Bible Study Series: Acts 3:11-21. God vindicated his Son by raising him from the dead. He is the Messiah Jews have been waiting for.
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn. Let’s learn together and apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 3:11-21
11 While he was clinging on to Peter and John, everyone in great amazement ran together towards them at Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When he saw this, Peter responded to the people:
“Israelites! Why do you marvel at this, or why do you stare at us as if our own power or godliness has made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied before Pilate, although he had decided to let him go. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and requested a murderer to be granted to you. 15 You killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead, whose witnesses we are. 16 It is by faith in his name that this man whom you see and know has been strengthened—his name—and faith through him gave him this perfect wholeness that is right in front of you.
17 “And so now, brothers and sisters, I know that you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did also. 18 But God fulfilled in the manner which he had earlier announced through the mouth of all his prophets—that the Messiah would suffer.
19 Repent therefore and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord may come and that he would send you the one he appointed, Christ Jesus, 21 whom heaven must welcome until the times of reestablishing everything that God had spoken through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. (Acts 3:11-21)
Comments:
Some scholars call this discourse Peter’s Colonnade Sermon, as distinct from the Pentecost Sermon. The Colonnade was a covered portico that ran the entire length of the eastern part of the outer temple court, along and just inside the eastern wall of the temple (see 5:12) (HT: Longenecker, comment on v. 11).
11:
Peter introduces the suffering Servant Messiah (Is. 53). In Acts 2:22-40, his first open-air sermon, he unveiled the Messianic Son of David. The earliest Messianic Jews met at Solomon’s Colonnade. It was an open-air mega-church of sorts. It was not everyday that a visible miracle walked right into the temple or close by. The crowd came running towards the one-man commotion—the healed beggar. Healing—a sign and wonder—draws the crowd, so the people can hear about who did it and the kingdom of God.
12:
Peter is about to divert the crowd’s attention from him and John and give all the credit for the healing to the name of Jesus. It is never our own power or spirituality that heals. Peterson notes that devout Jews may believe that God might heal, but God was acting through the piety of the apostles. Therefore, it was imperative that Jesus receive the glory. The lame man was healed in Jesus’s name, not their own power or piety (comment on v. 12).
This verse should comfort and reinforce those who have a healing ministry. It is not their power or godliness which heals. All they have to do is pray in Jesus’s name, with his authority, let God work, and leave the results up to him. The resurrected and exalted Jesus is the one who heals.
13-15:
But first he must preach the wrong that they and their leaders did. This is equivalent to Luther and other Reformers who said to preach the law so that it convicts people, but then to be sure to tell them how to escape and have their souls soothed by the grace of God.
Mentioning Pilate is important for us today because a few Greek and Roman and Egyptian and pagan myths spoke of a god who died and was brought back to life, but they always (seemingly) take place in the murky past, without pinpointing anything along an historical timeline that can be checked out. But Jesus’s trial, crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation to heaven can be pinpointed and checked out—certainly by Peter’s audience. Pilate places the recent events in a verifiable timeline, in history.
“It is possible, therefore, that Jesus’s glorification may have a double meaning in this context. Jesus was glorified by his heavenly exaltation and continues to be glorified by the exercise of his heavenly authority in a healing like this” (Peterson, comment on v. 13). In other words, the heavenly Jesus is directing things from his throne.
“murderer”: Here is the relevant passage in Luke 23:
18 But they yelled in unison, saying, “Away with that one! Release Barabbas to us! 19 (Because of an insurrection that happened in the city and a murder, he was the one thrown in prison.) 20 But Pilate again addressed them, wanting to release Jesus. 21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “But what wrong has he done? I have found no legal cause for death in regards to him. Therefore, after I punish him, I shall release him!” 23 But they pressed the matter with a loud voice, demanding that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 Then Pilate decided that their demand be done. 25 He released the one who had been thrown in prison because of the insurrection and murder, whom they were demanding, but he handed Jesus over to their will. (Luke 23:18-25)
Deception can run so deeply that a large crowd of people would request a known murderer instead of the holy and righteous one, offered by God himself (Luke 23:18-19, 25). (HT: Peterson, comment on v. 14). But in v. 17, Peter will soften the accusation and tell the assembled crowd that they and their leaders acted in ignorance. So let’s call it deception based on ignorance—maybe willful ignorance or ignorant willfulness.
