Pilate when he judged release. They denied the Holy and Just One and desired a murderer, killing life’s author whom God raised, of which they are witnesses. Jesus’s name strengthened this known man through faith in His name; faith by Him gave perfect soundness before all. Peter says they and their rulers acted in ignorance; God fulfilled Christ’s suffering shown through all prophets.

He directs them to penance and conversion so their sins may be blotted out, speaking of refreshment times from the Lord and His sending preached Jesus Christ. Heaven must receive Him until restitution of all things foretold by holy prophets from the world’s beginning. Moses spoke of a prophet like him raised from their brethren whom they must hear in all he speaks, with nonhearers destroyed from the people. All prophets from Samuel onward spoke of these days. They are children of prophets and the testament God made to their fathers, with Abraham’s seed blessing all earth’s kindreds. To them first God raised and sent His Son to bless them so each may turn from wickedness.

The story inside

The man expects something from Peter and John, then walks after Peter’s words and hand-lifting. Peter addresses the crowd’s wonder by denying their strength or power as the cause. No treatment choice, private gratitude motive or future priestly opposition is narrated here.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The source says feet and soles rather than an anatomical ankle-bone diagnosis.
2
Peter’s faith explanation concerns this man’s reported soundness, not a general guarantee of bodily restoration.
3
Peter gives a conversion call without a narrated listener response in this chapter.

Test your recall

What attribution does Peter reject when the crowd looks at them?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 123938–123939
3:6. But Peter said: Silver and gold I have none; but what I have, I give thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk.
Lines 123968–123969
3:15. But the author of life you killed, whom God hath raised from the dead: of which we are witnesses.
Lines 123981–123982
3:19. Be penitent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.