Miraculous healing St. ap. Peter, lame from birth (1–11). Speech on this occasion to the people (12–26)
Acts 3:1. Peter and John walked together to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer.
“At the ninth hour of prayer,” επί τήν ώραν τῆς προσεχῆς τήν εννάτην, glory. “to pray at nine o’clock” is not so correct. The Greek text and the Russian translation suggest in the form of their expression other hours of prayer besides the ninth: these other hours were the third and sixth (in our opinion, the 9th and 12th). Meanwhile, the Slavic translation is expressed in such a way that one can assume the coincidence of the prayer of the Apostles with the ninth hour (according to our 3rd in the afternoon). Traces of triple daily prayer found in Jewish history very early: even David, in one of the psalms, points to prayer in the evening, morning and noon (Ps. 54:18). The Prophet Daniel, while in captivity in Babylon, knelt down to pray three times daily (Dan. 6:10). In the temple, the morning and evening hours (3rd and 9th) were sanctified with specially legalized morning and evening sacrifices, and at one of these hours of prayer the apostles went to offer their prayers to God, established by Him and not lost until time. the meaning for them of temple services.
Acts 3:2. And there was a man, lame from his mother’s womb, who was carried and seated every day at the doors of the temple, called Red, to ask for alms from those who entered the temple.
“Lame from his mother’s womb” - Acts. 4:22 – he was now over forty years old.
The “red gates” of the temple, so named probably because of their beauty, are not mentioned anywhere else. This was probably the main eastern gate (in Solomon's porch), leading to the court of the pagans, which Josephus describes as the most beautiful, surpassing in beauty all the other gates of the temple (Jude War 5:5, 3).
Acts 3:4. Peter and John, looking at him, said: look at us.
Acts 3:5. And he looked at them intently, hoping to get something from them.
The performance of a miracle on the lame man is preceded by the Apostles and the healed man looking closely at each other. It was like mutual preparation for a miracle. In relation to the lame man, this was a means of arousing his attention and spiritual receptivity to miraculous benefits.
Acts 3:6. But Peter said: I have no silver and gold; and what I have I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk.
“What I have, I give to you.” Even before performing a miracle, the Apostle has complete confidence in its accomplishment. This confidence was based, without a doubt, on the promises of the Lord to the apostles (Mark 16:18; Luke 9:1, John 14:12, etc.) and was felt in oneself the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit, which the Apostle expresses with the words: “what I have, I give.”
“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk.” Not by his own strength, but in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter performs this miracle.
Acts 3:7. And, taking him by the right hand, raised; and suddenly his feet and knees became stronger,
“Taking him by the right hand, he lifted him up.” To the word the Apostle adds external action, as the Lord Himself once did.
Acts 3:8. and he jumped up and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.
“Walking and jumping” is an expression of the enthusiastic and joyful mood of the healed soul.
Acts 3:9. And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
“And all the people,” i.e. those who gathered and gathered in the temple courts “saw him,” i.e. no longer lame, but healthy and cheerful.
Acts 3:11. And as the healed lame man did not leave Peter and John, all the people in amazement ran to them in the porch called Solomon.
The “Porch called Solomonov” is a vast covered gallery through which the red gate led to the temple. People crowded here after the news of a miracle spread with the speed of lightning, the best test of which was the well-known former lame man, who enthusiastically glorified God without leaving the Apostles.
Acts 3:12. Seeing this, Peter said to the people: Men of Israel! Why are you astonished at this, or why do you look at us as if we, through our own strength or piety, had made him walk?
In response to the bewilderment and amazement of the people, Peter again makes a speech similar to the first one (on the day of Pentecost), proving to the people, on the basis of the evidence of the Old Testament, the Messianic dignity of the Lord Jesus and convincing the people to repentance and faith in Him. But before that, he dispels the people's misunderstanding of the reasons for the miracle. The surprised gaze of the people, fixed on the Apostles, seemed to ask: what kind of power do these people have in themselves, performing such great miracles?, or: how great must be the piety of these people, that God glorifies them with such wondrous signs?... The Apostle eliminates both such explanations at once: “this, he says, does not belong to us, because it was not by our own worth that we attracted the grace of God”... (Chrysostom).
Acts 3:13. The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Son Jesus, whom you betrayed and denied before the face of Pilate, when he thought to release Him.
“The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” emphasizes the great guilt of the Jews in relation to His beloved Son, the Messiah Jesus. At the same time, it indicates the true culprit of the miracle performed, as well as the purpose of the miracle - the glorification of Jesus (cf. John 17:1, 4-5, 13:31-32).
“His Son” (τόν παῖδα αυτοῦ) is the name of the Messiah, taken from the prophecies of Isaiah (chap. XL-LXXVI).
“Whom you betrayed and denied,” see John. 19:14-15; Onion. 23:2 et par. places. The condensed presentation of the circumstances of the Savior’s suffering is completely consistent with the Gospel presentation and represents, so to speak, precious excerpts from the “fifth” Gospel “of Peter.”
“Two accusations,” Chrysostom says here, “and the fact that Pilate wanted to let him go, and the fact that when he wanted, you did not want... He seemed to be saying this: instead of Him, you asked for a robber. He presented their act in the most terrible form... You, he says, asked to release the one who killed others, but you did not want the One who revives the dead.”
Acts 3:15. and the Chief of life was killed. This one God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
“The boss of life was killed” is an unusually strong expression, contrasting two such sharp contrasts. The concept of life here is taken in its full and most perfect sense (John 1:4), meaning not only the highest spiritual life and eternal salvation received through faith in Christ, but also all life in general, of which Christ is the main source, head and finisher.
“God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” See Acts 2:24-32.
Acts 3:16. And for the sake of faith in His name, His name strengthened this one whom you see and know, and the faith that is from Him granted him this healing before you all.
“For the sake of faith in His Name”—whose faith? Not clear. Is it the faith of the Apostles, or the faith of the sick? However, in any case, the reason for the miracle is the power of faith - the faith, it must be said, of both the Apostles and the healed one - faith in the risen Lord Jesus.
“The faith that is from Him” is faith as the gift of Christ through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:9).
"In front of all of you." Although the healing itself took place in the presence of perhaps very few, however, this miracle could well be called perfect “in front of everyone,” for these all now saw the healed man walking and jumping - instead of seeing him, as usual, lying in a helpless state at the gate temple.
Acts 3:17. However, I know, brothers, that you, like your leaders, did this out of ignorance;
Having presented before the eyes of the Jews the severity of their guilt in relation to God the Father and the Lord Jesus and intending to incline their hearts to repentance and conversion to Christ, the Apostle softens his speech, addressing the listeners with the friendly name “brothers” and explaining the murder of Jesus by ignorance on their part ( cf. Luke 23:34; 1 Cor. 2:8), and at the same time represents this murder as a deed that was predetermined in the eternal counsel of God and predicted by all the prophets. - So, according to Chrysostom, the Apostle “gives them the opportunity to renounce and repent of what they did, and even presents a plausible excuse for them and says: that you killed the Innocent, you knew this; but perhaps they did not know that they had killed the Chief of Life. And thus, not only does he acquit them of crime, but also the main perpetrators of evil. And if he turned the speech into an accusation, he would make them more stubborn."
Acts 3:18. God, as He foretold through the mouth of all His prophets that Christ would suffer, did so.
“God... foretold through the mouth of all his prophets that Christ would suffer.” Although not all The prophets prophesied specifically about the sufferings of Christ, however, the Apostle speaks about them this way, obviously because the main focal point of Jewish prophecy in general was Christ the Messiah, and therefore His whole work, for the sake of which He had to come to earth.
“So I did.” The Jews betrayed the Messiah to suffer and die, but in this case, remaining independent and responsible figures, they became instruments for fulfilling the will of God and the will of the Messiah himself, as He Himself spoke about this more than once (John 10:18, 2:19, 14:31, 19:10, 11).
Acts 3:19. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
“Contact”, i.e. to Christ as the Messiah, believe in Him.
Acts 3:20. May times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord, and may He send Jesus Christ, who is destined for you,
“Times of consolation”, i.e. that summer, the favorable approach of which the Lord preached in the Nazareth synagogue - the kingdom of the Messiah, the kingdom of grace with its righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. How Old Testament here it is assumed to be a life of alienation from God, a life full of all sorts of troubles, suffering, struggles; So New Testament is considered here as true rest and tranquility of the soul in peace with God and close communication with Him, capable of erasing and healing all the bitterness of suffering.
“On behalf of the Lord” - judging by what follows - of course God the Father is here.
“May He send” is about the second glorious coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of the world, and the meaning of the expression is the same as above - “God raised Him up,” etc.
Acts 3:21. Whom heaven was to receive until the time of the fulfillment of all that God had spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
“Whom heaven was about to receive” is an indication of the presence of the Lord Jesus with glorified flesh in heaven from the day of his ascension.
“Until the time of the completion of everything,” άχρι χρόνων αποκαταστάσεως πάντων, more correctly, until the time of restoration of everything. Here, probably, it goes without saying the same thing that Ap foreshadowed. Paul, speaking of the conversion of all Jews to Christ (Rom. 11:26).
