Acts 3
Peter and John go to prayer meeting verse 1- 3
Now Peter and John went up together into the temple
at the hour of prayer being the ninth hour
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
who – seeing Peter and John about
to go into the temple
asked an alms
Peter heals lame man verse 4- 8
And Peter – fastening his eyes on him with John – said
Look on us
And he gave heed unto them
expecting to receive something of them
THEN Peter said – Silver and gold have I none
but such as I have give I you
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk
And he took him by the right hand – and lifted him up
and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength
and he leaping up stood – and walked
and entered with them into the temple
walking – leaping – praising God
People praising God verse 9- 10
And all the people saw him walking and praising God
and they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the
Beautiful gate of the temple
and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that
which had happened unto him
Peter sermon: Introduces Jesus verse 11- 15
And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John
all the people ran together unto them in the porch
that is called Solomon’s greatly wondering
And when Peter saw it – he answered unto the people
You men of Israel – why marvel you at this?
OR why look you so earnestly on us
as though by our own
POWER or HOLINESS
we had made this man to walk?
The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob
the God of our fathers has glorified HIS Son – Jesus
WHOM you delivered up
and denied HIM in the presence of Pilate
when he was determined to let HIM go
BUT you denied the Holy One and the Just
and desired a murderer to be granted unto you
AND killed the Prince of life
WHOM God hath raised from the dead
whereof we are witnesses
Peter sermon: Faith verse 16
AND HIS name – through faith in HIS name
has made this man strong whom you see and know
YEA the faith which is by HIM has given him
this perfect soundness in the presence of you all
Peter sermon: Repentance verse 17- 23
And now – brethren – I wot that through ignorance you did it
as did also your rulers
BUT those things
which God before had showed
by the mouth of all HIS prophets
that Christ should suffer
HE hath so fulfilled
REPENT you therefore – and BE CONVERTED
that your sins may be blotted out
when the TIMES of refreshing shall come
from the presence of the Lord
And HE shall send Jesus Christ
which before was preached to you
WHOM the heaven must receive until the
TIMES of restitution of all things
which God hath spoken by the mouth of
all HIS holy prophets
since the world began
FOR Moses truly said unto the fathers
A Prophet shall the Lord your God
raise up to you of your brethren like to me
HIM shall you hear in all things whatsoever
HE shall say to you
And it shall come to pass – that every soul
which will not hear that Prophet
shall be destroyed from among the people
Peter sermon: History lesson verse 24- 26
YEA – all the prophets from Samuel
and those that follow after
as many as have spoken
have likewise foretold of these days
You are the children of the prophets
and of the covenant which God made with our fathers
saying to Abraham
And in your seed shall all the kindreds
of the earth be blessed
To you first God – having raised up HIS Son Jesus
send HIM to bless you
in turning away every one of you
from his iniquities
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. (3686 “name” [onoma] means called, reputation, title, status, character, family or authority)
DEVOTION: The man asking for money was expecting some money. He was used to being where he was and doing what he was doing. It was normal for him to expect money. No one had ever offered him anything else positive.
There were probably people who told him to go and get a job. There were probably people who made fun of him. He had probably met all kinds of people outside the Temple.
Peter and John offered him something he never expected: healing. Peter told him to look at him. He told him that they had no money. He told him he had nothing to give him of what he expected.
Then came the high point in this man’s life. Peter told him in the name of Jesus Christ he was to be healed. He told him to do something he hadn’t done all of his life. He told him to rise up and walk. He had never walked.
What did he do? He rose up and walked. The people who were around him watched him praise God.
They also praised God for this healing. They knew this man was real in his health issue. He had been lame since coming out of his mother’s womb. God had done a miracle.
People gathered to hear what Peter had to say to them about this event. He presented Christ and gave HIM all the glory. He told the people that he had not done it in his own power of holiness.
Our holiness and our power is nothing if we don’t give God the glory. Peter didn’t take credit for the healing and neither should we if the LORD answers our pray regarding someone we have anointed with oil and prayed for regarding healing.
CHALLENGE: God still heals today. We should believe we have the power through our prayers to change the health issues of others. Our God has not lost HIS power to heal.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? (2150 “holiness” [eusebeia] means reverence, respect, piety towards God, or godliness)
DEVOTION: Peter and John went to the temple to pray. They met a man with a physical need and met the need through the dynamite power of the LORD. A crowd gathered to praise them. They wanted to give Peter and John the glory.
