Act 3:1 ¶ Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, [being] the ninth [hour]. COMMENT: THE HOLY REVOLUTION is in motion. It is Spirit driven. Three thousand devout Jewish men were added to the church in Jerusalem. Their praise can be heard in the streets and the people are responding well to their examples of holiness. Now Peter and John, two of the principle Apostles go up together into the temple where you will remember, Jesus threw the money changers out twice in his several years of ministry. There the Pharisees challenged his authority and he theirs in the centerpiece of the Jewish religion. King Herod invested forty six years of expense and labor on the illustrious holy temple. It was and will be again the crossroads of the practice of Jewish and Gentile faith in the God of the Bible.

Act 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple; COMMENT: The temple as well as its gate were adorned in gold and silver covered architecture of the most exquisite kind and a man lame from birth was carried to the beautiful gate to the temple where he asked for alms to support himself of them who went into the temple. Anyone desiring anything of God would certainly consider his needs seriously before passing by him to make their petitions in prayers and supplications before God.

Act 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. COMMENT: The lame man certainly was fortunate to be able to ask two anointed Apostles for a gift of alms to help him in his disability, for they above all others going into the temple had the power of God working in them to cure him supernaturally.

Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. COMMENT: Here we find in holy Scripture one of the most important aspects of walking in the anointing, and that is the fastening of the eyes upon the objective at hand to focus in singleness of eye with all their might on him. By doing that which they were doing with "ALL THEIR MIGHT" as we are commanded to do in holy Scripture, Christ in them was able to be manifest mightily in them. This is a law of the Spirit, not to be confused with the laws of Moses which Christ also came to fulfill.

Act 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. COMMENT: The lame man reacted by habit expecting to receive a financial gift.

Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. COMMENT: The Apostles could have easily spent their time collecting money to enrich themselves like the Crouches, the Copelands, the Hinns, the Schullers and other materialistic practicioners of the Christian religion today; but the Apostles had no silver or gold, and being free of the distractions and worldly entanglements caused by obtaining and enjoying wealth; they gave of the spiritual power working in them saying: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted [him] up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. COMMENT: The Apostle Peter took the lame man's right hand and lifted him up to encourage his faith, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength from the invisibly literal Spirit of God using the same creative power used to make Adam and Eve.

Act 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. COMMENT: The lame man was glad to give up his place for gathering alms to accompany the two Apostles who befriended him, into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God in the sight of all the people.

Act 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God: COMMENT: The sight of seeing the lame man healed stopped them. If a circus had marched into the temple complete with lions and tigers and tight rope walkers high above them, they could not have attracted as much attention as the lame man walking and leaping and praising God.

Act 3:10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. COMMENT: The Spirit of wonder and amazement is from God. They stared at the miracle of the man and God filled them with "wonder and amazement" to persuade them intellectually and emotionally of just how wonderful a healing had taken place at the beautiful gate to their glorious temple.

Act 3:11 ¶ And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. COMMENT: By this means, God who "QUICKENS ALL THINGS" moved all the people to run together unto them in Solomon's porch greatly wondering about the unknown power of God working in their midst.

Act 3:12 And when Peter saw [it], he answered unto the people, You men of Israel, why marvel at this? or why do you look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? COMMENT: Once again, Saint Peter shows preachers how to preach. He begins with a disclaimer to clear himself of their idol worship, a sin that could get him censored by the religious leaders. Peter makes it clear the two Apostles were not God.

Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [him] go. COMMENT: Peter is following exactly the same pattern in his preaching to convert the three thousand devout Jewish men on Pentecost. He refers to the God of Israel to make sure it is understood he represents the God they worship, and identifies Jesus as the Son of God pointing out how all Israel is corporately guilty of having delivered the Lord into the power of the Romans and denying him in the presence of Governor Pilate who was determined to let him go. Now it is clear to his audience that they are sinners in need of a Saviour. Peter goes on to say:

Act 3:14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; COMMENT: Oh what miserable sinners Peter showed them to be, and here they were feeling good about themselves a few minutes earlier in the holy temple of God. Israel was corporately guilty of desiring a murderer over the Holy One God had sent to them.

Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. COMMENT: Israel was further guilty of the Lord's death whom God raised from the dead and to this the Apostles were witnesses.

Act 3:16 And his name through faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yea, the faith which is by him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. COMMENT: The healing came through faith in the Lord's name which the Gentiles know to be Jesus in our Scriptures, but whether the Apostles used "Jeshua Hamashiack" or some other Hebrew usage of the name of Jesus, the Christ, we do not know for certain. Nonetheless, the lame man was found in "perfect soundness" by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nonetheless, a creative healing miracle had taken place, and this should be a witness to you dear brother and sister that God Almighty through Christ the Lord can raise you up bodily in the Resurrection with the same creative healing power so you will find your body in "perfect soundness" in the world to come.

Act 3:17 And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance ye did [it], as [did] also your rulers. COMMENT: Peter is not making excuses, nor losing his nerve. He spoke the truth in love. Sin makes men ignorant.

Act 3:18 But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he has so fulfilled. COMMENT: Once again, Peter makes it clear to his audience by other Scriptures that Christ was the fulfillment of prophecies.

Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; COMMENT: And once again, Saint Peter calls his audience to repentance by the power of God in him, promising them forgiveness of sins, when the times of refreshing comes from the Presence of the Lord. This is a precept or principle of God's workings in every believer's life through the years they are here on earth, that when faith is weak and vulnerable; they are refreshed by the Spirit of God when they seek him; sometimes by fasting and praying until they breakthrough their sinfulness. Then their faith is assured for a while longer that they are saved, and they are encouraged to live more obediently.

Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: COMMENT: Saint Peter is communicating from the office of Prophet to the crowd gathered in the temple in amazement, telling them and us down through the centuries; of the second coming of Christ and the Prophet Apostle was reminding the Israelites Christ was already preached to them; suggesting the disciples of the Lord were busy during his ministry preaching everywhere in Israel. Holy Scripture is so subtle we must learn to interpret what is actually being said in plain speech that does not appear to be deep at the first reading. Saint Peter went on to say in regard to the 2nd coming of Christ:

Act 3:21 "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. COMMENT: Some have taken "the times of restitution of all things" to mean salvation for all; but Peter is speaking prophetically of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel which the Apostles confirmed would take place when they inquired of the Lord at the Ascension on the Mount of Olives. Restitution and restoration are interchangeable words in Acts 1:6 and Acts 3:21. To (1) restore the world kingdom and (2) the times (=years) of restitution of all things are the same thing. In English we understand to restore or to make restitution to be the same. Saint Peter continued with his message to the gathering, speaking in the power of the Spirit, his words echoing in the glorious temple:

Act 3:22 "For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. COMMENT: Christ is the fulfillment of Moses prophecy, but Israel will not hear him fully until the Lord of glory returns in the 2nd Coming to set up his thousand year reign and restore the kingdom to Israel.

Act 3:23 And it shall come to pass, [that] every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. COMMENT: At the Judgment Seat of Christ, Israel shall pass under the executioner's rod and you can believe no man among them will be foolish enough to not hear the prophetic voice of the Lord; for the greatness of the power of God will be so dynamically demonstrated on that glorious day that all Israel shall be saved. Peter continues his powerful message:

Act 3:24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. COMMENT: The Old Testament Prophets have foretold the future that we Gentiles are looking for, although so many of their prophecies have already been fulfilled.

Act 3:25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. COMMENT: Peter was speaking to his fellow Israeli's in the holy temple in Jerusalem where Gentiles were not allowed to enter into its exclusively Jewish mansions and rooms where the daily sacrifice took place, and only one Jewish man, the High Priest was allowed into the holy of Holies.

The Prophet Apostle told them they were "the children of the prophets, and of the covenant" which God made with their fathers. This is something Gentile religious leaders the world over have neglected and denied to the confusion of the Scriptures to the churches. Although every nation has an anti-Jewish attitude to one degree or another; "all the kindreds of the earth" will be blessed by grafting their branches into Israel. This also will be fulfilled in the thousand year reign of our Jewish Saviour, Jesus Christ. And Peter concluded his message to the crowd assembled in the glorious temple.

Act 3:26 "Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. COMMENT: The Apostle Peter standing with the Apostle John and the formerly lame man told those Jewish men gathered that God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him first to Israel to bless them, in turning away every one of them for their iniquities. He no sooner had finished casting a preacher's net about the crowd to fish them all into the Church in Jerusalem when footsteps were heard in the temple echoing authoritatively.