Acts 3
New Catholic Bible
First Encounter with the Authorities in Israel
Chapter 3
In the Name of Jesus Christ, Walk![a] 1 One day, Peter and John were on their way to the temple for the hour of prayer at three o’clock in the afternoon.[b] 2 A man who had been crippled from his birth was carried there every day and laid at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate[c] so that he could beg for alms from those who entered the temple.
3 When this man saw Peter and John about to enter into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4 Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said to him, “Look at us!” 5 He looked at them attentively, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”
7 Then Peter grasped him by the right hand and helped him to get up. Immediately, his feet and ankles were strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood straight, and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 When all the people there saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the man who used to sit and beg for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
11 Peter Speaks to the People.[d] While he continued to cling to Peter and John, all the people came running in amazement toward them in Solomon’s Portico, as it is called. 12 When Peter saw the people assembling, he addressed them:
“Men of Israel, why are you so surprised at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had enabled this man to walk by our own power or holiness? 13 The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant[e] Jesus whom you handed over and disowned in the presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him. 14 You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 The author of life[f] you put to death, but God raised him from the dead. Of this we are witnesses.
16 “By faith in his name, this man whom you see here and who is known to you has been made strong. Faith in him has made him completely well in the presence of all of you.
17 “Now I am aware, brethren, that you acted out of ignorance as did your rulers. 18 God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the Prophets, revealing that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, therefore, and be converted so that your sins may be wiped away, 20 that a time of refreshment may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, that is, Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for the universal restoration announced by God in ages past through his holy Prophets. 22 For Moses said,
‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me
from among your own people.
To him shall you listen
in whatever he tells you.
23 Everyone who refuses to listen to that prophet
will be cut off from the people.’
24 “Furthermore, all the Prophets who have spoken, from Samuel onward, predicted these days.
25 “You are the heirs of the Prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he told Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your wicked ways.”
Footnotes
- Acts 3:1 Peter’s action, as he takes the initiative in the first miracle that Acts ascribes to the disciples of the wonderworker of Nazareth, has special significance: it is done “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” and aims to show the presence of Christ and his divine activity.
- Acts 3:1 Three o’clock in the afternoon: literally, “the ninth hour.” See notes on Mt 27:35 and Mk 15:25.
- Acts 3:2 The Beautiful Gate: it was made of Corinthian bronze and led from the court of the Gentiles to the court of the women, on the side where Solomon’s Portico was (v. 11).
- Acts 3:11 The discourse that follows embodies the kerygma (i.e., the essentials of Christian preaching) as intended for a Jewish audience.
- Acts 3:13 Servant: the Greek word can also be translated as “son” or “child” (see Acts 3:26; 4:25, 27, 30). However, scholars believe that the word “servant” fits in better with the underlying idea of Jesus as the suffering Servant of the Lord (Isa 52:13—53:12).
- Acts 3:15 Author of life: this may also be rendered as the “prince of life” or the “pioneer of life”—indicating Jesus as the originator of salvation.
Acts 3
English Standard Version
The Lame Beggar Healed
3 Now Peter and John were (A)going up to the temple at (B)the hour of prayer, (C)the ninth hour.[a] 2 And a man (D)lame from birth was being carried, (E)whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate (F)to ask alms of those entering the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, (G)“I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. (H)In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And (I)leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9 And (J)all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Peter Speaks in Solomon's Portico
11 (K)While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in (L)the portico called Solomon's. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13 (M)The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, (N)the God of our fathers, (O)glorified his servant[b] Jesus, whom (P)you delivered over and (Q)denied in the presence of Pilate, (R)when he had decided to release him. 14 But you denied (S)the Holy and (T)Righteous One, and (U)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and you killed (V)the Author of life, (W)whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16 And (X)his name—by (Y)faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is (Z)through Jesus[c] has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17 “And now, brothers, I know that (AA)you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But what God (AB)foretold (AC)by the mouth of all the prophets, that (AD)his Christ would (AE)suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19 (AF)Repent therefore, and (AG)turn back, that (AH)your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ (AI)appointed for you, Jesus, 21 (AJ)whom heaven must receive until the time for (AK)restoring all the things about which (AL)God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. 22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you (AM)a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen (AN)to him in whatever he tells you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet (AO)shall be destroyed from the people.’ 24 And (AP)all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. 25 (AQ)You are the sons of the prophets and of (AR)the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, (AS)‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ 26 (AT)God, (AU)having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, (AV)to bless you (AW)by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
