In biblical times, physical disabilities, including being crippled, were often viewed through a spiritual lens, with various interpretations and implications in the cultural and religious context of ancient Israel and the early Christian church. The term "cripple" refers to individuals who were unable to walk or had significant physical impairments affecting their mobility.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, physical disabilities were sometimes seen as a result of sin or divine judgment, although this was not a universal belief. Leviticus 21:18-20 outlines restrictions for priests with physical defects, including being crippled, from offering sacrifices, emphasizing the importance of physical wholeness in ceremonial roles: "No man who has any defect may approach: no man who is blind, lame, disfigured, or deformed."

Despite these restrictions, the Old Testament also contains narratives that highlight God's compassion and provision for those with disabilities. For example, King David's kindness to Mephibosheth, the crippled son of Jonathan, demonstrates a countercultural act of grace and inclusion (2 Samuel 9:3-13). David restores Mephibosheth's land and grants him a place at the king's table, reflecting God's mercy and covenant faithfulness.

New Testament Context

The New Testament presents a transformative view of physical disabilities, particularly through the ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus' healing of the crippled is a significant aspect of His earthly ministry, demonstrating His authority over physical ailments and His compassion for the marginalized. In Matthew 15:30-31, large crowds bring the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others to Jesus, and He heals them, prompting the crowd to glorify the God of Israel.

One notable healing is found in John 5:1-9, where Jesus heals a man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years at the Pool of Bethesda. Jesus asks the man, "Do you want to get well?" and upon the man's affirmative response, Jesus commands him, "Get up, pick up your mat, and walk." This miracle not only restores the man's physical ability but also signifies the spiritual restoration available through Christ.

The early church continued this ministry of healing and inclusion. In Acts 3:1-10, Peter and John heal a man crippled from birth at the temple gate called Beautiful. Peter declares, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!" The man is immediately healed, and he enters the temple courts, walking, leaping, and praising God. This miracle serves as a testament to the power of Jesus' name and the continuation of His work through the apostles.

Theological Implications

The biblical narrative concerning the crippled underscores several theological themes. First, it highlights God's compassion and care for the marginalized and afflicted. Jesus' healings are acts of divine mercy, revealing God's heart for restoration and wholeness. Second, these accounts emphasize the breaking down of societal barriers, as those who were once excluded are brought into the community of faith.

Furthermore, the healing of the crippled serves as a metaphor for spiritual healing and salvation. Just as Jesus restores physical bodies, He also offers spiritual renewal and redemption to all who believe in Him. The miracles performed by Jesus and the apostles point to the ultimate restoration that will occur in the new creation, where there will be no more pain or disability.

In summary, the biblical treatment of the crippled reflects a profound narrative of healing, inclusion, and divine grace, illustrating the transformative power of God's kingdom through Jesus Christ.1. (n.) One who creeps, halts, or limps; one who has lost, or never had, the use of a limb or limbs; a lame person; hence, one who is partially disabled.

2. (a.) Lame; halting.

3. (v. t.) To deprive of the use of a limb, particularly of a leg or foot; to lame.

4. (v. t.) To deprive of strength, activity, or capability for service or use; to disable; to deprive of resources; as, to be financially crippled.

CRIPPLE

krip'-'-l (cholos): Only occurs in Acts 14:8, denoting the congenitally lame man at Lystra. In the King James Version (1611) the word is spelled "creeple." It originally meant one whose body is bent together as in the attitude of creeping. This was probably a case of infantile paralysis.