Peter began another sermon. The first point of the sermon was that the healing came from the LORD and not them. So often we find preachers or healers or scholars who want praise for them rather than the LORD. It is not Biblical. It is not of the LORD. When something wonderful happens in our ministries we need to give God the glory at all times.
One of the two problems that Peter addressed was that the miracle took power. This power always comes from the LORD. This word for power is where we get the word dynamite. God has given HIS followers dynamite power to overcome the works of the enemy. This power comes through a close relationship with the LORD.
The second problem that Peter addressed was “holiness.” There are many people who give the impression that they are holier Christians than some others. They give the impression that they are more spiritual than other Christians. Peter knew of his denial of the LORD.
Peter knew that he was a failure in this relationship with the LORD at times. He knew that anything powerful that he did was from the LORD. He informed the people who thought he did it in his own power that he did it in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus had told the disciples that they would have power when the Holy Spirit had filled them. He told the people to look to Jesus for salvation.
We know of our past failures toward our LORD. We should never get the impression that we are better than others. We should not get a superior attitude toward those who are sinners. We are still sinners. Peter gave all the credit for the power to heal to the LORD. Peter told them that they didn’t receive the power because they were godlier then others. Let’s remember Peter’s example to us. Always give God the credit. Then we can have a proper relationship with HIM and HE can use us more. Praise HIS name.
CHALLENGE: Watch our attitude toward those who we think are worse sinners than we are. That is how Satan fell from heaven. Pride comes before the fall. There are repentant sinners and unrepentant sinners.
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: 17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers. (1492 “wot” [eido] means know, or have knowledge about (someone or something, normally as acquired through reflection or thinking, understand, remember, honor, perceive, be very sure of this, or to acknowledge)
DEVOTION: In our legal system ignorance is no excuse. If we don’t know the law we should have learned it before we broke it. While driving down the road in some states there are rules that are different from other states. If we travel we are expected to know the laws of all the states we drive through.
Peter in his sermon to the group that was gathered to hear his message were probably some of the same ones who cried out “Crucify Him.” They were just following the religious leaders. They were obeying what the leaders of the Temple told them to say.
They were ignorant as to what was happening. Peter was going to end their ignorance. He wanted them to know who Jesus really was and what they had to do to become a follower of HIM. Once they heard this sermon they were no longer ignorant.
If they became followers they ended any excuse them might have had in the past regarding the true nature of the death of Jesus Christ. If they chose to not become a follower of Jesus they were no longer ignorant they were just rebellious.
Our choice is the same today. There are people who think they are ignorant when they are just rebellious. They know the reason for the coming of Christ but chose to reject HIM. It is no longer done in ignorance but in a determined decision. God allows everyone to chose but they have to answer for their choice.
The LORD Jesus Christ shed enough blood for everyone in this world to become a follower of HIM. No one is left out but all have to make a choice. Spread this truth.
CHALLENGE: Everyone’s sins can be blotted out if they make the right choice. Chose Jesus!!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 26 Unto you first God, having raised up HIS SON Jesus, sent HIM to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (4413 “first” [protos] means chief, first in time or place, in any succession of things or persons, first in rank, principal, before, or before anything else)
DEVOTION: Resurrection is the necessary part of the Gospel. The death, burial, and resurrection are what make the difference between Christianity and false religion. False religion is based on what humans can do to earn salvation. Christianity is about what Christ did to give us salvation as a free gift. There is no way we can earn it because we are born with a sin nature that has no cure. We will die with our sin nature. Too many people believe the lies that we can do something to earn our own salvation. Many teach that we have power within ourselves to change to the point where God can accept us without our turning to Christ. That is a lie of the devil.
Peter explained that Jesus came to the Jews first. HIS mission was to die for the sins of the world but HIS message was first to the children of Israel. Some accepted and other rejected.
Jesus was raised from the dead by the Father. Jesus came of a servant of the Father because that was the only acceptable sacrifice. The sacrifice had to be without blemish and we are blemished as well as all the rest of the human race.
HE came to bless those who would become followers of HIM. Only those individuals were given a promise of eternal life in heaven with HIM.
Again the requirement was to turn away from sin and follow HIM. A genuine conversion would include a turning away from sin. Some people continue to live as if there was never supposed to be a change and those people will receive a rude awaking when they face the LORD and HIS statement “I never knew you.”
Change is necessary as we continue to follow the LORD. Our salvation is based on the work of Christ alone. Our sanctification is done through our growing in grace and knowledge of the truth of the Word of God. We are commanded to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” Not earn out salvation but show our salvation to others by a changed life.
