Acts 3King James Version
Peter and John go up to the temple at the hour of prayer. A man lame from his mother's womb is at the gate called Beautiful, asking alms. Peter says, 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 man leaps up and walks and praises God. The people are amazed. Peter preaches: ye killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead. Repent ye therefore, and be converted.
Peter and John encounter a man lame from birth begging at the temple gate. Peter heals him in the name of Jesus Christ. The man leaps up and enters the temple praising God. The crowd gathers in astonishment. Peter addresses them: he credits Jesus, not their own power, for the healing. He calls them to repent and turn to God, promising times of refreshing and Christ's return.
The first miracle after Pentecost interprets what happened to Jesus and announces that his name still heals, even in the city that crucified him.
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." What the apostles had to give was not wealth but authority, and they used it.
The Beautiful Gate was likely the Nicanor Gate, a massive bronze gate on the eastern side of the temple courts, known for its scale and ornamentation. Beggars positioned themselves at temple entrances because the traffic of worshippers made it the best location to ask for alms. This man had been there, presumably, for years. Every worshipper who passed him on the way to pray had seen him and kept walking, including Peter and John, until that day.
Peter and John, going to pray; the lame beggar at the Beautiful Gate, more than forty years old and never walked; the temple crowd witnessing the miracle.
The healing echoes the signs Jesus performed in the Gospels, demonstrating that the risen Christ still acts through his apostles. Peter's sermon that follows is the second major speech in Acts and its argument from the Hebrew prophets sets a pattern for how the early church read its scriptures. The temple setting is pointed: the power that raised Jesus operates at the center of the institution that rejected him.
For when you have nothing material to offer someone in need, but you have something. The disciples gave what they had. That is the whole point.
1Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2And 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;
3Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6Then 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.
7And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10And 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.
11And 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.
12And 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?
13The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19Repent 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;
20And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22For 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 ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25Ye 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.
26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.