“holy and righteous”: the terms have a Messianic designation: Acts 22:14; 7:52; 1 John 2:1; Luke 23:47; Matt. 27:19, 24; and in the OT: 2 Sam. 23:3; Is. 32:1; 53:11; Zech. 9:9. In literature outside the Bible it is the same: 1 Enoch 38:2 and 46:3. God is called the holy one (Is. 1:4; 5:19, 24; 10:20; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19, 23:30:11, 12, 15; 31:1, and so on) and the righteous one (Ps. 129:4; Zeph. 3:5; Dan. 9:14 LXX). In Is. 53:11, the servant of the Lord will be the righteous one. All in all, this is high Christology.
“author”: it means a “founder, hero, prince, chief, a first cause, originator.” “Author of life” is good translation, since it speaks of Jesus as originating all of life. It has echoes of creation in Gen. 1:1 and John 1:1-3, and echoes of the NT’s theology of eternal life, particularly John’s. God offers people who love and know him eternal life in the here and now, so it means both life now and life in the age to come. The kingdom breaking into the world system through the life and ministry of Jesus brings life right now. Once again this is high Christology.
Now let’s look at life more closely.
It is the noun zoē (pronounced zoh-ay, and girls are named after it, e.g. Zoey). BDAG is considered by many to be the authoritative NT Greek lexicon, and it says that it has two senses, depending on the context: a physical life (e.g. life and breath) and a transcendent life. By physical life the editors mean the period from birth to death, human activity, a way or manner of living, a period of usefulness, earning a living. By transcendent life the lexicographers mean these four elements: first, God himself is life and offers us everlasting life. Second, Christ is life, who received life from God, and now we can receive life from Christ. Third, it is new life of holiness and righteousness and grace. God’s life filling us through Christ changes our behavior. Fourth, zoē means life in the age to come, or eschatological life. So our new life now will continue into the next age, which God fully and finally ushers in when Christ returns. We will never experience mere existence or death, but we will be fully and eternally alive in God.
“raised from the dead”:
Here are the basics about resurrection in the New Testament:
1.. It was prophesied in the OT (Ps. 16:3-11; Is. 55:3; Jnh. 1:17)
2.. Jesus predicted it before his death (Mark 8:31; 9:9, 31; 10:33-34; John 2:19-22)
3.. It happened in history (Matt. 28:1-7; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1-8)
4.. Power used to resurrect Jesus:
a.. Power of God (Acts 2:24; Eph. 1:19-20; Col. 2:12)
b.. Christ’s own power (John 10:18)
c.. Jesus is the resurrection (John 11:25-26)
d.. Power of the Spirit (Rom. 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18)
5.. Nature of Christ’s resurrection
a.. The same body that died was raised (Luke 24:39-40; John 20:27)
b.. It was a physical body
(1)) He ate (Luke 24:41-43; John 21:12-13; Acts 10:40-41)
(2)) He could be touched (John 20:27; 1 John 1:1)
(3)) It was a gloried body (1 Cor. 15:42-44; Phil. 3:21)
(4)) He passed through locked door (John 20:19, 26)
(5)) He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9)
c.. It was also a transformed and glorified body
12. Do I Really Know Jesus? What Was His Resurrected Body Like?
And for a review of the basics, please click on this post:
11. Do I Really Know Jesus? He Was Resurrected from the Dead
You can also go to youtube to find out the evidence for it. Look for Gary Habermas or Mike Licona.
For a table of his appearances and other facts, please see:
14. Do I Really Know Jesus? He Appeared to His Disciples
His ascension is related to the obedient and suffering Servant of the Lord in Is. 52:13-53:12, which begins with the words, “Behold, my servant … shall be exalted and lifted up and shall be very high.” Is. 42:1 says “Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.” (HT: Bruce, comment on v. 13). The Father spoke these words to Jesus at his baptism (Luke 3:22) and on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:35). In Luke 24:45-47, Jesus gave the apostles a long Bible study about himself, the Messiah. Peter learned his lessons when he had heard about Jesus’s baptism and was there on the Mount and from Jesus’s Bible study.
15. Do I Really Know Jesus? He Ascended into Heaven
“To this we are witnesses”: Apologetics means “defense.” Peter is explaining and defending the truth that Jesus is the Author of life and the suffering Servant by appealing to the Messiah’s resurrection. It is the best evidence for the Lordship of Jesus in our lives today. Learn about his resurrection so you can explain it intelligently. Then proclaim his Lordship to your circle of friends.
16:
Luke likes the name of Jesus and ordinary names, to indicate he has done his research. Luke-Acts uses the word name far more often than any other book or section of writings, like the epistles. “Faithful use of Jesus’s name, i.e. as his authorized agents (e.g. 16:18; cf. Luke 9:48; Mark 9:37; Matt. 18:5; James 5:10) differs from magical manipulation (Acts 19:13-15; cf. 8:9-11; 13:8-11) or even the typical rituals of ancient pagan religion. Essentially Jesus continues to act through those who bear his name (Acts 1:1; 9:34); thus the credit belongs to him, not to his agents (3:12-16)” (Keener, p. 184). See v. 6 for a closer look on the name.
“faith”: it needs to be present when healing takes place. Recall this true acronym:
F-A-I-T-H
=
Forsaking All, I Trust Him
Word Study on Faith and Faithfulness
17-18:
Peter lets the people off the hook a little by saying they acted in ignorance. Recall what Jesus said from the cross: “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” though he spoke about the Roman executioners. Peter again learned this lesson, when he heard about Jesus’s pronouncement of forgiveness. The crucifixion did not catch God by surprise, as if man had ultimate and the final control over Christ’s life and death. The prophets of old had predicted it.
“Brothers and sisters”: the masculine noun adelphoi (pronounced as it looks) embraces both men and women in this context, just as our word mankind includes women.
“all the prophets” is like saying—the entire thrust and sweep of the prophetic message. It does not say that every verse is directly about the Messiah.
“I know that you acted in ignorance”: Peter references the words of Christ on the cross. “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Peter must have heard of Christ’s words on the cross from the stories which the very first Messianic Jews recounted—fireside chats and household and public storytelling. “Do you remember when …?” “He once did such and such!”
“in the manner”: it was crucifixion which the rulers had carried out and which God had preordained, to remove the curse of disobeying the law (Gal. 3:13).
Polhill is right to point out four mitigating factors in Peter declaring his fellow-Jews responsible for the death of the Messiah:
In these passages that deal with the Jewish responsibility for Jesus’ death, it should be borne in mind that there are four mitigating emphases. One is this emphasis on ignorance. A second is that Acts nowhere contains a blanket condemnation of the Jews: only the Jerusalem Jews are given responsibility in Jesus’ death. In Paul’s speeches to the Jews of the dispersion, he never charged them with any guilt in Jesus’ crucifixion but made clear that only the Jerusalemites were responsible (cf. Acts 13:27–28; cf. Luke 13:33–34). Third, the Gentiles are shown to have shared in the culpability (“lawless men,” 2:23; Pilate, 3:13). Finally, the suffering of the Messiah was bound up with God’s own divine purposes (v. 18): God foretold it, the prophets had spoken it, and the death of Christ fulfilled it. The mystery of the divine sovereignty worked through the tragedy born of human freedom to bring about God’s eternal purposes for the salvation of humanity (cf. 2:23f.). God took the cross, the quintessence of human sin, and turned it into the triumph of the resurrection. (comment on vv. 17-18)
19:
Here Peter tells them of the path back to God and away from their misguided, ignorant and unrighteous decision to send Jesus to the cross. Everyone’s sins can be wiped out, blotted out, obliterated, removed and erased. It is always good to allow people their time to repent and turn away from their bad choices and actions. Then reassure them of total forgiveness. All their sins can be blotted out. Further, “may be wiped out” is called the divine passive (be wiped out), which means the doer of the verb is God, behind the scenes.
