Acts 3

Chapter of the New Testament
Acts 3
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Acts 3:5–6, 10–12 on Uncial 057 from 4th/5th century
BookActs of the Apostles
CategoryChurch history
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part5

Acts 3 is the third chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book containing this chapter is anonymous but early Christian tradition affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke.[1] This chapter records the healing of a disabled person by the apostles Peter and John, and Peter's preaching at Solomon's Porch in the Second Temple.[2]

From Raphael's workshop, "Healing of the Lame Man," a cartoon for a tapestry that depicts Peter healing the lame man (Acts 3). The artist used the Solomonic columns in St. Peter's Basilica as models for the columns of the Jewish Temple.

Text

The original text was written in Koine Greek and is divided into 26 verses.

Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Old Testament references

  • Acts 3:22–23: Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19 and Deuteronomy 7:37[3]
  • Acts 3:25: Genesis 12:3,[3] Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14

A lame man is healed (3:1–10)

This section gives one detailed account as an example of Luke's earlier note that "the 'apostolic band' has the power to work miracles" (Acts 2:43).[4]

Verse 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.[5]

The temple in Jerusalem had several gates, but it is not clear which one might have been called Beautiful. No ancient source mentions the Beautiful Gate, but the Nicanor Gate is probably the best guess. Traditionally the gate is identified with the Shushan Gate but, according to C. K. Barrett, that gate was not a suitable location for a beggar.[6]

Verse 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".[7]

The healing of the lame man in this chapter is the inspiration of some songs. One such example is the children's song "Silver and Gold Have I None".[8]

No other name (3:11–26)

These verses record Peter's second speech (after Acts 2), which addresses the same two questions as his first: 'What does this mean?' (cf. 2:12) and 'What shall we do?' (cf. 2:37).[4]

Verse 17

Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.[9]

  • "Ignorance" is identified as a "mitigating factor" in the rejection of the Messiah, a mistake of both the crowd (whom Peter called 'brethren') and their rulers.[4] Albert Barnes reasons that Peter "means to say that their offence was mitigated by the fact that they were ignorant that [Jesus] was the Messiah". He adds that the same thing was affirmed by Jesus as he died: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).[10]

Verses 22–23

²²For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. ²³And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’[11]

Cited from Deuteronomy 18:19, linked with Leviticus 23:29, the prophecy contains the term "prophet like [Moses]" as a "biblical typology".[4]

Verse 26

To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.[12]

  • "To you first": The offer of blessing from God is universal, but is first offered to the people of Israel; this is also Paul's message (cf. Romans 1:16).[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Alexander 2007, p. 1028.
  2. ^ Halley, Henry H. 1962. Bible Handbook: an abbreviated Bible commentary. 23rd ed. Zondervan.
  3. ^ a b "Biblical concordances of Acts 3 in the 1611 King James Version".
  4. ^ a b c d e Alexander 2007, p. 1033.
  5. ^ Acts 3:2 KJV
  6. ^ Barrett, Acts 1–14 (International Critical Commentary), pp. 179–80.
  7. ^ Acts 3:6 KJV
  8. ^ Cedarmont Kids – Silver & Gold Have I None
  9. ^ Acts 3:17 NKJV
  10. ^ Barnes, A. (1834), Barnes' Notes on Acts 3, accessed 16 March 2024
  11. ^ Acts 3:22–23 NKJV
  12. ^ Acts 3:26 NKJV

Sources

  • Alexander, Loveday (2007). "62. Acts". In Barton, John; Muddiman, John (eds.). The Oxford Bible Commentary (first (paperback) ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 1028–1061. ISBN 978-0199277186. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  • Coogan, Michael David (2007). Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (eds.). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 (Augmented 3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288810.

External links

  • Acts 3 King James Bible - Wikisource
  • English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate
  • Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
  • Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.)
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In popular culture
  • A.D. (1985 miniseries)
  • The Visual Bible: Acts (1994 film)
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