The Early Church · New Testament
Acts 3
Acts 3: a lame man healed and Peter's speech in Solomon's porch
General context
Peter and John go up into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. A man lame from his mother's womb, carried daily to the gate called Beautiful, asks alms of them. Peter tells him to look on them, says he has no silver and gold, and commands him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to rise up and walk. Peter takes him by the right hand, his feet and ankle bones receive strength, and he goes into the temple walking, leaping and praising God. The people recognize the man who sat for alms and run together in the porch called Solomon's. Peter asks why they marvel and denies that his own power or holiness made the man walk. He says the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has glorified his Son Jesus, whom the hearers delivered up and denied before Pilate and whom God raised from the dead. He says they acted through ignorance, calls them to repent and be converted, quotes Moses on a prophet to come, names the prophets from Samuel onward, and quotes the promise made to Abraham.
Cited passages: Acts 3:1, Acts 3:2, Acts 3:3, Acts 3:4, Acts 3:6, Acts 3:7, Acts 3:8, Acts 3:10, Acts 3:11, Acts 3:12, Acts 3:13, Acts 3:14, Acts 3:15, Acts 3:16, Acts 3:17, Acts 3:19, Acts 3:21, Acts 3:22, Acts 3:24, Acts 3:25, Acts 3:26
Acts 3 (KJV)
1Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In 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.
8And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
12And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
13The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
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Historical context
The gate and the porch are given only as names the text reports others use, the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful and the porch that is called Solomon's. The man is not named, and his condition is dated only from his mother's womb; his age is stated later, at 4:22. Peter introduces his first citation with the words For Moses truly said unto the fathers and prints it as a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me. The promise to Abraham is quoted as And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Peter says of the hearers and their rulers that through ignorance ye did it. The chapter reports no reaction to the speech; the arrest that follows opens the next chapter with the words And as they spake unto the people.
Cited passages: Acts 3:2, Acts 3:11, Acts 3:22, Acts 3:25, Acts 3:17, Acts 4:22, Acts 4:1
Literary context
The healing and the speech are joined by the crowd that gathers, and Peter uses the crowd's own staring as his opening question. His first move is to refuse the credit, asking why look ye so earnestly on us, and his second is to place the strength in a name, saying that his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong. The narrator repeats the walking three times in one verse, walking, and leaping, and praising God, then repeats it again as the people see him. Peter's argument gathers quoted voices, Moses, all the prophets from Samuel, and the promise to Abraham, before ending on the hearers themselves with the words Unto you first.
Cited passages: Acts 3:11, Acts 3:12, Acts 3:16, Acts 3:8, Acts 3:9, Acts 3:22, Acts 3:24, Acts 3:25, Acts 3:26
Key moments
- Silver and gold have I none (Acts 3:6). Peter tells the man he has no money and commands him to rise up and walk.
- Ankle bones receive strength (Acts 3:7). Peter lifts the man by the right hand and his feet and ankle bones receive strength.
- Walking and leaping (Acts 3:8). The man enters the temple walking, leaping and praising God.
- Why marvel ye at this (Acts 3:12). Peter asks the gathered people why they look so earnestly at him and John.
- Faith in his name (Acts 3:16). Peter says the name of Jesus, through faith in that name, gave the man soundness.
- A prophet like Moses (Acts 3:22). Peter quotes the saying of Moses about a prophet the Lord will raise up.
For reflection
Peter says the man was healed by a name and not by the apostles' own power or holiness, yet the people keep hold of Peter and John. What does the crowd seem to be looking for, and what does Peter redirect them toward?