“By the mouth of all his holy prophets” - see above, to Art. 18. The general meaning of this text, according to the interpretation of bl. Theophylact, the one that “much of what was predicted by the prophets has not yet been fulfilled, but is being fulfilled and will be fulfilled until the end of the world, because Christ, ascended into heaven, will remain there until the end of the world and will come with power when everything that the prophets predicted is finally fulfilled "
Acts 3:22. Moses said to the fathers: The Lord your God will raise up for you from among your brothers a Prophet like me; obey Him in everything that He tells you;
Having mentioned the predictions of the prophets about Christ, the Apostle cites the words of Moses as one of the clearest and most authoritative predictions (Deut. 18:15ff.). In these words, Moses, warning the people of God against the false fortune-tellers and soothsayers of the Canaanites, promises on behalf of God that they will always have true prophets, whom they will, after Moses, have to listen to unquestioningly. Thus, we are talking here primarily about the entire host of Jewish prophets, under the general collective name of “prophet,” raised by God. But since the end and fulfillment of every Old Testament prophecy is Christ, it is fair that all antiquity - both Jewish and Christian - attributed this prophecy to Christ - especially since of all the Old Testament prophets there was no such prophet as Moses (Deut. 34: 10-12). Only Christ surpassed Moses (Heb. 3:3-6).
“A prophet like me,” πρυφήτην, i.e. the same special, extraordinary mediator between God and the people as Moses was. This points especially to the legislative activity of Jesus Christ, in which He, unlike all other prophets, became like and surpassed Moses.
Acts 3:23. and it will come to pass that every soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from the people.
“He will be cut off from the people,” εξολοθρευθήσεται εκ τοῦ λαοῦ. In the original - “from him I will require it.” The Apostle replaces this with another stronger and often used expression in other places in Moses, meaning condemnation to destruction or death; in this case, of course, eternal death and deprivation of participation in the kingdom of the Promised Messiah (cf. John 3:18).
Acts 3:24. And all the prophets, from Samuel and after him, no matter how many of them spoke, also foretold these days.
“All the prophets... foretold these days,” i.e. days of the appearance of the Great Prophet-Messiah (cf. 18th Art. and 21st Art.).
“From Samuel,” who is taken here as the greatest prophet after Moses, with whom the continuous series of Old Testament Jewish prophets begins, ending with the end of the Babylonian captivity.
Acts 3:25. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God commanded to your fathers, saying to Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Interpretation of the blessed Theophylact: “He says “sons of the prophets” instead of saying: you should neither be discouraged nor think that you have lost the promises. “You are the sons of the prophets,” so they told you and for your sake all this happened. What does “sons of the Covenant” mean? This is instead: “heirs,” but heirs are not assigned only, but are the same as sons. And so, if you yourself want, then you are heirs.”
“God commanded your fathers, saying to Abraham.” The Covenant with Abraham was a Covenant with all the fathers of the Jewish people, who had Abraham as their forefather, and therefore with the entire Jewish people. But this is not exclusive: not only they, the Jews, are promised the blessing of God, but all the tribes of the earth - the Jews only first, according to a special Covenant with them through Moses.
“In your seed they will be blessed” is a promise to Abraham repeated more than once by God (Gen. 12:3, 18:18, 22:18). By the “seed” of Abraham here we mean not the descendants of Abraham in general, but one specific Person from this descendants, namely the Messiah. This is how not only Peter interprets it, but also Paul the Ap. (Gal. 3:16).
Acts 3:26. God, having raised His Son Jesus, sent Him to you first to bless you, turning everyone away from your evil deeds.
That God sent the blessed descendant of Abraham to the “first” Jews or “first of all” the Jews, in this the Apostle tries to show not just their advantage over all other peoples, but also the strongest motivation and, as it were, an obligation to accept the promised blessing first of all - through turning to Christ and faith in Him.
“Having raised up His Son,” see above to Acts 2:24, 3:13.
“I sent you to bless you,” i.e. to fulfill for you the promise given to Abraham, to make you blessed participants in all the blessings of the kingdom of the Messiah, to grant you salvation and eternal life. “And so, do not consider yourself rejected and rejected,” concludes Chrysostom.
"Turning away from your evil deeds" - essential condition to receive the promised blessing of God in the Kingdom of the Messiah, into which nothing unclean or unjust will enter.
In his judgment about the primacy of Israel in accepting the benefits of the kingdom of the Messiah, the Apostle again repeats the idea of universality The kingdom of the Messiah, which will spread to all the tribes of the earth.
Together, Peter and John ascended to the sanctuary for prayer at the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from the womb of his mother used to carry this: he was supposed to stand all day in front of the red church doors, asking for alms from those entering the church: Whoever saw Peter and John, wanting to get into the church, begged for alms. Peter looked at John and said: look at us. He is close to them, thinking he will receive something from them. Peter said: I have no silver and gold; but I am imam, this I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk. And eat it by the right hand, holding it up.
These two apostles are everywhere of great unanimity. Peter anoints John (John 13:24); both came together to the tomb (John 20:3); about John Peter says to Christ: this is what (John 13:24); By the way, the one who wrote this book omits other signs, but speaks of this sign as one that affected everyone. Why did they go up to the sanctuary? Did they really still live like Jews? This couldn't happen. They did this, adapting to the people and considering it useful. Look how they were constantly in prayer and prayed together at the ninth hour. The exact mention of both place and time (the writer of the book) is made in order to give an account of what he describes. If so, then how come he does not name the lame man? This is because the apostles did not even know his name; since this man was completely unknown to them. And this, perhaps, so that it would not seem that they are doing healings as a sign of gratitude (gratitude) and out of passion, and so that no one, even the most arrogant people, could suspect them of deception, suspect that out of gratitude to the apostles some of their acquaintances invented healings that were supposedly performed on them themselves. But how did they not know the name of the lame man after he was healed? This is because they did not have time to do things that did not bring any benefit. But it seems to me that many did not know the name of this man, and, due to the nature of his illness, called him simply lame; because his illness was so remarkable and so well known that when anyone heard a mention of a lame man, then, despite the fact that perhaps there were other lame people, he immediately imagined this lame man. But how did they know that he was lame from his mother’s womb? From general rumor, according to the common testimony of all; since everyone knew him due to his constant presence at the temple. But the apostles could have learned about this from him himself, after he was healed. Why was he not brought to Christ for healing? Perhaps some of the zealous visitors to the temple did not believe in the healings of Christ. They did not lead him to the apostles, despite the fact that they saw them enter and, of course, knew what miracles they performed. I have no silver and gold. He didn’t say: I don’t have it with me, as we usually say, but (said): I don’t have it at all. Look: John is silent everywhere, but Peter speaks for him. So what? Having no silver, do you ignore your petitioner? No: as an imam, I give this to you, says Peter. This is what Christ did, healing the sick often with one word, and often, when He was surrounded by people who were very weak in faith, and with a touch, so that it would not seem that what had happened (the healing) happened by itself. And eat it, they say, lift it up. This method of healing pointed to the resurrection, since it was an image of the resurrection.
Abie became established in his mold and shine. And the hundred jumped up, and walked, and went into the church with them, walking and jumping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. I know him like this one, who sat for alms at the red church doors: and was filled with wonder and horror at what had happened to him.
Walking and jumping, that is, testing yourself and making sure as much as possible whether you really became healthy. Since the healing was extraordinary and beyond expectation, it was natural for him to doubt himself. And others say that he did not even know how to walk; That’s why he moved his legs as if jumping. Look: he doesn't calm down. This is partly out of pleasure, partly to stop the lips and prevent this healing from being considered a deception. He galloped so that in the end there would be no one left who would not know about this fact. Out of his own disposition and out of his enthusiastic love for the apostles (Peter and John), and, perhaps, out of a feeling of gratitude towards them, or out of a desire to give them more pleasure, he did not leave them. As for the fact that this miracle took place in the temple, it was for greater benefit and salvation.
Holding on to the healed lame Peter and John, all the people flocked to them into the porch called Solomon, terrible. When Peter saw it, he answered to the people: Men of Israel, why are you marveling at this? or why do you look at us, as if we made him walk by our own strength or by piety? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorify his youth Jesus: whom you betrayed, and rejected him before Pilate, I destined to let him go. But you rejected the holy and righteous one, and asked your husband to give you a murderer: but you killed the Author of life: whom God raised from the dead, of whom we are witnesses. And about faith in this name, which you see and know, establish his name: and faith, even for his sake, give him all this integrity before you all.
