Chapter Overview›
What happens: Peter and John go up to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer (v.1). A man lame from birth, carried daily to the gate called Beautiful to beg, asks them for alms; Peter, with John, fixes his gaze and says he has no silver or gold but gives what he has: "in the name of Jesus the Nazarene, walk" (vv.2-6). Taking him by the hand, Peter raises him; his feet and ankles are made firm, and he enters the temple walking, leaping, and praising God (vv.7-10). As the amazed crowd runs together at Solomon's portico, Peter answers: why marvel, as if by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has glorified his servant Jesus, whom they handed over and denied before Pilate, asking for a murderer instead; they killed the Author of life, whom God raised — of which the apostles are witnesses; and it is faith in his name that has made the man whole (vv.11-16). Peter grants they acted in ignorance, as did their rulers, but God thus fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets — that his Messiah would suffer (vv.17-18). So: change your minds and turn, for the wiping away of sins, that times of refreshing may come and God may send the Messiah appointed for them, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets (vv.19-21). Moses foretold a prophet like himself, to be heeded on pain of being cut off; all the prophets from Samuel announced these days (vv.22-24). They are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant: "in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed" — and God, raising up his servant, sent him first to them, to bless them by turning each from wickedness (vv.25-26).
Key themes: "The name" of Jesus as the power that heals and saves (vv.6, 16); the apostles as channels, not sources, of power (v.12); the God of the patriarchs glorifying his "servant" (pais) Jesus — the Isaianic Servant overtone; the contrast pattern (you denied / God glorified; you killed / God raised); the Author/Pioneer of life killed yet raised; faith in the name as the means of wholeness; the suffering Messiah as the fulfillment of "all the prophets"; the call to change of mind and "turning," with "times of refreshing" and the "restoration of all things"; the prophet-like-Moses (Deut 18) identified with Jesus; the Abrahamic covenant and the blessing of "all the families of the earth" — Israel addressed first, the nations in view.
Watch for: Archēgos (v.15) means "leader, founder, pioneer, originator, author" — the TT renders "Author of life" and flags the range. Pais (vv.13, 26) means both "servant" and "child" — here the Isaianic "Servant of the LORD" (Isa 52-53) is in view; the TT renders "servant" and notes the overtone. Apokatastasis (v.21), "restoration of all things," is theologically debated; the TT keeps it without resolving its scope. The Moses citation (vv.22-23, Deut 18:15-19) is Moses's speech about the LORD and is not divine-marked; the Abrahamic word (v.25, Gen 22:18) is the LORD's direct covenant speech and is marked. Kyrios = YHWH in vv.19 ("the face of the Lord") and 22 ("the Lord God").
Connection: The sermon is saturated with the Hebrew Bible. "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers" is the self-identification of YHWH at the bush (Ex 3:6, 15). "His servant" echoes the Servant Songs of Isaiah (42; 49; 52:13-53:12). The prophet-like-Moses is Deuteronomy 18:15-19. The Abrahamic blessing of "all the families of the earth" is Genesis 22:18 (cf. 12:3; 18:18; 26:4). Samuel as the head of the prophetic line recalls 1 Samuel 3. The "restoration" (apokatastasis) draws on the prophetic hope of Israel's renewal (e.g. Mal 4:5-6; Acts 1:6).
1Now Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John) were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth. 2And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was being carried, whom they used to set daily at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, to ask alms from those entering into the temple. 3He, seeing Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John) about to enter into the temple, was asking to receive alms. 4And Kefa (Peter), gazing at him together with Yochanan (John), said, "Look at us." 5And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Kefa (Peter) said, "Silver and gold is not mine, but what I have, this I give you: in the name of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus) the Nazarene — rise and walk." 7And taking him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made firm, 8and leaping up, he stood and was walking, 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 recognized him, that this was the one sitting for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and ecstasy at what had happened to him.
11And as he held on to Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John), all the people ran together to them at the portico called Solomon's (Shlomoh's), utterly astonished. 12And seeing this, Kefa (Peter) answered the people, "Men, Israelites, why do you marvel at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13The God of Avraham (Abraham) and of Yitschaq (Isaac) and of Ya'aqov (Jacob), the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Yeshua (Jesus), whom you handed over and denied before the face of Pilate, when that one had decided to release him. 14But you denied the holy and righteous one, and asked for a man, a murderer, to be granted to you, 15but the Author of life you killed, whom God raised from the dead — of which we are witnesses. 16And upon the faith of his name, this one whom you see and know — his name made him firm; and the faith that is through him gave him this wholeness before you all.
17"And now, brothers, I know that you acted according to ignorance, just as also your rulers; 18but God, the things which he foretold through the mouth of all the prophets — that his Messiah would suffer — he thus fulfilled. 19Change your minds, therefore, and turn, for the wiping out of your sins, 20so that times of refreshing may come from the face of the Lord, and that he may send the one foreordained for you, the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus), 21whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. 22Mosheh (Moses) indeed said that 'A prophet for you the Lord God will raise up from your brothers, like me; him you shall hear in all things, whatever he may speak to you. 23And it will be that every soul, whoever does not hear that prophet, will be utterly destroyed from the people.' 24And indeed all the prophets, from Shmuel (Samuel) and those who came after, as many as spoke, also announced these days. 25You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God covenanted with your fathers, saying to Avraham (Abraham), 'And in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed.' 26To you first, God, having raised up his servant, sent him, blessing you in the turning of each of you from your wickednesses."