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Acts 3

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The Healing of the Lame Man 1–11

1
Now Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, beingthe ninth hour. ​
2
And a certain man that was lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the door 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 to receive 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 from them.
6
But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee. 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 took knowledge of 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 that which had happened unto him.
11
And as he 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 man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him to walk? ​
13
The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. ​
14
But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you,
15
and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. ​
16
And by faith in his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is through 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 know that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. ​
18
But the things which God foreshowed by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.
19
Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; ​
20
and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus:
21
whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old. ​

Jesus the Fulfillment of Prophecy 22–26

22
Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me; to him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you. ​
23
And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.
24
Yea and all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.
25
Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. ​
26
Unto you first God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 3

Verse 1

the ninth hour — This is 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 — This is 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 — This is 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.