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Acts Chapter Three

 
Chapter Three general Review
 
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
 
1) To study the healing of the lame man, noting various aspects of the
 miracle
 
2) To examine Peter's second gospel sermon, his call to repent and the
 blessings to follow
 
SUMMARY
 
The chapter opens with Peter and John going to the temple where they
encounter a man lame from birth begging for alms at the gate called
Beautiful. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Peter commands him
to rise up and walk. Taking the lame man by the right hand and lifting
him up, the man is healed instantly and completely. Walking, leaping,
and praising God, he accompanies Peter and John into the temple to the
wonder and amazement of the crowd (1-11).
 
On Solomon's porch, Peter explains that the healing occurred by faith in
the name of Jesus. God has glorified His Servant Jesus, the Holy One
and the Just, the Prince of life, whom they denied and killed, but whom
God raised from the dead as witnessed by Peter and John. While their
crimes were done in ignorance, even foretold and fulfilled by God, they
are commanded to repent and turn. Those that do are promised to have
their sins blotted out and experience other blessings from Jesus who
will remain in heaven until the times of restoration of all things.
Those who do not heed Jesus will be utterly destroyed as foretold by
Moses (cf. Deu 18:15,18-19). As sons of the prophets, and of the
covenant God made with Abraham to bless all families through his seed
(cf. Gen 22:18), to them first God has sent Jesus to bless them in
turning them away from their iniquities (12-26).
 
OUTLINE
 
I. THE HEALING OF THE LAME MAN (1-11)
 
 A. THE MIRACLE AT THE TEMPLE GATE (1-8)
 1. Peter and John go to the temple
 a. At the hour of prayer
 b. Which was the ninth hour (3 p.m.)
 2. The lame man at the temple gate called Beautiful
 a. Lame from his mother's womb
 b. Carried daily to the gate to ask for alms
 c. Seeing Peter and John, asks them for alms
 3. Peter heals the lame man
 a. They fix their eyes on the man, and Peter tells him to look
 at them
  b. The man gives them his attention, expecting to receive
 something
 c. Peter has no gold or silver, but gives what he has
 1) He commands the lame man in the name of Jesus to rise up
 and walk
 2) He takes him by the right hand and lifts him up
 d. Immediately his feet and ankle bones receive strength
 1) Leaping up, the man stands and walks
 2) He enters the temple with Peter and John
 3) He is walking, leaping, and praising God
 
 B. THE RESPONSE OF THE CROWD (9-11)
 1. The people see the lame man walking and praising God
 2. The people know him as the one who begged alms at the Beautiful
 Gate
 3. They are filled with wonder and amazement at what happened
 4. As the lame man holds on to Peter and John, the people run to
 them in Solomon's Porch
 
II. PETER'S SECOND SERMON (12-26)
 
 A. THE MIRACLE EXPLAINED (12-16)
 1. Peter questions why the crowd marveled
  a. Why look at Peter and John so intently?
 b. As though by their own power or godliness they made the man
 walk?
 2. God has glorified His Servant Jesus
 a. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of their
  fathers
 b. Has glorified Jesus
 1) Whom they delivered up and denied
 a) In the presence of Pilate
 b) When he was determined to let Him God
 2) The Holy One and the Just
 a) Whom they denied
 b) And asked for a murderer to be granted to them
 3) The Prince of life
 a) Whom God raised up
 b) Of which Peter and John are witnesses
 3. It was through faith in His name that made the man strong
 a. A man whom they see and know
 b. Faith which comes through Jesus has given him perfect
 soundness in their presence
 
 B. THE CALL TO REPENT AND BE CONVERTED (17-26)
 1. Peter knows they and their rulers crucified Christ in their
 ignorance
 a. Those things God foretold by the mouth of His prophets
 b. How Christ would suffer, God has fulfilled
 2. Peter commands them to repent and be converted
 a. That their sins may be blotted out
 b. That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the
 Lord
 c. That God might send Jesus Christ
 1) Who was preached to them before
 2) Whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration
 of all things
 a) Which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy
 prophets
 b) Since the world began
 3. Even as Moses warned the fathers (cf. Deu 18:15,18-19)
 a. That God would raise up for them a Prophet from their
 brethren
 b. Whom they should hear in all things, whatever He says
 c. Those who will not hear that Prophet will be utterly
 destroyed from among the people
 d. As all the prophets foretold these days, from Samuel and
 those who followed
 4. They are the sons of the prophets, of the covenant God made
 with their fathers
 a. Saying to Abraham, "And in your seed all the families of the
 earth shall be blessed"
 b. To them first, God sent His Servant Jesus to bless them
 1) Having raised Him up
 2) To turn every one of them from their iniquities
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
 
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
 - The healing of the lame man (1-11)
 - Peter's second sermon (12-26)
 
2) When did Peter and John go up to the temple? (1)
 - At the hour of prayer, the ninth hour (3 p.m.)
 
