Acts 3
Introduction
Acts 3 records the first miracle performed by the apostles after Pentecost and the sermon that follows it. Peter and John heal a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and the astonished crowd gives Peter occasion to deliver his second major sermon in Acts. The chapter is closely tied to Pentecost (Acts 2) and shows in plain form that the power of the risen Jesus is still at work through his apostles. The healing echoes the ministry of Jesus, who healed the lame and the broken (Luke 5:17-26, Luke 7:22), and it fulfills his promise that his followers would do the works he did (John 14:12).
Peter's sermon in Solomon's Colonnade is rooted in the Old Testament and addressed to a Jewish audience. He presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham and the prophets, calling him God's Servant, the Holy and Righteous One, and the Author of life. Peter's appeal is both accusatory and gracious: he confronts the crowd with their part in Jesus' death while holding out the hope of forgiveness through repentance. The sermon culminates in a quotation from Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) and the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 22:18), presenting Jesus as the Prophet like Moses whom all Israel must heed. These themes -- the continuity between Israel's hopes and the gospel, the centrality of Jesus' name, and the call to repentance -- run throughout Acts.
The Healing of the Lame Man (vv. 1-10)
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.
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was being carried, whom they placed daily at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, to ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.
4 And Peter, gazing at him intently along with John, said, "Look at us." 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, this I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
7 And grasping him by the right hand, he raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made firm. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized him as the one who used to sit for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.
Notes
The scene is set at the ὥραν τῆς προσευχῆς τὴν ἐνάτην ("the hour of prayer, the ninth hour"), three o'clock in the afternoon, corresponding to the time of the evening tamid sacrifice in the temple. The apostles' continued participation in temple worship shows that the early church did not immediately separate from Judaism but saw itself as the fulfillment of Israel's faith.
The man's condition is stated with precision: he was χωλὸς ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς αὐτοῦ ("lame from his mother's womb"). This detail -- reiterated in Acts 4:22, where we learn he was over forty years old -- establishes the severity and permanence of his condition and rules out any suggestion of fraud. The verb ἐβαστάζετο ("was being carried") is in the imperfect passive, indicating a regular, ongoing practice: every day others brought him to his begging spot.
The Ὡραίαν ("Beautiful") Gate is most likely the Nicanor Gate, a bronze gate on the eastern side of the temple that led from the Court of the Gentiles into the Court of Women. Josephus describes it as surpassing the other gates in beauty. It was a prime location for begging, where streams of worshippers passed constantly.
Peter's command to Βλέψον εἰς ἡμᾶς ("Look at us") establishes personal contact. The verb ἀτενίσας ("having gazed intently") is a characteristic Lukan word (used twelve times in Luke-Acts), describing a fixed gaze that often precedes an important pronouncement or revelation.
The declaration Ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι ("Silver and gold I do not have") is notable for its simplicity and directness. Peter possesses something greater than money: the authority of the name of Jesus. The phrase ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου ("in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth") is not a magical formula but an invocation of the authority and power of the risen Jesus. In the ancient world, a person's name represented identity and power; to act "in the name" of someone was to act as that person's authorized representative.
The healing is described with medical precision. The verb ἐστερεώθησαν ("were made firm/strong") is used in medical literature for the strengthening of bones. Luke specifies that both the βάσεις ("feet" or "soles") and the σφυδρά ("ankles") were healed -- a detail consistent with Luke's interest in medical terminology (compare Colossians 4:14, where Paul calls Luke "the beloved physician"). The man's response is immediate: ἐξαλλόμενος ("leaping up") -- a word used only here in the New Testament -- recalls the prophetic promise that "the lame shall leap like a deer" (Isaiah 35:6). His threefold activity of walking, leaping, and praising God echoes Isaiah's vision of messianic restoration.
The crowd's reaction is described with two strong words: θάμβους ("astonishment" or "wonder") and ἐκστάσεως ("amazement" or "ecstasy"), from which we derive the English word "ecstasy." Together they convey a disorienting sense of awe.
Peter's Sermon: The God of the Fathers Has Glorified Jesus (vv. 11-16)
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. 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 this 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."
11 While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's, utterly astonished. 12 And when Peter saw it, he responded to the people, "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead -- to this we are witnesses.
16 And on the basis of faith in his name, this man whom you see and know has been made strong by his name. And the faith that is through Jesus has given him this complete wholeness before you all."
Notes
Solomon's Colonnade (στοᾷ τῇ καλουμένῃ Σολομῶντος) was a covered walkway along the eastern side of the temple's outer court. According to Josephus, it was believed to be a remnant of Solomon's original temple. It later became a regular gathering place for the early church (Acts 5:12) and the site of another confrontation between Jesus and the Jewish leaders (John 10:23).
Peter immediately deflects attention from himself and John. His question -- τί ἀτενίζετε ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ εὐσεβείᾳ πεποιηκόσιν τοῦ περιπατεῖν αὐτόν ("why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?") -- establishes a crucial principle: the miracle was not performed by human ability or religious merit, but by the power of God working through the name of Jesus.
Peter's identification of God as Ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰακώβ ("the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob") echoes Exodus 3:6, the revelation of God to Moses at the burning bush -- a passage Jesus himself cited to prove the resurrection (Luke 20:37). By using this formula, Peter roots the gospel in Israel's covenant history: the God who has acted in Jesus is the same God who called Abraham and delivered Israel from Egypt.
The title τὸν Παῖδα αὐτοῦ ("his servant") is significant. The Greek word παῖς can mean either "child" or "servant" and deliberately echoes the Suffering Servant of Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1, Isaiah 52:13-53:12). The Septuagint uses this same word for God's servant in the Servant Songs. Peter is identifying Jesus with Isaiah's Servant, whom God would glorify through suffering -- the same Servant who was "despised and rejected" yet would be "lifted up and exalted" (Isaiah 52:13).
Peter's indictment of the crowd builds through a series of contrasts. They παρεδώκατε ("delivered over") and ἠρνήσασθε ("denied/rejected") Jesus before Pilate -- the same verb used for Peter's own denial of Jesus (Luke 22:57). They rejected τὸν Ἅγιον καὶ Δίκαιον ("the Holy and Righteous One") -- messianic titles drawn from the Old Testament (Isaiah 53:11, Psalm 16:10) -- and instead asked for ἄνδρα φονέα ("a man, a murderer"), referring to Barabbas (Luke 23:18-25). The contrast is plain: they chose a destroyer of life over the giver of life.
The title τὸν Ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς ("the Author of life" or "the Pioneer of life") is a notable Christological title. The word ἀρχηγός can mean "founder," "originator," "prince," or "pioneer" -- someone who leads the way and makes something possible for others to follow. It appears again in Acts 5:31 ("Prince and Savior") and in Hebrews 2:10 and Hebrews 12:2 ("the founder/pioneer of salvation" and "of faith"). The paradox is sharp: they killed the source of life itself, yet God reversed their verdict by raising him from the dead.
Verse 16 contains difficult syntax. The repetition of "name" and "faith" creates an almost circular statement that emphasizes two things: (1) it is the name of Jesus -- his identity, authority, and power -- that has healed this man, and (2) faith is the instrument through which that power has operated. The word ὁλοκληρίαν ("complete wholeness") appears only here in the New Testament and denotes total, undamaged health -- every part of the body restored to full function.
The Call to Repentance (vv. 17-21)
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.
17 And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers also did. 18 But what God foretold through the mouth of all the prophets -- that his Christ would suffer -- he has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent, therefore, and turn back, so that your sins may be blotted out, 20 in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you -- Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time of the restoration of all things, about which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.
Notes
Peter's tone shifts from accusation to compassion. The address ἀδελφοί ("brothers") signals solidarity, not condemnation. He acknowledges that both the people and their rulers acted κατὰ ἄγνοιαν ("in ignorance"), echoing Jesus' own prayer from the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). This does not excuse their sin, but it opens a door for repentance. In Old Testament law, sins committed in ignorance could be atoned for, while deliberate, high-handed rebellion could not (Numbers 15:27-31).
Yet this ignorance was itself part of God's sovereign plan. God προκατήγγειλεν ("announced beforehand") through all the prophets that his Christ would παθεῖν ("suffer"). The verb is a Lukan compound found only here in the New Testament. Peter's claim is broad: not just isolated proof-texts, but the entire prophetic tradition pointed toward the suffering Messiah. This was a difficult claim in a first-century Jewish context where many expected a triumphant Messiah rather than a suffering one.
The double command μετανοήσατε οὖν καὶ ἐπιστρέψατε ("repent therefore and turn back") uses two complementary verbs. The first, μετανοέω, means to change one's mind and heart -- a reorientation of thought. The second, ἐπιστρέφω, means to turn around physically, to reverse direction -- the Hebrew concept of שׁוּב that runs throughout the prophets (Isaiah 6:10, Jeremiah 3:12-14). Together they describe a complete transformation: inward change of mind leading to outward change of direction.
The purpose of repentance is stated in a cascade of result clauses. First, that their sins may be ἐξαλειφθῆναι ("blotted out" or "wiped away") -- a metaphor drawn from the erasure of writing on a wax tablet or the wiping clean of a record of debt (compare Colossians 2:14). Second, that καιροὶ ἀναψύξεως ("times of refreshing") may come from the presence of the Lord. The word ἀνάψυξις appears only here in the New Testament and literally means "a cooling" or "a breathing space" -- an image of relief and renewal.
