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Acts 3

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The Healing of the Lame Man 1–11

1
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. ​
2
And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3
Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4
And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5
And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6
Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. ​
7
And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and 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 knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11
And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

Peter Preaches in Solomon's Portico 12–16

12
And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? ​
13
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. ​
14
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. ​
16
And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Call to Repentance and Restoration 17–21

17
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. ​
18
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; ​
20
And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21
Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. ​

Jesus the Fulfillment of Prophecy 22–26

22
For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. ​
23
And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24
Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25
Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. ​
26
Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 3

Verse 1

the ninth hour — About three in the afternoon, an hour of prayer: Cornelius 'prayed in my house' at 'the ninth hour' (Acts 10:30), and Christ cried out 'about the ninth hour' on the cross (Matt 27:46). Hieron, 'temple', is the whole sacred precinct, where the first believers continued 'daily with one accord' (Acts 2:46).

Verse 6

Silver and gold have I none — Peter gives what he has: 'In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth'. Egeiro, 'rise up', is the verb used of Christ 'raised from the dead' in v.15, and the cure is ascribed to that 'name' in v.16 and 4:10. Peripateo, 'walk', is the word for his walking in vv.8–9.

Verse 12

our own power or holiness — Dynamis is power and eusebeia godliness, piety (a word found nowhere else in Acts). Peter disowns both as the cause. Paul and Barnabas make the same disclaimer at Lystra, 'We also are men of like passions with you' (Acts 14:15), and Paul writes 'our sufficiency is of God' (2 Cor 3:5).

Verse 13

hath glorified his Son Jesus — The God who named himself 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' (Exod 3:6) is the one who glorified Jesus. 'Son' is pais, rendered 'servant' in Matt 12:18, 'Behold my servant', and 'holy child' in Acts 4:27, 30. 'Denied' (arneomai) is repeated in v.14.

Verse 15

the Prince of life — Archegos, a chief leader or originator, occurs four times: here, 'a Prince and a Saviour' (Acts 5:31), 'the captain of their salvation' (Heb 2:10) and 'the author and finisher of our faith' (Heb 12:2). They killed the Prince of life, and God 'raised' (egeiro) him; the apostles are 'witnesses' (martys), as in 2:32.

Verse 17

through ignorance — Agnoia, want of knowledge, occurs four times: here, Acts 17:30 ('the times of this ignorance'), Eph 4:18 and 1 Pet 1:14. The 'rulers' are included: 'had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory' (1 Cor 2:8). It recalls 'they know not what they do' (Luke 23:34), and v.19 still calls for repentance.

Verse 19

blotted out — Exaleipho, to wipe away or erase, as the 'handwriting of ordinances' is blotted out (Col 2:14); the LORD says 'I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions' (Isa 43:25). 'Times of refreshing' is anapsyxis, a recovery of breath, found only here, and it comes 'from the presence of the Lord'.

Verse 21

times of restitution of all things — Apokatastasis occurs only here; its verb apokathistemi is Christ's word 'Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things' (Matt 17:11) and the disciples' 'wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?' (Acts 1:6). The heaven 'must receive' him until then; the prophets spoke of it 'since the world began'.

Verse 22

A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up — Moses' promise in Deut 18:15, 18, 'like unto me', quoted again by Stephen (Acts 7:37). 'Raise up' is anistemi, the verb of v.26. The command to 'hear' is the Father's at the Transfiguration, 'This is my beloved Son… hear ye him' (Matt 17:5); v.23 states the penalty, as Deut 18:19 does: "I will require it of him".

Verse 25

the children of the prophets, and of the covenant — 'Children' is huios, sons, heirs of both the prophets' message and the covenant. The promise is Gen 22:18, 'in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed' (cf. 'families' in Gen 12:3). Paul reads the 'seed' as 'one… which is Christ' (Gal 3:16), the gospel 'preached before… unto Abraham' (Gal 3:8).

Verse 26

Unto you first — The order of Rom 1:16, 'to the Jew first, and also to the Greek'. The blessing is 'in turning away' (apostrepho) each one 'from his iniquities' (poneria), the meaning of the name Jesus: 'he shall save his people from their sins' (Matt 1:21). 'Raised up' is anistemi, as in v.22.