Acts 3
3
Cure of a Crippled Beggar. 1#3:1–4:31] This section presents a series of related events: the dramatic cure of a lame beggar (Acts 3:1–10) produces a large audience for the kerygmatic discourse of Peter (Acts 3:11–26). The Sadducees, taking exception to the doctrine of resurrection, have Peter, John, and apparently the beggar as well, arrested (Acts 4:1–4) and brought to trial before the Sanhedrin. The issue concerns the authority by which Peter and John publicly teach religious doctrine in the temple (Acts 4:5–7). Peter replies with a brief summary of the kerygma, implying that his authority is prophetic (Acts 4:8–12). The court warns the apostles to abandon their practice of invoking prophetic authority in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:13–18). When Peter and John reply that the prophetic role cannot be abandoned to satisfy human objections, the court nevertheless releases them, afraid to do otherwise since the beggar, lame from birth and over forty years old, is a well-known figure in Jerusalem and the facts of his cure are common property (Acts 4:19–22). The narrative concludes with a prayer of the Christian community imploring divine aid against threats of persecution (Acts 4:23–31). Now Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer.#For the three o’clock hour of prayer: literally, “at the ninth hour of prayer.” With the day beginning at 6 a.m., the ninth hour would be 3 p.m. 2#14:8–10. And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called “the Beautiful Gate” every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms. 4But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6#The miracle has a dramatic cast; it symbolizes the saving power of Christ and leads the beggar to enter the temple, where he hears Peter’s proclamation of salvation through Jesus. Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, [rise and] walk.”#4:10. 7Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong. 8He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.#Is 35:6; Lk 7:22. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.
Peter’s Speech. 11As he clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called “Solomon’s Portico.”#5:12; Jn 10:23. 12When Peter saw this, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?#14:15. 13The God of Abraham, [the God] of Isaac, and [the God] of Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified#Has glorified: through the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, God reversed the judgment against him on the occasion of his trial. Servant: the Greek word can also be rendered as “son” or even “child” here and also in Acts 3:26; 4:25 (applied to David); Acts 4:27; and Acts 4:30. Scholars are of the opinion, however, that the original concept reflected in the words identified Jesus with the suffering Servant of the Lord of Is 52:13–53:12. his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, when he had decided to release him.#Ex 3:6, 15; Is 52:13; Lk 23:14–25. 14You denied the Holy and Righteous One#The Holy and Righteous One: so designating Jesus emphasizes his special relationship to the Father (see Lk 1:35; 4:34) and emphasizes his sinlessness and religious dignity that are placed in sharp contrast with the guilt of those who rejected him in favor of Barabbas. and asked that a murderer be released to you.#Mt 27:20–21; Mk 15:11; Lk 23:18; Jn 18:40. 15#The author of life: other possible translations of the Greek title are “leader of life” or “pioneer of life.” The title clearly points to Jesus as the source and originator of salvation. The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.#4:10; 5:31 / 1:8; 2:32. 16And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you. 17Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance,#Ignorance: a Lucan motif, explaining away the actions not only of the people but also of their leaders in crucifying Jesus. On this basis the presbyters in Acts could continue to appeal to the Jews in Jerusalem to believe in Jesus, even while affirming their involvement in his death because they were unaware of his messianic dignity. See also Acts 13:27 and Lk 23:34. just as your leaders did;#13:27; Lk 23:34; 1 Cor 2:8; 1 Tm 1:13. 18but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets,#Through the mouth of all the prophets: Christian prophetic insight into the Old Testament saw the crucifixion and death of Jesus as the main import of messianic prophecy. The Jews themselves did not anticipate a suffering Messiah; they usually understood the Servant Song in Is 52:13–53:12 to signify their own suffering as a people. In his typical fashion (cf. Lk 18:31; 24:25, 27, 44), Luke does not specify the particular Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus. See also note on Lk 24:26. that his Messiah would suffer.#Lk 18:31. 19Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,#2:38. 20and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus,#The Lord…and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus: an allusion to the parousia or second coming of Christ, judged to be imminent in the apostolic age. This reference to its nearness is the only explicit one in Acts. Some scholars believe that this verse preserves a very early christology, in which the title “Messiah” (Greek “Christ”) is applied to him as of his parousia, his second coming (contrast Acts 2:36). This view of a future messiahship of Jesus is not found elsewhere in the New Testament. 21whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration#The times of universal restoration: like “the times of refreshment” (Acts 3:20), an apocalyptic designation of the messianic age, fitting in with the christology of Acts 3:20 that associates the messiahship of Jesus with his future coming. of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22For Moses said:#A loose citation of Dt 18:15, which teaches that the Israelites are to learn the will of Yahweh from no one but their prophets. At the time of Jesus, some Jews expected a unique prophet to come in fulfillment of this text. Early Christianity applied this tradition and text to Jesus and used them especially in defense of the divergence of Christian teaching from traditional Judaism.
‘A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you
from among your own kinsmen;
to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.#7:37; Dt 18:15, 18.
23Everyone who does not listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.’#Lv 23:29; Dt 18:19.
24Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days. 25You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’#Gn 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; Sir 44:19–21; Gal 3:8–9. 26For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.”#13:46; Rom 1:16.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Acts 3
3
A Lame Man Healed
1Now Peter and John went up together #Acts 2:46to the temple at the hour of prayer, #Ps. 55:17; Matt. 27:45; Acts 10:30the ninth hour. 2And #Acts 14:8a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, #John 9:8; Acts 3:10to ask alms from those who entered the temple; 3who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 4And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 5So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: #Acts 4:10In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 7And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8So he, #Is. 35:6leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 9#Acts 4:16, 21And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 10Then they knew that it was he who #John 9:8; Acts 3:2sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Preaching in Solomon’s Portico
11Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch #John 10:23; Acts 5:12which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 12So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13#John 5:30The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, #Is. 49:3; John 7:39; 12:23; 13:31glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you #Matt. 27:2delivered up and #Matt. 27:20; Mark 15:11; Luke 23:18; John 18:40; Acts 13:28denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 14But you denied #Ps. 16:10; Mark 1:24; Luke 1:35the Holy One #Acts 7:52; 2 Cor. 5:21and the Just, and #John 18:40asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15and killed the Prince of life, #Acts 2:24whom God raised from the dead, #Acts 2:32of which we are witnesses. 16#Matt. 9:22; Acts 4:10; 14:9And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17“Yet now, brethren, I know that #Luke 23:34; John 16:3; (Acts 13:27; 17:30); 1 Cor. 2:8; 1 Tim. 1:13you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18But #Luke 24:44; Acts 26:22those things which God foretold #Ps. 22; Is. 50:6; 53:5; Dan. 9:26; Hos. 6:1; Zech. 13:6; 1 Pet. 1:10by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19#(Acts 2:38; 26:20)Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21#Acts 1:11whom heaven must receive until the times of #Matt. 17:11; (Rom. 8:21)restoration of all things, #Luke 1:70which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 22For Moses truly said to the fathers, #Deut. 18:15, 18, 19; Acts 7:37‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24Yes, and #2 Sam. 7:12; Luke 24:25all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. 25#Acts 2:39; (Rom. 9:4, 8; Gal. 3:26)You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, #Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26To you #Matt. 15:24; John 4:22; Acts 13:46; (Rom. 1:16; 2:9)first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, #Is. 42:1; Matt. 1:21in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.