What does the expression mean: holding on to the healed lame of Peter and John? That he was afraid to lag behind them; because he thought that he would be free from his illness as long as he held and touched them. In particular, he thought so because Peter also healed him, taking him by the hand and raising him up. And in the vestibule (this happened) because only this vestibule remained from Solomon’s building; since Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple (Solomon) and Cyrus of Persia rebuilt it. Men of Israel, why are you wondering about this? This speech to the people was filled with greater boldness (than the previous one), not because in the previous one he would have been afraid (to speak boldly), but because then the Jews, as cunning and daring people, could not yet endure such a tone. Therefore, starting the previous speech, he at the very beginning of it attracts their attention with the following words: let this be reasonable for you, and inspire my verbs (chapter 2, art. 14). But here he no longer needs such phrases, since they (the Jews) no longer lost their temper; but the attention of all of them is drawn to the sign; and they were filled with fear and amazement. See how he avoids speaking about the glory of the apostles themselves; because nothing is more useful for listeners than for the speaker not only not to say anything about his own greatness, but also forbidding anyone else to talk about it. So, despising the glory that they could achieve among people, they (the apostles) glorified themselves even more, showing people that what happened was not a human act, but a Divine one. God our Father glorify his youth Jesus. Still adheres (in speech) to the sides of humiliation (of Christ); however, the insolence of the Jews is exposed, and not obscured, as before. He does this more out of a desire to influence them; and the latter was achieved all the more the more he discovered their guilt. You betrayed him and rejected him before Pilate, destined to let him go. Two accusations (against the Jews): one is that Pilate, a Greek by birth, a man who did not see a single sign and did not know any of the prophets, wanted to let (Jesus) go, and the other is that you, by origin Jews, a people brought up among signs and initiated into the prophecies about Christ, you did not want to let Him go, while Pilate wanted it. You rejected the holy and righteous one, and asked for a murderer husband. Having said that instead of Him (Christ) they (the Jews) asked for a robber, he (Peter) explained the matter completely; because this proves that they had the opportunity to let Him go. If they had already released the robber, then all the more could they release the innocent husband. And they freed the villain and killed the benefactor; because they killed the Chief of Life. The Author of life... If He is the Author of life, then as having life in Himself and as the author of life, He resurrected Himself. To him we are witnesses. He no longer resorts to prophecy; but since they already trusted him, he brings the face of the apostles as witnesses: To him, he says, we are witnesses. Establish His name. Having said: about faith in His name, he, correcting the speech, says: establish His name; because the one who was healed believed because of the healing. This means: what do I say that the lame stood firmly on his feet, believing in the name of Christ? Even before he believed, the name of Christ, having been called, had already established him. It has such great power and exudes so many grace-filled gifts. And faith, even for His sake. And what kind of faith this is, the Lord himself explains this way: that they may know the one true God, and whom Jesus Christ sent (John 17:3). Lest anyone say: if in this way one calling on His name strengthened, that is, strengthened the lame, then healing will follow no less quickly, even if an unbeliever called on His name and even if he called on this name to heal a person who is also an unbeliever - so lest anyone say this, he (Peter) added: and faith, even for His sake..., that is: although this name is great and terrible, and although it exudes healing, but for this it is necessary that the souls of those being healed are worthy of such mercy and that those who intercede for them may be able to propitiate the Giver of healings; because if the one asking for healing intends to remain unfaithful, then healing will in no case follow so easily; and this name will in no way do its job if it is called by infidels: the sons of Sceva not only did not bring benefit to others, but also harmed themselves. Although others explained it differently than we explain; but the faith that accomplishes it is the same; because it is not said: by His name, but: about His name... However, they (the apostles) did not yet have the boldness to express themselves like this: faith in Him. And so that in the expression: For His sake, to weaken the character of extreme humiliation, he added (Peter): and establish His name. But since, on the other hand, this last expression breathes the character of greatness and perfection, then he confirms it by adding: and faith, even for His sake, mixing the facts of greatness with the facts of humiliation and applying it now to the type of events, now to the disposition and abilities of the listeners. The following expressions have the character of humiliation: about faith in His name, and: faith for His sake. And the following words spoken by Peter bear the character of greatness and perfection: establish His name. This last saying would have confused the Jews if it had been stated directly, but surrounded by sayings of a different nature it became acceptable to them.
And now, brethren, we know that out of ignorance you have done this, just as your princes did: God, who foretells the lips of all his prophets to suffer Christ, fulfill this.
Since he strongly reproached them (the Jews), he again softens his speech to give them the opportunity to come to their senses; and to justify them he deigned to present two circumstances: one is their ignorance, the other is that everything that was said to them had been announced before. But how come he (Peter) does not bring evidence from Scripture about His (Jesus) crucifixion? However, he also says above: she was given the advice and understanding of God, and now he expounds the same thing, only in more detail, saying: even the prophet proclaimed the lips of all. He does not provide direct evidence because, along with the announcement of accusations and punishment to the Jews, they also expressed all the evidence, such as: and I will give the evil one instead of his burial and the rich instead of his death (Isa. 53:9). And to console them it is said that they did it out of ignorance, but God will do it. This is at the same time an answer to the words of all of them (the Jews), to the words that they spoke to reproach Him even at the cross, namely: may God deliver Him (Jesus) if He wills (Matthew 27:43) , and: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross (Matthew 27:40), and the like. There was only one thing (Peter) did not tell them, namely: foolish, these were empty words; because if this was how it should have been, and if all the prophets testify to this, then it is obvious that this (crucifixion) did not happen due to powerlessness (of Christ), but rather due to ineffable power and great power and infinite love for mankind.
Repent therefore and be converted, and be cleansed from your sins, for that cool times may come from the presence of the Lord, and the coming of Christ Jesus, who was named unto you, Whom it is fitting for the heavens to receive even before the years of the dispensation of all, even as God spoke from the mouth of all his saints, the prophet from everlasting.
He is not talking about the sin of the Jews, which they dared to commit during the crucifixion; as he said above: and now we know that out of ignorance you did this, just as your princes did. What was the significance of what he said there: and now we know? Now we, he says, that is, I consider it useful, so to speak, to arrange your salvation. Or: now we know that you did this out of ignorance, that is, I know because many of you are converted and saved; since, obviously, he says this to those who have already converted from among them and believed. How did they do this out of ignorance? What kind of ignorance is there in asking (that is, for freedom) a robber and not accepting (into one’s society) the One whom (Pilate) sentenced to be released, but on the contrary, killing Him? But he spoke thus, opening the doors of conversion for them; Therefore, he does not say: repent of what you dared to do in the days of the crucifixion, but: may you be cleansed from your other sins. So repent, he says, for times of renewal will come. But he immediately shows that they are subject to many sorrows; because such speech can only be addressed to someone who is about to cry and who expects some kind of consolation. See how he is gradually approaching his goal. In the first conversation he pointed to the resurrection (of Jesus) and His sitting in heaven; and here he already points to His glorious coming, which he calls the time of renewal; because what other times could there be of renewal or resurrection? And the Apostle Paul raises the question of these times when he says: we who are in this body groan heavily (2 Corinthians 5:4). If anyone decides to call the times that followed the conquest (of Jerusalem) times of renewal, he will not encounter any obstacle; because God shortened the times of bitterness and captivity of the Jews for the sake of the elect, that is, so that those who believed would find renewal and be freed from this strong oppression. And the coming of Christ Jesus, who was named unto you. Further, instead of saying: it is necessary for heaven to receive Him, since He is God and must always sit with the Father, (Peter) says: It is fitting for heaven to receive Him even to the age of years... Shows the reason why He does not come now, - says that everything should come to an end; then He will come. But how does he say: It is fitting for heaven to accept Him...? Has it really not yet accepted Him (Jesus)? Accepted, without any doubt. So why didn’t he say: whom heaven accepted? So he speaks like a man talking about former times. As for the expressions: even before, while, then in holy scripture These expressions do not mean a specific time; because how should we understand the following words addressed to God: Thou art forever? So the meaning of this text is that much of what was predicted by the prophets has not yet been fulfilled, but is being fulfilled and will be fulfilled until the end (of the world); because Christ, who ascended into heaven, will remain there until the end of the world, and will come with power when everything that the prophets predicted is finally fulfilled, that is, when the end comes and everything sensual ceases, then Christ will be above heaven.
Moses therefore spoke to his father: For the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren: listen to him according to everything he speaks to you. It will happen that every soul, even if it does not listen to the prophet, will be consumed from people. And all the prophets from Samuel and those like them who spoke also foretold these days. You are a son's prophet, and of the covenant which God commanded to your fathers, saying to Abraham: And through your seed shall the whole earthly fatherland be blessed. For you first God raised up his servant Jesus, his messenger, blessing you, so that you may turn away from your evils.
He said: the prophet is like me. The expression: like me should be understood not in the sense of nature, but in the sense of action. So (Moses likened himself to Christ) not by nature, but by actions; because if he used the expression: like me in the sense of nature, then not one, but many were resurrected. The Lord will raise up a prophet for you. Immanuel is called a prophet after humanity - a mediator, like Moses in his time, of God and men. By likening Him figuratively to Moses, I allow myself to even call Him Moses; I allow myself to compare the truth with the shadow. Christ is born in Bethlehem, Moses was born in Egypt. Moses is an Israelite, Christ is also according to the flesh. Moses is from the priestly lineage, Christ is through the Virgin from the lineage of David. Under Moses - Pharaoh, under Christ - Herod. Pharaoh kills children, Herod destroys infants; this one beats male children, and this one destroys the male sex. Moses is saved through his mother; Matter, and together with it, Christ was saved. It will be required from people. Being immortal, the human soul is not completely destroyed, but (falls) from any good state in which it was previously placed. So Judas was consumed, that is, excluded from the ranks of the apostles. So, since the soul is immortal, then by consuming it we mean depriving it of those benefits that it would have enjoyed if it had lived in a godly manner. You are a son's prophet... He says: son's prophet, instead of saying: you should neither lose heart nor think that you have lost the promises. You are a son's prophet, so they told you and for your sake all this happened. What does it mean: sons of the covenant? This is instead: heirs, but heirs, not assigned only, but the same as sons. Son - he said by the way and in order to show that they are heirs by sonship. So, if you yourself want it, then you are the heirs. That is why (Peter) says: you are a prophet of the sons, and the messenger of Jesus, whose messenger was blessing you... He sent (God) also to other nations, but to you, who crucified and killed Him, He sent first. When? only from the cross? No; both after that and after the resurrection. That is why Peter says: God raised up an ambassador for you first. What to create? Bless you and save you if you yourself really want to turn away from your evils.
Interpretation Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria
Comments on Chapter 3
INTRODUCTION TO THE ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES
PRECIOUS BOOK
In a sense, the Acts of the Holy Apostles the most important book of the New Testament. Without this book, we, except for the information extracted from the letters of the Apostle Paul, would know nothing about the development of the early Church.
Historiography knows two methods. One of them tries to follow the course of events day by day, week by week, and the other seems to open a series of windows on important points and great personalities of one time or another. It is this second method that was used in writing the Acts of the Apostles .
We call it the Book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles. In fact, the book does not pretend to give an exhaustive account of the acts of the Apostles. Besides Paul, only three apostles are mentioned in it. IN Acts 12.2 it is said in one short sentence that James, the brother of John, was executed by Herod. John is mentioned, but he does not say a word. The book gives certain information only about Peter, but soon he, as an outstanding person, leaves the stage. The title of the book in Greek reads: "The Acts of the Apostles." It is obvious that the author sought to capture in it some typical acts of the heroic and courageous leaders of the first Christian Church.
AUTHORITY OF THE BOOK
Although the book does not say anything about this, Luke has long been considered its author. We know very little about Luke himself; in the New Testament his name is mentioned three times: - Col. 4.14; Phil. 23; 2 Tim. 4.19. From these we can conclude two things with certainty: firstly, Luke was a doctor and, secondly, he was one of Paul's most valuable assistants and his most true friend, because he was with him even during his last prison sentence. We can conclude that he was a Gentile. Col. 4.11 ends the list of names and greetings from the circumcised, that is, from the Jews; Verse 12 begins a new list that gives the names of the Gentiles. From this we come to the interesting conclusion that Luke is the only writer in the New Testament who comes from a Gentile background.
The fact that Luke was a doctor can be guessed by the fact that he instinctively uses medical terms. IN OK. 4.35, talking about a man who had an unclean spirit, he used the exact medical term “convulsions” with the expression “and casting him down in the middle of the synagogue.” IN OK. 9.38, drawing a portrait of a man who asked Jesus: “I beg You to look at my son,” he uses a typical word for a doctor visiting a sick person. Most interesting example given in the statement about the camel and the eye of a needle. All three authors - weather forecasters cite it (Matt. 19:24; Mark 10:25; Luke 18:25). Matthew and Mark use the Greek word rafis, a common word for a tailor's or housewife's needle. Only Luke uses the Greek word Belone, denoting a surgeon's needle. Luke was a doctor and the medical vocabulary came quite naturally from his pen.
WHO WAS THE BOOK FOR?
And his Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles Luke wrote for Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). We can only guess who Theophilus was. IN OK. 1.3 he calls him "Venerable Theophilus", which actually means "Your Excellency" and denotes a high-ranking person in the service of the Roman Empire. There are several possible explanations for this name.
1) Maybe Theophilus is not the name of a real person at all. In those days, being a Christian was dangerous. The name Theophilus is made up of two Greek words: Teos - that is God And filen - to love. Perhaps Luke was writing to a God-loving man, and for safety reasons he did not mention his real name.
2) If Theophilus was real person, then he must have been a high-ranking official. Luke probably wrote to him to show that Christianity is a wonderful religion, and Christians are pious people. It is possible that he wanted to convince the government official not to persecute Christians.
3) The third theory, more romantic than the previous ones, is based on the fact that Luke was a doctor, and in ancient times doctors were mostly slaves. It was conjectured that Luke was the doctor of the seriously ill Theophilus, to whom Luke’s medical skill and care restored him to health, and as a sign of gratitude he gave Luke his freedom. And, perhaps, as a sign of gratitude for this, Luke wrote down the most precious thing to his benefactor - the story of Jesus.
LUKE'S PURPOSE IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
A person writing a book has some kind of goal and, perhaps, more than one. Let's think about why Luke wrote Acts .
1) His one goal is to recommend Christianity to the Roman government. Luke shows more than once how courteous the Roman judges were to Paul. IN Acts 13.12 Sergius Paulus, governor of Cyprus, believed in Christ. IN Acts 18.12 Proconsul Gallio in Corinth remained completely indifferent to the demands of the Jews to punish Paul. IN Acts 16.35 and further, the judges at Philippi, realizing their mistake, made a public apology to Paul. IN Acts 19.31 The leaders in Ephesus were careful that no harm would come to Paul. Luke pointed out that in the past the Roman government often showed decent disposition towards Christians and was always fair to them.
Luke is trying to show that Christians are pious and faithful citizens and that they have always been considered that way. IN Acts 18.14 Gallio states that Paul has no thought of offense or malice. IN Acts 19.37 An Ephesian official gives the Christians a commendable description. IN Acts 23.29 Claudius Lysias declares that he has nothing against Paul. IN Acts 25.25 Festus says that Paul did nothing to deserve death, and in the same chapter Festus and Agrippa agree that Paul could have been released if he had not turned to Caesar.
Luke wrote his book at a time when Christians were hated and persecuted, and he put it in such a way as to show that the Roman judges were always fair to Christians and never looked upon them as evil people. There has even been a very interesting suggestion made that Acts - an anthology compiled for the defense of Paul in the imperial court of Rome.
2) Another intention of Luke was to show that Christianity is a creed for all people of all countries.
It was this idea that the Jews could not accept. They believed that they were God's chosen people and that God did not need any other people. Luke wants to prove something else. It shows Philip preaching to the Samaritans; Stephen, who made Christianity universal and died for it; and Peter, who converted Cornelius to Christianity. It shows Christians preaching to the pagans in Antioch and Paul traveling around ancient world and convincing people to accept Christ; V Acts 15 it shows that the Church has come to important decision accept pagans on equal terms with Jews.
H) But these were not his main intentions. The main purpose of the Acts Luke captured in the words of the risen Christ in Acts 1.8: "You... will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth." He intended to show the spread of Christianity as a religion that originated in a small corner of Palestine and which reached Rome in less than thirty years.
S. H. Turner points out that Acts our parts fall apart, each of which ends with a short summary
a) B 1,1-6,7 tells about the Jerusalem church and Peter's preaching, and ends with the following summary: “And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem; and of the priests very many submitted to the faith.”
b) B 6,8-9,31 describes the spread of Christianity throughout Palestine, the martyrdom of Stephen and the preaching in Samaria. This part ends with a summary:
“And the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria were at rest, being edified and walking in the fear of the Lord, and being encouraged by the Holy Spirit, they increased in number.”
c) B 9,32-12,24 includes Paul's conversation, the spread of the Church to Antioch and the reception of Cornelius. It ends with the words: “The Word of God grew and spread.”
d) B 12,25-16,5 tells about the spread of the Christian Church in Asia Minor and about preaching in Galatia. It ends: “And the churches were established by faith and increased daily in number.”
e) B 16,21-19,20 tells about the spread of the Church to Europe and about Paul's asceticism in large pagan cities like Corinth and Ephesus. It ends with this summary: “With such power the word of God grew and became powerful.”
e) B 19,21-28,31 tells about Paul's arrival in Rome and his stay in prison. The end shows Paul "Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness without restraint."
This is the plan of Acts already gives the answer to the most difficult question: Why Acts end with the story of Paul's stay in prison awaiting trial. We would so much like to know what happened to him next; but the end is shrouded in mystery. Luke ends his story here because he has completed his task: he has shown how Christianity began in Jerusalem and how it spread throughout the world and finally reached Rome. One major New Testament scholar has said that Acts could be called: “How the good news reached from Jerusalem to Rome.”
SOURCES
Luke was a historian, and therefore it is important what sources he used. Where did Luke get his facts from? In this regard, Acts breaks down into two parts:
1) The first part consists of fifteen chapters, which Luke was not a witness to, and information about which he received second-hand. In all likelihood, he had access to two sources.
a) Memories were preserved in local churches. They may never have been written down, but church communities kept the memory alive. This part depicts facts from three churches: the history of the Jerusalem church, covering Acts 1-5 and 15-16; history of the church community in Caesarea, covering Acts 8, 26-40 and 9, 31-10, 48, and finally, a history of the church community in Antioch, covering Acts 11, 19-30 and 12, 25-14, 28.
b) There were probably cycles of stories consisting of the Acts of Paul, the Acts of John, the Acts of Philip and the Acts of Stephen. Friendship with Paul undoubtedly helped Luke get to know all the major figures of the churches of that time and, therefore, he could have all the events and histories of these churches.
