Here is a teaching on chapter 3 of the book of Acts. If you want to check out previous Bible studies and chapters going forward, join our group here. Once you get added into that Facebook group, you can go to the "units" tab and you'll see all of the chapters and their study guides as they are being taught.
First I want to say a quick prayer... Lord I pray that you lift up every single person reading this right now. I pray that you open up our eyes to see the truth of your words. Lord please give us knowledge and understanding to know exactly what it is that we're reading and how to implement it in our daily lives. And Holy Spirit, please guide us and show us truth through every aspect of our lives. I love you with my whole heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Acts Chapter 3:
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 crippled 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 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 recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
I'm going to stop right there and discuss these verses with you guys here. So we see in these verses here a crippled man being healed and being able to walk. In verse 6 Peter says "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." So the power here is not in Peter. Peter doesn't have any healing powers. The power is in Jesus Christ, and in the name of Jesus Christ the man was able to walk. We saw all throughout our Bible study on the book of John where Jesus Christ performed these miraculous signs and healed the broken and the wounded. Again Jesus Christ healed a crippled man through Peter in Acts chapter 3.
I'm going to put a couple of verses from the book of John here from chapter 14 verses 12-14 and they say: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I'm going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it." So in these verses from John 14, we see this happening in the verses above from chapter 3 of the book of Acts. Because of Peter's faith in Jesus Christ he was able to call on the name of Jesus and heal the crippled man, by the power of Jesus Christ.
11 While the beggar 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: "Men of Israel, 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 given this complete healing to him, as you can all see."
So these people that saw the crippled man being able to walk were astonished and they came running over to this crippled man, Peter, and John. In verses 12-16 Peter spoke courageously to these people and was asking them why they were surprised. These people were looking at Peter and John like they had some godliness or they were the ones that were able to make the man walk. Peter plainly told them that by faith, in the name of Jesus, the man was made strong. In verses 13-15 Peter says that God the Father glorified Jesus and these Jews handed Jesus over to be killed and disowned him before Pilate. We saw this happening in the book of John where Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent and he didn't want to crucify him, but these Jews were insisting on Jesus being crucified. They had hatred in their hearts and they didn't believe that Jesus was who he said he was and that he came from heaven with God the Father.
What Peter says in verse 14, we saw this in our Bible study on chapter 18 of the book of John in verses 39-40. Pilate was trying to release Jesus over to the Jews and they shouted, "No, not him! Give us Barabbas!" And Barabbas was a murderer. So that's what Peter is saying here in verse 14. These Jews didn't want Jesus to be released to them, they wanted to crucify Jesus, and they wanted to take a murderer to be released to them instead of Jesus that lived a sinless life, was innocent, performed miraculous signs, and came to save the world and not condemn the world. These Jews had had hatred in their hearts and they couldn't see the truth. They couldn't see Jesus for who he is, which is the way, the truth, and the life.
In verse 15 Peter is speaking about Jesus' crucifixion and his resurrection where God raised him from the dead three days later. Peter and the other disciples (which they are now apostles) were witnesses to all of that. They were there following Jesus through him performing miraculous signs, his crucifixion, his resurrection, and whenever he ascended back to heaven. In verse 16 Peter made it very clear that it was by faith in the name of Jesus, and that in Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him, that there was complete healing to the man. It didn't have anything to do with Peter. It wasn't by the power of Peter, it was by the power of Jesus, in the name of Jesus, and through faith in the name of Jesus, that this man was healed.
17 "Now, brothers, 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 Christ 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 Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven 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 among his people.'
24 "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as 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."
Alright, so those are all the verses of chapter 3 of the book of acts but I'm going to discuss these verses with you guys here. In verses 17-18, the Jews acting in ignorance, the crucifixion, and all of this happened so that scripture would be fulfilled and that through the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made by dying on the cross to forgive us of our sins, whoever believes in him will have eternal life in heaven with him and God the Father. Now in verses 19-20, if these Jews repent, turn from their wicked ways, and they ask Jesus to come into their hearts, then they will be saved. Just like I said in our Bible study from last week, anyone can be saved. It's not too late for anyone to be saved as long as they're still on earth. So even these Jews that had hatred in their heart and wanted Jesus to be crucified, if they repent and turn from their wicked ways, then they can be saved and have eternal life in heaven. And then what Peter says in verse 21, Jesus has to remain in heaven until he comes back for his people and God restores everything just like he promised.
Now in verses 22-23, there are a few verses that this is pertaining to here and they are in Deuteronomy chapter 18 verses 15, 18 and 19. So I'm just going to put these verses here. Verse 15 says: "The Lord your God will raise up for you prophet a like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him." Verses 18-19 say: "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account." So that's what Peter's talking about here in Acts chapter 3 in verses 22-23.
Then in verses 24-26, Peter said that the prophets from Samuel on foretold these days about Jesus Christ coming on the earth, living a sinless life, his crucifixion, his resurrection, and all of that. Most of the books that we see in the old Testament were all pointing to Jesus Christ our Savior, that comes and saves the world. He died on the cross to forgive us of our sins and to save us so that whoever believes in him won't perish, but have eternal life in heaven. Then in verse 25 there's a couple of different verses here that this is pertaining to and it's Genesis chapter 22 verse 18 and then also Genesis chapter 26 verse 4.
Acts Ch 3 Study Guide
How was the crippled beggar healed?
Why did all the people come running over to the crippled man, Peter, and John?
What was Peter referring to in verses 13-15?
In verse 19, why does Peter tell these people to repent?
Who can be saved?
What is your biggest takeaway from this Bible study?
So that completes our Bible study on chapter 3 of the book of Acts. Next week we're going to go into chapter 4 so make sure you stay tuned for that.
I love you guys so much.
Never forget to choose faith over fear.
-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)
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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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