Acts 3:1
Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.
(a) Peter. Simon Peter; see entry for John 1:42.
(b) John; see entry for Acts 1:13.
(c) The ninth hour was 3pm in the Jewish reckoning.
Acts 3:2
And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.
The temple which had been so hostile to Christ, became the site of the first miracle performed by the apostles and the birthplace of the early church. See entry for Acts 2:46.
Acts 3:6
But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
Jesus the Nazarene. A Nazarene was someone from Nazareth, a Galilean town of little consequence. In Judea, Jesus was known as a Nazarene in fulfilment of prophecy (see entry for Matt. 2:23).
Acts 3:11
While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.
The portico of Solomon. The temple plaza was large enough to accommodate the million or so pilgrims who regularly flocked to Jerusalem for various feasts and festivals. Surrounding the temple were shady porticoes or covered porches lined with 162 Corinthian columns. The eastern portico was known as Solomon’s portico. Jesus ministered there (John 10:23) and the early church met there (Acts 5:12).
Acts 3:14
“But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
(a) The Holy One refers to Jesus; see entry for Mark 1:24.
(b) Righteous One. Jesus Christ is the Righteous One and the Righteous Branch spoken of by the prophets (Is. 24:16, 53:11, Jer. 23:5, 33:15). Just as Jesus is the Word made flesh, the living Truth, and the personification of the Father’s grace (John 1:14, 14:6), he is the embodiment of God’s righteousness.
Acts 3:15
but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.
(a) Prince. The original word (archegos) can mean chief beginner which is why some Bibles translate this word as author. Jesus is the Author, the Originator, and the Prince of Life.
(b) Life. Two kinds of life are described in the Bible; the psuche– or soul life we inherited from Adam and the zoe– or spirit life that comes from God (John 5:26). It’s the second kind of life that is described here. See entry for New Life.
(c) Witnesses. In addition to the apostles, more than 500 people saw the risen Lord (1 Cor. 15:6).
Acts 3:16
“And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
(a) On the basis of faith in His name. The religious leaders had faith in God but they did not believe in Jesus. Their faith was dead and useless (Jas. 2:17, 20).
All of God’s blessings, including forgiveness, salvation, righteousness and sanctification, come to us freely by grace and are received by faith. Faith does not compel God to forgive us or sanctify us. But faith is the conduit through which grace flows. See entry for Eph. 2:8.
(b) The faith which comes through Him. Jesus is the author of faith (Heb. 12:2).
(c) Given him this perfect health. It is the grace of God that heals us, but we receive his grace through faith (Eph. 2:8).
Acts 3:19-20
“Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
(a) Repent. To repent literally means to change your mind. In a biblical sense, repentance is not an isolated intellectual act but a response to spiritual revelation that leads to transformation. In context, Peter is inviting his listeners to change their unbelieving minds and receive the glad tidings of God’s grace and forgiveness. Do that and they will be refreshed.
Note that there is no suggestion of sin or penance in this context. In the new covenant, repentance does not mean “reform your sinning ways.” In the old covenant, repentance implied a turning from sin (see for example; 1 Kings 8:35, 47-48, 2 Chr. 7:14, Eze. 14:6, 18:30, Jer. 36.3). But in the new covenant, repentance involves a turning to God (Acts 20:21). Paul preached that we should “repent and turn to God” (Act 26:20). Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin and both are a response to God’s love and grace. Repentance is the ability to receive the truth that sets us free. It’s a change of mind that causes us to see as God sees and think as God thinks. To repent and believe is the same as “hear and believe” (Acts 15:7).
See entry for Repentance.
(b) Repent and return. In the new covenant, repentance is often described as a return or turning to God (see entry for Acts 26:20).
(c) Sins may be wiped away. As far as God is concerned, the sins of the world were dealt with once and for all time at the cross (Heb. 9:26). But people hold onto their sins, especially religious people such as those to whom Peter is speaking. Some believe that they must toil and sweat to atone for their sins. The remedy is to see the suffering Christ (verse 18) who was put to death (verse 15) and repent (verse 19) and have faith in his name (verse 16). Your sins and all the charges against you were dealt with at the cross.
(d) Times of refreshing. We were not made to carry sin and guilt. When we realize that Jesus carried all our sin at the cross and that God is not counting our trespasses against us (2 Cor. 5:19), it is liberating. We are refreshed or revived.
(e) Refreshing. The original noun (anapsyxis) means a recovery of breath (Strongs). It means “revival”. Revival is not something that comes from fasting and praying and pounding the gates of heaven. Revival is what happens when we receive by faith the grace and forgiveness God has freely provided in his Son.
Acts 3:21
whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
(a) Restoration. The original noun (apokatastasis) means repair, reconstitution and reset. It is to set things back in the proper order. For some this suggests that God will return the earth to its pre-fall state. This is partly true. In the beginning, heaven and earth were united under God’s rule and one day they will be united again headship of Christ (Col. 1:16–17, 20). The difference this time is the new heavens and the new earth (2 Pet. 3:13) will be populated by a new man or new humanity (Eph. 2:15). This new species of humanity is also known as the new creation (Gal. 6:15, 2 Cor. 5:17) or the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27). The new humanity differs from Adamic humanity in several ways, but the chief difference is the presence of the indwelling Spirit (Rom. 8:11, Gal. 4:6).
(b) Restoration of all things. One day creation will be free from the curse placed upon it. Death, decay, pollution, extinction are the fruits of the fall, while healing, resurrection, immortality are the fruits of Christ’s obedience. Adam broke it; Jesus is restoring it. Adam’s curse brought disconnection and alienation; Christ’s blessing brings koinonia, true fellowship flowing from the heart of the Father. God’s renovation is well underway and will conclude when the Son of Man who is the Son of God returns to be with us forever (1 Th. 4:17). See entry for Rev. 21:5.
The Great Reset or restoration leaves us better than we started. Before the fall, first Adam was on the throne; after the restoration, the last Adam, Jesus Christ will be on the throne. Before the fall, the world was subject to the devil’s influence; after the restoration, the devil will be no more.
(c) All things. Some interpret “all things” as in every living creature meaning that all will one day be saved including the devil and all his demons. Peter himself refutes this universalist interpretation when he refers to the destruction of the ungodly (2 Pet. 3:7).
Acts 3:22
“Moses said, ‘THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you.
A prophet like me refers to Jesus; see entry for Acts 7:37.
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