2) But most of what is stated in the chapters 16-28 Luka knew him personally, as a participant in the events. If you read Acts carefully , then you can notice a strange thing: Luke tells most of his story in the 3rd person plural, and some passages are told in the 1st person plural and instead of “they” Luke uses “we”. The following passages are stated in the 1st plural: Acts 16.10-17; 20, 5-16; 21, 1-18; 27, 1-28, 16. Luke must have been a participant in these events. He probably kept a diary and recorded eyewitness accounts. As for what he was not a witness to, he apparently learned from Paul, With which he spent for a long time in prison. There could not be a major church figure whom Luke did not know personally, and, in any case, he could get the necessary information from people who were witnesses one or another event.
Reading Acts , we may be confident that no historian ever had better sources, and no one used them more carefully than Luke.
NOTABLE ACT (Acts 3:1-10)
The Jewish day began at six o'clock in the morning and ended at six in the evening. The devout Jew prayed three times: at nine o'clock in the morning, at twelve, and three in the afternoon. They believed that prayer was effective wherever one prayed, but they still believed that in the temple it had double strength. It is very interesting that the apostles continued to observe the old customs. It was the hour of prayer, and Peter and John went to the temple to pray. They were filled with a new faith, but did not take advantage of this to deviate from the norm. They understood that new faith and fidelity to the old discipline can promote each other.
In the east, beggars usually sat at the entrance to the temple or at the place of worship of the shrine. This place was considered the best in all respects: people who go to pray are most inclined to be generous towards their fellow men. One of the friends of the vagabond poet W. H. Davis told him that when he arrives in a new city, the first thing he does is look for the top of the church with the cross and go there to beg. Love for God and love for humanity must always go hand in hand.
In the above passage we are faced with the miracles of the apostolic era. In connection with them, several specific comments need to be made.
1) Such miracles really were committed. IN Acts 4.16 we read that the Sanhedrin realized the need to recognize the miracle that had happened. The enemies of Christianity would be the first to rebut and deny such a fact if they could, but they never even tried to do so.
2) Why did they stop? There are several assumptions: a) It was a time when miracles were an urgent necessity. In that era, they were proof of the truth and power of the Christian good news during the period of its first spread, b) Then two special circumstances coincided: First, the apostles were still alive, who had the unique opportunity of personal close communication with Jesus Christ. Secondly, all this happened in an atmosphere of passionate expectation of miracles, when a special surge of faith was felt in the world. The combination of these two circumstances produced a special influence.
3) It would be more correct to ask the question not “Why did the miracles stop?”, but “Did they stop?” After all, every person understands that modern surgeons are now doing what was considered a miracle in apostolic times. God revealed new truths and new knowledge to people, and using these revelations of God, people continue to perform miracles. As one famous doctor said: “I put bandages on wounds, and God heals them.” A Christian can see miracles everywhere if he has receptive eyes.
THE CRIME OF THE CRUCIFIXION (Acts 3:11-16)
This passage reflects the three main elements of early Christian preaching.
1) Early Christian preachers always emphasized the important fact that the crucifixion of Christ was the greatest crime in the history of mankind. Whenever they talk about him, they sound shocked and horrified. They tried to arouse in people's minds the idea that the crucifixion of Christ was a terrible crime~ They seemed to say: “Look what a crime sin is capable of.”
2) Early Christian preachers always emphasized the importance of His resurrection. Without the resurrection of Christ, the Christian Church would never have the right to exist. The fact of Christ's resurrection confirmed that He is indestructible and that He truly is the Lord of life and death. This fact was the final irrefutable proof that He had God behind Him, and therefore a power that nothing could stop.
3) Early Christian preachers always emphasized the power of the risen Lord. They never considered themselves the source, but only His intermediaries. They recognized their limitations, but they also knew from personal experience that there were no limits to what the risen Christ could do with and through them. This is the secret of the Christian life. While a Christian thinks that he can do, he will be troubled by failures, disappointments and fear. But with the conviction “not I, but Christ in me,” the peace and power of God will be with him.
FUNDAMENTALS OF PREACHING (Acts 3:17-26)
In this passage we find almost all the signs of early Christian preaching.
1) This passage begins with the consonant concepts of forgiveness and warning. In their ignorance the Jews committed a terrible crucifixion; but now this ignorance is no longer justified, and therefore further denial of Jesus Christ cannot be forgiven. This terrible responsibility reverberates throughout the New Testament. "If you were blind, you would not have to myself sin; but how you say what you see, then the sin remains on you" (John 9:41). “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have had no sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.” (John 15:22). “Therefore, if anyone knows to do good and does not do it, it is sin for him.” (James 4:17). To see the bright light of divine revelation is the greatest privilege, but also a terrible responsibility.
2) This knowledge imposes an obligation to repent and change. These two concepts are closely related to each other. Repentance means changing the way you think, and the way you think is easier to change than the way you live. But this change in lifestyle must lead through the renunciation of old life to embark on the path of a new life.
3) This repentance has several consequences. It will have a certain impact on past: sins will be forgiven. This is a powerful word. In ancient times they wrote on papyrus with ink that did not contain acid; therefore, the ink did not soak into the papyrus like modern ink, but the letters simply lay on top of the papyrus. To erase what was written, you simply wiped the ink with a wet sponge. This is how God erases the sin of a forgiven disciple. He will have a big impact for the future person. Memories will awaken. New impulses will appear, giving strength in weakness, and rest in fatigue.
5) Peter states that everything that happened was predicted by the prophets. The Jews refused to accept the idea of God's Chosen One who must suffer; but Peter insists that if they study the Scriptures well, they will discover all this for themselves.
6) Peter reminds them of their national privileges. After all, they were especially God's chosen people.
7) Finally, he sets forth the irrefutable truth that with special privileges come special obligations. This privilege does not mean special honor, but requires special service.
Commentary (introduction) to the entire book of Acts
Comments on Chapter 3
Christ is the foundation, the Church is the means, and the Holy Spirit is the power. W. Graham Scroggie
Introduction
I. SPECIAL POSITION IN THE CANON
The Acts of the Apostles is the only inspired by God Church history; this is also first and the only major history of the Church covering the beginnings of Christianity. All other authors build on Luke's work, adding some traditional ideas (and a lot of speculation!). Without this book we would be faced with a serious difficulty: the abrupt transition from the life of our Lord described in the Gospels straight to the Epistles. Who were the communities to whom the messages were addressed, and how did they arise? Acts answers these and many other questions. It is a bridge not only between the life of Christ and the life in Christ taught in the epistles, but also a bridge between Judaism and Christianity, between law and grace. This is one of the main difficulties of the interpretation of Acts - the gradual expansion of the horizon from a small Jewish movement centered in Jerusalem to a world faith that penetrated into the very capital of the empire.
Author Ev. from Luke and the Acts of the Apostles - one and the same person; Almost everyone is unanimous on this. If the third Gospel was written by Luke, then Acts also belongs to him, and vice versa (see “Introduction” to the commentaries on the Gospel of Luke).
External evidence that Luke wrote Acts is compelling, widespread, and early in Church history. The anti-Marcionist Prologue to the Gospel of Luke (c. 160-180), the Muratori Canon (c. 170-200), and the early Church Fathers Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Origen all agree that Luke - author of Acts. Almost everyone who follows them in church history is of the same opinion, including such authorities as Eusebius and Jerome.
In the text of Acts itself there are three internal evidence, proving the authorship of Luke. At the beginning of Acts the author specifically mentions an earlier work also dedicated to Theophilus. From the Gospel of Luke (1:1-4) it is clear that the third Gospel is meant here. Style, expressiveness, vocabulary, emphasis on apologetics, and many finer details link the two works. If it were not for the desire to place the Gospel of Luke together with the other three Gospels, no doubt these two works would have entered the New Testament together, such as 1 and 2 Corinthians.
Further, it is clear from the text of Acts that the author was a companion of Paul on his travels. This is evidenced by the use of the pronoun “we” in some verses (16.10-17; 20.5 - 21.18; 27.1 - 28.16); that is, the author is directly present at the events he reports. Attempts by skeptics to explain these features as a purely artistic device are unconvincing. If they were added only to give the work greater authenticity, then why are they introduced like this? rarely And unobtrusively and why does the person included in this “we” not called by name?
Finally, if we exclude other companions of Paul mentioned by the author in the third person, as well as those of his companions who are known to be Not were with Paul during the events described in these passages (with "we"), then the only real candidate is Luke.
III. WRITING TIME
While establishing the exact time of writing of some of the other books of the NT is not as important, it is of great importance for the Acts of the Apostles, a book that is primarily history Church, and also the first history.
