Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Acts
Chapter 3: In the Name of Jesus, Rise Up
The Spirit-filled church steps into its first public miracle. At the temple gate a man lame from birth begs for money, but Peter gives him something greater: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. The man leaps to his feet, and a crowd gathers in amazement. Peter seizes the moment to preach, insisting it was not their own power but the name of Jesus, through faith in that name, that made the man whole, and calls the people to repent and be converted. Acts 3 shows the power of the name of Jesus at work through His church.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Acts chapter 3. For each section you will find the KJV text, word studies that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Following Pentecost, the church begins to act in the power of the name of Jesus. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
The Beautiful Gate
Peter and John go up to the temple to pray and meet a man lame from birth, laid daily at the gate called Beautiful to beg from those entering.
Made Strong at Once
Peter gives not silver or gold but healing in the name of Jesus. The man is instantly made strong, walking and leaping and praising God before all.
It Is His Name
As a crowd gathers, Peter preaches, refusing all credit and pointing to Jesus, whom they crucified but God raised, whose name gave the man perfect soundness.
The Power of the Name
The church's power is not its own but the name of Jesus, received through faith. That same name calls all people to repent and be converted.
In the Name of Jesus (Acts 3:6-8)
Peter gives the beggar far more than he asked, in the only name that could raise him.
Silver and Gold I Do Not Have
"Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 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; Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 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. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And 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. And 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. 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? The 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. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."
Greek Study
Peter has no silver or gold, but commands, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." The word onoma (name) in Scripture stands for the person, authority, and power of the one named -- to act "in the name" is to act in Jesus' own authority and presence. Peter does not heal by his own power (v. 12); the risen Christ heals through the invocation of His name. The name of Jesus, into which believers are baptized (2:38), is the same name that raises a lame man -- the name in which all the fulness of God's saving power resides.
Explanation
A man lame from birth, begging at the temple gate, receives not the alms he expected but healing in the name of Jesus, and enters the temple "walking, and leaping, and praising God." The crowd is amazed, and Peter seizes the moment to preach: the God of Abraham has "glorified his Son Jesus," whom they killed but God raised -- "the Prince of life," the very author of life, whom they slew. The miracle is a signpost to the risen Christ; the healed man leaping in the temple is a living sermon that Jesus is alive and His name still works wonders. The power is not in the apostles but in the name they invoke.
Gospel Focus
The man asked for money; Peter gave him his legs. "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." The church had no wealth, but it had something infinitely greater, the name of Jesus. Notice how the healing came: not by Peter's power, not by a general prayer, but "in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth." The apostles acted in that name, spoke in that name, and healed in that name, for there is power in the name of Jesus. This is not magic but the authority of the risen Lord invoked by faith. The greatest gift the church can offer the world is not material aid, good as that is, but the saving, healing name of Jesus. In His name the lame man rose; in His name people still are made whole.
Faith in His Name (Acts 3:16)
Peter refuses all credit and explains exactly what healed the man.
His Name Made This Man Strong
"And 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. And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled."
Greek Study
Peter states the healing's true source with emphatic repetition: "his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong... the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness." Two things converge -- the name of Jesus and faith in that name. The power is objectively in the name (the person and authority of the risen Christ), and it is applied through faith. Apostolic Christianity centers on this name: baptized in it (2:38), healed by it, saved by it (4:12). The name of Jesus is not a magic formula but the revealed name of God our Saviour, laid hold of by faith.
Explanation
Peter is careful to give no glory to himself or John: it was not their holiness but the name of Jesus and faith in that name that made the man whole before them all. He tenderly acknowledges that the people acted "through ignorance" in crucifying the Prince of life, and that even this fulfilled what God had foretold by the prophets -- that Christ should suffer. The cross was both their crime and God's plan. Having established guilt and grace together, Peter turns, as always, toward the call to repent, for the God who was wronged is the God who now offers pardon in the name they despised.
