Acts 3


Peter Heals the Crippled Beggar

¹One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. ²Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. ³When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. ⁴Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" ⁵So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
⁶Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." ⁷Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. ⁸He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹When all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter Speaks to the Onlookers

¹¹While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. ¹²When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. ¹⁴You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ¹⁶By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.
¹⁷"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. ¹⁸But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. ¹⁹Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, ²⁰and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. ²¹He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. ²²For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. ²³Anyone 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 foretold these days. ²⁵And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' ²⁶When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Acts 3:1-26

Explanation:

THE JERUSALEM CHURCH: ITS GROWTH (3:1--9:31)

Communal experiments and religious movements fueled by enthusiasm are often short-lived. Will the faith of Pentecost sustain itself? Will the church's mission mandate be fulfilled? Luke sets out to answer these questions, which lie at the heart of his reason for writing Acts. He hopes to persuade Theophilus and others that the gospel message is true by showing that it was indeed carried "to all nations."

Thus Luke unfolds before us the church's unstoppable advance even in the face of official opposition (3:1--4:31). After a look at the church's internal life (4:32--5:11), he highlights its mission's growing momentum in outreach into "all Judea," even as opposition grows (5:12-42).

Just when prejudice within and death-dealing hostility from without are about to hamper the church's witness, God raises up fearless messengers, Hellenistic Jewish Christians (6:1--8:40). They will complete Jesus' mandate (1:8) in microcosm. And to crown the triumph of the gospel, their chief persecutor, Saul, is converted and begins his ministry (9:1-31).



A Healing Miracle and Its Consequences (3:1--4:31)
Crammed into first-story rooms of an undistinguished building in a suburb of Seoul are pews, a pulpit and other sanctuary furniture suitable for an auditorium seating five hundred to a thousand people, not the fifty to seventy-five who meet there for an organizing service. The overabundant furniture is a sign of their hope of what God will do through the preaching of the gospel in that place.

How is he going to do it? What is the divinely ordained pattern for the church's advance? Luke tells us in four episodes clustered around Peter and John's healing of a lame beggar. The church ministers via apostolic sign (3:1-10) and proclaims its saving significance (3:11-26). Religious leaders' opposition surfaces but is finally frustrated (4:1-22) as the church, in answer to prayer, continues in bold, Spirit-filled witness (4:23-31).



The Healing of a Crippled Beggar (3:1-10)

Modern medical care uses sophisticated equipment to monitor people with serious illnesses. Their "vital signs" give us hope. In spiritual matters, too, we live by signs. Luke's account of the healing of a crippled beggar serves as such a sign.

The Beggar's Need (3:1-3)

According to Jewish custom, Peter and John live out Acts 2:42, 46, going up to the temple (both literally and spiritually) to pray and worship at the time of the evening sacrifice (Ex 29:39-40; Ps 24:3; 122:4). As they arrive, a man with no use of his legs because of a congenital condition is being carried to his accustomed begging place. The depth of his need is apparent to all. In these ordinary circumstances--apostles practicing their devotion to God, a lame man plying the only trade he knows, appealing to the generosity and piety of his peers--an extraordinary encounter occurs.

The Apostles' Offer (3:4-7)

Peter fixes his eyes on the man, as later Paul will do when a miracle is about to occur (13:9; 14:9), and asks for the same attention in return. At first Peter disappoints the beggar by declaring his lack of money. This serves only to heighten the value of the great gift he does offer: complete health. But it is in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that it must be given. A name is an expression of a person's very essence. The power of the person is present and available in the name (Haenchen 1971:200). In the case of Jesus, the invocation of his name is a direct link between earth and heaven. It is not a magic formula but a simple recognition that if any salvation blessings are to come, they must arrive in and through the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus so commissioned his disciples (Lk 24:47) and the disciples so preached and ministered (Acts 2:38; 3:16; 4:10, 12, 30; compare the direct declaration "Jesus Christ heals you," 9:34).

Peter commands the man to walk (literally, continuous action--"be walking") and grabs him by the right hand to raise him up. "The power was Christ's but the hand was Peter's" (Stott 1990:91). So must the church ever act.

