Acts 3

Healing at the Beautiful Gate

1One afternoon Peter and John went to the temple for the three o’clock prayer. # 3:1 Daily sacrifices were made in the temple at sunrise and about three o’clock every afternoon. 2As they came to the entrance called the Beautiful Gate, # 3:2 Or “the gate called Wonderful” in Aramaic. It is difficult to ascertain which of the many gates of the temple this might have been, and there is varying speculation with no certain conclusion. However, this Beautiful Gate points to Jesus Christ, who is the gate or entrance into the sheepfold of God. Furthermore, it hints of Ezekiel’s temple (Ezek. 47), which has a river flowing out from the threshold through the gateway of the temple. This river was first measured to be ankle deep. This man, lame in his ankles, was healed by the spiritual “river” that flowed out the “Beautiful Gate” of Christ. The gateway opened up and the river poured out of Peter and John, bringing healing to the lame. they were captured by the sight of a man crippled from birth being carried and placed at the entrance to the temple. He was often brought there to beg for money from those going in to worship. 3When he noticed Peter and John going into the temple, he begged them for money.

4Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” 5Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. 6Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!”

7-8Peter held out his right hand to the crippled man. As he pulled the man to his feet, suddenly power surged into his crippled feet and ankles. The man jumped up, stood there for a moment stunned, and then began to walk around! As he went into the temple courts with Peter and John, he leapt for joy and shouted praises to God.

9When all the people saw him jumping up and down and heard him glorifying God, 10they realized it was the crippled beggar they had passed by in front of the Beautiful Gate. Astonishment swept over the crowd, for they were amazed over what had happened to him.

Peter Preaches to the Crowd

11Dumbfounded over what they were witnessing, the crowd ran over to Peter and John, who were standing under the covered walkway called Solomon’s Porch. Standing there also was the healed beggar, clinging to Peter and John. # 3:11 What an amazing picture this makes. This scene transpired at Solomon’s Porch. Lessons of wisdom, greater than the wisdom of Solomon, were uncovered by this miracle to those who had hearts of understanding.

12With the crowd surrounding him, Peter said to them all, “People of Israel, # 3:12 The Aramaic could be translated “protectors of Israel.” listen to me! Why are you so amazed by this healing? Why do you stare at us? We didn’t make this crippled man walk by our own power or authority. # 3:12 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “piety.” 13The God of our ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, # 3:13 See Ex. 3:6. has done this. For he has glorified his Servant # 3:13 See Isa. 52:13. Jesus, the one you denied to Pilate’s face when he decided to release him—and you insisted that he be crucified. 14You rejected # 3:14 Or “denied.” It is amazing how complete was the healing of Peter’s life. Just fifty days previously, it was Peter who denied he knew Jesus three times. Now he says to his fellow Jews, “You denied the holy and righteous One!” the one who is holy and righteous, and instead begged for a murderer to be released. 15You killed the Prince of Life! # 3:15 Or “Originator of Life.” But God raised him from the dead, and we stand here as witnesses to that fact. 16Faith in Jesus’ name has healed this man standing before you. It is the faith that comes through believing in Jesus’ name that has made the crippled man walk right in front of your eyes!

17“My fellow Jews, I realize that neither you nor your leaders realize the grave mistake you made. 18But in spite of what you’ve done, God has fulfilled what he foretold through the prophets long ago about the sufferings of his Anointed One. 19And now you must repent and turn back # 3:19 Peter uses the Greek word epistrepho (“turn back to God,” “be converted”). We need to not only repent but to return home to God’s grace and truth. This is a Hebraic thought of returning to the Lord God (the Hebrew word shuv). Every Jew would know what that means: “Come back to God!” Repentance and return is more than a passive changing of one’s mind. to God so that your sins will be removed, # 3:19 The Greek word used here, exaleipho, means “obliterated” or “canceled.” and so that times of refreshing # 3:19 Or “cooling breeze,” which occurs only here in the New Testament. This hints of the time when God walked with Adam in the cooling breeze of the day. The work of the cross begins the restoration of Paradise within the hearts of Christ’s followers. will stream from the Lord’s presence. 20And he will send you Jesus, the Messiah, the appointed one. # 3:20 The Aramaic can be translated “He will send you all that has been already prepared for you through Jesus, the Anointed One.” 21For he must remain in heaven until the restoration of all things # 3:21 Or “until the time for the universal restoration.” has taken place, # 3:21 Or “This one the heavens must receive until the times of universal restoration.” The word restoration in Greek is apokatastasis, which infers the restoration of creation to the state of existence before the fall, but also Davidic covenant being restored. Luke’s choice of the Greek word found only here in the New Testament is noteworthy. It is a medical term that means “restoration of perfect health.” fulfilling everything that God said long ago through his holy prophets. 22For has not Moses told us: # 3:22 See Lev. 23:29; Deut. 18:15, 19.

