Access to the Temple for the Lame Man in Acts 3
The lame man's presence at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple is a pivotal scene in Acts 3. According to Acts 3:2, "A certain man who was lame from his mother's womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple" [1]. This gate, also mentioned in Acts 3:3, was a significant location where the lame man begged for alms from those entering the temple [2].
The Beautiful Gate is identified by commentators as a specific entrance to the Temple complex. According to Flavius Josephus, the Temple had several gates, with the Beautiful Gate likely being one of the more notable ones [3, 4]. Adam Clarke notes that there are different opinions about the exact gate referred to, but its significance lies in its being a public and frequented area [5].
The lame man's condition is described as being "lame from his mother's womb," indicating a congenital condition, making the subsequent healing by Peter and John even more remarkable [1, 7]. John Chrysostom highlights the severity of the man's condition, noting that he had been lame for forty years and that his condition was particularly challenging to cure because it was congenital [8].
The practice of laying the lame man at the gate is understood by commentators as a common occurrence, with the man's friends or family bringing him daily to beg for alms from those entering the temple [7, 10]. Adam Clarke observes that the gate was a likely place to receive alms because it was customary for those entering the temple to carry money for the poor or for the temple treasury [10].
The scene sets the stage for the miraculous healing by Peter and John, which is seen as a demonstration of the power of Jesus Christ. The healing is not just a physical restoration but also serves as a catalyst for Peter's sermon, which emphasizes the significance of Jesus and calls the people to repentance [6, 9, 11].
The healing of the lame man and Peter's subsequent sermon are closely tied to the Temple and its significance in Jewish practice and worship. The event highlights the apostles' connection to the Jewish tradition while also marking a significant moment in the early Christian community's proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah [9, 11].
The significance of this event is underscored by its impact on the people, who are described as being astonished and praising God upon witnessing the healing [12]. The event thus serves as a pivotal moment in the narrative of Acts, demonstrating the power of the apostles and the message they proclaimed.
Sources
- Acts “A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple. -- Acts 3:2”
- Acts “Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. -- Acts 3:3”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 3, section 1: . Of The Building Of This Temple”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 3, section 1: . Of The Building Of This Temple”
- Acts (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Acts 3:2: A - man lame from his mother's womb - The case of this man must have been well known: 1. from the long standing of his infirmity: 2. from his being daily exposed in a place so public. It appears that he had no power to walk, and was what we term a cripple, for he was carried to the gate of the temple, and laid there in order to excite compassion. These circumstances are all marked by St. Luke, the more fully to show the greatness and incontestable nature of the miracle. The gate - which is called Beautiful - There are different opinions concerning this gate. Josephus o”
- Acts (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Acts 3 (introduction): Peter and John go to the temple at the hour of prayer, and heal a man who had been lame from his mother's womb, Act 3:1-8. The people are astonished, and the apostles inform them that it was not by their own power they had healed the man, but through the power of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, Act 3:9-16. Peter both excuses and reproves them, and exhorts them to repentance, Act 3:17-21. Shows that in Jesus Christ the prophecy of Moses was fulfilled; and that all the prophets testified of Jesus and his salvation, Act 3:22-24; and that, in him, ”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 3:2: And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb,.... He was born so; his lameness came not through any disease or fall, or any external hurt, but from a defect in nature, in one of his limbs, or more; which made the after miracle the more extraordinary: and he was so lame that he was carried; he could not walk of himself, or go, being led, but they were obliged to carry him: whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple; it had been a common usage, it may be, for years past, to bring him every day, at prayer time, and lay him at the gate of the temple where the peopl”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: He had been forty years lame ( ch. iv. 20 ), as the writer says afterwards, and no one during all that time had cured him. And the most obstinate diseases are those which are born with men. It was a great calamity, insomuch that even to provide for himself his necessary sustenance was impossible for him. The man was conspicuous both from the place, and from his malady. Hear how the matter is related. “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 t”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 3 (introduction): PETER HEALS A LAME MAN AT THE TEMPLE GATE--HS ADDRESS TO THE WONDERING MULTITUDE. (Acts 3:1-26) Peter and John--already associated by their Master, first with James (Mar 1:29; Mar 5:37; Mar 9:2), then by themselves (Luk 22:8; and see Joh 13:23-24). Now we find them constantly together, but John (yet young) only as a silent actor. went up--were going up, were on their way.”
- Acts (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Acts 3:5: Expecting to receive something of them - Because it was a constant custom for all who entered the temple to carry money with them to give to the treasury, or to the poor, or to both. It was on this ground that the friends of the lame man laid him at the gate of the temple, as this was the most likely place to receive alms.”
- Acts (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Acts 3 (introduction): In this chapter we have a miracle and a sermon: the miracle wrought to make way for the sermon, to confirm the doctrine that was to be preached, and to make way for it into the minds of the people; and then the sermon to explain the miracle, and to sow the ground which by it was broken up. I. The miracle was the healing of a man that was lame from his birth, with a word speaking (Act 3:1-8), and the impression which this made upon the people (Act 3:9-11). II. The scope of the sermon which was preached hereupon was to bring people to Christ, to repent of ”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 3:9: And all the people,.... That were in the temple, saw him walking; who before lay on a couch, or on the ground, and was so lame, that he was obliged to be carried; and praising God; for this miraculous cure. The Arabic version renders it, "saw him walking to praise God": that is, entering into the temple with the apostles, in order to offer up the sacrifice of praise to God there.”