Bock: The term “was used of washing papyri to remove letters written in ink. In ancient times ink did not soak into the paper but remained on the surface, so removing writing was straightforward. This then became the metaphor …. Peter offers the opportunity to have the penalty of sin removed completely” (comment on v. 19).
“repent”: it is the verb metanoeō (pronounced meh-tah-noh-eh-oh), and “to repent” literally means “changed mind.” And it goes deeper than mental assent or agreement. Another word for repent is the Greek stem streph– (including the prefixes ana-, epi-, and hupo-), which means physically “to turn” (see Luke 2:20, 43, 45). That reality-concept is all about new life. One turns around 180 degrees, going from the direction of death to the new direction of life.
See my post:
20-21:
“times”: kairos (pronounced ky-ross or ky-rohss) and chronos (pronounced khah-noss or khroh-nohss) are virtual synonyms, in v. 20 and v. 21, respectively, but some see chronos as a timeline, one thing after another, while kairos has a quality to it, like a season, which may not strictly conform to a timeline. These interpreters may have a point.
“Refreshing”: ot is used only here in the NT, and it also means “rest” and “relief.” Jews are suffering under Roman rule and a broken world, generally, but if they would repent and accept their Messiah, God would send him back and give them relief and rest. It seems they could hasten or at least be assured of the Second Coming.
“Reestablishing”: Ultimately God wants to restore things back to the Garden of Eden. The Bible begins in a garden (Gen. 2-3) and ends in the heavenly garden (Rev. 22:1-2). So better yet, God will move things forward just to restore things back to their ideal condition!
“appointed”: God reached down his hand and anointed Jesus to fulfill a mission. Yes, God ordained in heaven that Jesus would accomplish his mission before he was born as a tiny baby in Bethlehem.
See my post:
Let’s take a deeper look here.
These rich two verses have several possible interpretations. (1) The Jewish people will be restored. However, this is too restrictive because Jesus said that knowing the times and seasons was none of their business (1:7) (the same two Greek words are used in both places) and because Jesus predicted that the Roman armies would surround Jerusalem and destroy it (Luke 21:20). (2) Adam’s loss of glory and paradise needs to be recovered and restored, by the creation of the new heavens and new earth and a new messianic age (Matt. 19:28; Rom. 8:18-23; Heb. 2:5-8; Rev. 19-22). This is a fine interpretation. (3) The times and seasons are in the plural, so it refers not only to the future, but also the present because vv. 25-26 say that Christ is the offspring or seed that blesses the world. This agrees with the thrust of the Gospel of Luke that reveals that Jesus is ushering in the kingdom of God, but it is not yet here fully (HT: Schnabel, comment on vv. 20).
This third interpretation is also strong, which I favor.
5 The Kingdom of God: Already Here, But Not Yet Fully
A sequence of events with a purpose:
Repentance and Turning Away → Seasons of Refreshing → God Will Send the Messiah Who Is in Heaven → Second Coming → Reestablishing Everything.
So does vv. 20-21 teach that Jesus is kept in heaven so that people cannot receive dreams or visions or even a visitation from him? No, of course not. These two verses are about his being in heaven in his ascended state until the restoration of all things at his Second Coming. His appearing in dreams or visions or visitations is possible because these wonderful, personal events have nothing to do with his Second Coming.
I like how Polhill completes v. 21:
The Messiah will come again to restore his kingdom to Israel (Rom 11:25–26). Whether that will be a time of refreshing for Israel depends very much on their repentance and reception of Jesus as the Messiah. What was true for the Jews in Solomon’s Colonnade still holds true today. Only in receiving the Christ of God by repentance and turning to him is there forgiveness, refreshing, and restoration. (comment on v. 21)
Rom. 11:26 says, “all Israel will be saved.” However, this clause is contingent on repentance of Israel: “And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again” (Rom. 11:23).
Conditions apply to this seeming blanket promise.
GrowApp for Acts 3:11-21
1. Jesus is called the “Author of life.” How has he been the source and director of your life?
2. Peter promises wiping out of sins and then times of refreshment and restoration in the name of Jesus. How has refreshment and renewal and restoration flowing out of forgiveness impacted your life? How has he restored your life? Tell your story.
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
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