Three dates have been proposed for Acts, two of which agree with Luke's authorship and one of which denies it:
1. Dating of this book to the 2nd century. AD, of course, makes it impossible to recognize Luke as the author: it is unlikely that he could have lived longer than 80 or, at the latest, 85 AD. Some liberal scholars believe that the author used Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews (c. 93 AD), but the parallels they cite when considering Acts 5:36 (about Theudas) are inconsistent and there is not much similarity between the events described.
2. The generally accepted view is that Luke wrote both the Gospel and Acts between 70-80 AD. Luke could then have used the Gospel of Mark, which probably existed since the 60s, to compose his Good News.
3. It can be reasonably assumed that Luke finished writing Acts shortly after the events that close the book took place: that is, during Paul's first imprisonment in Rome. Perhaps Luke planned to write a third volume (but apparently there was no time for this God's will) and therefore does not mention the persecution that befell Christians between 63 and 67. However, there is no mention of such events as the severe persecution of Christians by Nero in Italy after the fire in Rome (64), the war of the Jews with Rome (66-70 .), the martyrdom of Peter and Paul (the second half of the 60s) and the most tragic thing for Jews and Jewish Christians - the destruction of Jerusalem, indicate an earlier dating. So, it is most likely that Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles while Paul was in prison in Rome - in 62 or 63 AD.
IV. PURPOSE OF WRITING AND TOPIC
The acts of the Apostles are full of life and action. In them we see how the Holy Spirit works, shaping the Church, strengthening it and spreading its influence. This is an amazing story about how the Spirit of the Lord, using the most incredible means, overcoming the most insurmountable obstacles and following the most non-trivial paths, achieves amazing results.
Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off, then briefly and dramatically introduces us to the early, turbulent years of the young Church. Acts tells of the great transitional period when the New Testament Church was freed from the shackles of Judaism and declared itself as a new, completely different community in which Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ. For this reason, Acts can be called the story of the "weaning of Isaac." When we read this book, we experience a kind of spiritual pleasure in seeing how the Lord creates. At the same time, we also feel tension as we watch how sin and Satan oppose and try to hinder the work of God. In the first twelve chapters, the Apostle Peter takes center stage, courageously preaching to the people of Israel. From the thirteenth chapter onwards, the Apostle Paul comes to the fore as a zealous, an inspired and tireless educator of the pagans. The Acts cover an approximately 33-year period. J. B. Phillips observed that at no other comparable period in human history have "a small number ordinary people could not influence the world so much that their enemies would say with tears of rage in their eyes that these people “turned the world upside down.” (J. B. Pmllips, The Young Church in Action,
Vvi.)Plan
I. THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM (Ch. 1 - 7)
A. The Risen Lord promises the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1:1-5)
B. The Ascended Lord gives the Apostles a command (1:6-11)
C. The prayerful disciples wait in Jerusalem (1:12-26)
D. Day of Pentecost and the birth of the Church (2:1-47)
D. Healing the lame man and calling the people of Israel to repentance (3:1-26)
E. Persecution and Church Growth (4:1-7:60)
II. CHURCH IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA (8:1-9:31)
And the Ministry of Philip in Samaria (8:1-25)
B. Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch (8.26-40)
B. Conversion of Saul from Tarsus (9:1-31)
III. CHURCH TO THE END OF THE EARTH (9.32-28.31)
And Peter preaches the Gospel to the pagans (9.32 - 11.18)
B. Foundation of the church in Antioch (11:19-30)
B. Herod’s persecution of Christians and his death (12:1-23)
D. Paul's first missionary journey: Galatia (12.24 - 14.28)
D. Conference in Jerusalem (15:1-35)
E. Paul's Second Missionary Journey: Asia Minor and Greece (15.36-18.22)
G. Paul's Third Missionary Journey: Asia Minor and Greece (18:23-21:26)
3. Arrest of Paul and his trials (21:27-26:32)
I. Paul's journey to Rome and shipwreck (27.1-28.16)
K. Paul's house arrest and his testimony to the Jews in Rome (28:17-31)
D. Healing the lame man and calling the people of Israel to repentance (3:1-26)
3.1 V It was three o'clock in the afternoon in Jerusalem when Peter and John walked together to the temple. As mentioned earlier, the first Jewish Christians continued to attend services in the Jewish temple for some time after the formation of the Christian Church. The break with Judaism was not immediate; a transition period was required. It would be unforgivable for modern believers to follow their example, since we have the full revelation of the NT, and it says: “...let us go out to Him without the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:13; see also 2 Cor. 6.17-18).
3,2 Approaching the temple, they saw people carrying a disabled beggar to his usual place near doors called Red. This man's helplessness lame from birth, contrasted sharply with the magnificent architecture of the temple. It reminds us of the poverty and ignorance that abounds in the shadow of the great cathedrals, and of the failure of powerful ecclesiastical bodies to help the sick and crippled.
3,3 Undoubtedly, this lame man no longer hoped for healing and resigned himself to the fact that there was only one option left for him - to beg.
3,4 Looking at this helpless cripple, Peter saw an opportunity to show the mighty power of God! “If we are led by the Holy Spirit, we will fix our gaze on those whom the Lord has chosen to bless, and will not fire blanks and shake the air” (“Selected”).
Addressing the beggar with words "look at us" Peter wanted to attract the attention of the lame man, not the public, to himself and John.
3,5-6 Still hoping to get only financial assistance, cripple looked at them closely. What he heard next, on the one hand, disappointed him, and on the other, shocked him. Peter had nothing that he could give him as alms. But he could give him something better. In the name Jesus Christ of Nazareth he ordered the lame man get up and go. A witty old preacher said, "The crippled beggar asked alms, but received legs"(In English there is a play on words: alms (alms) and arms (hands) are pronounced the same.)
They say that one day Thomas Aquinas came to the Pope while he was counting a large sum of money. The Pope boasted: “Now we cannot say, as Peter once did: “I have no silver and gold”!” Thomas responded to this: “But you also cannot say like Peter: “Get up and walk!”
3,7 When Peter helped the man to his feet, strengthened its still inactive Stew and stab. This again reminds us that in the spiritual life the Divine and the human are mixed in an unusual way. Peter helps the man to his feet, and then God heals him. We must do what we can, then God will do what we cannot do.
3,8 The miracle of healing was instantaneous, not gradual. Notice how many verbs the Spirit of God uses to describe movement: ...jumped up and began to walk, and entered...walking and jumping.
When we remember how slowly and painfully a baby learns to walk, we will understand what a miracle it was for this man that he was immediately, for the first time in his life, able to walk and jump.
This miracle, performed in the name of Jesus, once again testified to the Israeli people that the One whom they crucified was alive and wanted to become their Healer and Savior.
3,9-10 People are used to seeing this beggar at the temple door every day. Now that he had received healing, the miracle inevitably became known to everyone. People could not deny that a great miracle had happened, but what did it all mean?
3.11 I because the healed man did not leave Peter and John, cured him all the people ran to Solomon's porch, part of the temple building. Their admiration and amazement made it possible for Peter to address them with a sermon.
3,12 First of all Peter distracted people's attention from the healed man and the apostles themselves. The explanation for the miracle did not lie in any of them.
3,13-16 Immediately he calls them the true Creator of the miracle. It was Jesus - the very One whom they betrayed, Whom they renounced and Whom they killed. God resurrected His from the dead And glorified in heaven. Now, for the sake of faith in He, this man was healed of his illness.
The holy boldness of Peter in accusing the people of Israel is remarkable. He accuses them of the following:
1. They betrayed Jesus (to judge the Gentiles).
2. They renounced from Him in the face of Pilate, when he thought to release Him.
3. They renounced the Holy and Righteous And asked release killer(Barabbas).
4. They killed the Chief(or Creator) of life.
On the contrary, notice how God treats Jesus:
1. He resurrected His from the dead (v. 15).
2. He glorified His Servant Jesus(and not His Son Jesus, as translated in Synodal translation, art. 13).
Note, finally, that in explaining the miracle of healing, the apostle places the main emphasis on faith in Christ. In this verse, as in all other places, Name means person. Thus, faith in His name means faith in Christ.
3,17 In this verse, Peter dramatically changes the tone of his message. Having blamed Israel for the death of the Lord Jesus, he now refers to them as his Jewish brothers mercifully admitting that they did it out of ignorance and calling them to repentance and conversion.
Peter's statement that the Jews crucified the Lord Jesus out of ignorance may seem to contradict the facts. Did He not come to them with the “credentials” of the Messiah? Did He not perform miracles among them? Did he infuriate them by declaring Himself equal to God? Yes, that's all true. And yet they remained ignorant of the fact that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh. They expected a Messiah, but not a humble and merciful one, but a powerful warrior-liberator. They mistook Jesus for an impostor.
They didn't know that He really was the Son of God. Perhaps they even believed that by killing Him they were doing something pleasing to God. This is what the Savior Himself said on the cross: “...they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34), and Paul later wrote: “... if [the authorities of this age] had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor. 2:8).
All this was to assure the men of Israel that their sin, although great, could be forgiven by the grace of God.
3,18 Without justifying their crime, Peter shows that God used it to achieve His goals. Prophets The OT predicted that the Messiah will suffer. These sufferings were inflicted on Him by the Jewish people. But now He can become their Lord and Savior. Through Him they can have their sins forgiven.
3,19 The people of Israel must repent and convert. When they do this, they sins will be forgiven, And times of joy will come.
It should be remembered that this appeal is addressed to the men of Israel (v. 12). It emphasizes the need for nationwide repentance, which must precede national revival and blessing. At times, joy from the presence of the Lord the blessed coming Kingdom of Christ on earth is named, as mentioned in the next verse.
3,20 After Israel repents, God will send Messiah Jesus. As already mentioned, this refers to the second coming of Christ, when He will reign on earth for a thousand years.
3,21 The question inevitably arises: “If Israel had repented when Peter called them to do so, would the Lord Jesus have returned to earth?” Great and godly men answer this question differently. Some believe that He would have returned; otherwise, they say, the promise would not be honest. Others believe that the speech was prophetic and predicted the order of events that would actually occur. But this question is purely hypothetical. In reality, Israel did not repent and the Lord Jesus did not return.
According to verse 21, God foresaw that the people of Israel would reject Christ and centuries would pass before His second coming. Heaven must accept Christ until the time of completion of all things. Time to do everything - this is the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. These words do not speak of universal salvation, as some suppose; such teaching is alien to the Bible. Rather, they mean a time when the created world will be freed from the bondage of corruption and Christ will reign in righteousness over all the earth.
These times of commission were predicted by the Old Testament prophets.
Verse 21 is referred to in an attempt to refute the rapture of the Church that will occur before the great tribulation. The arguments are as follows: if heaven must receive Jesus before the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom, then He cannot come first to take the Church to heaven. The answer to this, of course, is that Peter is speaking here to the men of Israel (v. 12). He tells them how God will deal with Israel as a nation. As for the people of Israel, for them The Lord will remain in heaven until His coming and reign at the end of the time of great tribulation. However, the Jews who believed in Him during the Church Age will participate equally with the believing Gentiles in the rapture of the Church, which can occur at any moment. Moreover, at the moment of rapture, the Lord does not leave heaven, we rise to Him.
3,22 As an example of the Old Testament prophecy about the glorious reign of Christ, Peter quotes Deuteronomy (18:15,18,19). This passage describes Christ as God's prophet the golden age of Israel, a prophet interpreting the will and law of God.
When Moses said: "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet" he did not mean the similarity of characters or abilities, but the similarity in that they were both raised up by God."He will raise Him up just as He raised me."
3,23 During the reign of Christ on earth, anyone who refuses listen Him and obey Him, will exterminated. Of course, those who reject Him now are also doomed to eternal damnation, but the main point of this verse is that Christ will reign with an iron hand and whoever disobeys Him and rebels against Him will be punished immediately.
3,24 Emphasizing that times of refreshment were repeatedly predicted, Peter adds that all prophets from Samuel talked about these days.
3,25 Now Peter reminds his Jewish listeners that the promise of these blessed times is given to them as sons of the prophets and the descendants of Abraham. Still God concluded covenant With Abraham bless all the families of the earth are in seed his. The center of all the promises of millennial blessings is Seed, that is, Christ. Therefore, they must accept the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.
3,26 God already resurrected His Servant(3.13) and first sent him to the people of Israel. This refers to the incarnation and life of our Lord rather than to His resurrection. If they had accepted Him, He would turned everyone away from evil deeds.
In this sermon of Peter addressed to the people of Israel, we notice that this does not mean Church, namely Kingdom, and the focus is on the nation rather than individuals. The Spirit of God spoke to Israel for a long time, patiently and mercifully pleading with the ancient people of God to accept the Lord Jesus in glory as the Messiah and thus hasten the coming of Christ to earth and His enthronement. But Israel did not hear this plea.
B. Growth of the church in Jerusalem (3:1 - 6:7)
I. OPPOSITION TO THE CHURCH (3:1 - 4:31)
A. Occasion for Sermon (chapter 3)
Acts 3:1. Obviously, in the Jerusalem temple there were constant times for prayers: at 9 am, at noon and at 3 pm (which corresponded to the “ninth hour”). Perhaps this tense has been clarified here to make what 4:3 is saying clearer.
Acts 3:2. The description of a man lame from birth emphasizes the degree of his helplessness. This was a man over 40 years old (4:22). He was carried and seated every day at the doors of the temple, called Red (literally "Beautiful"), so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. We are apparently talking about the eastern gate of the temple, which led from the “court of the pagans” to the “women’s court.”
Acts 3:3-11. Supernatural Healing of a Lame Man by God's power, revealed through Peter and John, and then this man’s enthusiastic reaction to what happened to him caused amazement and horror among the people. People began to run to the “scene of the incident” - to the porch ... of Solomon (a covered gallery that stretched along the entire eastern side of the outer courtyard; 5:12). The Acts of the Apostles tells of two more cases of healing of cripples (9:32-34; 14:8-10).
Acts 3:12. Taking advantage of the favorable situation, Peter preached a short but powerful sermon.
Acts 3:13-15. First of all, he attributes the miracle of healing they performed to Jesus, whom he directly calls the Son of God (compare 26; 4:27,30). Then he emphasizes the gravity of the Jews' guilt before Him, recalling that the Father of Jesus is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The apostle rains down on the heads of the Jews phrases as heavy as hammer blows: you betrayed the glorified Son of God, you denied Him before the face of Pilate, when Pilate wanted to release Him. You renounced... the Holy and Righteous One, betrayed the Giver of Life to death, and in exchange for Him, asked for the release of the murderer. The phrase that sounds especially powerful is: And the Chief of Life was killed. They killed the One from Whom all life originates - both physical and higher - spiritual. But God raised Him from the dead, to which Peter declares himself and his comrades witnesses.
Acts 3:16. Let us recall that in biblical times a name was identified with the person who bore it. It is not entirely clear whose faith Peter is talking about here, but, in all likelihood, about his and John’s faith in Christ (in His name), the power of which Christ (His name) strengthened the lame. Faith itself is spoken of here as a gift of Christ, who granted this healing in the presence of many witnesses.
Acts 3:17-18. As some consolation to them, Peter stipulates that, he knows, the people and their leaders... did this out of ignorance (compare Acts 17:30; Eph. 4:18; 1 Pet. 1:14), not realizing Who “visited them ". And so God gives them the opportunity to repent. Their ignorance was foreknown by God, and in the suffering of Christ the Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled (Acts 17:3; 26:23).
Acts 3:19-21. Again, as on the day of Pentecost (2:38), Peter called the Jews to repentance. Did he want to say that if Israel repents, the Kingdom of God will come to earth? Yes, and here's why. 1) Greek, the phrase translated as until... the completion of all things (3:21) is related to “restore” in 1:6 both in meaning and from a grammatical point of view (“completion” and “restore” are formed from the same root).
In both cases, the "restoration" of the kingdom to Israel is implied (compare Matt. 17:11; Mark 9:12). 2) In the Biblical teaching about the Kingdom, the concept of “restoration” is, as it were, parallel to the concept of “creation again” (“creation of a new”); compare Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Matt. 19:28; Rome. 8:20-23. 3) Grammatical analysis makes it possible to establish the difference between the subordinate clauses of the goal in 3:19 and in 3:20 (so that they may be made amends and may they send). In the first case, the achievement of the immediate goal is implied, in the second - the distant one.
If Israel repents, the second goal will also be realized - the coming of the Kingdom (in the text - times of refreshment); this refers to the second coming of Christ the Messiah (verse 20). 4) The Old Testament prophets... foretold these days (compare verse 24 and verse 21). One should not think that the ancient prophets “predicted” the emergence of the Church. It remained a mystery to them (Rom. 16:25; Eph. 3:1-6). However, the prophets often spoke about the golden messianic Age, that is, about the Millennium Kingdom on earth.
The offer of personal salvation and the offer of the Millennial Kingdom point to both God's mercy and Israel's unfaithfulness. God provided the Jews with the opportunity to repent after the sign was shown to them in the resurrection of Christ; they rejected Jesus before His crucifixion, and now they were invited to believe in the risen Messiah. In Acts. 3:17-21 expresses the idea that, by repenting, Israel would achieve two goals: 1) forgiveness of the Greeks for each Jew individually, and 2) the return of the Messiah to Israel as a people.
Acts 3:22-23. Here Jesus appears as the “New Testament Moses” - in fulfillment of Deut. 18:15-19 (compare John 6:14). He will come not only as a Liberator (like Moses), but, like him, as a Judge (compare Lev. 23:39 with Deut. 18:19; also Num. 14:26-35).
Acts 3:24-25. The fact that Peter mentions Samuel as the prophet following Moses (13:20) clearly indicates that what was said to Joshua in Deut. 18:15 did not apply.
All the prophets (Acts 3:18,21) in one way or another wrote about these days, that is, about the advent of the Messianic Age. The Jews were the sons of the prophets and the Abrahamic covenant, that is, the covenant that was given to Abraham (Gen. 12:2-3; 15:18-21; 17:1-8; 22:18) and confirmed to the fathers of the Jews (for example , Isaac; Gen. 26:41). The Jews would have been blessed by God if they had believed like Abraham (Rom. 3:28-29; 4:3; Gal. 3:6-7). But in the seed of this Jewish patriarch, God, as He said, blessed not only the Jews, but all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:3; Rom. 4:12,16; Gal. 3:29; Eph. 3:6).