‘The Lord your God will raise up

a prophet from among you who is like me.

Listen to him and follow everything he tells you.

23Every person who disobeys that prophet

will be cut off and completely destroyed.’

24“In fact, every prophet from the time of Samuel onward has prophesied of these very days! 25And you are heirs of their prophecies # 3:25 Or “sons of the prophets.” and of the covenants God made with your fathers when he promised Abraham, # 3:25 See Gen. 22:18; 26:4. ‘Your descendant # 3:25 Or “seed” (descendants). will bring blessing to all the people on the earth.’

26“Now that God raised up his Son, # 3:26 The Greek word pais can mean either “servant” or “son.” (See Strong’s Concordance, Gr. 3816.) The Aramaic is clearly “son.” Notice how many times in the book of Acts that the followers of Christ preached the resurrection. The power and virtue of the cross can never be diminished; however, it is the resurrection of Christ that became the apostolic center of their preaching in the book of Acts. he has chosen to send him first to you that he might bless you by turning each one of you # 3:26 The Aramaic uses the conditional clause “if you turn and repent from your evils.” from your wickedness.” # 3:26 The Greek is plural, “wickednesses” or “evil ways.”

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Acts 3

Peter Heals a Crippled Man

1One day Peter and John went to the Temple area. It was three o’clock in the afternoon, which was the time for the daily Temple prayer service. 2As they were entering the Temple area, a man was there who had been crippled all his life. He was being carried by some friends who brought him to the Temple every day. They put him by one of the gates outside the Temple. It was called Beautiful Gate. There he begged for money from the people going to the Temple. 3That day he saw Peter and John going into the Temple area. He asked them for money.

4Peter and John looked at the crippled man and said, “Look at us!” 5He looked at them; he thought they would give him some money. 6But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold, but I do have something else I can give you. By the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth—stand up and walk!”

7Then Peter took the man’s right hand and lifted him up. Immediately his feet and legs became strong. 8He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk. He went into the Temple area with them. He was walking and jumping and praising God. 9-10All the people recognized him. They knew he was the crippled man who always sat by the Beautiful Gate to beg for money. Now they saw this same man walking and praising God. They were amazed. They did not understand how this could happen.

Peter Speaks to the People

11The man was holding on to Peter and John. All the people were amazed. They ran to Peter and John at Solomon’s Porch.

12When Peter saw this, he said to the people, “My Jewish brothers, why are you surprised at this? You are looking at us as if it was our power that made this man walk. Do you think this was done because we are good? 13No, God did it! He is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is the God of all our fathers. He gave glory to Jesus, his special servant. But you handed him over to be killed. Pilate decided to let him go free. But you told Pilate you did not want him. 14Jesus was holy and good, but you said you did not want him. You told Pilate to give you a murderer#3:14 murderer Barabbas, the man the Jews chose to let go free instead of Jesus. See Lk. 23:18. instead of Jesus. 15And so you killed the one who gives life! But God raised him from death. We are witnesses of this—we saw it with our own eyes.

16“This crippled man was healed because we trusted in Jesus. It was Jesus’ power that made him well. You can see this man, and you know him. He was made completely well because of faith in Jesus. You all saw it happen!

17“My brothers, I know that what you did to Jesus was done because you did not understand what you were doing. And your leaders did not understand any more than you did. 18But God said these things would happen. Through the prophets he said that his Messiah would suffer and die. I have told you how God made this happen. 19So you must change your hearts and lives. Come back to God, and he will forgive your sins. 20Then the Lord will give you times of spiritual rest. He will send you Jesus, the one he chose to be the Messiah.

21“But Jesus must stay in heaven until the time when all things will be made right again. God told about this time when he spoke long ago through his holy prophets. 22Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will give you a prophet. That prophet will come from among your own people. He will be like me. You must obey everything he tells you. 23And anyone who refuses to obey that prophet will die, separated from God’s people.’#Quote from Deut. 18:15, 19.

24“Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God after Samuel, said that this time would come. 25And what those prophets talked about is for you, their descendants. You have received the agreement that God made with your fathers. God said to your father Abraham, ‘Every nation on earth will be blessed through your descendants.’#Quote from Gen. 22:18; 26:24. 26God has sent his special servant Jesus. He sent him to you first. He sent him to bless you by causing each of you to turn away from your evil ways.”

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