The spirit of empowerment: A study of Acts 3:1-10

Abstract

The words of Peter and the stretch of his right hand empowered the cripple to become like “the others.” Within a society are people who need a little push to be themselves. There are also people in the society who can empower others but either they are not conscious of it or just do not want to help. A piece of advice, a smile, a touch, an amount of money, education, and food, in a selfless effort or in a sacrifice, are some of the numerous ways of empowering people to do what they think is impossible. Exegetical analysis of Acts 3:1-10 demonstrated how Peter and John healed the cripple, restored his human dignity, and empowered him from begging. This paper contributes to the discussion on cultural attitudes towards empowerment.

Keywords

• empowerment
• integrity
• responsibility
• cripple at the beautiful gate
• acts 3:1-10.