Acts Three

by Dr. Henry M. Morris

(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)

Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

at the hour of prayer. Note that the apostles and their converts continued in the regular practices of the Jewish religion, in addition to their new activities as Christian witnesses. In reality, they were not seeking to establish a new religion but rather to extend and fulfill all that their Biblical faith and practice had been promising would take place when the Messiah came.

Acts 3:2 And 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;

Acts 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Acts 3:6 Then 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.

Acts 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Acts 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Acts 3:10 And 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.

Acts 3:11 And 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.

Acts 3:12 And 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?

Acts 3:13 The 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.

Acts 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

Acts 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Acts 3:16 And 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.

his name. The “name” includes many names, each of which indicates a vital truth concerning Him. Note the following, in the immediate context: “His Son Jesus” (Acts 3:13); “the Holy One and the Just” (Acts 3:14); “The Prince of life” (Acts 3:15); “[His] Christ” (Acts 3:18); “the Lord” (Acts 3:19); and “a prophet” (Acts 3:22). In addition to these, many other names and titles are ascribed in Scripture to Christ. See, for example, John 1:1-34 (Word, Light, Lamb of God, Son of God, etc.) and Isaiah 9:6 (Wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace), in addition to His full name, so to speak, the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:36).

Acts 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

Acts 3:18 But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

Acts 3:19 Repent 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;

times of refreshing. The “times of refreshing” in Acts 3:19, beginning with the first coming of Christ, are a foreshadowing of the “times of restitution” in Acts 3:21, at His second coming. The Greek word for “refreshing,” used only here, literally means “reviving,” or “breathing again,” referring evidently to the new birth which results from repentance and conversion. Note also that, when Peter here urged listeners to repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,” he did not add, “be baptized,” as he had in his first sermon (Acts 2:38). This further indicates that baptism is not required for salvation and forgiveness, though its importance and immediacy are undoubtedly still assumed.

Acts 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

send Jesus Christ. In his first sermon (Acts 2:14-36), Peter had not mentioned Christ's second coming, though he had covered His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Now, however, he does emphasize it, as the two “men” had at Christ's ascension (Acts 1:10-11).

Acts 3:21 Whom 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.

times of restitution. “Restitution” is from a Greek word used only this one time in the New Testament, though it is closely related to a word meaning “restore.” The promise thus means that, when Christ comes again, He will restore all things to their primeval perfection, before sin and the curse came into the world. Compare Revelation 21:5; 22:3.

since the world began. Note that God's prophets have been prophesying the restoration of all things ever “since the world began,” not just beginning some four billion years after the world began, as evolutionists would allege. There is no Biblical basis whatever for the notion of vast ages since creation. Compare Mark 10:6: Luke 1:70. It should be recognized that there is no scientific proof that the world is older than the few thousand years of recorded history. All such age calculations that yield vast eons of time are based upon the premise of uniformitarianism, which is the belief that everything has been uniform from the beginning of time, and there has been no universal catastrophe such as the worldwide Flood. This is an invalid assumption in light of the records of special creation and the worldwide Flood in the days of Noah. See notes on 2 Peter 3:3-6.

Acts 3:22 For 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.

Moses truly said. See Deuteronomy 18:15, 18. This was one of the earliest of the many Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament.

Acts 3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Acts 3:24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Acts 3:25 Ye 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.

saying unto Abraham. Here Peter refers back to the very beginning of the people of Israel, quoting the Messianic promise of Genesis 12:3.

thy seed. The “seed” that will bring such worldwide blessing specifically means “Jesus Christ,” as is evident from the next verse. This interpretation is further confirmed in Galatians 3:16.

Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.