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Peter Heals a Crippled Man

One day Peter and John went to the Temple at ·three o’clock [L the ninth hour; time was reckoned from dawn, traditionally set at 6 AM], ·the time set each day for the afternoon prayer service [L the hour of prayer]. There, at the Temple gate called Beautiful Gate [C unknown location, perhaps one of several gates between various courtyards], was a man who had been ·crippled [lame] ·all his life [L from his mother’s womb]. Every day ·he was carried to [people would lay him at] this gate to beg for ·money [alms] from the people going into the Temple [C the Temple complex; 2:46]. The man saw Peter and John going into the Temple [C courts; 2:46] and asked them for ·money [alms; help]. Peter and John looked ·straight [intently] at him and said, “Look at us!” The man ·looked at [paid attention to] them, thinking they were going to give him ·some money [L something]. But Peter said, “·I don’t have any silver or gold, but ·I do have something else I can give you [L what I do have, I give to you]. ·By the power [L In the name] of Jesus Christ ·from Nazareth [or the Nazarene], stand up and walk [Luke 5:23]!” Then Peter took the man’s right hand and ·lifted [raised] him up. Immediately the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He ·jumped up [leaped], stood on his feet, and began to walk. He went into the Temple [C courts; 2:46] with them, walking and ·jumping [leaping] and praising God [Is. 35:4–6]. All the people recognized him as the ·crippled [lame] man who always sat by the Beautiful Gate [3:2] begging for ·money [alms; help]. Now they saw this same man walking and praising God, and they were amazed. ·They wondered how this could happen [or …and stunned/astonished at what had happened].

Peter Speaks to the People

11 While the man was ·holding on [clinging] to Peter and John, all the people were ·amazed [astonished] and ran to them at Solomon’s ·Porch [Portico; Colonnade; C columns marked the outside perimeter of the large outer court of the Temple]. 12 When Peter saw this, he ·said to [addressed] them, “·People of Israel [L Men, Israelites], why are you ·surprised [amazed]? ·You are [L Or why are you…?] ·looking [staring] at us as if it were our own power or ·goodness [piety; godliness] that made this man walk. 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers], ·gave glory to [has glorified/honored] Jesus, his ·servant [or child]. But you handed him over to be killed. Pilate decided to let him go free, but you ·told Pilate you did not want [L disowned; rejected] Jesus. 14 You ·did not want [L disowned; rejected] the One who is holy and ·good [righteous] but asked Pilate to give you a murderer [C Barabbas; Luke 23:18] instead. 15 And so you killed the ·One who gives [Author/Source/Ruler of] life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses to this. 16 It was faith in [L the name of] Jesus that made this ·crippled [lame] man ·well [strong]. You can see this man, and you know him. He was made completely well because of ·trust [faith] in ·Jesus [L the name of Jesus], ·and you all saw it happen [in front of you all]!

17 “·Brothers and sisters [or Brothers; C fellow Jews], I know you did those things to Jesus because neither you nor your leaders [rulers] understood what you were doing. 18 God ·said [foretold; predicted] through [L the mouth of all] the prophets that his ·Christ [Messiah] would suffer. And now God has ·made these things come true [L fulfilled these things] in this way. 19 So you must ·change your hearts and lives [repent]! ·Come back [Return; Turn back] to God, and he will ·forgive [wipe out; erase] your sins. Then the ·time [L times; seasons] of ·rest [refreshment; comfort; C the messianic age] will come from [L the presence of] the Lord. 20 And he will send Jesus, the One he ·chose [appointed] to be the ·Christ [Messiah]. 21 But ·Jesus must stay in heaven [L heaven must receive/welcome him] until the time comes when all things will be ·made right again [restored; made new]. God ·told about [announced] this time long ago when he spoke through his holy prophets. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will ·give you [L raise up for you] a prophet like me, ·who is one of your own people [L from among your brothers]. You must ·listen to [hear; obey] everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to that prophet will ·die, cut off [be utterly destroyed] from God’s people [Lev. 23:29; Deut. 18:15–20].’ 24 Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God after Samuel, ·told [announced; foretold; predicted] about ·this time now [L these days; C there are no specific messianic prophecies from Samuel, but he did anoint David whose kingship anticipated the Messiah; 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Acts 13:22–23; Heb. 5:1]. 25 You are ·descendants [children; sons] of the prophets. You have received the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] God made with your ·ancestors [L fathers; patriarchs]. He said to your father Abraham, ‘Through your ·descendants [heirs; L seed] all the ·nations [or families] on the earth will be blessed [Gen. 22:18; 26:4].’ 26 God has raised up his ·servant [or child] Jesus and sent him to you first [C the Jews were to receive the blessing first, and through them God would bless all nations] to bless you by turning each of you away from ·doing evil [your wicked ways].”

A Lame Man Is Healed

Peter and John were going to the temple courtyard for the three o’clock prayer. At the same time, a man who had been lame from birth was being carried by some men. Every day these men would put the lame man at a gate in the temple courtyard. The gate was called Beautiful Gate. There he would beg for handouts from people going into the courtyard. When the man saw that Peter and John were about to go into the courtyard, he asked them for a handout.

Peter and John stared at him. “Look at us!” Peter said. So the man watched them closely. He expected to receive something from them. However, Peter said to him, “I don’t have any money, but I’ll give you what I do have. Through the power of Yeshua Christ from Nazareth, walk!” Peter took hold of the man’s right hand and began to help him up. Immediately, the man’s feet and ankles became strong. Springing to his feet, he stood up and started to walk. He went with Peter and John into the temple courtyard. The man was walking, jumping, and praising God.

All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 They knew that he was the man who used to sit and beg at the temple’s Beautiful Gate. The people were amazed and stunned to see what had happened to him. 11 They were excited, and everyone ran to see them at the place called Solomon’s Porch. The man wouldn’t let go of Peter and John.

12 When Peter saw this, he said to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed about this man? Why are you staring at us as though we have made him walk by our own power or godly life? 13 The God of our ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has glorified his servant Yeshua. You handed Yeshua over to Pilate. You rejected him in Pilate’s presence, even though Pilate had decided to let him go free. 14 You rejected the man who was holy and innocent. You asked to have a murderer given to you, 15 and you killed the source of life. But God brought him back to life, and we are witnesses to that. 16 We believe in the one named Yeshua. Through his power alone this man, whom you know, was healed, as all of you saw.

17 “And now, brothers, I know that like your rulers you didn’t know what you were doing. 18 But in this way God made the sufferings of his Messiah come true. God had predicted these sufferings through all the prophets. 19 So change the way you think and act, and turn to God to have your sins removed. 20 Then times will come when the Lord will refresh you. He will send you Yeshua, whom he has appointed to be the Christ. 21 Heaven must receive Yeshua until the time when everything will be restored as God promised through his holy prophets long ago.

22 “Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will send you a prophet, an Israelite like me. Listen to everything he tells you. 23 Those who won’t listen to that prophet will be excluded from the people.’ 24 Samuel and all the prophets who followed him spoke about these days. 25 You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the promise[a] that God made to our ancestors when he said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendant all people on earth will be blessed.’ 26 God has brought his servant back to life and has sent him to you first. God did this to bless you by turning every one of you from your evil ways.”

Footnotes

  1. Acts 3:25 Or “covenant.”