The Gift of Wholeness (3:7-8)

Instantly (compare Lk 4:39; 8:44, 55) the man's feet (the term can also mean "tread" or "step") and ankle bones receive strength. Jumping up, he stands for the first time in his life. He tries out his new freedom by walking around; then, in a response natural to one who in faith realizes that he has been touched by God's power, he moves into the court of women and then the court of Israel, walking and jumping, and praising God (compare 2:47). He has become the living embodiment of the messianic age as predicted in Isaiah 35:6, "Then will the lame leap like a deer" (also see Lk 7:22).

Should we expect such miracles today? True, the apostles are no longer with us, and miracles seemed to cluster around them; even in the first century, miraculous signs were not everyday occurrences. But Jesus still is present by his Spirit in the church. So we should not be surprised if we hear reports of miracles, especially where an atmosphere of pervasive unbelief or false religion calls for a power encounter. But a healing miracle in the New Testament sense must have the following marks: It must be an instantaneous and complete deliverance from a grave organic condition. It must occur in response to a direct command in the name of Jesus, and it must be publicly acknowledged as indisputable (Stott 1990:103).

Impact on the People (3:9-10)

All the people (laos; see comment at 2:47), who had known the man in his previous condition, become witnesses to the miracle's authenticity. More than that, they were filled with wonder (awe felt in the presence of divine activity; compare Lk 4:36) and amazement (the state of being lifted out of one's habitual life and thought by encountering the power of God; compare Lk 5:26; Haenchen 1971:200). But this is not saving faith. Only two times do Luke's summary statements imply that witnessing a miracle leads directly to faith (Acts 9:35, 42). Witnessing miracles may contribute to a person's embrace of faith, but it cannot produce faith (see Lk 16:31).

That is why God's Word must now be preached. It will interpret the extraordinary and call for a decision. By the Spirit's power this proclamation will work repentance and saving faith in its hearers.



Peter's Speech in Solomon's Porch (3:11-26)

We moderns have relegated the word repent to a message on a sandwich board worn by some bearded cartoon figure. We chuckle at him in his lonely crusade to convince people that the end is near. We are about as ready to listen to such a message as was the temple crowd that gathered in amazement after the healing of the crippled beggar. Yet Peter does not hesitate to tell them--and us--that they should repent, and why.

The Setting (3:11)

After the prayer service in the court of Israel, the apostles, with the beggar clinging to them, return through the Nicanor gate into the court of the Gentiles. All the people rush to see them, gathering at Solomon's colonnade, a many-pillared, three-aisled portico that ran the length of the eastern boundary of the court of Gentiles. The people are astonished, and their amazement is mingled with fear (compare 3:10, 12; 13:41; Is 52:13; 1 Km 4:13 Sym).

The Miracle's Source (3:12-16)

Peter seizes the moment and asks the people about their amazement (NIV has surprise, which may be too weak) and their staring (see comment at 3:4). If they think the miracle was produced by power resident in the apostles or by godliness--the superior practice of the duty one owes to God (compare 10:2)--they are mistaken.

Peter prepares the way for his Deuteronomy and Genesis quotes by declaring that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (compare Ex 3:6, 15) has in this healing glorified his servant Jesus. The title servant is an allusion to Messiah as the servant of the Lord featured in the servant songs of Isaiah. In particular it points to Messiah's suffering servant role in Isaiah 53. Boldly Peter alleges that the people handed [Jesus] over (compare Lk 9:44; 18:32; 22:21-22; 23:25; NIV adds to be killed) and disowned him by rejecting Pilate's judgment that he was innocent (Lk 23:13-25). Disowning the Holy and Righteous One, they asked that a murderer be released to them.

With a striking phrase, Peter asserts that "the crown prince" (NIV says author) of life has been deprived of life. Life in Luke can be a synonym for salvation (Acts 5:20; 11:18; 13:46, 48).

Today we are so jaded by constant exposure to violence through the news media that in our entertainment we demand ever more grisly acts of violence. Can we still be shocked by this "greatest crime in human history" (Barclay 1976:33) which Peter lays before his listeners? We must be, for only then will we be able to receive that great good news that Peter immediately declares: God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this (compare 1:22; 2:32; 4:10; 10:40-41; 13:30-31).