5560. cholos -- lame, halt, maimed
... lame. Apparently a primary word; "halt", ie Limping -- cripple, halt, lame. (choloi) --
4 Occurrences. (cholon) -- 3 Occurrences. (cholos) -- 2 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5560.htm - 6k

The Cripple at Lystra
... The Cripple at Lystra. A Sermon (No.559). by the. ... The people gather round them. Among
the rest a cripple listens with very marked attention. They preach again. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 10 1864/the cripple at lystra.htm

The Praying Cripple.
... The Praying Cripple. I once knew a little cripple who lay upon her
death-bed. She had given herself to God, and was distressed only ...
/.../moody/moodys anecdotes and illustrations/the praying cripple.htm

Acts III
... curiosity of the benevolent in reference to the afflictions of those to whom they
minister, it was probably known to all that he had been a cripple from his ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts iii.htm

Preaching among the Heathen
... At one time, while Paul was telling the people of Christ's work as a healer of the
sick and afflicted, he saw among his hearers a cripple whose eyes were ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 18 preaching among the.htm

At the Temple Gate
... Spirit, and immediately after a season of earnest prayer, Peter and John, going
up to the temple to worship, saw at the gate Beautiful a cripple, forty years ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 6 at the temple.htm

Acts XIV
... in collecting a crowd in Lystra, they met with the following incident: (8) "A certain
man in Lystra was sitting, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his birth ...
/.../mcgarvey/a commentary on acts of the apostles/acts xiv.htm

One Day when Old Diamond was Standing with his Nose in his Bag ...
... "But you don't want it!". "Yes, I do want it.". "What do you do with it, then?".
"Give it to cripple Jim.". "Who's cripple Jim?". "A boy in the Row. ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 19 one day when.htm

The Lame Man at the Temple Gate.
... This cripple had come to be content with the few coppers which would furnish his
supper and bed; all the great world with its pleasures, its enterprise, its ...
//christianbookshelf.org/dods/how to become like christ/the lame man at the.htm

The Cardinal was Still in his Room Alone with the Boy Manuel...
... Now make thy best bow to the Cardinal," went on Madame with a gasp for breath in
her voluble speech, addressing the little cripple"" And it is a pity them ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/vi the cardinal was still.htm

The Lame Man Cured by Peter and John.
... and John to encourage him to expect much from them, for in their dress and manner
they were evidently persons of the lowest rank; yet the cripple, as soon as ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture iv the lame man.htm

Cripple (2 Occurrences)
...CRIPPLE. krip'-'-l (cholos): Only occurs in Acts 14:8, denoting the congenitally
lame man at Lystra. ... Multi-Version Concordance Cripple (2 Occurrences). ...
/c/cripple.htm - 7k

Crippled (15 Occurrences)
... 1. (imp. & pp) of Cripple. ... Acts 14:8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his
feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. (See NIV). ...
/c/crippled.htm - 11k

Impotent (5 Occurrences)
... and derivatives of it are used in John 5:3, 7 the King James Version and Acts
4:9 to characterize the paralyzed man at Bethesda and the cripple at the Temple ...
/i/impotent.htm - 9k

Mutilate (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (v.) To disfigure; to cripple; to deprive an
important part. 2. (a.) Having finlike appendages or flukes ...
/m/mutilate.htm - 7k

Lystra (6 Occurrences)
... 2. Worship of Paul and Barnabas: After Paul had healed a life-long cripple at Lystra,
the native population (the "multitude" of Acts 14:11) regarded him and ...
/l/lystra.htm - 14k

Lame (35 Occurrences)
... 21:14 Luke 7:22; Luke 14:13. For the apostolic miracles of healing the lame,
see CRIPPLE. In Hebrews 12:13 the Christians are counseled ...
/l/lame.htm - 21k

Womb (84 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS). Acts 14:8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in
his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. ...
/w/womb.htm - 32k

Walked (178 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Acts 14:8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple
from his mother's womb, who never had walked. (WEB ...
/w/walked.htm - 38k

Maim (4 Occurrences)
... himself or to annoy his adversary. 2. (vt) To mutilate; to cripple; to injure;
to disable; to impair. 3. (n.) The privation of the ...
/m/maim.htm - 8k

Mother's (102 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS). Acts 14:8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his
feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. ...
/m/mother's.htm - 39k

What does it mean that we are not to love the world? | GotQuestions.org

Why do so many Christians fail the “practice what you preach” standard? | GotQuestions.org

What are some flaws in the theory of evolution? | GotQuestions.org

Cripple: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus