Acts 3:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

NIV: One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.

NASB: Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer.

CSB: Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon.

NLT: Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service.

KJV: Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

NKJV: Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

A short time before, while Jesus' body lay in the tomb, Peter and John did not dare go to the temple. They were hiding in a room with the other disciples, terrified of the Jewish leadership (John 20:19). Now that Jesus has risen and ascended and the Holy Spirit has come on His followers, they display the boldness they will need to be Jesus' witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the farthest reaches of the earth (Acts 1:8). Far from avoiding the Jewish leadership, Jesus' followers are now "continually in the temple blessing God" (Luke 24:53).

"The ninth hour" is 3 p.m. It is the prayer for the evening sacrifice and the likely time of day during which Jesus died (Matthew 27:45–50). Other times of regular prayer are held at 9 a.m. and 12 noon. Adherence to these traditions shows that the church is still very Jewish. The original members were the twelve disciples (less Judas who had betrayed Jesus and plus Matthias who was chosen to replace Judas), Mary, Jesus' brothers, and other women and men who followed Jesus during His ministry (Acts 1:13–15, 26). The day the Holy Spirit came (Acts 2:1–4), three thousand Jews from Mesopotamia, Alexandria, Rome, and parts in between joined the congregation (Acts 2:9–11, 41).

Soon, Jesus' offer of forgiveness will reach the Samaritans (Acts 8:4–8), whom Jesus promised would worship in spirit and truth, not in Jerusalem (John 4:19–24). Later still, Gentiles will join and the Jews will not force them to follow the same traditions (Acts 15:1–35). For now, the church is very Jewish in both membership and practices, although the salvation Jesus offers can never be earned through the Mosaic law.

Acts 3:1–10 illustrates one of the ''wonders and signs'' the apostles performed after receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:43). The setting is completely mundane. As Jews, Peter and John go to the temple to pray and find a lame beggar they wish to help. As specially-empowered followers of Jesus, healing the man comes second nature. The act validates Peter's status as witness to Jesus (Acts 1:8), and he is ready with an explanation that ties the event to Jesus' call to repentance (Acts 3:11–26). This miracle, however, catches the attention of the Sanhedrin and starts the long road of church persecution (Acts 4).

Acts 3 is comprised of two sections: the healing of a lame man and the explanation of that healing. First, a man who has been lame his whole life approaches Peter and John to beg from them at the temple. When Peter heals him in Jesus' name, a crowd gathers around. Peter gives witness to Jesus (Acts 1:8) and tells the crowd that Jesus' authority and power healed this man. Looking back as modern readers, we see how, as the man's body symbolically ''repented,'' or turned away, from its broken form into freedom of movement, so the people can repent from their broken thoughts, actions, and beliefs, and find freedom from sin.

Acts 3 contains the second major speech of Jesus' followers. In Acts 1, Jesus ascended into heaven. In Acts 2, His followers received the Holy Spirit and gave such witness to Him that three thousand people believed in Him. Here, Peter explains that Jesus' power and authority have healed a lame man, and Jesus can heal sinful hearts, as well. This moment will bring the fledgling church to the attention of the Sanhedrin: the Jewish ruling court. There, Peter and John will set the example for all Jesus-followers. Jesus told them to be His witness (Acts 1:8); nothing a human authority can say will stop them.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.