Acts 3
3
Healing at the Beautiful Gate
1One afternoon Peter and John went to the temple for the three o’clock prayer. # 3:1 Daily sacrifices were made in the temple at sunrise and about three o’clock every afternoon. 2As they came to the entrance called the Beautiful Gate, # 3:2 Or “the gate called Wonderful” in Aramaic. It is difficult to ascertain which of the many gates of the temple this might have been, and there is varying speculation with no certain conclusion. However, this Beautiful Gate points to Jesus Christ, who is the gate or entrance into the sheepfold of God. Furthermore, it hints of Ezekiel’s temple (Ezek. 47), which has a river flowing out from the threshold through the gateway of the temple. This river was first measured to be ankle deep. This man, lame in his ankles, was healed by the spiritual “river” that flowed out the “Beautiful Gate” of Christ. The gateway opened up and the river poured out of Peter and John, bringing healing to the lame. they were captured by the sight of a man crippled from birth being carried and placed at the entrance to the temple. He was often brought there to beg for money from those going in to worship. 3When he noticed Peter and John going into the temple, he begged them for money.
4Peter and John, looking straight into the eyes of the crippled man, said, “Look at us!” 5Expecting a gift, he readily gave them his attention. 6Then Peter said, “I don’t have money, but I’ll give you this—by the power of the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!”
7-8Peter held out his right hand to the crippled man. As he pulled the man to his feet, suddenly power surged into his crippled feet and ankles. The man jumped up, stood there for a moment stunned, and then began to walk around! As he went into the temple courts with Peter and John, he leapt for joy and shouted praises to God.
9When all the people saw him jumping up and down and heard him glorifying God, 10they realized it was the crippled beggar they had passed by in front of the Beautiful Gate. Astonishment swept over the crowd, for they were amazed over what had happened to him.
Peter Preaches to the Crowd
11Dumbfounded over what they were witnessing, the crowd ran over to Peter and John, who were standing under the covered walkway called Solomon’s Porch. Standing there also was the healed beggar, clinging to Peter and John. # 3:11 What an amazing picture this makes. This scene transpired at Solomon’s Porch. Lessons of wisdom, greater than the wisdom of Solomon, were uncovered by this miracle to those who had hearts of understanding.
12With the crowd surrounding him, Peter said to them all, “People of Israel, # 3:12 The Aramaic could be translated “protectors of Israel.” listen to me! Why are you so amazed by this healing? Why do you stare at us? We didn’t make this crippled man walk by our own power or authority. # 3:12 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “piety.” 13The God of our ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, # 3:13 See Ex. 3:6. has done this. For he has glorified his Servant # 3:13 See Isa. 52:13. Jesus, the one you denied to Pilate’s face when he decided to release him—and you insisted that he be crucified. 14You rejected # 3:14 Or “denied.” It is amazing how complete was the healing of Peter’s life. Just fifty days previously, it was Peter who denied he knew Jesus three times. Now he says to his fellow Jews, “You denied the holy and righteous One!” the one who is holy and righteous, and instead begged for a murderer to be released. 15You killed the Prince of Life! # 3:15 Or “Originator of Life.” But God raised him from the dead, and we stand here as witnesses to that fact. 16Faith in Jesus’ name has healed this man standing before you. It is the faith that comes through believing in Jesus’ name that has made the crippled man walk right in front of your eyes!
17“My fellow Jews, I realize that neither you nor your leaders realize the grave mistake you made. 18But in spite of what you’ve done, God has fulfilled what he foretold through the prophets long ago about the sufferings of his Anointed One. 19And now you must repent and turn back # 3:19 Peter uses the Greek word epistrepho (“turn back to God,” “be converted”). We need to not only repent but to return home to God’s grace and truth. This is a Hebraic thought of returning to the Lord God (the Hebrew word shuv). Every Jew would know what that means: “Come back to God!” Repentance and return is more than a passive changing of one’s mind. to God so that your sins will be removed, # 3:19 The Greek word used here, exaleipho, means “obliterated” or “canceled.” and so that times of refreshing # 3:19 Or “cooling breeze,” which occurs only here in the New Testament. This hints of the time when God walked with Adam in the cooling breeze of the day. The work of the cross begins the restoration of Paradise within the hearts of Christ’s followers. will stream from the Lord’s presence. 20And he will send you Jesus, the Messiah, the appointed one. # 3:20 The Aramaic can be translated “He will send you all that has been already prepared for you through Jesus, the Anointed One.” 21For he must remain in heaven until the restoration of all things # 3:21 Or “until the time for the universal restoration.” has taken place, # 3:21 Or “This one the heavens must receive until the times of universal restoration.” The word restoration in Greek is apokatastasis, which infers the restoration of creation to the state of existence before the fall, but also Davidic covenant being restored. Luke’s choice of the Greek word found only here in the New Testament is noteworthy. It is a medical term that means “restoration of perfect health.” fulfilling everything that God said long ago through his holy prophets. 22For has not Moses told us: # 3:22 See Lev. 23:29; Deut. 18:15, 19.
‘The Lord your God will raise up
a prophet from among you who is like me.
Listen to him and follow everything he tells you.
23Every person who disobeys that prophet
will be cut off and completely destroyed.’
24“In fact, every prophet from the time of Samuel onward has prophesied of these very days! 25And you are heirs of their prophecies # 3:25 Or “sons of the prophets.” and of the covenants God made with your fathers when he promised Abraham, # 3:25 See Gen. 22:18; 26:4. ‘Your descendant # 3:25 Or “seed” (descendants). will bring blessing to all the people on the earth.’
26“Now that God raised up his Son, # 3:26 The Greek word pais can mean either “servant” or “son.” (See Strong’s Concordance, Gr. 3816.) The Aramaic is clearly “son.” Notice how many times in the book of Acts that the followers of Christ preached the resurrection. The power and virtue of the cross can never be diminished; however, it is the resurrection of Christ that became the apostolic center of their preaching in the book of Acts. he has chosen to send him first to you that he might bless you by turning each one of you # 3:26 The Aramaic uses the conditional clause “if you turn and repent from your evils.” from your wickedness.” # 3:26 The Greek is plural, “wickednesses” or “evil ways.”
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Acts 3: TPT
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