Tag: John

Living in the Image of God, What The Lord Has Given Us

Opportunity for Positive Impact—Peter and John Heal Lame Man

Living in the Image of God M06S04

We discuss Peter and John interactions with a lame man at the Temple gate, to understand recognizing a need and an opportunity to make positive impact by addressing the need; assessing your capabilities to provide goods or service to address the need; and preparing the beneficiary to understand what you can offer them and how the offer will address their need. Your capabilities are “what the Lord has given us” that you control: to serve the benefits of self, others, and community by addressing needs that God will show you. Peter and John recognized that the lame man presented them an opportunity to make positive impact using their capability to heal the sick. The man had asked for money but they offered him healing instead, to make lasting positive impact on the healing recipient and others that may witness the events or learn about them later.

This bible study discusses Peter and John interactions with a lame man at the Temple gate. The man was lame from birth and was carried and placed at the temple gate daily to beg from people going into the temple courts. Peter and John recognized the need and cared about the lame man. They assessed the need and their capabilities and recognized an opportunity to make lasting positive impact on the man and others that may witness the events or learn about them later. They recognized they could make such impact by healing the man, thus making him a visible beneficiary of their healing capability.

Their healing capability, after all, was a gift of God, given to each of them for the benefit of others: that is, a special case of “what the Lord has given us” that you control. In general, your capabilities—physical, mental, and spiritual—are “what the Lord has given us” that you control: to determine how to respond to needs that God will show you—to choose when and how to address the needs—needs of self, others, or community. In choosing to heal the lame man instead of giving him money, Peter and John illustrate that a person presented with a need can choose how to address the need, based on understanding what is needed and assessing his or her capabilities to provide for the need.

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Living in the Image of God

Recognizing Wolves Among the Sheep

Living in the Image of God M05S04

The account of Simon the Sorcerer illustrates Christ teaching that there could be wolves among the sheep: people that embed themselves among followers of Christ but are motivated by a selfish and dangerous purpose. Given time and opportunity, they will show themselves through interactions with others. Simon the Sorcerer was hungry for personal power and embedded himself among members of the early church in Samaria, pretending to be one of them. He was, however, motivated by envy for the power he saw in the apostles and desired to acquire similar power for personal greatness. His intention was not recognized initially but revealed itself when he offered money to buy the power of God he saw in the apostles. Peter rebuked him and advised him to repent and pray for forgiveness.

Recognizing Wolves Among the Sheep 21:21

We discuss the account of Simon the Sorcerer to advance understanding of Christ teaching regarding wolves in sheep’s clothing: people that embed themselves among followers of Christ but are motivated by a selfish and dangerous purpose. The teaching provides a two-part message. First, he warns that there could be wolves among the sheep. Second, he calls for patience regarding the wolves, because they will show themselves through interactions with others, given time and opportunity. The message calls for cautious vigilance regarding motivations among the Christian family: those living to follow Jesus and love people and others seeking camouflage for a selfish and nefarious motivation.

The account of Simon the Sorcerer provides an excellent illustration of wolves in sheep’s clothing. He was a widely admired magician in Samaria that embedded himself among Christian followers of the apostle Philip, during the early history of the church there. Several members of the early church in Jerusalem left after the death of Stephen. One of them, Philip, arrived in Samaria and began to grow the church there. Simon the Sorcerer embedded himself among followers of Philip and pretended to be one of them. However, his motivation was that he admired the power he saw in Philip and sought to gain similar power for personal greatness. The Christians did not recognize his intentions initially.

Later, Peter and John arrived in Samaria to assist with growing the church there. They led people to receive the Holy Spirit by laying hands on them. Simon the Sorcerer offered money to Peter and John to purchase the power to give the Holy Spirit. Through this action, he revealed his real motivation for following along with the Christians: he was seeking personal greatness that he hoped to achieve by acquiring the power he saw in the Apostles. Peter rebuked him and advised him to pray for forgiveness, for seeking to buy the power of God with money.