3) What was the name of the gate of the temple where the lame man begged
 for alms? (2)
 - Beautiful
 
4) When Peter and John spoke to the lame man, what he expecting? (3-5)
 - To receive something from them
 
5) As Peter prepared to heal the lame man, what did he say? What did
 Peter then do? (6-7)
 - "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
 - Took the lame man by the right hand and lifted him up
 
6) How soon was the lame man healed? How did the lame man respond?
 (7-8)
 - Immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength
 - Leaping up, stood, walked into the temple, leaping and praising God
 
7) Who saw the lame man walking in the temple? What was their reaction?
 (9-10)
 - All the people, who knew he had been the lame beggar at the gate
 Beautiful
  - Filled with wonder and amazement
 
8) Where did the crowd gather in the temple area? (11)
 - Solomon's porch
 
9) What did Peter first deny? (12)
 - That by their own power or godliness they made the man walk
 
10) What had God done through this miracle? (13)
 - Glorified His Servant Jesus
 
11) Of what did Peter accuse of the crowd concerning Jesus? (13-15)
 - They delivered and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, who wanted
 to let Him go
 - They denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for murderer to be
 granted to them
 - They killed the Prince of life
 
12) What did Peter then proclaim regarding Jesus? What evidence does he
 provide? (15)
 - God raised Him from the dead; he and John as witnesses
 
13) To what does Peter attribute the healing of the lame man? (16)
 - The name of Jesus and faith in His name
 
14) What does Peter say regarding their guilt? What else about their
 actions? (17-18)
 - They did it in ignorance, as did their rulers
 - It was foretold by God through His prophets, which God has now
 fulfilled
 
15) What two commands does Peter give to the people? (19)
 - Repent
 - Be converted (lit., turn)
 
16) What three blessings are extended to those who obey? (19-20)
 - That your sins may be blotted out
 - That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord
 - That He may send Jesus Christ
 
17) How long must Christ remain in heaven? As described by whom? (21)
 - Until the times of restoration of all things
 - God, by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began
 
18) What did Moses promise to the fathers? What did he also warn
 them? (22-23)
 - God would raise up a Prophet like him whom they should hear
 - Those who do not hear Him will be utterly destroyed
 
19) Who else foretold of these days? (24)
 - All the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed
 
20) How did Peter describe his audience? (25)
 - As sons of the prophets
 - As those of the covenant God made with their fathers
 
21) What promise did God make to Abraham? (25)
 - "And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
 
22) How was God seeking to bless the people? (26)
 - Having raised up Jesus, sending Him to bless them in turning people
 away from their iniquities

The 2000 At Solomon's Porch (3:1-4:4)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In our previous lesson, we considered the conversion of "The 3000 On
 Pentecost"...
 a. Precipitated by the outpouring of the Spirit - Ac 2:1-21
 b. Where Peter proclaimed the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus
 - Ac 2:22-36
 c. In which 3000 souls responded to the gospel commands to repent
 and be baptized - Ac 2:37-41
 
2. The next example of conversion in Acts is one often overlooked...
 a. Many charts listing examples of conversions in the Book of Acts
 do not include it
 b. Perhaps because little is said about those converted, other than
 "many of those who heard the word believed" - cf. Ac 4:4
 
3. But since our purpose includes looking at the sermons which led 
 people to Christ, we should certainly consider...
 a. Peter's second gospel sermon, proclaimed on Solomon's Porch in 
 the temple court
 b. A sermon that led 2000 more people to believe in Jesus Christ! 
 - cf. Ac 4:4
 
[As we did in the previous study, let's begin with...]
 
I. THE BACKGROUND OF THE CONVERSION
 
 A. PETER AND JOHN HAD GONE TO THE TEMPLE - Ac 3:1
 1. Christians had been gathering daily in the temple - Ac 2:46
 2. Peter and John arrived at the "hour of prayer, the ninth hour"
 (3 p.m.)
 
 B. A MAN LAME FROM BIRTH HAD BEEN HEALED - Ac 3:2-8
 1. Who was left daily at the gate of the temple called
 "Beautiful" - Ac 3:2-3
 a. To ask alms from the people entering the temple
 b. Who asked Peter and John for alms
 2. Peter healed him in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth 
 - Ac 3:4-8
 a. The lame man expected alms
 b. But Peter offered him something much better than silver or
 gold!
 c. The miracle was immediate and total!
 
