Acts 3 - Acts 3

Acts 3 is the third chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records the healing of a disabled person by the apostles Peter and John, and Peter's preaching at Solomon’s Portico in the Temple. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke.

Text

The original text is written in Koine Greek and is divided into 26 verses. Some most ancient manuscripts containing this chapter are:

• Papyrus 91 (3rd century; extant: verses 1-2)
• Codex Vaticanus (AD 325-350)
• Codex Sinaiticus (AD 330-360)
• Codex Bezae (ca. AD 400)
• Codex Alexandrinus (ca. AD 400-440)
• Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (ca. AD 450)
• Codex Laudianus (ca. AD 550)

Structure

This chapter can be grouped:

• Acts 3:1-10 = A lame man healed at the Temple
• Acts 3:11-26 = Peter's preaching in Solomon's Porch

Cross reference

• Acts 3:23: Deuteronomy 18:15,18,19
• Acts 3:25: Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14

Verse 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.

The temple in Jerusalem had several gates, but it is not clear which one might have been called Beautiful. No ancient source mentions the Beautiful Gate, but the Nicanor Gate is probably the best guess. Traditionally the gate is identified with the Shushan Gate but, according to C. K. Barrett, that gate was not a suitable location for a beggar.

Verse 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".

The healing of the lame man in this chapter becomes the inspiration of some songs. One of the famous ones is the children's song: "Silver and Gold Have I None".

Verse 17

New King James Version

"Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers."