Bullet Point Bible

Healing at the Beautiful Gate

¹ Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon.² And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called "the Beautiful Gate" every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts.³ When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money.⁴ Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, "Look at us!"⁵ So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.⁶ But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!"⁷ Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man's feet and ankles were made strong.⁸ He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God.⁹ All the people saw him walking and praising God,¹⁰ and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter and John continued Jewish religious practices, like attending temple prayer at the ninth hour (3 p.m.). This shows the early believers still saw themselves within Judaism.
The Beautiful Gate was a prominent entrance to the temple, likely the Nicanor Gate, known for its Corinthian bronze. Placing a beggar here ensured high visibility (Acts 3:2).
Almsgiving was considered an important act of piety in Judaism, making the temple entrance a strategic location for begging (Acts 3:2).
Peter's command, "Look at us!" (Acts 3:4), demanded the man's full attention, shifting focus from receiving money to receiving something far greater.
Peter explicitly states the healing is performed "in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene" (Acts 3:6), attributing the power solely to Jesus, not to himself.
The healing was instantaneous and complete ("at once the man's feet and ankles were made strong," Acts 3:7), demonstrating divine power.
The man's actions – walking, leaping, and praising God (Acts 3:8) – are reminiscent of the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 35:6 ("then the lame will leap like a deer").
The miracle served as an undeniable public testimony, causing "astonishment and amazement" (Acts 3:10) and drawing a crowd, setting the stage for Peter's sermon.
This event is the first recorded healing miracle performed by the apostles after Pentecost, demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit working through them as promised by Jesus (Acts 1:8).
The contrast between the man's expectation (money) and what he received (physical healing and spiritual opportunity) highlights the greater gifts offered through Christ (Acts 3:5-6).

Peter Explains the Healing

¹¹ While the man was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon's Portico.¹² When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk by our own power or piety?¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him.¹⁴ But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you.¹⁵ You killed the Originator of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses!¹⁶ And on the basis of faith in Jesus' name, his very name has made this man-whom you see and know-strong. The faith that is through Jesus has given him this complete health in the presence of you all.

Solomon's Portico (or Colonnade) was a covered walkway on the eastern side of the Temple Mount, a common place for teaching and public gathering (Acts 3:11; John 10:23).
Peter immediately deflects attention from himself and John, emphasizing that the healing was not due to their own "power or piety" (Acts 3:12). This contrasts sharply with magicians or false healers who sought personal glory.
He connects the God performing the miracle to the patriarchs ("God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," Acts 3:13), stressing continuity with Israel's faith and history.
Peter directly confronts the crowd with their responsibility in Jesus' death: they "handed over," "rejected," and "killed" him (Acts 3:13-15).
The titles used for Jesus are significant: "Servant" (pais, Acts 3:13, possibly alluding to Isaiah's Suffering Servant), "Holy and Righteous One" (Acts 3:14), and "Originator [or Author/Prince] of life" (Acts 3:15), highlighting his divine nature and innocence.
The irony is stark: they chose Barabbas, a murderer, over the "Originator of life" (Acts 3:14-15).
Peter boldly proclaims the core of the gospel message: Jesus' resurrection ("whom God raised from the dead") and the apostles' role as eyewitnesses ("To this fact we are witnesses!" Acts 3:15).
Faith in Jesus' name is presented as the conduit for God's healing power ("on the basis of faith in Jesus' name... Faith that comes through Jesus," Acts 3:16). This faith originates from Jesus himself.
The healing serves as tangible proof ("this perfect health in the presence of all of you," Acts 3:16) validating the apostles' message about the resurrected Christ.

Call to Repentance and Restoration

¹⁷ And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did too.¹⁸ But the things God foretold long ago through all the prophets-that his Christ would suffer-he has fulfilled in this way.¹⁹ Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out,²⁰ so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and so that he may send the Messiah appointed for you-that is, Jesus.²¹ This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets.

Peter softens his accusation slightly by acknowledging their actions were done partly "in ignorance" (Acts 3:17), echoing Jesus' words on the cross (Luke 23:34). However, ignorance does not remove culpability entirely.
He frames Jesus' suffering and death not as a tragic mistake, but as the fulfillment of God's predetermined plan foretold by the prophets (Acts 3:18; cf. Isaiah 53).
The call to action is clear: "Repent and turn back" (Acts 3:19). Repentance (metanoeō) means changing one's mind and direction, turning away from sin towards God.
The results of repentance are forgiveness ("sins may be wiped out," Acts 3:19) and spiritual renewal ("times of refreshing," Acts 3:20).
"Times of refreshing" (kairoi anapsuxeōs) likely refers to the blessings of the Messianic age, experienced initially through the Spirit and fully at Christ's return (Acts 3:20).
Peter connects repentance with the future return of Christ ("that he may send the Messiah appointed for you," Acts 3:20). Their response impacts the unfolding of God's plan.
Jesus' current location is heaven, where he remains until the "restoration of all things" (apokatastasis pantōn, Acts 3:21), a concept linked to the final establishment of God's kingdom and the renewal of creation, also prophesied in the Old Testament.
This section emphasizes God's sovereignty over history, the necessity of human response (repentance), and the hope tied to Christ's present authority and future return.

Jesus: The Prophet Like Moses

²² Moses said, ' The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey him in everything he tells you .²³ Every person who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed from the people .'²⁴ And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced these days.²⁵ You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ' And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed .'²⁶ God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities."

Peter identifies Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy in Deuteronomy 18:15, 18 concerning a future "prophet like Moses" whom Israel must obey (Acts 3:22).
This comparison elevates Jesus significantly, as Moses was the foundational figure of Israelite religion and law. Jesus brings a new covenant and speaks with ultimate authority.
The warning attached to the prophecy is severe: disobedience to this Prophet leads to being "completely destroyed from among the people" (Acts 3:23, quoting Deut 18:19), implying exclusion from God's covenant community.
Peter asserts that the entire prophetic tradition, starting from Samuel, pointed towards "these days" – the era inaugurated by Jesus Christ (Acts 3:24).
He reminds his Jewish audience of their privileged heritage as "descendants of the prophets and of the covenant" made with Abraham (Acts 3:25).
The Abrahamic Covenant's promise that "in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed" (Genesis 22:18; 12:3) finds its fulfillment in Jesus (Acts 3:25).
God's initial plan involved sending Jesus "first to you" (the Jewish people), offering them the primary opportunity to receive the blessing (Acts 3:26). This aligns with the pattern seen in Jesus' ministry and the early church's mission (Romans 1:16).
The nature of the blessing offered through Jesus is fundamentally spiritual: "turning each one of you from your wicked ways" (Acts 3:26), emphasizing repentance and transformation over mere material or nationalistic expectations.
This sermon powerfully synthesizes Old Testament prophecy, the life and work of Jesus, the apostolic witness, and a call to personal response, demonstrating how Jesus is the climax of God's redemptive plan for Israel and the world.

The Bullet Point Bible

Acts 3