What is the meaning of Acts 4:22? For - The verse begins with “For,” signaling that what follows explains why the Sanhedrin could not refute Peter and John’s testimony (Acts 4:16: “What shall we do with these men?… a remarkable sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.”). - “For” ties the undeniable facts of the healed man to the apostles’ bold proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 4:10). - As in John 9:30–33, the word underscores that logical evidence backs the gospel message; truth is not based on wishful thinking but on verifiable acts of God. the man - Luke draws attention to a specific individual—no anonymous story but a recognizable person who had sat “at the temple gate called Beautiful” (Acts 3:2). - His presence in Jerusalem’s public life made his transformation common knowledge (Acts 4:14). - Personal testimony remains powerful (Mark 5:19); one changed life embodies the gospel in flesh and blood. who was miraculously healed - The healing was instantaneous and complete: “Immediately his feet and ankles were strengthened” (Acts 3:7). - It confirmed Old-Testament promises of Messiah’s power (Isaiah 35:6). - The miracle authenticated the message of salvation through Jesus (Hebrews 2:3–4). - Such signs still point back to Christ, never to human glory (Acts 3:12). was over forty years old - Forty-plus years of lameness magnified the wonder; no natural recovery could explain it (cf. John 5:5, a thirty-eight-year infirmity). - His age meant he was legally a responsible witness (Numbers 1:3), silencing any claim that youthful imagination or parental coaching shaped his story (John 9:21). - The long-standing disability pictures humanity’s helplessness until Christ intervenes (Ephesians 2:1). - It also reassures believers that it is never “too late” for God to act (Luke 1:37). summary Acts 4:22 underscores the undeniable, public, and mature nature of the temple beggar’s healing. By highlighting the man’s identity, the miraculous quality of his cure, and his age, Luke provides courtroom-worthy evidence that Jesus is alive and powerful. The verse invites readers to trust the same risen Lord whose works are both historically solid and personally transformative. |