Aq – Peter Speaks at the Temple 3: 11-26

Peter Speaks at the Temple
3: 11-26

31-33 AD
The events of Acts 3-8 transpire with mounting concern on the part of the Jews, and especially the Jewish authorities in Yerushalayim. The rising tension resulted in vigilante action taken against Stephen, and then an authorized effort under Rabbi Sha’ul to disrupt and destroy that new Messianic movement, involving persecution and even death of the believers. The persecution led various believers such as Philip to go to Samaria and bear witness of Yeshua.

Peter speaks at the Temple DIG: How is this situation like the one earlier (to see link click Al – The Ruach ha-Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot)? List all the facts about Jesus that Peter mentions here. How does this profile of Jesus compares to the one in 2:22-24? A person’s name meant his or her whole character. Hence, what does Peter mean by verse 16? What does Peter say about the people? How would you feel as one of them when you heard verse 15? From Peter’s second recorded proclamation, how would you sum up what it means to be saved? In spite of what Peter says about them in verses 13-15, how does he give the people hope in verses 24-26? How are blessing and turning related?

REFLECT: Of all the truths about Yeshua that Peter emphasizes here, which one especially impacts you? Why? When is it proper to come on strong against a person’s sin, like Peter did in verses 13-15? How were you saved? If you had to explain the meaning of Messiah just using the TaNaKh, what passages would you use? What does Peter’s use of the TaNaKh indicate how valuable it is to your faith? How has repentance and turning to ADONAI brought times of refreshment to you? How can that be used as a means of encouraging others to step over the line from knowledge to faith?

The pattern of incidents on Shavu’ot repeats itself here as the miraculous healing of the lame beggar from birth (to see link click Ap – Peter Heals a Lamb Beggar) is followed by a speech by Peter to the astonished crowd. In this case Peter again begins by dealing with a possible misunderstanding of the situation and then proceeds to explain how the power of Yeshua, raised from the dead, had healed him. Then, seizing on the opportunity, Peter pressed home the point that it was Messiah, whom the Jews had killed, and who had been glorified by ADONAI, was still active and alive.⁷¹

The healing of the lame beggar drew a crowd around the three men. While the healed beggar was clinging to Peter and John, all the people together came running toward them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade (3:11).  It was a corridor where our Lord had ministered (John 10:23) and where the community worshiped (5:12). As He did for Peter’s first speech, the Ruach ha-Kodesh provided a dramatic introduction for his second speech. All of the sudden, Peter had huge gathering and he grasped the opportunity to explain the significance of what had happened. He stood with the other apostles on Solomon’s Colonnade in the Temple, a living illustration that the power of ADONAI rested on them. Of course, this posed a serious threat to the authority of the Sanhedrin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin).

When Peter saw the crowd gathering and the look of amazement on their faces, he was not about to miss the opportunity to witness to them. But before launching into his speech, he asked two questions. First, he asked: Men of Isra’el, why are you amazed at this? A mild rebuke. As the covenant people, they knew YHVH to be a miracle-working God. Miracles had played an important role in their history. More recently, Yeshua had performed miracles to authenticate that He was the Messiah. That God should work another miracle through His apostles shouldn’t have been a surprise to them. Secondly, Peter inquired: Why do you stare at us – as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk (3:12)? They should have known that two Galilean fishermen had neither the power nor the godliness to perform such a miracle on their own. But whatever the crowd thought, Peter wanted to direct their attention to the source of the miracle. The greatness of his speech was that it was all about Yeshua.

The immediate explanation does not come until 3:16 below; but first of all, Peter needed to set the scene. He took the theme of his speech and matched the name of Yeshua Messiah to it. He presented several of the many names of our Lord, all of which have messianic implications. The Covenant God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Yeshua by His resurrection and by His ascension – the One you handed over (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ln – The Civil Trial) and disowned before Pilate, though he had decided to release Him (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lq – Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified). Then Peter pressed his point against the Jews. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you (bar-Abbas, which means salvation, son of the father). So, while bar-Abbas was actually guilty, true salvation, God’s Servant Yeshua, was not guilty. Nevertheless, you killed the Prince of life (see the commentary on Isaiah Iy – The Death of the Suffering Servant) – the One God raised from the dead! We are eyewitnesses of it (3:13-15). 

Then after pointing out that they had nothing to do with the miracle, and that God had sent them the Messiah whom they had rejected, Peter puts together the two concepts together to explain the healing. Now through faith in the name of Yeshua, His name has strengthened this man whom you see and know. At some point, we do not know when, the beggar believed in Yeshua as the Messiah. Indeed, the faith through Yeshua has given this man perfect health in front of you all (3:16).

But Peter did not leave the people without hope as he drew his conclusion: Now brothers (fellow Jews), I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your leaders did (First Corinthians 2:8). In the commandments of the Torah, there was a difference between deliberate sins and sins of ignorance (Leviticus Chapters 4 and 5; Numbers 15:22-31). The person who sinned boldly was a rebel against YHVH and was guilty of a great sin and would suffer the most severe judgment. He would be declared cherem, means to be devoted to destruction. Such a one was to be “cut off” from the community (Numbers 15:30-31), which could mean excommunication and even death. The defiant brazen sinner was condemned, but the person who sinned unwittingly and without deliberate intent was given the opportunity to repent and seek forgiveness.⁷²

But their ignorance did not pardon their guilt, for what God foretold through the mouth of all His prophets in the TaNaKh – that His Messiah was to suffer – so He has fulfilled (3:17-18). Not giving the specific passages in the TaNaKh, Peter assumes his audience is aware of the relevant passages already and has their agreement that they apply to the death of the Messiah, otherwise at this point he would have lost his audience.⁷³ This was a totally Jewish audience, there was Judaism with Yeshua and Judaism without Him (the same choice, along with the possibility of rejecting both, faces Jews today).

In light of what happened, what should Isra’el do now? Repent and change their minds about Jesus, that He was not demon possessed, but He is the long waited for Messiah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ek – It is only by Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons, That This Fellow Drives Out Demons). If they do this, certain results will follow.

ADONAI will forgive your sin: Having announced the crime, presented the evidence, and explained the nature of their sin, Peter then offered them a pardon. What a strange thing for a prosecuting attorney to become the defense attorney and the pardoning judge! Peter’s burden was to encourage his fellow Israelites to trust in Messiah and experience His gracious salvation.⁷⁴

What did he tell them to do? Repent, therefore, and return so your individual sins might be blotted out (3:19a). Ink in the ancient world had no acid content and didn’t “bite” into the paper. It could almost always be wiped off with a damp cloth. Peter says that ADONAI will wipe away our record of sin just like that!⁷⁵ This phrase is used in the book of Revelation both of ADONAI who wipes away our tears: God shall wipe away every tear from [our] eyes (Revelation 7:17 and 21:4); and of Messiah who refuses to erase the names of overcomers from the Book of Life: The one who overcomes thus will be dressed in white clothes; I will never blot his or her name out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5).

Repentance, however, involves more than a mere intellectual decision. It is a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. God’s design is for people to repent (17:30). To accomplish that purpose, He uses at least four prompters. First, the knowledge of YHVH’s revealed truth in the Scriptures should cause people to repent (Matthew 11:21-24; Luke 16:30-31; John 20:30-31). Second, our Lord uses sorrow for sin to lead people to repentance (Second Corinthians 7:9-10). Third, God’s goodness and kindness are to motivate people to repent. And a final motivation to repent is the fear of final judgment (17:30-31).⁷⁶

The message of repentance was not new to the Jews, for John the Immerser had preached it as did Yeshua (Matthew 3:2, 4:17). In one sense, repentance is a gift from God (Acts 11:18); in another sense, it is the heart’s response to the convicting ministry of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (26:20). The person who sincerely repents will have little problem putting his faith in the Savior.⁷⁷

In the first part of his speech Peter gave his hearers abundant evidence that Isra’el had reached the wrong conclusion about Yeshua Messiah. Then he called on them to repent and reverse their verdict concerning Yeshua and place their faith in Him. To help persuade them, he gives them promised results: God will forgive their sin, the Kingdom will come, Messiah will return, their individual judgment will be avoided, and blessing will be realized.

The Kingdom will come: Nationally, Isra’el’s national repentance will usher in the Messianic Kingdom. The phrase, the times of relief, is a Jewish figure of speech meaning the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Isaiah Cz – The Reign of Immanuel), it [will] come from the presence of the Lord (Greek: kurios). Jesus will not come bringing the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Isaiah Gj – The Restoration of Isra’el), apart from Isra’el’s repentance (3:19b).

The Messiah will return: And God the Father, may send Yeshua (seethe commentary on Isaiah Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah), the Messiah appointed for you, for Isra’el (3:20). Peter was actually calling for the national repentance because Isra’el’s leaders had denied her Messiah and condemned Him to die. Thus, Peter declared that just as the Jewish leadership once led the nation into rejecting Jesus as the Messiah, they must one day lead the nation to accepting Jesus as the Messiah (see the commentary on Revelation Ev – The Basis for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ). But the nation did not repent (and this was certainly no surprise to YHVH) so the message of the gospel would eventually also include the Samaritans in Acts 8 and the Gentiles in Acts 10. But, presently, heaven must receive Him (1:9-11), and there He must stay until the time of the restoration of all the things (Matthew 19:28), the Messianic Kingdom, that God spoke about long ago through the mouth of His holy prophets (3:21). 

Individual judgment can be avoided: As an example of a prophet through which God spoke, Peter cites Moshe, Isra’el’s first and greatest prophet. Moses spoke of the coming Messiah, “Adonai your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. Hear and obey Him in all that He shall say to you (3:22).” In what way was Moshe different than all the other prophets? It’s spelled out in Numbers 12:8. Whereas YHVH spoke to other prophets by dreams and visions, but in the case of Moshe, He spoke face to face. The point here is that Jesus is a prophet like Moses whom God would speak face to face. And just as Moshe commanded, Yeshua is now the One to be obeyed. Moshe warned of the consequences of rejecting the Messiah, “And it shall be that every soul that will not listen to that Prophet shall be completely cut off from the people (3:23).” Again, in this context the Prophet applies to Yeshua. But to those individuals in that generation who rejected the Messiah, judgment was coming (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Mt – The Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple on Tisha B’Av in 70 AD). Luke quotes the TaNaKh almost always in a form either corresponding to the LXX or close to it, and not according to the Hebrew Masoretic Text. Here Deuteronomy 18:15 and 19 are quoted close but not exactly corresponding to the LXX.⁷⁸ Not only did Moses prophesy about the coming of Jesus, but, indeed, all the prophets who have spoken from Samuel (the last judge and the first prophet) on have announced these days (3:24).

Blessing will be realized: Peter closes on a positive note. In spite of their sin of rejecting the Messiah, they were still the covenant people (Romans 9:3-5). You, you indeed, are the sons of the prophets, in other words, you are the heirs of the promises made by ADONAI through the prophets. Because of God’s mercy, grace and love for Isra’el, He did not permanently reject them even when they rejected His Son (Romans 11:2). And also, you are the sons of the covenant that God cut with your fathers, saying to Abraham, “In your seed shall all the [Gentile] families of the earth be blessed (3:25).” This is the foundational promise of the TaNaKh. Once again, Luke quotes Genesis 22:18 close to, but not exactly corresponding to, the LXX.⁷⁹

Therefore, God raised up His Servant (3:13) and sent Him first to you, to bless you all by turning each of you from your wicked ways (3:26). We have already seen this theme of the Jew first in the coming of the Spirit of God to the Messianic community at Shavu’ot (see Al – The Ruach ha-Kodesh Comes at Shavu’ot). He had just pointed out that the Gentiles would benefit from Christ’s coming, but there would be a divine order and that would be to the Jew first. Rabbi Sha’ul would write: For I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of god that brings salvation to everyone who believes; first to the Jew, and then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16). This sermon is not a re-offer of the Messianic Kingdom, but states the requirements for the establishment of the Kingdom. That is Isra’el’s national salvation.⁸⁰

As you review this section of Acts, you cannot help but be impressed with some practical truths that should encourage all of us in our witnessing for Christ.

God is longsuffering with lost sinners. The leaders of Isra’el had rejected the ministry of John the Immerser (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Fl – John the Baptist Beheaded) and the ministry of Yeshua, and yet ADONAI gave them another opportunity to repent and be saved. They had denied and slaughtered their own Messiah, and yet God patiently held back His judgment and sent His Ruach to deal with them. Today, God’s people also need patience as we witness to a lost world.

True witness involves the “bad news” of sin and guilt as well as the “Good News” of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. There can be no true faith in Messiah unless first there is repentance from sin. It is the ministry of the Ruach ha-Kodesh to convict lost sinners (John 16:7-11), and He will do this if we witness faithfully and use God’s Word correctly.

The way to reach the masses is by helping the individual sinner. Peter and John won the crippled beggar, and his transformed life led to the conversion of two thousand men (not counting the women), growing to five thousand (4:4) from three thousand at last count (2:41)! The servant of God who has no time for personal work with individual sinners will not be given many opportunities for ministering to great crowds. Like Jesus, the apostles took time for individuals.

The best defense of our faith is a changed life. The healed beggar was “exhibit A” in Peter’s defense of the resurrection of Yeshua Messiah. In his evangelistic ministries, the Methodist preacher Samuel Chadwick used to pray for “a Lazarus” in every campaign, some “great sinner” whose conversion would shock the community. He got this idea from John 12:9-11. God answered his prayers in meeting after meeting as infamous wicked men and women trusted in Christ and because witnesses through their changed lives.

Whenever God blesses, Satan shows up to oppose the work and silence the witnesses, and often the devil uses religious people to do his dirty work. Just as the Sanhedrin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin) opposed the ministry of Messiah, it also opposed the ministry of the apostles, and the god of this world (Second Corinthians 4:4) will oppose you today. The important thing is not that we are comfortable, but that the name of the Lord is glorified through the preaching of the gospel.

ADONAI has promised to bless and use His Word, so let’s be faithful to witness. Yeshua even prayed that our witness would have success: I pray not on behalf of [the apostles] only, but also for those who believe in Me through their message (John 17:20). Therefore, we have every reason to be encouraged. There is power in the name of Jesus, so, we don’t need to be afraid to witness and call sinners to repent.

The name of Yeshua Messiah still has power! While we may not perform the same miracles today that were seen in the days of the early Messianic Community/Church, we can still claim the authority of Jesus Christ as He has commanded us in His Word. We can proclaim repentance for the removal of sins (Luke 24:47) so that people might believe and have life through His name (John 20:30). We can give someone a cup of cold water in His name (Mark 9:41), and we can receive a child in His name (Matthew 18:5). These ministries may not seem as spectacular as healing a cripple, but they are still important to the work of God.

We can ask in His name was we pray (John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23-26). When we ask the Father something in the name of Yeshua Messiah, it is as though the Lord Himself were asking it. If we remember this, it will help to keep us from asking for things unworthy of His name. Yes, the name of Jesus Christ still has authority and power. Let us go forth into the world with His mighty Name.81