Acts 3:12

And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? AND WHEN PETER SAW IT, HE ANSWERED UNTO THE PEOPLE, YE MEN OF ISRAEL, WHY MARVEL YE AT THIS? Miracles are marvels only in relation to the limited powers of man and the laws by which nature is habitually governed. In relation to the power and will of Him who made nature and its laws what they are-should He change them, either less or more, in order to proclaim to men His immediate presence, and summon their attention to a message from Himself-they are no marvel at all. AS THOUGH BY OUR OWN POWER OR HOLINESS WE HAD MADE THIS MAN TO WALK? - q.d., 'Neither the might nor the merit of this cure are due to us, who are but the agents of Him we now preach unto you.'...

12._Men of Israel _He beginneth his sermon with a reproving of the people. And yet doth he not simply reprove them because they wonder; for that was altogether profitable and worthy praise; but because they do wickedly ascribe unto men that praise which is due to the work of God. As if he should say, Ye do amiss, in that you stay in us, and stand gazing upon us, whereas you ought rather to look upon God and Christ. Therefore, this is to be amazed evilly, when as our minds do stay in men. And we must note that he condemneth the respect of men; as if, saith he, we by our own power and virtue had done this. Therefore there is an error and corruption in this, if we attribute that unto the godliness and power of men which is proper to God and Christ. And, as concerning power, no man will deny that it cometh of God; yet when they have confessed this in one word, they do not cease to take from...

12-18 Observe the difference in the manner of working the miracles. Our Lord always spoke as having Almighty power, never hesitated to receive the greatest honour that was given to him on account of his Divine miracles. But the apostles referred all to their Lord, and refused to receive any honour, except as his undeserving instruments. This shows that Jesus was one with the Father, and co-equal with Him; while the apostles knew that they were weak, sinful men, and dependent for every thing on Jesus, whose power effected the cure. Useful men must be very humble. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name, give glory. Every crown must be cast at the feet of Christ. The apostle showed the Jews the greatness of their crime, but would not anger or drive them to despair. Assuredly, those who reject, refuse, or deny Christ, do it through ignorance; but this can in no case be an excuse....

Verse Acts 3:12. _AS THOUGH BY OUR OWN POWER_] δυναμει, _Miraculous_ _energy_. _OR HOLINESS_] Η ευσεβεια, Meaning _religious attachment_ to the _worship_ of God. Do not think that we have wrought this miracle by any power of our own; or that any supereminent piety in us should have induced God thus to honour us, by enabling us to work it. Instead of ευσεβεια, _holiness_, the _Syriac_ of Erpen, _Armenian, Vulgate_, and some copies of the _Itala_, have εξουσια, _power_ or _authority_; but the first appears to be the legitimate reading....

WHEN PETER SAW IT - Saw the people assembling in such multitudes and wondering at the miracle. HE ANSWERED - The word “answer,” with us, implies that a question had been asked, or that some subject had been proposed for consideration. But the word is used in a different sense in the Bible. It is often used when no question was asked, but when an occasion was offered for remarks, or when an opportunity was presented to make a statement. It is the same as replying to a thing, or making a statement in regard to some subject, Daniel 2:26; Acts 5:8. YE MEN OF ISRAEL - Jews. Compare Acts 2:14....

EXPOSITION ACTS 3:1 _Were going up _for _went up together, _A.V. and T.R. PETER AND JOHN. The close friendship of these two apostles is remarkable. The origin of it appears to have been their partnership in the fishing-boats in which they pursued their trade as fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. For St. Luke tells us that the sons of Zebedee were "partners with Simon," and helped him to take the miraculous draught of fishes (Luke 5:10). We find the two sons of Zebedee associated with Peter in the inner circle of the Lord's apostles, at the Transfiguration, at the raising of Jairus's daughter, and at the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. But the yet closer friendship of Peter and John first appears in their going together to the palace of Caiaphas on the ni

AND WHEN PETER SAW IT,.... That the people ran to them, and looked wistly upon them, and wondered at what was done: HE ANSWERED UNTO THE PEOPLE, YE MEN OF ISRAEL, WHY MARVEL YE AT THIS? either at this man, who was cured of his lameness, or at the cure itself: OR WHY LOOK YE SO EARNESTLY ON US; suggesting, that they ought to look to God, and observe his divine power, and to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they had crucified, whose apostles they were, and in whose name, and by whose power they had wrought this miracle; which shows that they were not self-seeking and vain glorious men, but discovers great sincerity and integrity, much love to Christ, and great regard to his honour, and to the glory of God: AS THOUGH BY OUR OWN POWER AND HOLINESS WE HAD MADE THIS MAN TO WALK? as if it was any natural power of theirs; or for any merit of theirs, because of their strict religion and piety; or ...

Acts 3:1. _Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour._ Peter and John seem to have been linked in closest friendship. Peter had been brought back by John when he was almost despairing after having denied his Master. John lovingly found him out, and made him his associate; and now they «went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer.» Observe, here, how very sweetly the Old Testament dispensation melts into the new. The Temple was no longer what it had been before; the type was of no further use now that the great Antitype of the Temple had come; yet these apostles still went up to it at the hour of prayer. There are some men who are great at destroying. It will be time to destroy the old when the new is quite ready; and even then, it may be very possible to let the darkness gradually melt away into a twilight, and so the day...

ACTS 3:12 euvsebei,a| The word euvsebei,a|, which is, as Lake and Cadbury declare, “certainly the right reading,” 99 was taken as evxousi,a| in some early versions (ith, p, some manuscripts of the Vulgate, the Peshitta, and the Armenian). Irenaeus omits h' euvsebei,a|. The word evxousi,a| seemed to scribes to be a more natural complement after duna,mei in describing a miracle (cf. Luke 4:36; Luke 9:1). -------------------------...

CHAPTER 3 _ 1. The Healing of the lame Man (Acts 3:1)._ 2. Peter's address and appeal (Acts 3:12). The lame man, forty years old, at the gate called Beautiful is the type of the moral condition of the nation, like the impotent man whom the Lord healed (John 5:1). Israel with all its beautiful religious ceremonies was helpless, laying outside with no strength to enter in. Peter commands the lame man in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth to rise up and to walk. He is instantly healed. He then walked and leaped and entered through the gate as a worshipper into the temple, praising God. This great miracle was wrought as another evidence to the unbelieving nation that Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had rejected and crucifi