Acts 3
CHAPTER 3
Peter and John cure a lame man
Now Peter and John were going into the temple at the hour of prayer, at the ninth hour. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for alms. 4 And Peter, looking straight at him (as did John) said: Look at us. 5 And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said: Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk! 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 And they recognised him, that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's, astounded. 12 And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people: You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Or why fasten you your eyes on us, as though by our own power or reverence towards God we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and rejected before the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. 14 But you denied the holy and righteous one, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And by faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him, has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
Peter appeals for people to repent
17 And now, brothers, I know that in ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But the things which God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He thus fulfilled. 19 Therefore, repent and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you, Jesus; 21 whom the heaven must receive until the time of the restoration of all things, of which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, that have been since the world began. 22 Moses indeed said: A prophet like me shall the Lord God raise up for you from among your brothers; you shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be, that every soul that shall not listen to that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. 24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.
25 You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham: And in your descendant shall all the families of the earth be blessed. 26 To you first, God, having raised up His servant, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you away from your sins.
Commentary
3:10 The Holy Spirit gifts were possessed in the first century church to back up the verbal preaching of the Gospel. The healings were in public places and uncontestable; in contrast to the many claims to ‘healing’ made today. The miraculous gifts were withdrawn and will be poured out at Christ’s return.
3:16 By faith- The faith of Peter and John. The healed man didn’t seem to have any faith or understanding. Modern ‘healings’ demand faith from the person being healed; but the Holy Spirit gifts enabled people to be healed who had no faith or understanding. Those kinds of gifts aren’t possessed today.
3:19 This could mean that when the Jewish people repent, then God will send Jesus back to earth.
3:21 The Kingdom of God on earth will be a “restoration”. Israel in the past were God’s Kingdom- God was their King (Ex. 19:6); but that Kingdom was overturned by God until His Son comes again (Ez. 21:25-27). The restoration of Israel and the return of Christ are paralleled in Acts 1:6-11.
3:22 From among your brothers- The humanity of the Lord Jesus is emphasized. He was “from among” us.
3:26 The blessing promised to Abraham was the blessing of forgiveness of sins. By baptism into Christ, those blessings become ours. In this way, the Gospel was preached to Abraham (Gal. 3:8,27-29).