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Living in the Image of God

By the Name and Power and for a Purpose of Jesus

Living in the Image of God M05S03

In an interaction with the Sanhedrin (council of Jewish rulers, elders and teachers of the law), Peter and John explained their healing a lame man as an act of compassion motivated by care and accomplished by the name and power of Jesus. That is, human actions of Peter and John by faith of the name and power of Jesus led to a miracle that healed the lame man. Their explanation conveys a message: that an act of compassion motivated by care of the needy fulfills God’s purpose and will be accomplished by the name and power of God. Therefore, in a call to compassion (when you are alerted to provide goods or service to benefit others in need), focus on doing what you can humanly do; because your task belongs to God and he will work through your human effort to accomplish his goal.

By the Name and Power and for a Purpose of Jesus 18:21

We discuss Peter-and-John explanation of their healing a lame man: to understand their message of compassion, that an act of compassion motivated by care of the needy fulfills God’s purpose and will be accomplished by the name and power of God. Peter and John were brought to the Sanhedrin (council of Jewish rulers, elders and teachers of the law) to explain their healing a lame man [Acts 4:7]: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

They explained that the healing was “an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame” [Acts 4:9] and accomplished “by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” [Acts 4:10]. That is, human actions of Peter and John by faith of the name and power of Jesus led to a miracle that healed the lame man.

Their explanation to the Sanhedrin conveys a message that an act of compassion is a task of God and will be accomplished by the name and power of God, through a combination of human effort and miracles. Therefore, in a call to compassion, focus on doing what you can humanly do, because your task belongs to God and he will work through your human effort to accomplish his goal.

As we discuss previously under Managing Expectation in a Call to Compassion (M05S02), a call to compassion means that God alerts a person to the need of another and calls the person to recognize the need and needy, care about the needy, commit to providing goods or service to alleviate the need, and persevere in seeking to do so. Peter and John recognized the lame man’s need, cared about him, committed to doing what they could to alleviate his need, and persevered by faith of the name and power of God to accomplish the objective.

We discuss their interactions with the man as a series of step-by-step human actions that culminated in a miracle healing of the lame man.

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Living in the Image of God

Managing Expectation in a Call to Compassion

Living in the Image of God M05S02

Peter and John encountered a lame beggar at the temple gate in Jerusalem. The man was there to solicit financial help and expected money from them. However, they could not offer money but recognized they could offer him healing in the name of Jesus. They managed his expectation, by explaining to him that the nature of what they could offer differed from what he expected. Managing beneficiary expectation in a call to compassion is important, to enhance beneficiary appreciation and prepare them for their responsibility of propagating the benefit of the service through others in need. Having modified the man’s expectation, Peter and John offered him a helping hand, which he accepted and was healed instantly. He showed appreciation by following the apostles through the temple court; jumping, dancing, and praising God; in a public testimony regarding his healing.

Managing Expectation in a Call to Compassion 19:41

In this bible study, we discuss managing expectations in a call to compassion, based on Peter-and-John interactions with a lame man they healed in Jerusalem. Peter and John were going to the temple for prayer when they encountered a lame beggar at the temple gate. The man was there to solicit financial assistance and expected a gift of money from them. They, however, realized they could not offer money but instead could offer him healing in the name of Jesus. They managed the man’s expectation, by explaining that the nature of what they could offer him differed from what he expected.

Managing beneficiary expectation in a call to compassion is important: to help the beneficiary understand what is being offered and prepare them to appreciate the offer better. Beneficiary appreciation is important to prepare themselves for their responsibility of propagating the benefit of the human service through others in need.

The lame man understood what they were offering him before accepting their offer. They offered him a helping hand, which he accepted knowing that the hand was not presenting an offer of money. He was healed instantly. He showed appreciation by following the apostles through the temple court; jumping, dancing, and praising God; in a public testimony regarding his healing.

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The Apostles

Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar: Four Principles of Human Interactions

Understanding Team Work, Substitute Means, and Turning to God

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This bible study examines Peter and John interactions with the crippled beggar and other observers, Peter’s explanation of the miracle, and their trial before the full assembly of Isreali elders. The interactions illustrate four principles applicable to present-day relationships.

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