This verse highlights that the man wasn't just crippled, he was crippled "from his mother's womb" and "had never walked," emphasizing the complete impossibility of his condition by human means. This isn't just about a lame man; it's about a life defined by absolute helplessness, making the subsequent healing an undeniable display of divine power.
Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from persecution and forced to flee from Iconium, Paul and Barnabas arrive in Lystra and immediately begin sharing the gospel. While Paul is preaching, he notices a man who has been crippled from birth and has never been able to walk. This detailed description sets the stage for the miraculous healing that is about to take place.
Imagine a life where every step is an impossibility. This man at Lystra lived it.
The verse paints a stark picture: a man 'crippled from birth' who 'had never walked.' This isn't a minor inconvenience; it's a lifelong, profound disability.
How does someone who's never walked even begin to believe they could?
The narrative doesn't just present a miracle; it shows the human element leading up to it. Paul's healing of the cripple didn't come out of nowhere. It was rooted in the man's engagement with the Gospel message.
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Understand the original words
pistis · Greek Noun
A deep-seated, active reliance and trust in God’s character and promises; in the context of miracles, it is the responsive confidence in Christ's power and authority to heal.
sozo · Greek Verb
To be saved, restored, or rescued; biblically, it refers to both physical healing and the broader, more significant spiritual salvation provided by God in Christ.
The healing of the man crippled from birth in Lystra occurs within a specific context of mission and persecution. This miracle, happening in a Gentile city with no apparent synagogue, serves as a powerful sign of God's work through Paul and Barnabas, though it quickly leads to dangerous misunderstanding and further persecution.
c. AD 47-48
Paul and Barnabas' First Missionary Journey
Paul and Barnabas embark on their first major missionary journey, taking them through Cyprus and Asia Minor. This journey is crucial for spreading the early Christian message beyond its Jewish origins. They travel through cities like Antioch, Perga, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and back.
c. AD 48
Flight to Lystra and Derbe
After facing intense opposition and an attempt to stone them in Iconium, Paul and Barnabas flee south to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe. This relocation is a direct result of persecution, forcing them to seek new places to preach.
c. AD 48— this verse
Healing of the Crippled Man at Lystra
While preaching in Lystra, Paul encounters a man crippled from birth who had never walked. Paul, seeing the man's faith, heals him with a word of command, demonstrating divine power. This event immediately precedes the people of Lystra attempting to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods.
c. AD 48
People of Lystra Attempt to Worship Apostles
Astonished by the healing of the crippled man, the pagan people of Lystra mistake Paul and Barnabas for the gods Zeus and Hermes. They attempt to offer sacrifices to them, highlighting the cultural and religious context of the region and the profound impact of the miracle.
c. AD 48
Riot and Persecution at Lystra
Jewish agitators from Antioch and Iconium arrive in Lystra and incite the crowd against Paul and Barnabas. The same crowd that had just tried to worship them now stones Paul and drags him out of the city, believing him to be dead.
c. AD 49
Council of Jerusalem
Following their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas travel to Jerusalem to discuss the inclusion of Gentiles in the Christian faith with the apostles and elders. This council establishes key principles regarding Gentile believers and the Law.
This passage also describes a man who was lame from birth and had never walked, highlighting a recurring pattern of Jesus healing those with lifelong disabilities through His apostles.
John 9:1Similar to the man in Acts, this passage features a man born blind, and the disciples' question about who sinned implies a common understanding that lifelong afflictions might be seen as direct results of sin.
Matthew 11:5Jesus directly points to the healing of the lame and the blind as signs of His Messianic identity, underscoring the significance of such miracles as confirmation of His divine power and mission.
2 Timothy 3:10-11Paul reminds Timothy of the persecutions he faced in Lystra, connecting this healing event to the broader context of the apostles' ministry and the opposition they encountered.
barnesActs 14:8: "And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:"
And there sat - There dwelt, Matthew 9:16 ; Acts 18:11 (margin). The word "sat," however, indicates his usual posture, his helpless condition. Such persons commonly sat by the wayside, or in some public place, to ask for alms, Mark 10:46 . Impotent in his feet - ἀδύνατος adunatos. Without any power. Entirely deprived of the use of his feet. Being a cripple -…
cambridgeActs 14:8: "And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:"
8–18 . Cure of a Cripple at Lystra. The heathen people regard the Apostles as gods 8 . And there sat a certain man ] Perhaps this cripple, like that other in Jerusalem ( Acts 3:2 ), was brought by his friends to some much-frequented place that he might ask alms of them that passed by. There is no mention of a synagogue in Lystra, and it is very improbable that…
This verse highlights that the man wasn't just crippled, he was crippled "from his mother's womb" and "had never walked," emphasizing the complete impossibility of his condition by human means. This isn't just about a lame man; it's about a life defined by absolute helplessness, making the subsequent healing an undeniable display of divine power.
Fresh from persecution and forced to flee from Iconium, Paul and Barnabas arrive in Lystra and immediately begin sharing the gospel. While Paul is preaching, he notices a man who has been crippled from birth and has never been able to walk. This detailed description sets the stage for the miraculous healing that is about to take place.
Fresh from persecution and forced to flee from Iconium, Paul and Barnabas arrive in Lystra and immediately begin sharing the gospel. While Paul is preaching, he notices a man who has been crippled from birth and has never been able to walk. This detailed description sets the stage for the miraculous healing that is about to take place.
"Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud…" — This verse highlights that the man wasn't just crippled, he was crippled "from his mother's womb" and "had never walked," emphasizing the complete impossibility of his condition by human means. This…
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Last reviewed October 2026
