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Acts study & commentary

Acts 3

By Doug Ford
A Lame Man Healed; Preaching in Solomon's Portico

Acts 3:1-10

The early church continued to meet and pray at the temple.  Christianity wasn't a departure from the Judaism they were raised in; it was the fulfillment of it.  Peter and John were probably looking for ministry opportunities.  What better place than a temple full of religious folks that are looking for Jesus but don't know Him yet. 

Peter and John entered by the Eastern Gate which is called the Shoshan gate.  Some believe this gate is the one called Beautiful.  There is a lot of conflicting information on which gate this might be referring to because they were all beautiful but none of them were specifically called "The Beautiful Gate".  Josephus wrote of the temple gates and told us the temple had ten gates into the sanctuary.  Nine of these gates were overlaid with silver and gold, and the tenth gate was covered in Corinthian bronze and that it was 75 feet high.  This double door gate was so massive it took twenty men to close it.  According to Josephus, "it greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold." 

Other scholars believe this Beautiful gate is the interior gate leading from the court of women into the court of the priests.  This seems unlikely for a beggar to be here because the traffic would be somewhat limited. 

Peter and John, apostles, leaders of this new born church, were men consistent in prayer.  It was Jewish tradition for prayer at 9am, noon and 3pm.  This is probably the 3pm prayer.  (Tevia would say, "Traditions, traditions. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as... as a fiddler on the roof!")  As they enter this 'certain' man is asking for alms.  This man was born lame.  Think about this, he had never once stood on his feet, walked or run.  His life consisted of trying to survive.  He was carried every day to the Beautiful gate to beg.  This gate was a high traffic area of people going to the temple.  It was a good place for a lame man to ask for help.  And maybe, just maybe, these people would offer him a small coin from time to time, hopefully enough to buy just a little food.

John and Peter had probably passed this guy many times.  They may have given him alms at some point in time.  This wouldn't have been the only man there.  There would be a crowd of the sick, lame and blind all seeking alms.  This man saw Peter and John and caught their attention asking them for alms.   The request is the word erota.  It is 'an oft-repeated appeal'.  This man had done nothing else for years but laid there and made his appeal for alms.  He had probably developed a keen sense of who might help him and who wouldn't.  As he made eye contact and plea to one, he would quickly move on to the next, so his plea would reach as many folks as possible.

This is quite a contrast to the events of Pentecost where 3000 were saved.  Now, there is no wind, no fire, no tongues.  Just one man, lame, of no value in the eyes of the world, but he had a divine appointment with Peter and John and then Jesus.  Peter and John were challenged on taking their faith seriously and being a witness to this man.

Peter's request for the man's attention was probably not something that happened often.  He may well have thought he was about to get a nice donation.  Peter's spontaneity had got him trouble many times; quickly pulling his sword, quickly speaking out without thinking.  However, this is a different Peter, one moved by the Holy Spirit.   Peter fixed his eyes on this man.  The man gave his attention to Peter when Peter commanded him to rise up and walk.  This took faith!!  What did Peter give the man?  God used Peter to give this man his freedom.  You know there was a probably a brief moment when this man thought, "Great, the only folks that stop are those with no silver or gold."  Then, suddenly, what they gave him was more valuable than anything he'd ever received.  

Peter hadn't become some super apostle with healing power.  The Holy Spirit had empowered Peter and John to heal this man in the name of Jesus.  I wonder if there was a moment when Peter thought, "What?  What am I saying!  This is crazy talk!"  Peter said to a man that had never walked to "Get up and walk!"  John may have been thinking, "Peter's done it again."

Imagine that moment in the life of a man that has never walked.  This man was healed in the name of Jesus.  He had faith to hear what Peter said.  He had courage to receive it and the motivation to attempt to stand when he had never done so before.  His feet and ankles were made stronger.  Then he not only stood, but he also walked.  And what did he do with his first steps?  He entered the temple with Peter and John.  While John and Peter were probably walking, this man was walking, leaping and praising God.  He's making some noise.  This man had probably never had a reason to praise as he had this day.  He was freed from his prison that day.

Imagine all those people who were used to coming every day, same time, different day, say your prayers and go away.  This man spiced things up a bit.  He was noticed.  He stood out in the crowd.  Everyone saw him.  Many folks were saying, "I know that guy.  He's the one who used to sit at the gate begging."  Someone else said, "No, that can't be him.  The guy at the gate is lame, that dude is dancing and singing and carrying on.  No, can't be the same guy." 

But it was.  They were filled with wonder and amazement.

 

Acts 3:11-16

This man was becoming famous as the formerly lame guy.  I suspect this man felt completely out of place and he was surely out of his element.  He clung to Peter and John, he had to figure they were safe.  He began to draw a crowd and they gathered around this miracle man, along with Peter and John at Solomon's portico. 

Solomon's porch was a covered area along the eastern wall of the outermost court, known as the court of the gentiles. 

There was nothing like an honest to goodness miracle to draw a crowd.  This was the real thing and everyone knew it.  What they didn't know is how this happened?  Peter asked them why they are amazed that God can do things like this, HHHHHH H e has done many miracles.  Peter identified Jesus with the God they claimed, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God the Jews knew and the God they had come to the temple to worship.  This very same God glorified Jesus, Peter said. 

It's as though Peter went on to remind them of the facts:

  • He's the One some of you delivered up to Pilate
  • The One Pilate found innocent
  • The One you denied and instead asked for a murderer to be freed

Peter reminded them that they disowned Him, the Holy and Righteous One, the Prince of Life.  This is fascinating, had Peter forgot his own denials of Christ?  Was he not concerned they would remind him of his failings?  Peter declared that God raised Jesus from the dead and they were witnesses to that fact.  It was Faith in the name of Jesus that brought this lame man back to his feet.  The lame man walking authenticates the testimony of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. 

This is certainly a different Peter than we read about in the gospels.  These guys could have easily taken the glory for this miraculous healing.  They could have accepted the accolades and pats on the back and felt super spiritual.  We must all beware of the pride that enters in when God does something through you!!  Satan will bait us.  He will tell us how wonderful we are.  We can never forget that the power is in the name of Jesus.

 

Acts 3:17-26

Peter confirmed that they acted in ignorance.   He doesn't excuse their sin, but also gives grace similar to what was given to him. The things the prophets foretold were fulfilled.  Consider Psalm 22; Isaiah 50:6; 53:5; Daniel 9:26; Hosea 6:1; Zechariah 13:6; 1 Peter 1:10.  God had announced to the prophets that the Messiah would suffer.  Peter urged them to repent of what they had done.

Faith and belief are worn out in efforts to evangelize.  The language used and methods of leading someone to the Lord cause division and criticism today.  These things are hotly debated among scholars.  The meaning of the word repentance and its link to the justification process seem to be one of the focal points of debate.  Wayne Grudem diagrams it out in his Systematic Theology book. 

  1. Turning away from sin
  2. Turning to the Lord

The two are different sides of the same coin, each expressing the same thing from a different perspective.  We turn to the Lord in faith, we turn away from sin in repentance.  You can't have one without the other.

Even though these men were ignorant of their sin they are still sinners.  Even this sin can be forgiven, by repenting and being converted.  Conversion blots out their sin.  The word for 'blot out' is to erase.  In those days, the ink would be scraped off.   We might think of it as 'white out' used to paint over a previous entry to make it go away.  Then you will have times of refreshing in the presence of the Lord.  This refreshing is a time of rejuvenation and speaks ultimately toward millennial age – see Deuteronomy 30; Joel 2, 3:17 and Zechariah 12.  The prophets said that there would be a prophet raised up.  They also spoke of that time coming when all things would be made new.  Peter quotes the words of Moses from Deuteronomy 18:15 to make his point. 

See Luke 24:25

The 'sons of prophets' meant they had a privilege place, and with that comes responsibility.  It's as though they were sitting in the front row watching a great performance.  They needed to testify to those that could not see.  The people that Peter was talking to are the first generation that must heed this call.  They have the opportunity to be the Firstfruits. 

The church continued to grow and was added to one soul at a time. 

 

©2008, 2014, 2021 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater