Paths in Biblical Studies

Book of Acts · Chapter 3 of 28

Acts 3: Verse-by-Verse Commentary (with Videos)

26 verses · 10 video commentaries from 5 courses · Berean Standard Bible

1One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

2And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts.

3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.

4Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter.

5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

6But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

7Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong.

8He sprang to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and leaping and praising God.

9When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

10they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11While the man clung to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and ran to them in the walkway called Solomon’s Colonnade.

12And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him.

14You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.

15You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses of this fact.

16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has been made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given him this complete healing in your presence.

17And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.

18But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer.

19Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away,

20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you.

21Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.

22For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you.

23Everyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people.’

24Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days.

25And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’

26When God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Acts 3 Section and Chapter Commentary

Acts 3:1-26

Healing of the Lame Man and Peter's Second Sermon

Peter and John heal a lame man at the temple gate in Jesus' name, causing amazement among the onlookers. Peter then preaches another sermon, attributing the healing to Jesus' power and once again accusing the Jewish people of rejecting and killing God's chosen one, who God subsequently raised from the dead.

Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 2: How Christianity Began · watch the clip

Acts 3:1-10

Miracles as a Catalyst for Conversion

The Book of Acts consistently portrays miracles as a decisive factor in converting people. The author suggests that seeing or hearing about these miraculous deeds, such as the Spirit's arrival at Pentecost, convinces people of God's power and Jesus' divine representation, leading to belief and conversion.

Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 2: How Christianity Began · watch the clip

Acts' 10,000 converts in Jerusalem within two months: legend, says Ehrman

Ehrman says the Book of Acts gives legendary material about the earliest church. Acts 1 has Jesus spend 40 days with the disciples before ascending, though Luke's gospel has him ascend on the day of his resurrection; after Pentecost Acts reports 3,000 converts, then 5,000 more after Peter heals a lame man in the temple, roughly 10,000 Christians in Jerusalem within two months of Jesus's death. He thinks there is no way that happened: there is no record of it anywhere else, Josephus says nothing, and Christians were barely known even in Judea.

Summarized by AI · Through the Eye of a Needle: Jesus's Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance · Lecture 6: Wealth in the Wake of Jesus · watch the clip

Apostles Replicate Jesus' Miracles

The miracles performed by Jesus in Luke's Gospel, such as healing the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead, are replicated by the apostles in the book of Acts. This parallel demonstrates a thematic continuity, showing that the power and mission of Jesus continue through his followers.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Why Should We Think Luke and Acts Have the Same Author? · watch the clip

Miracles as a Catalyst for Conversion

Miracles were consistently cited as a primary reason for conversion in early Christian accounts. Paul himself claimed to have seen Jesus alive after death, which converted him, and he mentioned performing signs and wonders among his congregations. The Book of Acts frequently depicts mass conversions occurring after apostles performed miracles, such as healings. Even later, intelligent writers like Saint Augustine attributed conversions to the power of God demonstrated through miracles.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How Did Christianity Take Over the Roman World? · watch the clip

Acts 3 Verse Notes

Acts 3:1

Implausible Conversion Numbers in Jerusalem

Acts reports an implausibly high number of conversions in Jerusalem within a short period, with 3,000 converting after Peter's sermon in Acts 2 and 5,000 more after a healing in Acts 3. This rapid growth to 10,000 Jewish converts within weeks is not corroborated by other historical sources like Josephus, suggesting significant exaggeration.

Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 6: Acts as History · watch the clip

Acts 3:6-8

Continuity Between Jesus and the Apostles

Luke intentionally draws parallels between Jesus' ministry in his Gospel and the apostles' ministry in Acts. Both begin with receiving the Spirit, speak through the Spirit's power, perform miracles like healing and casting out demons, face opposition from Jewish leaders, and ultimately triumph, demonstrating a coherent, Spirit-guided narrative.

Summarized by AI · The Genius of the Acts of the Apostles · Lecture 2: How Christianity Began · watch the clip

Acts 3:19

Apostolic preaching in Acts emphasizes forgiveness, not atonement

In the Book of Acts, the apostles' sermons consistently call for repentance and offer forgiveness for sins, but they do not preach that Jesus died as an atoning sacrifice for sins. Their message focuses on Jesus' innocence, his resurrection by God, and the need for listeners to repent to receive God's forgiveness.

Summarized by AI · Luke's Maverick Gospel · Lecture 7: Did Jesus Die for Your Sins? · watch the clip

Luke's unique view of Jesus' death and atonement

Luke's Gospel and the Book of Acts present a distinct understanding of Jesus' death, differing from other New Testament books. Luke does not portray Jesus' death as an atonement for sins, where a price is paid for wrongdoing. Instead, he emphasizes that God forgives sins when people repent. Jesus' death, in Luke-Acts, is primarily an occasion for repentance, demonstrating the injustice committed by Jewish authorities, which then prompts people to turn to God for forgiveness.

Summarized by AI · The Scribal Corruption of Scripture: How the Bible Was Changed and Why Readers May Never Know · Lecture 2: The Open Secret of Our Uncertainties | Why Didn’t Someone Tell Me? · watch the clip

Apostolic Preaching in Acts: Repentance, Not Atonement

In the Book of Acts, which is Luke's second volume, the apostles' sermons consistently emphasize repentance and God's forgiveness rather than Jesus' death as an atoning sacrifice. They portray Jesus' death as a miscarriage of justice that should lead people to realize their guilt and turn back to God for forgiveness.

Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · The Surprising Reason Luke Removed Atonement from His Gospel · watch the clip

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