Acts3

Peter and John, going to the temple, encounter a man lame from birth begging at the Beautiful Gate. Peter, having no silver or gold, commands the man to rise and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and he is instantly healed, leaping and praising God. Peter then addresses the astonished crowd, attributing the miracle to the glorified Jesus, whom they had denied and crucified, and calls them to repentance and conversion.
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The Healing of the Lame Man

1
One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ​
2
And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.
3
When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
4
Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter.
5
So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
6
But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” ​
7
Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong.
8
He sprang to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and leaping and praising God.
9
When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
10
they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
11
While the man clung to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and ran to them in the walkway called Solomon’s Colonnade.

Peter Preaches in Solomon's Portico

12
And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ​
13
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him. ​
14
You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
15
You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses of the fact. ​
16
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has been made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given him this complete healing in your presence.

Call to Repentance and Restoration

17
And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. ​
18
But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer.
19
Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, ​
20
that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you.
21
Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets. ​

Jesus the Fulfillment of Prophecy

22
For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you. ​
23
Everyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people.’
24
Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.
25
And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ ​
26
When God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” ​

Study Notes for Acts 3

Verse 1

The 'ninth hour' (3:00 PM) was the time of the evening sacrifice and one of the prescribed public prayer times, signifying that the apostles continued to participate in traditional Jewish Temple life.

Verse 6

Peter explicitly states the source of the miracle is not his own resources or power, but the authoritative 'Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.' This miracle publicly validates the apostles' message.

Verse 12

Peter immediately deflects the crowd's attention away from himself and John, ensuring that the focus remains solely on the power of the resurrected Jesus, not on the apostles' personal merit.

Verse 13

Peter uses the traditional covenant name for God, emphasizing continuity with Jewish history, while simultaneously accusing the crowd of rejecting the one whom the God of their fathers had ‘glorified’ through resurrection.

Verse 15

The title 'Prince of life' (or Author of Life) contrasts sharply with the crowd’s actions (killing the source of life) and asserts Jesus' divine pre-eminence and essential role in salvation.

Verse 17

Peter softens his accusation by acknowledging that their rejection of Jesus was done in 'ignorance.' This provides a pathway for the audience to repent, suggesting their sin was due to a lack of understanding.

Verse 19

Repentance (a change of mind) and conversion (turning around) lead to the 'times of refreshing,' referring to the spiritual blessings and renewal associated with the arrival of the messianic age.

Verse 21

The 'times of restitution of all things' refers to the eschatological restoration of creation and the full establishment of God’s kingdom on earth, which must precede Jesus’ final return from heaven.

Verse 22

Peter quotes Deuteronomy 18:15, 18, demonstrating that Jesus fulfills the foundational prophetic expectation within Judaism: the raising up of a new prophet like Moses, who must be obeyed.

Verse 25

Peter reminds the Jewish audience of their unique status as recipients of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:3), which promised that through Abraham's 'seed' (Christ), all the world would be blessed.

Verse 26

God’s intention was to offer salvation 'Unto you first' (Israel), emphasizing that the messianic blessing involves moral transformation and deliverance from sin, not merely political liberation.

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