I'll Give You What I Have
Tom Shrader walks through Acts 3:1-12, in which Peter and John encounter a man lame from birth at the temple gate and heal him instantly in the name of Jesus Christ, drawing a crowd of astonished witnesses. Shrader uses the miracle to establish a biblical pattern for healing — instantaneous, complete, and always for God's glory — and contrasts it with modern claims of faith healing, which he argues lack apostolic authority and can cause spiritual harm to the sick. He closes by affirming that God still heals today according to His sovereign will, and that believers can trust Him even when sickness or suffering is not removed.
“Does God heal today? Absolutely, God heals today. But the gift of healing, as we see it with the apostles, is gone — it was given to the apostles to help confirm their message, to give them authority, and I believe it ceases with the completion of the Scripture.”
— Tom Shrader
Series: Acts
Recorded: 1999 at East Valley Bible Church
Duration: 39 min
Themes: healing, miracles, suffering, faith, God's will, prayer, trust, glory of God, dealing with chronic illness, questioning God's healing, struggling with unanswered prayer, caregiver, new believer, skeptic of miracles, someone in physical suffering, doubting God's goodness
Scripture: Acts 3:1-12, Acts 1:10, Acts 2:42-43, Acts 4:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Luke 13, Job 1, Numbers 12, Psalm 119, John 9, Exodus 4:11, 2 Thessalonians 2, Matthew 7:22-23
Theological Themes: divine healing, apostolic authority, cessationism, sovereignty of God, signs and wonders, biblical miracles, providence, faith healing
Full Transcript
Introduction
I want to thank not just Walter — Walter was teaching last week — but also Les and Jim and Gary and the whole staff who make it easy for us to get away. We were in Branson, Missouri for what turned out to be the Humidity Festival. If Susan said it once, she must have said — and I am not exaggerating — two dozen times, "I just can't wait to see rain." She got a belly full of it. It rained all nine days we were there. We never saw the sun, and she has got all the rain she ever wants to see, I think.
We were in Branson and spoke there eight times, which is a lot — especially to the same group. I forgot that I am somewhat of an acquired taste. Some people were not what they had hoped for, I think. Then we went to celebrate my father's 75th birthday. I have three brothers, and they came in with their wives and children. We all met in Kansas City at one of my brother's houses and were there for three or four days with my dad and watched him turn 75. I don't even know what that means. I'm still thinking about all that.
It's good to be back. It's great to be with you. Looking around on a summertime Sunday — and not only summertime, but a Fourth of July holiday — knowing so many people are traveling, and yet to see this room so filled just demonstrates and reminds me of something. I know I missed only one Sunday, but I feel like I have been gone for months. I could not wait to be with you this morning, and thank you for the privilege of being here.
Also, let me take this moment as a little reminder: as we look around and see how filled the room is, eight o'clock is a great hour to come to church. If that works for you, please feel free to do that. This is summer, and when we get to September we are going to have some real serious problems in terms of getting everybody in the room. Please consider it now. The eight o'clock hour is a great time — there is availability there, and a full complement of classes for your children as well.
Setting the Scene: Acts 2 and 3
Would you open your Bibles to the book of Acts. This is actually the end of the second chapter, and that is where we left off two weeks ago. We looked at Acts chapter 2, where Peter delivers this powerful sermon and three thousand people come to Christ. We see the birth of the church in Acts chapter 2, verse 42, as they gather together and engage in four activities so fundamental to us: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.
Verse 43 tells us, "Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles." What happened in that early church is that the apostles emerged as leaders, and God gave them the ability to do signs and wonders. Apparently there were many of them taking place, but Luke has chosen one for us to study this morning, and we look at it here in Acts chapter 3.
Let's go ahead and read it, and then we'll come back and break it apart. "Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, that is the ninth hour, 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 those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, 'Look at us.' So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them."
"Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I have not, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.' And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."
"Now as the lame man who had been healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, and they were greatly amazed." Verse 12: "So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we made this man walk?'"
That is the miracle we are looking at this morning. It becomes an introduction to Peter's second sermon, but we are going to spend our time examining it closely.
Peter and John: A Dynamic Duo
Verse 1 of Acts 3: "Peter and John went together to the temple at the hour of prayer, that is the ninth hour." First and foremost, we notice Peter and John together. They are a dynamic duo that God has used. They have been with Jesus. Peter, James, and John were part of that inner circle that Jesus, on many occasions, moved away from even the other twelve to be with. It was to this group that He said, "I will make you fishers of men." It was this threesome He took to the Mount of Transfiguration, where they witnessed that magnificent sight.
On many occasions Jesus pulled this group aside. On the morning of the resurrection, it was Peter and John who were contacted by the women who said, "They've taken His body and we don't know where they've put it." It was Peter and John who raced that morning to the tomb. And here we see them again, this time moving to the temple together.
Acts as a Transition Book
It is important for us to understand that the three thousand who were converted, and those who followed immediately after them, were not pagans but were probably Jews. We have said many times that Acts is a transition book, and this is a great example of that. Peter and John and the others are on their way to the temple to pray. It will not be long before they cease to go to the temple — in fact, Paul tells us...
Setting the Scene
In 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 we are told that we are now the temple of God, and so there was no need for the early believers to go to the physical temple. They began to sever those relationships with the Jews. It is the ninth hour. The Jewish clock started at 6 a.m., and there were three times of prayer: nine in the morning, noon, and three in the afternoon. That is the ninth hour. That is the setting, that is the time.
Peter and John are on their way to the temple. At the temple there is a man, and we are told of his condition: he was born lame. Apparently on a daily basis he was carried to the gate called Beautiful, and there he sat. Day in, day out, routinely he begged. You get a sense of hopelessness. This was his condition from birth.
The gate called Beautiful is what separates the court of the Gentiles from the court of the women. It was a gate, like all of the gates of the temple, large and ornate. Josephus tells us that it was made of Corinthian bronze. I can almost see Ricardo Montalban saying, "It's Corinthian bronze." It was so large and so heavy that it took twenty men, Josephus tells us, to open and to close the gate. It is at this gathering place that this man is positioned. He is there.
Why Beggars Chose the Temple
Beggars in that day and age preferred one of three locations. One was at the house of a rich man. Remember the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar who gathered the scraps from the table? Some beggars would go there. Others would go to the highways, for obvious reasons — it is where people traveled. But the best place to beg was at the temple.
There were a couple of reasons for this. First, there was the daily press of the crowd. Then there was one overt reason and one true reason. Overtly, many people were there to impress God with their piety, and giving to the poor might enhance that. But those who were sincere came to bring their offerings to God, and it was in that place, with their hearts perhaps already softened, that they would naturally begin to meet human needs.
I hope you see the connection there. A love of God translates to a love of people. If I love God, I begin to want to meet the needs of first His people and then mankind in general. And so this man is there to beg. He is there to ask.
Peter, John, and the Beggar's Expectation
In verse 3, he sees Peter and John. Lloyd Ogilvie writes this: "I've watched beggars in cities all over the world. They have a highly developed sense of who will respond. While walking down a street one day, I spotted a beggar at the end of the block and I noticed his eyes darting from person to person as they passed by him. He called out for a gift only from certain people. It seems he could tell which ones were likely to stop."
This beggar, who has been in this condition his entire life and has become something of a professional at this, sees Peter and John. For whatever reason, something instinctively tells him these men will respond. And in fact they do. Fixing his eyes on him, Peter says with John beside him, "Look at us." The word used to describe Peter fixing his eyes on the man is the same word used in Acts chapter 1 verse 10 to describe the look of the Apostles at the ascending Lord. So it is a serious and intense gaze.
Let me say something that may be obvious, but it is worth saying. Peter and John have experienced this incredible outpouring of God's work — three thousand-plus converts, signs and wonders, all of these things happening around them. Yet they are not so swept away with their responsibility and what God is doing that they miss one beggar. Sometimes we can be so caught up in the massive things going on around us that we forget each person matters to God. That is, by the way, one of the core values of this church: each person matters to God, each person is significant.
Silver and Gold I Have Not
Peter senses, in particular, that something is about to happen. He says to the beggar, "Look at us — not to your left, not to your right, give me your eye contact." Verse 5 tells us the beggar gave him his attention, and he expected to receive something. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I have not."
Now, we do not have a videotape of this moment, but I think it is reasonable to assume that this man spotted Peter and John, called out to them, and Peter said, "Look at us." I can picture the man looking up. We are told he expected to receive something, and I would not be surprised if in that moment he even reached out — perhaps with a cup or some utensil he used to collect gifts. There was a sense of anticipation. His mind was racing. He was thinking, "I knew it. I knew these men would come through." And then Peter says, "I don't have any cash."
With those words I have to imagine comes the disappointment. You can almost picture it. Yet something in the exchange — some connection already established in the text — gives the beggar reason to believe something is still going to happen. And then the disappointment gives way to curiosity, because Peter continues: "But I will give you what I have." The beggar is looking at this man, thinking — other than walking, what exactly do you have to offer?
The Healing at the Beautiful Gate
Peter says, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk." That phrase, "in the name of," brings into play all that Jesus is. When we talk about the name of Jesus, we are talking about His character, His authority, His attributes. When we talk about the name of God, we are talking about all that He is. The name encapsulates all the different elements — in this case, the character, the authority, and the power of Jesus. Peter says, in effect, based on Christ and who He is, in His name, rise and walk.
Peter then reached down and lifted the man up. We don't know exactly what the man was thinking in that moment — whether he hesitated, whether he wondered if he could stand, whether he feared he would simply fall back down once Peter let go. What we do know is that Peter acted, and the result was immediate.
Dr. Luke, the physician, tells us that strength began to flow through the man's body, down into his feet and into his ankles, which were the cause of his being lame. Circle that word: immediately. This stands in sharp contrast to so much of what is passed off as healing today, where someone performs a healing, there is no visible difference in the person, and they are told to go away and pray and receive that healing. You do not see that in Scripture. This healing is immediate.
The result is unmistakable. The man stood, he walked, he entered the temple, he leaped, and he praised God. We can barely begin to imagine the joy. Watching a golfer make an unexpected long putt and leap in celebration gives us a small glimpse — but consider someone who has been lame his entire life suddenly discovering what his feet can do. He is not merely walking. He is leaping, dancing, and praising God, because he understands exactly why this took place.
A Public Miracle That Could Not Be Denied
This did not happen in private. It happened in public, and all the people saw him walking and praising God. They recognized him — this was the man they had walked past countless times, the one who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened.
In verse 11, the healed man held on to Peter and John, and all the people ran with them to the porch called Solomon's, filled with amazement. The significance of this public setting becomes even clearer later in Acts chapter 4, verse 16, where the Jewish leaders who are trying to deal with Peter and John say, "What do we do with these guys? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem. We cannot deny it."
There was no denying it. These were people who had known this man all their lives, who had passed by him day after day as they went in to pray. It is likely that many of them had assumed God did not care about this man at all — that his condition was a reflection of divine indifference. And now here he was, leaping and praising God in the very place they gathered to worship.
Peter Seizes a Teachable Moment
Peter sees the crowd's reaction and responds in verse 12: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we made him walk?" Peter senses immediately that there is a teachable moment at hand. He had Pentecost, which led into his first sermon, and now he has this event at the Beautiful Gate in this central, public area, surrounded by Jews who have just witnessed the impossible.
Peter wastes no time redirecting their attention. Why are you surprised? Why are you looking at us as if we are something special? It is not because we are holy. It is not because we are righteous. It is not because we possess some power of our own. It is about God. God is the one who made him walk. Peter then goes on to deliver a full sermon — which is what we will examine next week.
What This Healing Shows Us
What remains for us to consider today is the miracle itself — its immediate result, the biblical pattern it reflects, and what that pattern means for us.
The Results of the Healing
The beggar isn't just healed — the beggar is grateful. He leaps with joy, he moves to the temple, he begins to praise God, and God is now recognized. Not just by him, and obviously by Peter and John, but now the people are in awe. It's the people who begin to marvel, it's the people who begin to see what God has done. This miracle is a testimony to God and who He is.
Let me remind you — I think for the second or third time — that we've seen this idea of signs and miracles in the book of Acts. Signs, wonders, and miracles were done. The wonder was the result of the miracle. Something supernatural takes place, then there's wonder, there's amazement, there's awe at what had happened, and it's a sign to point me to God. That's what's taken place here. Everything is set: God has given Peter the ability to heal at this moment, He's chosen this man to heal, the healing has taken place, God's receiving the glory, and now there's testimony that's going to take place.
Witnessing and the Gospel
I had a great conversation this week with a fellow about witnessing, about sharing, about giving a testimony. He was responding to a comment I made during the lesson, and my comment was that the Holy Spirit causes us to be alive and gives us the gift of faith — the Holy Spirit indwells us, and then we have faith. He came up afterwards and said, "I think you misspoke this morning." I said, "Well, that's clearly possible — what did I say?" He said, "You said the Holy Spirit causes us to have faith. You meant the Holy Spirit comes after we have faith."
I said, "No, I didn't misspeak." What I said was that the Holy Spirit — in other words, regeneration — precedes faith. The faith is evidence of it. He said, "Well, why would I witness then?" And then he went through all the litany of questions. We started talking, and I said, "Why do you witness?" He said, "Well, I witness for conversions." I said, "No, that's not why we witness. We don't witness to convert anybody."
We witness — we proclaim the gospel. We tell what God has done to bring honor and glory to Him. God has worked, God has done something marvelous in my life, so we tell others about it. If He's going to work again in someone else's life, that's up to God. My witnessing is taken care of when I share what God has done — that's what it is for us, to proclaim the truth.
He said, "You know what that does, if that's true?" I said, "No." He said, "That takes off all the burden in my witnessing." He said, "I've been feeling bad that my brother didn't respond, and my coworkers don't respond." He said, "That's not my job — that's God's job." And he confessed that he had even softened the gospel a little, left some things out. I said, "See, that's what this truth does." It's my job just to proclaim the gospel: Jesus Christ died on the cross, He paid the price for the sin of people like you and me, and if you'll come in repentance and faith, you too will have eternal life. At that point, I've done all God has asked me to do. I've witnessed, I've given testimony. That miracle was designed to do exactly that.
The Biblical Pattern of Healing
Now look at the biblical pattern we see here — we see it throughout Scripture. First and foremost, understand that God chooses who He is going to heal. This wasn't the only lame, sick, or begging person at the temple that day. I'd love to have the video on the other beggars — when Peter heals this one man, I have to believe the others are going, "Hey, Peter, what about me?" We even see it in Christ's time: He didn't heal everyone who was sick. He healed some. Why some? Because He's God.
Why this man and not another? Is it not fair? Because He heals one, must He heal all? No — He's God. That's the beauty of accepting God as He is, the God of the Bible. We don't have to fit Him into some preconceived notion. He wasn't under any obligation to save or in any way heal this man, but He chose to do it.
All the biblical healings are designed not to bring attention to the person healed, or more importantly to the one doing the healing, but to glorify God Himself. And these healings were instantaneous. This man didn't move from here to physical therapy. There was no rehabilitation that took place. He didn't say, "Boy, I tell you, by tomorrow or the next day I think I'll be doing some leaping." This was done now, done instantaneously and completely. That is biblical healing — it is complete.
This is what we see as God's pattern for healing. I say that to begin to contrast it with some of what we see around us today. It's no secret — you read Christian periodicals, and many of you watch some degree of Christian television.
When Healing Looks Real But Isn't
When we watch television and talk with friends, we get into this whole idea of healing. There are people talking about healing all the time, and we see healing claimed all around us. It is important for us to understand that what we see Peter doing here, as best we can tell from studying this scripture, is something that was reserved for the apostles in the early church and those closely associated with them.
John MacArthur offers us this insight: "It is an unfounded assumption without biblical support that healing should be expected as commonplace in the church. Never in all history has there been a time of such healing and powers exhibited by Christ and the apostles. There's no time before or since when God manifested such prolific healing miracles. It was rare before the ministry of the Lord and the apostles, and it's equally, maybe even more rare since."
Yet we see miracles — and I put that word in quotes — all around us. Some are in Christian circles, and some are out in secular settings where people claim they have the gift of healing. So what is actually happening? Let me offer you three things.
Number one, some of it is fake. It is fraud. People have been manipulated, and situations are set up. We see people like Peter Popoff and others exposed, and while the exposure may come later, it was fake from the very beginning. Number two, some of the so-called miracles are actually healings of psychosomatic illnesses. Someone in the crowd has a backache — and six hundred hands go up, because plenty of people's backs hurt — and in the midst of the excitement and enthusiasm, the pain seems to go away. We even see people come in on walkers and in wheelchairs, get up, dance, and celebrate. Yet isn't it interesting that those people are never brought back for a follow-up interview? For all the excitement these ministries generate, you never see those individuals again.
Number three, sometimes it is Satan who is at work. Some of these healings are not from God at all. Jesus said, "False Christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders in order, if possible, even to lead the elect." Even you and I could be deceived by this. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians chapter two that there is one coming who is in accord with the activity of Satan, with powers and signs and false wonders.
The Most Terrifying Words in Scripture
Perhaps some of the most terrifying sections of Scripture for me are found at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus says that many will come to Him on that day and say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and cast out demons in Your name, and in Your name perform miracles?" Notice that they had effective ministries — and yet Jesus replies, "Depart from me, I never knew you who practiced lawlessness."
So we look around and we see these things. Let me state my view plainly. Does God still heal today? Absolutely, God heals today. Are there faith healers today like what we see in Acts? No. Look carefully at the kinds of healings described in Scripture — the blind could see, the deaf could hear, the lame could walk. If these modern healers truly have the gift, let them raise someone from the dead.
Why would someone propagate false healing? Perhaps they are deluded. Perhaps they are deceived themselves and do not even realize it, in which case they truly condemn themselves. Or perhaps some are simply dishonest. Frankly, I cannot sort all of that out, and there are times I think we have to let it go and move on to the deeper question underneath it all.
Why Do We Get Sick?
The deeper question is this: why do we get sick in the first place? In the broadest sense, we know that all sickness flows from original sin — from Adam and from Eve. But Scripture teaches us that sickness comes specifically from three areas.
The first is Satan himself. In Luke 13 there is a woman who had a spirit of infirmity — the New American Standard says she had "a sickness caused by a spirit" — showing that Satan and his demons can cause us to be sick. There is no more classic case of this than the first chapter of Job, where Satan surveys the earth and says, in effect, "How can Job not be happy? Give me a shot at Job, and let's see how this goes."
The second reason we get sick is sin. Numbers 12 gives us a clear picture of this: Miriam receives leprosy because she was disobedient to the Lord, and she is subsequently healed after she repents. God will chasten us for our sin. Does every sin result in sickness? No — we see sin all day long without people becoming ill. But in certain instances, because God is sovereign both in the healing and in the bringing of the sickness, He uses illness as discipline. He speaks to the nation of Israel and says, "The Lord will send you a curse and confusion and rebuke you in all that you set your hand to do until you are destroyed, until you perish" — and the reason given is the wickedness they have done and that they have forsaken Him. The psalmist echoes this in Psalm 119, crying out, "I was afflicted and I went astray, but now I keep Your word," acknowledging that sin was the cause of his affliction.
