12 And G1161 when Peter G4074 saw G1492 it, he answered G611 unto G4314 the people, G2992 Ye men G435 of Israel, G2475 why G5101 marvel ye G2296 at G1909 this? G5129 or G2228 why G5101 look ye so earnestly G816 on us, G2254 as though G5613 by our own G2398 power G1411 or G2228 holiness G2150 we had made G4160 this man G846 to walk? G4043
John G2491 answered G611 and G2532 said, G2036 A man G444 can G1410 G3756 receive G2983 nothing, G3762 except G3362 it be G5600 given G1325 him G846 from G1537 heaven. G3772 Ye G5210 yourselves G846 bear G3140 me G3427 witness, G3140 that G3754 I said, G2036 I G1473 am G1510 not G3756 the Christ, G5547 but G235 that G3754 I am G1510 sent G649 before G1715 him. G1565
And G1161 when the people G3793 saw G1492 what G3739 Paul G3972 had done, G4160 they lifted up G1869 their G846 voices, G5456 saying G3004 in the speech of Lycaonia, G3072 The gods G2316 are come down G2597 to G4314 us G2248 in the likeness G3666 of men. G444 And G5037 they called G2564 Barnabas, G921 G3303 Jupiter; G2203 and G1161 Paul, G3972 Mercurius, G2060 because G1894 he G846 was G2258 the chief G2233 speaker. G3056 Then G1161 the priest G2409 of Jupiter, G2203 which G3588 was G5607 before G4253 their G846 city, G4172 brought G5342 oxen G5022 and G2532 garlands G4725 unto G1909 the gates, G4440 and would G2309 have done sacrifice G2380 with G4862 the people. G3793 Which when G1161 the apostles, G652 Barnabas G921 and G2532 Paul, G3972 heard G191 of, they rent G1284 their G846 clothes, G2440 and ran G1530 in among G1519 the people, G3793 crying out, G2896 And G2532 saying, G3004 Sirs, G435 why G5101 do ye G4160 these things? G5130 We G2249 also G2532 are G2070 men G444 of like passions G3663 with you, G5213 and preach G2097 unto you G5209 that ye should turn G1994 from G575 these G5023 vanities G3152 unto G1909 the living G2198 God, G2316 which G3739 made G4160 heaven, G3772 and G2532 earth, G1093 and G2532 the sea, G2281 and G2532 all things G3956 that are therein: G1722 G846
But H1297 there is H383 a God H426 in heaven H8065 that revealeth H1541 secrets, H7328 and maketh known H3046 to the king H4430 Nebuchadnezzar H5020 what H4101 shall be H1934 in the latter H320 days. H3118 Thy dream, H2493 and the visions H2376 of thy head H7217 upon H5922 thy bed, H4903 are these; H1836 As for thee, H607 O king, H4430 thy thoughts H7476 came H5559 into thy mind upon H5922 thy bed, H4903 what H4101 should come to pass H1934 hereafter: H311 H1836 and he that revealeth H1541 secrets H7328 maketh known H3046 to thee what H4101 shall come to pass. H1934 But as for me, H576 this H1836 secret H7328 is not H3809 revealed H1541 to me for any wisdom H2452 that I have H383 more than H4481 any H3606 living, H2417 but H3861 for their sakes H1701 that H5922 shall make known H3046 the interpretation H6591 to the king, H4430 and that thou mightest know H3046 the thoughts H7476 of thy heart. H3825
And G1161 as G5613 Peter G4074 was G1096 coming in, G1525 Cornelius G2883 met G4876 him, G846 and fell down G4098 at G1909 his feet, G4228 and worshipped G4352 him. But G1161 Peter G4074 took G1453 him G846 up, G1453 saying, G3004 Stand up; G450 I G2504 myself G846 also G2504 am G1510 a man. G444
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Acts 3
Commentary on Acts 3 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 3
Ac 3:1-26. Peter Heals a Lame Man at the Temple Gate—Hs Address to the Wondering Multitude.
1-11. Peter and John—already associated by their Master, first with James (Mr 1:29; 5:37; 9:2), then by themselves (Lu 22:8; and see Joh 13:23, 24). Now we find them constantly together, but John (yet young) only as a silent actor.
went up—were going up, were on their way.
2. a certain man lame from his mother's womb—and now "above forty years old" (Ac 4:22).
was carried—was wont to be carried.
4, 5. Peter fastening his eyes on him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed—that, through the eye, faith might be aided in its birth.
6. Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee—What a lofty superiority breathes in these words!
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk—These words, uttered with supernatural power, doubtless begat in this poor man the faith that sent healing virtue through his diseased members.
7. And he took … and lifted him up—precisely what his Lord had done to his own mother-in-law (Mr 1:31).
his feet—"soles."
and ankle bones, &c.—the technical language of a physician (Col 4:14).
8. leaping up, stood … walked … entered the temple walking, leaping, and praising God—Every word here is emphatic, expressing the perfection of the cure, as Ac 3:7 its immediateness.
9. all the people saw him, &c.—as they assembled at the hour of public prayer, in the temple courts; so that the miracle had the utmost publicity.
10. they knew that it was he which sat for alms, &c.—(Compare Joh 9:8).
11. the lame man … held, &c.—This is human nature.
all the people ran together unto them in the porch, &c.—How vividly do these graphic details bring the whole scene before us! Thus was Peter again furnished with a vast audience, whose wonder at the spectacle of the healed beggar clinging to his benefactors prepared them to listen with reverence to his words.
12-16. why marvel at this?—For miracles are marvels only in relation to the limited powers of man.
as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk—Neither the might nor the merit of the cure are due to us, mere agents of Him whom we preach.
13. The God of Abraham, &c.—(See on Ac 2:22; Ac 2:36).
hath glorified his Son Jesus—rather, "his Servant Jesus," as the same word is rendered in Mt 12:18, but in that high sense in which Isaiah applies it always to Messiah (Isa 42:1; 49:6; 52:13; 53:11). When "Son" is intended a different word is used.
whom ye delivered up, &c.—With what heroic courage does Peter here charge his auditors with the heaviest of all conceivable crimes, and with what terrific strength of language are these charges clothed!
15. killed the Prince of life—Glorious paradox, but how piercing to the conscience of the auditors.
16. his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, &c.—With what skill does the apostle use the miracle both to glorify his ascended Lord and bring the guilt of His blood more resistlessly home to his audience!
17-21. And now, brethren—Our preacher, like his Master, "will not break the bruised reed." His heaviest charges are prompted by love, which now hastens to assuage the wounds it was necessary to inflict.
I wot—"know."
through ignorance ye did it—(See marginal references, Lu 23:34; Ac 13:27; 26:9).
18. that Christ—The best manuscripts read, "that His Christ."
should suffer—The doctrine of a Suffering Messiah was totally at variance with the current views of the Jewish Church, and hard to digest even by the Twelve, up to the day of their Lord's resurrection. Our preacher himself revolted at it, and protested against it, when first nakedly announced, for which he received a terrible rebuke. Here he affirms it to be the fundamental truth of ancient prophecy realized unwittingly by the Jews themselves, yet by a glorious divine ordination. How great a change had the Pentecostal illumination wrought upon his views!
19. when the times of refreshing shall come—rather, "in order that the times of refreshing may come"; that long period of repose, prosperity and joy, which all the prophets hold forth to the distracted Church and this miserable world, as eventually to come, and which is here, as in all the prophets, made to turn upon the national conversion of Israel.
20. he shall send Jesus Christ—The true reading is, "He shall send your predestinated (or foreordained) Messiah, Jesus."
21. until the times—embracing the whole period between the ascension and the second advent of Christ.
restitution of all things—comprehending, probably, the rectification of all the disorders of the fall.
22-26. a prophet … like unto me—particularly in intimacy of communication with God (Nu 12:6-8), and as the mediatorial Head of a new order of things (Heb 3:2-6). Peter takes it for granted that, in the light of all he had just said, it would be seen at once that One only had any claim to be that Prophet.
him shall ye hear in all things, &c.—This part of the prediction is emphatically added, in order to shut up the audience to the obedience of faith, on pain of being finally "cut off" from the congregation of the righteous (Ps 1:1).
24. foretold of these days—of Messiah; all pointing to "the time of reformation" (Heb 9:10), though with more or less distinctness.
25. Ye are the children … of the covenant—and so the natural heirs of its promises.
in thy seed, &c.—(See on Ga 3:8, &c.).
26. God, having raised up—not from the dead, but having provided, prepared, and given.
his Son Jesus—"His Servant Jesus" (see on Ac 3:13).
sent him to bless you—literally, "sent Him blessing you," as if laden with blessing.
in turning away every one of you from his iniquities—that is, "Hitherto we have all been looking too much for a Messiah who should shed outward blessings upon the nation generally, and through it upon the world. But we have learned other things, and now announce to you that the great blessing with which Messiah has come laden is the turning away of every one of you from his iniquities." With what divine skill does the apostle, founding on resistless facts, here drive home to the conscience of his auditors their guilt in crucifying the Lord of Glory; then soothe their awakened minds by assurances of forgiveness on turning to the Lord, and a glorious future as soon as this shall come to pass, to terminate with the Personal Return of Christ from the heavens whither He has ascended; ending all with warnings, from their own Scriptures, to submit to Him if they would not perish, and calls to receive from Him the blessings of salvation.