Acts 3:7-8

‘And he took him by the right hand, and raised him up, and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength. And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.'

Then Peter reached out and, taking him by the right hand, raised him up. And the man immediately felt the strength entering his ankle-bones, and in faith he leaped up and stood and began to walk. The detailed descriptions bring out each step of faith as he responded to the word of Peter. He allowed himself to be raised up (an act of faltering faith), his ankle-bones received strength, he leaped up (exultant faith), he stood (confident faith), he began to walk (persevering faith). And then he walked with them into the Temple, leaping and praising God.

Note that the strength came immediately after he responded to Peter's first raising of him up. His first response was a primary act of faith. It was only then that there came the sense of strengthening and the final total response of faith.

‘Leaping.' The word is used in Isaiah 35:6 LXX of the leaping of the lame when they are healed in the new age. Thus his leaping indicated that the new age was here. It was also the natural reaction of a man who had the use of his legs for the first time. He just could not believe that he was walking, and every few seconds he had to give a little leap in order to express his joy over it and savour what for him was a totally new experience. He did not care what anyone thought, he simply had to experiment. This simple description bears all the evidence of being the description of an eyewitness. ‘Praising God.' His response was the right one. He gave the glory where it was due.

The completeness of the healing is brought out by three sets of threefold verbs, three intensified. ‘Took him', ‘raised -- up', ‘received strength'. ‘Leaping up -- stood -- began to walk'. ‘Walking -- leaping -- praising God'.