Examining Yourself Without Judging Others
Whenever there is sickness in your life or in the lives of those around you, I think it is important to stop and examine yourself. Take a look at your life and ask: is there any sin — any ongoing, unrepentant sin — that God might be using this sickness to discipline in me? Now, let me offer a warning here, because we love this kind of framework, and that is precisely what makes it dangerous. It allows us to begin judging others. It is important to be careful.
God as the Source of Sickness
In John chapter nine, the disciples are coming into the city with Jesus. They see a man who has been blind from birth, very much like this lame man, and the apostles think they are spiritual giants. They say, "We have a tough theological question for you, Jesus. Who sinned, this man or his parents?" Jesus said, "Neither one of them. He is sick so that the displays of the glory and the power of God will be evident to all."
This leads us to the third source of sickness. There are some instances in which God Himself will cause sickness. Exodus chapter four records the Lord saying, "Who has made man's mouth, and who makes the mute and the deaf and the seeing or the blind? Have not I, said the Lord?" For some of us, this is one of those moments where we say, "Wait. Something is wrong here. How can a loving God do this? Why would God do this?"
The answer is that it is part of God's sovereign plan. It is part of His plan, and in fact it is even part of His gift of love, because it manifests who He is. Whenever we talk about sickness, it expands into other areas of difficulty as well — why would God allow something to happen? Ultimately, we rest in the comfort that it is for His own honor and glory.
Why would God allow this to take place in my life — sickness or any other trial? If we do not understand it, then our prayer becomes: "God, help me understand. What are you trying to teach me? What are you trying to teach the people around me? God, help me see this."
Does God Heal Today?
Does God heal today? Absolutely, God heals today. But the gift of healing, as we see it with the apostles, is gone. It was given to the apostles to help confirm their message, to give them authority, and it ceases with the completion of Scripture. God does heal — He heals whom He will, when He wants.
Any other teaching is destructive. You need to sit for a moment in a hospital room with someone who has a disease and who has just had a Christian friend tell them, "If you had enough faith, you would not be sick." The devastation that false teaching produces is real. The teaching that God wants everyone healthy is a lie, and it tears apart the solid faith of so many believers when someone — well-intentioned, perhaps — comes and says, "Have you taken a look at your life? Have you confessed your sin?"
Consider how much faith the lame man had. None. He was looking for cash. He was not looking for a healing; he was not even thinking about healing. His message was, in effect, "Show me the money." That is how destructive this false teaching is.
Trusting God in the Midst of Illness
Our God is a great God, and our God is a God who can be trusted even in the midst of illness — because He is God, and we are not. That is genuinely encouraging. We cannot always figure it out, and there will be a thousand questions to which the honest answer is simply, "I don't know." But this much is certain: if He wants someone healed, He can heal them.
Joni Eareckson Tada comes to mind. Many of you know her story — she is paralyzed and in a wheelchair. After studying the book of Job, she said this: "When I go to heaven, God will not have to answer any of my questions, and I will have to answer all of His." He is God, and we are not.
Peter's Opportunity
What Peter has in the crowd is their full attention. They are watching a man who was lame dancing, leaping, and jumping. They are confused and concerned. Peter has the moment — "Tell us about this God." Next week we will look at exactly what Peter does in Acts chapter three, verse twelve.
Closing Prayer
Father, for the many who are here today who are personally suffering physically, or who have people around them in difficult circumstances — their minds race, and in times of desperation we become vulnerable to confused thinking. Help us understand that You are in control, that You heal whom You choose, and that the biblical healing we see is instantaneous and complete, and that You always receive the glory.
Father, for people in circumstances of sickness or other trials and tribulations, whether in their own lives or in the lives of those around them — let them sense that You are sovereign. These are not just words. We say them so often that they can become like a bumper sticker. Let us understand that they are real. You are in control. We do not have to fear anything. We do not have to be anxious about anything. We do not have to worry about anything. All we have to do is pray about everything and trust You. Father, we love You and we praise You. In Jesus' name, amen.