Acts 3:26. The first people to whom God sent His Son Jesus by resurrecting Him were the Jews. This “chronological principle” can be traced both in all the Gospels and in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (for example, Matt. 10:5; Acts 13:46; Rom. 1:16). This is explained by the fact that the establishment of the Kingdom depended and still depends on the response of the people of Israel to God's call addressed to them (Matt. 23:39; Rom. 11:26).
Miraculous healing of St. Apostle. Peter, lame from birth (1–11). Speech on this occasion to the people (12–26)
. Peter and John walked together to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer.
"His youth" ( τόν παῖδα αυτοῦ ) – the name of the Messiah, taken from the prophecies of Isaiah (chap. XL-LXXVI).
"Whom you betrayed and whom you denied", cm. ; and steam places. The condensed presentation of the circumstances of the Savior’s suffering is completely consistent with the Gospel presentation and represents, so to speak, precious excerpts from the “fifth” Gospel “of Peter.”
“Two accusations,” Chrysostom says here, “and the fact that Pilate wanted to let him go, and the fact that when he wanted, you did not want... He seemed to be saying this: instead of Him, you asked for a robber. He presented their act in the most terrible form... You, he says, asked to release the one who killed others, but you did not want the One who revives the dead.”
. and the Chief of life was killed. He raised him from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
“The boss of life was killed”- an unusually strong expression contrasting two such sharp contrasts. The concept of life here is taken in its full and most perfect sense (), meaning not only the highest spiritual life and eternal salvation received through faith in Christ, but also all life in general, of which Christ is the main source, leader and finisher.
“God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”. Cm. .
. And for the sake of faith in His name, His name strengthened him whom you see and know, and the faith that is from Him granted him this healing before you all.
"For the sake of faith in His Name"– whose faith? Not clear. Is it the faith of the Apostles, or the faith of the sick? However, in any case, the reason for the miracle is the power of faith - the faith, it must be said, of both the Apostles and the healed one - faith in the risen Lord Jesus.
"The faith that is of Him"- faith as a gift of Christ through the Holy Spirit ().
"In front of all of you". Although the healing itself took place in the presence of perhaps very few, however, this miracle could well be called perfect “in front of everyone,” for these all now saw the healed man walking and jumping - instead of seeing him, as usual, lying in a helpless state at the gate temple.
. However, I know, brothers, that you, like your leaders, did this out of ignorance;
Having presented before the eyes of the Jews the severity of their guilt in relation to God the Father and the Lord Jesus and intending to incline their hearts to repentance and conversion to Christ, the Apostle softens his speech, addressing the listeners with the friendly name “brothers” and explaining the murder of Jesus by ignorance on their part ( cf. ;), and at the same time represents this murder as a deed that was predetermined in the eternal council of God and predicted by all the prophets. - So, according to Chrysostom, the Apostle “gives them the opportunity to renounce and repent of what they did, and even presents a plausible excuse for them and says: that you killed the Innocent, you knew this; but perhaps they did not know that they had killed the Chief of Life. And thus, not only does he acquit them of crime, but also the main perpetrators of evil. And if he turned the speech into an accusation, he would make them more stubborn."
. God, as he foretold through the mouth of all His prophets that Christ would suffer, did so.
“God... foretold through the mouth of all his prophets that Christ would suffer”. Although not all The prophets prophesied specifically about the sufferings of Christ, however, the Apostle speaks about them this way, obviously because the main focal point of Jewish prophecy in general was Christ the Messiah, and therefore His whole work, for the sake of which He had to come to earth.
“So I did”. The Jews betrayed the Messiah to suffering and death, but in this case, remaining independent and responsible figures, they became instruments for fulfilling the will of God and the will of the Messiah himself, as He Himself said about this more than once ().
. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,
“Contact”, i.e. to Christ as the Messiah, believe in Him.
. May times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord, and may He send Jesus Christ, who is destined for you,
"Times of Joy", i.e. that summer, the favorable approach of which the Lord preached in the Nazareth synagogue - the kingdom of the Messiah, the kingdom of grace with its righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. As here it is assumed to be a life of alienation from God, a life full of all sorts of troubles, suffering, struggles; so the New Testament is seen here as true rest and tranquility of the soul in peace with God and close communication with Him, capable of erasing and healing all the bitterness of suffering.
"On behalf of the Lord"- judging by what follows - of course the Father is here.
“May He send” - speech about the second glorious coming of the Lord Jesus at the end of the world, and the meaning of the expression is the same as above - "God raised Him up" etc.
. Whom heaven was to receive until the time of the fulfillment of all things which He had spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
"Which heaven should have received"- an indication of the presence of the Lord Jesus with glorified flesh in heaven, from the day of his ascension.
"Until the time of all things being done", άχρι χρόνων αποκαταστάσεως πάντων , or more correctly, until the time of restoration of everything. Here, probably, it goes without saying the same thing that Ap foreshadowed. Paul, speaking about the conversion of all Jews to Christ ().
"By the mouth of all his holy prophets"– see above, to Art. 18. The general meaning of this text, according to the interpretation of bl. Theophylact, the one that “much of what was predicted by the prophets has not yet been fulfilled, but is being fulfilled and will be fulfilled until the end of the world, because Christ, ascended into heaven, will remain there until the end of the world and will come with power when everything that the prophets predicted is finally fulfilled "
. Moses said to the fathers: Your Lord will raise up for you from among your brothers a Prophet like me; obey Him in everything that He tells you;
Having mentioned the predictions of the prophets about Christ, the Apostle cites the words of Moses (etc.) as one of the most clear and authoritative predictions. In these words, Moses, warning the people of God against the false fortune-tellers and soothsayers of the Canaanites, promises on behalf of God that they will always have true prophets, whom they will, after Moses, have to listen to unquestioningly. Thus, we are talking here primarily about the entire host of Jewish prophets, under the general collective name of “prophet,” erected by God. But since the end and fulfillment of every Old Testament prophecy is Christ, it is fair that all antiquity - both Jewish and Christian - attributed this prophecy to Christ - especially since of all the Old Testament prophets there was no such prophet as Moses (). Only Christ surpassed Moses ().
"A prophet like me", πρυφήτην, i.e. the same special, extraordinary mediator between God and the people as Moses was. This points especially to the legislative activity of Jesus Christ, in which He, unlike all other prophets, became like and surpassed Moses.
. and it will come to pass that every soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from the people.
"He will be cut off from the people", εξολοθρευθήσεται εκ τοῦ λαοῦ . In the original - “from him I will require it.” The Apostle replaces this with another stronger and often used expression in other places in Moses, meaning condemnation to destruction or death; in this case, of course, eternal and deprivation of participation in the kingdom of the Promised Messiah (cf.).
. And all the prophets, from Samuel and after him, no matter how many of them spoke, also foretold these days.
“All the prophets... foretold these days”, i.e. days of the appearance of the Great Prophet-Messiah (cf. 18th Art. and 21st Art.).
“From Samuel,” who is taken here as the greatest prophet after Moses, with whom the continuous series of Old Testament Jewish prophets begins, ending with the end of the Babylonian captivity.
. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which he commanded to your fathers, saying to Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Interpretation of the blessed Theophylact: “He says “sons of the prophets” instead of saying: you should neither be discouraged nor think that you have lost the promises. "You are the sons of the prophets", so they told you and for your sake all this happened. What does “sons of the Covenant” mean? This is instead: “heirs,” but heirs are not assigned only, but are the same as sons. And so, if you yourself want, then you are heirs.”
“God commanded your fathers, saying to Abraham.”. The Covenant with Abraham was a Covenant with all the fathers of the Jewish people, who had Abraham as their forefather, and therefore with the entire Jewish people. But this is not exclusive: not only they, the Jews, are promised the blessing of God, but all the tribes of the earth - the Jews only first, according to a special Covenant with them through Moses.
"In your seed they will be blessed"- a promise to Abraham, repeated more than once by God (). By the “seed” of Abraham here we mean not the descendants of Abraham in general, but one specific Person from this descendants, namely the Messiah. This is how not only Peter interprets it, but also Paul the Ap. ().
. God, having raised His Son Jesus, sent Him to you first to bless you, turning everyone away from your evil deeds.
“Sent to bless you”, i.e. to fulfill the promise given to Abraham for you, to make you blessed participants in all the blessings of the kingdom of the Messiah, to grant you salvation and eternal life. “And so, do not consider yourself rejected and rejected,” concludes Chrysostom.
"Turning away from your evil deeds"- an essential condition for receiving the promised blessing of God in the Kingdom of the Messiah, into which nothing unclean and unjust will enter.
In his judgment about the primacy of Israel in accepting the benefits of the kingdom of the Messiah, the Apostle again repeats the idea of universality The kingdom of the Messiah, which will spread to all the tribes of the earth.