CHALLENGE: Are you changing to please the LORD? How are you different from when you first became a believer?
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Alms verse 2, 3, 10
Silver and gold verse 6
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Hour of prayer verse 1
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Temple verse 1, 2, 8, 10
Hour of prayer verse 1
Gate of the Temple verse 2
Praising God verse 8, 9
Solomon’s porch verse 11
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Abraham verse 13, 25
Isaac verse 13
Jacob verse 13
Mouth of the prophets verse 18, 21
Moses verse 22- 23
Samuel verse 24
Foretold of these days verse 24
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God glorified HIS Son Jesus verse 13
God raised Jesus verse 15, 26
Presence of the Lord verse 19
Lord your God verse 22
Covenant made verse 25
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Jesus verse 6, 13, 20, 26
Christ verse 6, 18, 20
Jesus Christ of Nazareth verse 6
Son verse 13, 26
Holy One verse 14
Just verse 14
Prince of life verse 15
Suffer verse 18
Jesus Christ verse 20
Prophet verse 22, 23
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God verse 8, 9, 13, 15, 21, 22, 25, 26
God of our fathers verse 13
Lord verse 19, 22
Lord your God verse 22
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Filled with wonder and amazement verse 10
Pilate verse 13
Kindred’s of the earth verse 25
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Delivered up Jesus verse 13
Denied Jesus verse 13, 14
Murderer verse 14
Killed verse 15
Ignorance verse 17
Sins verse 19
Not hear prophet verse 23
Iniquities verse 26
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Praising God verse 8, 9
Power verse 12
Holiness verse 12
Witnesses verse 15
Faith verse 16
Perfect soundness verse 16
Repent verse 19
Converted verse 19
Sins may be blotted out verse 19
Times of refreshing verse 19
Preach verse 20
Covenant verse 25
Blessed verse 25, 26
Turn away from sin verse 26
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Solomon verse 11
Men of Israel verse 12
Abraham verse 13, 25
Isaac verse 13
Jacob verse 13
Brethren verse 17, 22
Rulers verse 17
Moses (prophet of the Lord) verse 22
Samuel verse 24
Children of the prophets verse 25
Covenant verse 25
Church (New Testament people of God)
Peter verse 1, 3- 7
John verse 1, 3, 11
Healing of lame man at Temple verse 2- 11
Last Things (Future Events)
Times of restitution verse 19, 21
Heaven verse 21
Destroyed verse 23
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QUOTES regarding passage
Peter’s call to repentance in this sermon is an expression of the remnant theology of the earliest Christian believers at Jerusalem. He addresses his hearers as “heirs of the prophets and of the covenant.” He uses both a pesher approach (a “this is that” application) and midrashic exegesis (e.g., gezērâh šāwâh) in his treatment of Scripture. And he concludes with an offer of blessing extended first to individuals of the nation Israel: “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways” (v. 26). In the Greek, hymin prōton (“first to you”) comes first in the sentence and so occupies the emphatic position. Many have thought that this stress upon Israel “first” is merely a Pauline import by the hand of Luke (cf. 13:46; Rom 1:16; 2:9–10). But to assume this entails failure to see the remnant context of the sermon and the remnant perspective expressed throughout it. Luke, however, wants his readers to appreciate something of how the earliest Christian preaching began within a Jewish milieu. From this he will go on to tell how this preaching developed through the various representative sermons that he later includes. (Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, p. 299). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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Unto you first (ὑμιν πρωτον [Humin prōton]). The Jews were first in privilege and it was through the Jews that the Messiah was to come for “all the families of the earth.” His servant (τον παιδα αὐτου [ton paida autou]). As in verse 13, the Messiah as God’s Servant. To bless you (εὐλογουντα ὑμας [eulogounta humas]). Present active participle to express purpose, blessing you (Robertson, Grammar, p. 991). In turning away (ἐν τῳ ἀποστρεφειν [en tōi apostrephein]). Articular infinitive in the locative case, almost preserved in the English. (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Ac 3:26). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.)
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3:26. Jesus, God’s Servant (cf. v. 13; 4:27, 30), was sent … first to you, that is, to the Jews. This chronological pattern was followed throughout the Gospels and Acts (cf., e.g., Matt. 10:5; Acts 13:46; Rom. 1:16). The reason for this is that the establishing of the kingdom depended and still depends on Israel’s response (cf. Matt. 23:39; Rom. 11:26) (Toussaint, S. D. (1985). Acts. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 362). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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But notice that Peter did not permit the “national blessings” to overshadow the personal responsibility of the individuals listening to his message (Acts 3:26). God raised up Jesus Christ and sent Him to each one who would turn away from his iniquities (note Acts 3:20). National repentance depends on personal repentance, the response of individual sinners to the message of salvation. Peter was addressing a large crowd, but he still made the application personal.