By faith (both the apostles' and the beggar's--compare 14:8-10) in the name of Jesus (that is, Jesus himself present in his resurrection power; compare 1 Kings 8:27-30), this man . . . was made strong. Literally, the Greek says, "Based on faith in his name this one . . . his name strengthened." "Faith is the manner and Jesus' name is the cause of the man's restoration" (Kistemaker 1990:130). In the end all is from Jesus, for faith is present not only as a human activity (faith in the name of Jesus) but also as a divine gift (faith . . . through him). And today the economy is the same. There is no room for relying on manipulative, magical technique. All Jesus asks us to bring is humble dependence lived out in prayer and faith (Jas 5:14).

The Call to Repentance (3:17-26)

Peter's transition from indictment to call to repentance is the empathic yet searching assertion that his compatriots (brothers) killed the Messiah in ignorance. They failed to recognize Jesus' true identity, though it should have been evident from his words and actions. This does not mitigate their guilt; rather, it makes their predicament all the worse (see Lk 23:34; Acts 13:27; see God's provision for sins of ignorance, Num 15:22-31).

Yet not even this ghastly mistake was outside God's plan, foretold through all the prophets (Lk 24:25-27, 46-47; Acts 2:23; 8:35; 13:27-29; 17:2-3; 26:22-23). The theme of Messiah's suffering can be traced through four of the five major prophets and one minor prophet (Is 53; Jer 11:19; Dan 9:26; Zech 13:7).

Peter commands the crowd to repent, renounce the sinful lives that led to Jesus' death, and turn (NIV adds to God) so that . . . sins may be wiped out (compare Ps 51:1, 9; Is 43:25) and times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord--that is, God the Father. Here is the immediate relief that the people can expect, since salvation is now accomplished and they are living in the last days (Lk 4:18-21; Acts 2:17-21, 38). But there is more. God will send to them the Christ, who has been appointed for them, at the end, when he restores all things (compare 2 Pet 3:13).

What positive motivations for repentance! Our slate has been wiped clean. Our parched lives are refreshed in the present by seasons of the Spirit's outpouring. Our future perfection is beyond imagination.

Peter now places his call to repentance in "promise-and-fulfillment" as well as eschatological perspective. Moses prophesied that God would raise up a prophet like himself, whom the people would be responsible to hear and obey (Lev 23:29; Deut 18:15-16, 19). If they didn't, they would forfeit their right to be part of the people of God. All the prophets from Samuel onward "proclaimed" these days, the days of fulfillment and of decision. Will Peter's hearers heed Jesus, the prophet like Moses, as he speaks his message through his apostles--"Repent . . . and turn to God" (Lk 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19)?

Today this message is vital to the eternal destiny of not only ethnic children of Abraham, the Jews, but also that largest of hidden people groups, nominal Christians. If 75-80 percent of the world's Christians are Christian in name only, then one billion people need to be awakened out of their "smug assurance of salvation by biological birthright" (Kingsmore 1990:446; Willimon 1988:48).

Peter concludes with an encouraging appeal to the Jewish audience's place in salvation history. As "sons" of the prophets and of the covenant (NIV translates hyioi as heirs), they stand in line with those who received covenant promises of salvation blessings (compare Lk 1:72). In a text form closer to the Hebrew original than to the LXX, Luke gives us the foundational covenant promise: Through your offspring (literally "your seed") all peoples on earth (literally "families of the land") will be blessed (Acts 3:25/Gen 22:18). Understood literally and concretely, the "seed" is one person, the Messiah (compare Gal 3:16).

Peter's audience already received the promised salvation blessings in anticipation, when God sent his servant Jesus (compare Acts 3:13) for his earthly ministry. Now, in the preaching of the gospel and its reception through repentance, Jesus blesses his people by turning each away from [his] wicked ways (compare 26:23).

Too often today these salvation blessings are treated as cheap grace. Many claim to be Christians, yet their lives are not markedly different from the lives of others. Divorce rates do not vary greatly between professing Christians and the general population. Peter lets us know in clear terms that salvation is not simply a matter of wiping away sin (3:19) but also a matter of righteousness (3:26; 26:20).