Acts 14:8

And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. The same heard Paul speaking: who fastening his eyes upon him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet, And he leaped and walked.

A certain school of critics, intent on establishing a theory that Luke invented certain incidents to force a parallel between the lives of Peter and Paul, like to point out similarities between this episode and the healing of the impotent man at the Gate Beautiful by Peter (Acts 3:3ff); but there are monumental differences. Here the healed person had great faith; there the inference is that the impotent man had none at all. Here the man was listening to Paul's teaching; there the beggar was intent on alms alone. There Peter professed poverty; here there was no mention of poverty. There the miracle was followed by Peter's sermon; here the mob tried to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas. In fact, there are far more differences than similarities.

In performing the signs of an apostle, Paul had observed that the impotent man was attentive to the message, obviously believing it; and, as Paul had doubtless made many references to Christ's healing all manner of diseases, it suddenly appeared to Paul that the condition of the man's heart was such that he could be healed; hence the command and the startling result. It is a mistake to view the man's faith as enabling Paul; it enabled him to receive God's blessing through Paul.