His message produced two opposite results: (1) some 2,000 Jews believed the Word and were converted, and (2) the religious leaders of the nation rejected the message and tried to silence the Apostles. We have here the beginning of the persecution about which Jesus had already warned His followers (Matt. 10:17–18; Luke 21:12–15; John 15:18–16:4).
We would expect the Sadducees to oppose the message because they did not believe in the resurrection of the human body (Acts 23:6–8). Peter’s fearless declaration that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead ran contrary to their religious beliefs. If the common people questioned the theology of their spiritual leaders, it could undermine the authority of the whole Jewish council. Instead of honestly examining the evidence, the leaders arrested the Apostles and kept them in custody overnight, intending to try them the next day. However, the arrival of the temple guards could not prevent 2,000 men from trusting Jesus Christ and identifying themselves with the believers in Jerusalem. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 414). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Ver. 26. Unto you first, God having raised his son Jesus, &c.] Which may be understood, either of the incarnation of Christ, and his exhibition in the flesh; which is sometimes expressed by raising him up, and is no other than the mission, or manifestation of him in human nature, as in Luke 1:69; Acts 13:23. Or of the resurrection of him from the dead, and the exaltation of him at the right hand of God: sent him to bless you; in person, according to the former sense; for he was indeed sent only to the people of Israel, and to them he preached; many of whom were blessed with converting grace under his ministry; but according to the latter sense, and which seems most agreeable, he was sent in the ministry of the word, and came by his spirit, first to the Jews, among whom the Gospel was first preached for a while, and was blessed to the conversion of many thousands among them, both in Judea, and in the nations of the world, where they were dispersed: in turning away every one of you from his iniquities; in this the blessing lay, and is rightly in our version ascribed to Christ, and to the power of his grace, in the ministration of the Gospel; and not to themselves, as in many other versions; as the Syriac version, if ye convert yourselves, and turn from your evils; making it both their own act, and the condition of their being blessed; and the Arabic version likewise, so that every one of you departs from his wickedness; but that work is Christ’s, and this is the blessing of grace he himself bestows, and is a fruit of redemption by his blood, Tit. 2:14. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 170). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
Hudson Taylor said, “I have been forty years in China. I have done little there, but I have learned much, and this of all things: to live alone with God, to know God Himself, to know that His heart is love and that His heart actuates His hand to help.” Here is an ideal after which we may well aspire. (p. 117, The Best of F. B. Meyer)
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1 John 1
If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with God.
INSIGHT
The truth about our sin is a difficult thing to keep balanced in our minds. On the one hand, we know we should not sin; it is wrong. We should never take sinning lightly. On the other hand, we all sin; it is unavoidable. John writes: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (v. 8). Therefore, God had to make provision for us to be in fellowship with Him. If we confess our sins, He will forgive us. When we sin, we can accept God’s forgiveness and restoration to fellowship. We need not berate ourselves endlessly or do a form of penance. Only the blood of Christ can pay for our sins. And only confession can bring restoration to fellowship with God. (Quiet Walk)
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Zechariah’s Visions: Man’s Attempt to Measure
“I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.” (Zechariah 2:1-2)
Seeing a human in the vision is a departure from the earlier visions of Zechariah. Each of the prior three visions included only angelic beings interacting with the Lord of hosts. Suddenly a man emerges holding a measuring rod, attempting to measure Jerusalem.
Immediately, a second angel is sent to the angel who has been explaining the visions to Zechariah, instructing him to “run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein” (Zechariah 2:4). Obviously, whatever time is anticipated by the vision, it is not the time of the present Jerusalem. God sees a vast Jerusalem that cannot be measured (Zechariah 14:8-11).
Not only will the city grow beyond historical memory, but the Lord “will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her” (Zechariah 2:5). No longer will Jerusalem be the pawn of other nations, no longer will she be subject to the whims of rival nations and competing religions. The Lord Himself will become a wall around her similar to the way God protected them as they fled from Egypt (Exodus 13:21-22).
Yet beyond even that wonderful promise, the Lord insists that “many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee” (Zechariah 2:11). Not only will God restore the city to prominence, but the nation itself will become the center of His global government. “Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation” (Zechariah 2:13).
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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