The phrase τὸν προκεχειρισμένον ὑμῖν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ("the Christ appointed for you, Jesus") uses a verb meaning "to appoint beforehand" or "to designate in advance." Jesus was not an afterthought but God's chosen Messiah. The statement that heaven must δέξασθαι ("receive") him until the ἀποκαταστάσεως πάντων ("restoration of all things") is theologically significant. The word ἀποκατάστασις appears only here in the New Testament and refers to the full renewal of the created order that God has promised.
Interpretations
The phrase "restoration of all things" (v. 21) has been interpreted in several ways. Dispensational interpreters typically understand this as the future millennial kingdom, when Christ will return to restore Israel's national fortunes and reign on David's throne in Jerusalem, fulfilling the Old Testament promises of a renewed earth (Isaiah 65:17-25, Ezekiel 36-37). Covenant theologians tend to read the "restoration" more broadly as the consummation of all God's redemptive purposes at the final return of Christ, encompassing the new heavens and new earth (Revelation 21:1-5). Some have connected ἀποκατάστασις with the concept of universal restoration (apokatastasis, the idea that all things will ultimately be reconciled to God), but this reading goes beyond what the text states: Peter is speaking of the restoration "of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets," grounding the concept in specific Old Testament promises rather than a universal metaphysical claim. The phrase "whom heaven must receive until" also raises the question of whether Israel's national repentance could hasten or delay Christ's return -- a view held by some early church fathers and revived in certain streams of modern theology.
The Prophet Like Moses and the Abrahamic Covenant (vv. 22-26)
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."
22 Moses indeed said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You shall listen to him in everything he says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.'
24 And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who came after him, as many as spoke, also proclaimed these days. 25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' 26 God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each one of you from your wickedness."
Notes
Peter's quotation of Deuteronomy 18:15 is an important messianic proof-text in the early church. Moses promised that God would ἀναστήσει ("raise up") a prophet like himself -- and the verb is deliberately ambiguous, meaning both "to bring onto the scene" and "to raise from the dead." Peter draws on this double meaning: God has "raised up" Jesus both in the sense of commissioning him as the Prophet and in the sense of raising him from death. The designation "a prophet like me" carries weight, since Moses held a unique status in Judaism as the mediator of the covenant and the one who spoke with God face to face (Deuteronomy 34:10).
The warning in verse 23 combines language from Deuteronomy 18:19 with Leviticus 23:29, intensifying the threat. The verb ἐξολεθρευθήσεται ("will be utterly destroyed") is a strong term meaning complete removal -- the same word used in the Septuagint for being "cut off" from the covenant community. The implication is that to reject Jesus is to reject the one Moses himself predicted, and thus to place oneself outside the people of God.
The mention of Samuel in verse 24 is significant because Samuel was regarded as the first of the prophets after Moses and the one who inaugurated the prophetic succession in Israel (1 Samuel 3:20). By claiming that all the prophets from Samuel onward κατήγγειλαν τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας ("proclaimed these days"), Peter asserts that the entire prophetic tradition -- not just isolated passages -- pointed to the events now unfolding.
Peter then grounds his appeal in the Abrahamic covenant. His audience are υἱοὶ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ τῆς διαθήκης ("sons of the prophets and of the covenant") -- heirs of both the prophetic tradition and God's covenant promises. The quotation from Genesis 22:18 -- "In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed" -- uses the word σπέρματι ("seed/offspring"), which Paul will later argue refers specifically to Christ (Galatians 3:16). The word πατριαί ("families" or "clans"), rather than the more common "nations," emphasizes that the blessing reaches the household level.
The sermon's final verse contains a double meaning. God ἀναστήσας ("having raised up") his Παῖδα ("Servant") -- again the verb can mean either "commissioned" or "raised from the dead," and both senses are likely intended. The blessing that Jesus brings is defined not as material prosperity but as ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέφειν ἕκαστον ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν ("turning each one of you from your wickedness"). The fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise is moral and spiritual transformation. Significantly, Peter says God sent Jesus πρῶτον ("first") to Israel -- implying that the blessing will then extend to the Gentiles, anticipating the expansion of the gospel through the rest of Acts.
Interpretations
The relationship between Israel and the church in verses 25-26 is a point of theological debate. Dispensational interpreters emphasize the word "first" in verse 26 as evidence that God's program with Israel remains distinct: the gospel was offered to Israel first, and Israel retains a unique place in God's plan that will be fulfilled in a future national restoration. Covenant theologians read these verses as showing the continuity of God's single people: the church is the true heir of the Abrahamic covenant, and the promise to bless "all the families of the earth" is being fulfilled as the gospel goes to the nations. Both traditions agree that the passage affirms the priority of Israel in salvation history and the universal scope of God's redemptive purposes, though they differ on how these will finally be worked out.