Acts 3 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Acts 3:1-10

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognised him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were.

A. Find Out:

1. Where were Peter & John going and when? v.1
2. Who did they encounter? v.2
3. What did he ask and what did Peter reply? v.3,4
4. What did Peter say to him? v.6
5. What did he then do and what happened? v.7,8
6. With what result? v.9,10 

B. Think:

1. How is this passage an expansion of what has gone before?
2. What were the stages in bringing about this healing?
3. Why do you think Peter did it?

C. Comment:

In v.43 we read that signs and wonders were performed by the apostles and here is the first example of that, given by Luke. Peter and John were presumably going to pray with the other believers who used to gather at the temple. On the way they encounter this cripple. Now Luke doesn’t give us insight into what was going on in Peter but it would appear that as Peter and John had their attention caught by this man, the Holy Spirit suddenly released faith in Peter to bring healing. Observe the process that brought about the man’s healing.      

First Peter calls the man to focus on them. For healing to come faith needs to be focused, our whole attention given to the job in hand!       

The next thing that happens is that Peter simply speaks a word of faith, “walk!”. In this he is following in Jesus’ footsteps. Again and again he had heard the Master speak single words of command (see Mt. 8:3,  8:13,  Mk 4:39,  5:41).       

Next Peter reaches out and helps the man up, just like he had seen Jesus do (see Lk 8:54 ). Sometimes the person receiving healing needs that little further encouragement to realise it is possible and is happening. The result? Glory is given to God. Hallelujah! 

D. Application:

1. Faith for healing? Bringing healing is an act of God whereby He inspires faith that says, “Yes this IS God’s will for NOW!” Have we ever known that experience?
2. Focusing faith. When bringing healing, faith often needs to be focused and encouraged. Do I have the courage and faith to pray for others like this?

Passage: Acts 3:11-16

11 While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: ‘Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.

A. Find Out:

1. What was the response to the miracle? v.11
2. What does Peter imply didn’t bring about this miracle? v.12
3. What did he say they had done? v.13b-15a
4. Yet what had God done? v.13a, 15b
5. Why was Peter sure of this? v.15c
6. What had brought this healing? v.16

B. Think:

1. How was this an ideal opportunity to speak out?
2. How does Peter point out their sin?
3. How does he glorify Jesus and to what end?

C. Comment:

Word about the miracle quickly spreads and crowds come running to see for themselves. When Peter sees this he realises that this is a perfect opportunity to speak out and plunges straight in. Note the content.

First, he denies that this is any act of man. No it wasn’t by their own efforts, or their power or even their goodness that brought this about.

Second, he points them to the Lord. Note how he describes God, as the God of history, that they knew about through the patriarchs.

Third, he focuses on Jesus, on what had happened to him, having been put to death but then being raised from the dead.

Fourth, he takes the opportunity to face them with their sinful unbelief: they had rejected Jesus and had him killed.

Finally, he says it is simply by trusting in Jesus that has brought this miracle about.

We see therefore, that as the Lord prompted Peter to bring a healing, it resulted in many people coming to hear the Gospel message being spoken. In this we see an exact retake of what used to happen to Jesus when he followed this exact same pattern.

D. Application:

1. Content in witness: We need to give content when we are talking about God so that people understand who we are talking about.
2. Focus on Jesus: We need to focus on Jesus because he is the proof of God’s love for us.  Others need to know HIM.
3. Bad News first: We need to face people with their sin of unbelief and then give them cause to believe. Before the Good News can be received, the Bad News of our need has to be faced.

Passage: Acts 3:17-26

17 ‘Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you – even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago 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; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.”

24 ‘Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, “Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.” 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.’

A. Find Out:

1. How did Peter say they had acted? v.17
2. Yet what had God been doing through them? v.18
3. What did he tell them to do, with what 2 promised effects? v.19,20
4. When did he say Jesus would return? v.21
5. What had Moses & others promised? v.22,24
6. What two response options are given? v.23,26

B. Think:

1. How is Peter’s explanation very encouraging for the people?
2. How is it also challenging?
3. How does Peter use the Old Testament?

C. Comment:

As Peter continues to preach to the growing crowd, having faced them with the basics of what has happened, he goes on to explain WHY it has happened. Very simply, he says, all that I have been saying about Jesus coming, being rejected, crucified and raised from the dead, was a direct fulfilment of what God said would happen when he spoke through the prophets.

Moses had prophesied about another coming who would be a prophet who they must listen to. Many others had also hinted about this coming One in prophecy. Indeed it is said that there are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that refer to the coming Christ.

Having shown them this he, again and again, calls for a response: he requires that they repent (v.19), he warns they will be cut off if they don’t listen to Jesus (v.23), and he calls them to turn from their old ways (v.26). Hearing the truth proclaimed will produce a response: either people will reject it and be rejected by God, or they will receive the good news about Jesus and be received by God.

People can never remain the same once they have heard the message. Peter appealed to Old Testament prophecy because these were Jews that he was speaking to, but we also need to ground the message in history and declare that the Gospel is Good News that came in time-space history. It happened! It is true!

D. Application:

1. The Facts of Christ: Jesus’ first coming is factual history. We must never forget it.  Am I confident about the Good News of Jesus, that it is based in factual history?
2. Jesus’ second coming: He second coming is stated fact. It will happen. Am I prepared so that I would be ready to face Him if He came today?