 C. A CROWD HAD GATHERED - Ac 3:9-11
 1. Drawn by the scene of the man walking, praising God; one they
 knew had been lame from birth - Ac 3:9-10
 2. Amazed and wondering, they gathered in the porch called 
 Solomon's - Ac 3:11
 
[The similarity to the events in Acts 2 are apparent. A miraculous 
event occurs, it attracts the attention of the people. As before,
Peter uses the opportunity to proclaim Jesus...]
 
II. THE SERMON AND ITS RESPONSE
 
 A. JESUS IS PROCLAIMED, AS THE MIRACLE IS EXPLAINED...
 1. Peter explains the true source of the miracle - Ac 3:12-16
 a. It was not by the power or godliness of Peter and John 
 themselves
 b. It was through faith in the One whom the people killed!
 1) God's Servant, Jesus...
 a) Whom the God of their fathers had glorified!
 b) Whom they had delivered up and denied in the presence
 of Pilate!
 -- Calling Jesus God's "Servant" may be an allusion to
 Isa 52:13-53:12
 2) The Holy One, The Just, The Prince of Life...
 a) Whom they denied, asking for a murderer to be 
 released in his stead!
 b) Whom God raised from the dead, as seen by witnesses!
 -- Calling Jesus by these terms emphasized His true 
 person and power
 c. It was through faith in His name that the lame man was 
 healed; note, however...
 1) It was Peter and John's faith in Jesus, not the lame 
 man's faith
 2) For the lame man had not expected a miracle, but silver
 or gold
 2. Peter acknowledges their ignorance, but still calls upon them
 to repent - Ac 3:17-26
 a. He recognizes that they and their rulers acted in ignorance
 b. That what happened was...
 1) Foretold through God's prophets
 2) Fulfilling God's predetermined plan - cf. Ac 2:23
 c. Yet ignorance is no excuse, so they must "repent and be
 converted" - Ac 3:19
 d. Several reasons to so respond are given - Ac 3:19-26
 1) That "your sins may be blotted out"
 a) Alluding to the ancient practice of erasing mistakes
 made on papyrus
 b) I.e., another way to describe the remission of sins
 through Jesus' blood
 2) That "times of refreshing may come from the presence of
 the Lord"
 a) Here is a positive counterpart to the remission of 
 sins (Stott)
 b) God provides more than just remission of sins, but
 refreshment for our spirits (Stott)
 3) That God "may send Jesus Christ" (a reference to His 
 second coming)
 a) Who was preached to them before (via the prophets)
  b) Whom heaven must receive until the times of 
 restoration of all things (of which the prophets of 
 God had also spoken)
 1] As an example of the prophets who had spoken, 
 Moses is quoted
 2] Others since Samuel have likewise told of these 
 days
 4) They were "sons of the prophets, and of the covenant"
 God made with their fathers
 a) A covenant made with Abraham, to bless the world in 
 his seed
 b) A promise fulfilled by God through His Servant Jesus,
 Whom He raised
 1] Who was sent by God to bless them
 2] To bless them by turning them away from their sins
 
 B. THE RESPONSE TO PETER'S SERMON...
 1. A negative response by the religious leaders - Ac 4:1-3
 a. They were greatly disturbed, because in preaching Jesus, 
 Peter preached the resurrection of the dead
 b. The Sadducees in particular denied the idea of a bodily 
 resurrection - Ac 23:6-9
 c. So they had Peter and John placed in custody for trial the
 next day
 2. A positive response by many who heard - Ac 4:4
 a. Many who heard the word "believed"
 b. As many as two thousand men accepted the preaching of 
 Peter!
 
[The power of the gospel to convict the hearts of men continues to be 
seen, though with some the effect appears to be a hardening of their 
hearts. As we focus on the sermon and its response, what can we glean
from this example of conversion?]
 
III. AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONVERSION
 
 A. OBSERVATIONS REGARDING PETER'S SERMON...
 1. Again we note the Christ-centeredness of Peter's preaching
 a. As in his sermon on Pentecost
 b. While explaining the miracle, he directs their attention to
 Jesus, not the sign
 2. Again Peter's main theme is the resurrection and exaltation of
  Jesus - Ac 3:13-15
 a. The One they killed, God raised from the dead
 b. The One they killed, God has glorified
 3. Yet Peter also introduces a new element...
 a. The coming of Jesus from heaven!
 b. Jesus is coming again! - Ac 3:20-21
 4. The sermon's climax is the call to "repent therefore, and be
 converted" - Ac 3:19
 a. From this we learn that repentance and conversion are not
 same thing
 1) Otherwise, Peter was redundant
 2) I.e., he would have been saying "repent and repent"
 b. Repent (metanoeo) means "a change of mind"
 1) True repentance is brought on by "godly sorrow" - 2 Co
 7:9
 2) Such repentance then leads one to "salvation" - 2 Co 
 7:10
 -- Thus they were being called to change their minds 
 regarding Jesus and their sinful ways
 c. What is meant by "be converted"?
 1) The NKJV and KJV suggest a passive act, but the Greek is
 aorist active imperative, implying there is something we
 must do
 a) The key idea is to "turn" or "return"
 b) The NIV has "turn to God" and the NASB has "return"
  -- But how does one turn to God?
 2) Compare Peter's word's Ac 3:19 with Ac 2:38
 a) "Repent" (Ac 2:38) and "Repent" (Ac 3:19)
 b) "Be baptized" (Ac 2:38) and "Be converted" (Ac 3:19)
 3) Could Peter be referring to baptism when he says "be 
 converted"?
 a) When one submits to baptism, they so do with an 
 appeal for a clear conscience - cf. 1 Pe 3:21
 b) In baptism they are calling upon the name of the Lord
 - Ac 22:16
 -- Therefore I believe the call to "turn" likely involved
 baptism 
 5. The blessings promised are similar to those found in the first
 sermon
 a. There is the forgiveness of sins...
 1) Described as the "remission of sins" in the first 
 sermon - Ac 2:38
 2) Described now as having one's sins "blotted out" - Ac
 3:19
 b. There is the positive counterpart to the remission of
 sins...
 1) Described as "the gift of the Holy Spirit" in the first
 sermon - Ac 2:38-39
 2) Described now as "the times of refreshing...from the
 presence of the Lord" - Ac 3:19
 3) I understand Peter to refer to the same thing...
 a) I.e., the Spirit as a gift to the Christian - Ac 5:
 32; Ga 4:6; Ep 1:13-14
 b) Whom Jesus promised as a refreshing blessing - Jn 7:
 37-39; cf. also Jn 4:10-14
 6. In this sermon we find a warning
 a. In the first sermon Peter pleaded with the people to "be
 saved from this perverse generation" - Ac 2:40
 b. Now we find a reason why, with Moses' prophecy: "every soul
 who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed
 from among the people" - Ac 3:23
 
 B. OBSERVATIONS REGARDING THE RESPONSE...
 1. As mentioned in the introduction, little is said, other than 
 many "believed" - Ac 4:4
 2. Are we to conclude from this that was all they did?
 a. Did they not also "repent"?
 b. Did they not also "turn"?
 3. I think it fair to conclude that the term "believed" 
 encompassed more than simply an acceptance of the facts that 
 had been proclaimed
 a. That it involved a complete reception of the message 
 preached
 b. That it included an obedience to whatever conditions had 
 been proclaimed by the apostles (such as repentance, 
 turning, baptism)
 c. That just as faith was not explicitly mentioned in the
 first sermon, but is fairly inferred, so also with baptism
 here
 
 C. LESSONS FOR TODAY...
 1. When preaching the gospel...
 a. We must not lose the Christ-centeredness of our focus
 1) That includes preaching his death, resurrection and 
 glorification
 2) That Jesus provides more than just the forgiveness of 
 sin; but as the Prince of Life, He is the source of 
 every spiritual blessing from above - cf. Ep 1:3
 3) That preaching Christ includes preaching His return from
 heaven, for He is coming again!
 b. The clarion call of the gospel is one of repentance!
 1) Faith and baptism are certainly important even essential
 2) Yet repentance was an important theme of preaching by:
 a) John the Baptist - Mt 3:1-2
 b) Jesus - Mt 4:17; Lk 13:3,5
 -- And now by the apostles - Ac 2:38; 3:19; cf. Lk 24:
 47; Ac 20:21
 2. When people respond to the gospel, we should expect to see...
 a. A change of mind (repentance), brought about by "godly 
 sorrow" - cf. 2 Co 7:9-10
 b. A change of life, as they "turn" from their sins and "turn"
 to God - cf. 2 Co 7:11
 1) Implied by the word "converted" (turn)
  2) A process that involves their baptism into Christ, in 
 which they die to sin and rise to walk in newness of 
 life - cf. Ro 6:3-7
 -- All of which can be summarized as having "believed"!
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. With this example of conversion, Peter continues to fulfill the 
 commission of his Lord...
 a. To preach the gospel - Mk 16:15-16
 b. To preach repentance and remission of sins in His name - Lk 24:47
 
2. We saw that not all responded in the same way...
 a. Yes, 2000 heard the word and believed
 b. But some religious people with their preconceived ideas were 
 resistant to the gospel
 -- Sadly, many people today reject the apostolic preaching of the 
 gospel for similar reasons
 
I pray that such is not the case with you; that as we study the 
preaching of the apostles and responses to it, your heart will be open
to the Word of God. Especially to this key verse in our study:
 
 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
 out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of
 the Lord" (Ac 3:19)

－－《Executable Outlines》