ActsChapter 3

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Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

A man who had been lame from birth was being carried in. Every day they would set him down at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg for alms from those entering the temple.

When he saw Peter and John about to go in, he asked them for alms.

Peter looked straight at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us."

So he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

But Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!"

Then he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and at once his feet and ankles were made strong.

He sprang up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.

All the people saw him walking and praising God,

and they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the temple's Beautiful Gate. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

While he clung to Peter and John, all the people came running together to them in the colonnade called Solomon's, utterly astonished.

When Peter saw this, he said to the people: "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? And why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and disowned before Pilate, even when he had decided to release him.

You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be released to you,

and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

And it is his name, through faith in his name, that has made this man strong, the man you see and know; and the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this complete healing before you all.

And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers.

But in this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through the mouth of all the prophets: that his Christ would suffer.

So repent and turn back, that your sins may be wiped out,

that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,

whom heaven must receive until the time comes for the restoration of all things, of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

Moses said: 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. Listen to him in everything he tells you.'

'And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly cut off from the people.'

Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel onward, all who spoke, also announced these days.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when he said to Abraham, 'And in your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.'

God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wickedness."

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Summary2

Chapter 3

Main Theme: Peter heals a lame man in Jesus’ name and proclaims Jesus as the Messiah and the author of life.

Content: Peter and John meet a man who had been lame from birth at the temple’s Beautiful Gate. Peter heals him in the name of Jesus Christ, and the man enters the temple while praising God. When the people gather in Solomon’s Colonnade, Peter explains that the healing occurred through faith in Jesus’ name—he whom they handed over and denied, but whom God raised from the dead. Peter calls for repentance so that sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

Key Words/Images:

The Beautiful Gate (Ὡραία Πύλη): The temple gate where the lame man sat daily begging for alms, the site of this public miracle.
Jesus’ name (ὄνομα Ἰησοῦ): The basis for the healing and the believer’s authority—it is through faith in his name that the man was made well.
Author of life (ἀρχηγὸς τῆς ζωῆς): A Christological title emphasizing Jesus as the source of life, in contrast to their choice of a murderer.
Repentance (μετάνοια): Peter’s call to the people to turn back, linked with the promise that sins will be wiped out and the Messiah will return.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Acts 3

Places

The Beautiful Gate (Ὡραία Πύλη): This gate is mentioned only in the book of Acts and has been the subject of scholarly discussion. The most likely identification is the Nicanor Gate, an ornate bronze door that led from the Court of the Gentiles into the Court of Women. According to Josephus, this gate was made of Corinthian bronze and surpassed the other gates in splendor. It was so heavy that it required twenty men to open and close it. Its location was strategic for beggars since all Jewish worshippers had to pass through this gate to participate in temple service.

Solomon’s Colonnade (στοὰ Σολομῶντος): This was a covered colonnade running along the eastern side of the temple complex, overlooking the Kidron Valley. The name linked the colonnade to King Solomon, although the structure at the time of Jesus had been built by Herod the Great. The colonnade served as a natural gathering place for teaching and discussion and early on became a regular meeting spot for the Christian community in Jerusalem (Acts 5:12).

Events and Customs

The Hour of Prayer at the Ninth Hour: The ninth hour (about 3 p.m.) was the time of the afternoon sacrifice (tamid) in the temple. This was one of the three fixed prayer times in Jewish practice, and many Jews gathered in the temple for prayer while incense was offered. Peter and John thus continued to follow Jewish devotional practices even after Pentecost. This pattern shows that the early Christian movement originally functioned within Jewish religious life.

Almsgiving at the Temple Gate: Giving alms (ἐλεημοσύνη) was a central act of piety in Judaism, often mentioned together with prayer and fasting. The temple gates were ideal places for beggars because believers were in a state of religious devotion and thus more inclined to give. A man who had been lame from birth could not work and was entirely dependent on the mercy of others. His placement at the gate was carefully chosen to maximize his chances of receiving alms.

Key Terms

Παῖς (pais) – "servant": Peter uses this word for Jesus (vv. 13, 26), which in Greek can mean both "child," "son," and "servant." In this context it alludes to the "Servant of the Lord" in Isaiah (especially Isa 52:13), a messianic text central to the early church’s understanding of Jesus’ suffering and exaltation. The Septuagint uses the same word in the Isaiah passages.

Ἀρχηγός (archēgos) – "author of life": This rare word (v. 15) combines meanings of "leader," "founder," and "pioneer." Peter uses it paradoxically: they killed the very source of life. The word also appears in Hebrews (2:10; 12:2) and underscores Jesus’ unique role as the one who opens the way to salvation.

Ἀποκατάστασις (apokatastasis) – "restoration": In verse 21 this term refers to the future restoration of all things. The word was known from Greek philosophy and Jewish apocalyptic literature, referring to the belief that God will ultimately bring creation back to its original state. For Jewish listeners this would evoke messianic expectations concerning Israel’s restoration.

Chapter-Specific Scripture References

Peter’s speech is interwoven with Old Testament references that would have resonated strongly with his Jewish audience. The quotation in verses 22–23 combines Deuteronomy 18:15–19 about the prophet like Moses with language from Leviticus 23:29 concerning being "cut off from the people." This combination was a common Jewish interpretive method (gezerah shavah) and presents Jesus as the ultimate prophet foretold by Moses—one who surpasses Moses himself. The reference to the covenant with Abraham (Gen 22:18) in verse 25 anchors the message in Israel’s foundational identity as the people of blessing.

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