Gospel Focus
When the crowd stared as though Peter and John had done this "by our own power or holiness" (verse 12), Peter deflected all the glory to Jesus. It was "His name, through faith in His name," that made the man strong. The apostles were only servants; the power was in the name of the risen Christ, applied through faith. This guards us against two errors: crediting human ministers for what God does, and treating the name of Jesus as an empty formula. The name works "through faith", a real trust in the living Lord whose name it is. Everything the church does that has any power is done in and through the name of Jesus and the faith that lays hold of Him. To Him, not to us, belongs the glory when lives are changed.
Times of Refreshing (Acts 3:19-21)
Peter turns the miracle into a call to turn to God.
That Your Sins May Be Blotted Out
"Repent 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; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom 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. For 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. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye 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. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."
Greek Study
Peter's appeal turns on metanoesate -- "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." The verb exaleipho means to wipe away, to erase completely, as writing is sponged from a page. Repentance and turning to God lead to sins entirely erased and to "times of refreshing" from the Lord's presence -- refreshment that flows from the indwelling Spirit. The same gospel of 2:38 sounds again: turn, and your sins are wiped clean. God's forgiveness is not a partial credit but a total erasure of the record against us.
Explanation
Peter calls the nation to repentance with a double horizon: immediate "times of refreshing" now, and the final "restitution of all things" when the heavens receive Christ until His return. He identifies Jesus as the Prophet "like unto me" whom Moses foretold -- to be heard on pain of being cut off -- and as the seed of Abraham in whom "all the kindreds of the earth" are blessed. The whole Old Testament, from Moses through all the prophets, pointed to these days. The God of the covenant sent His risen Son "first" to Israel to bless them "in turning away every one of you from his iniquities" -- salvation is deliverance from sin, not merely from its penalty.
Gospel Focus
Peter does not leave the crowd amazed at a miracle; he calls them to respond: "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." This is the same message as at Pentecost, repentance and turning to God for the forgiveness of sins. To "repent" is to change and turn from sin; to "be converted" is to turn to God. And the promise is rich: sins "blotted out," wiped away completely, and "times of refreshing... from the presence of the Lord." Turning to God does not only cancel guilt; it opens the way to His refreshing presence. The same name that healed the lame man is the name in which sins are forgiven and lives renewed. Peter points the whole crowd from the sign to the Savior: turn to the risen Christ, and be made whole in soul as this man was in body.
Chapter 3 in Review
Acts 3 shows the Spirit-filled church acting in the power of the name of Jesus. At the temple's Beautiful gate, Peter tells a man lame from birth, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk," and the man leaps up healed. As a crowd gathers, Peter refuses all credit, insisting it was Jesus' name, through faith in His name, that made the man whole, and he calls the people to repent and be converted so their sins may be blotted out and times of refreshing come from the Lord.
For the Apostolic reader, this chapter magnifies the name of Jesus. The church's power is not its own but His name, invoked through faith in the risen Lord. Ministers are only servants; the glory belongs to Christ. And the miracle is never the point in itself; it is a sign that points people to repentance and to the Savior. The same name that raised the lame man forgives sins and refreshes the soul. In the name of Jesus, the church still calls a lame and needy world to rise up and walk.
- The church's greatest gift is not silver or gold but the name of Jesus.
- Healing and power come through His name, applied by faith, not by human ability (Acts 3:12).
- Ministers are servants; the glory for what God does belongs to Christ alone.
- The sign points to the Savior: repent and be converted for forgiveness and refreshing.
Questions for Reflection
- Peter gave what he had, the name of Jesus. Are you offering the world its greatest need, or only lesser help?
- Peter refused all credit. Do you point people to Christ, or quietly take glory for what God does?
- Peter turned a miracle into a call to repent. Have you turned to God for your sins to be blotted out?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Healing in the name of Jesus at the Beautiful gate: Acts 3:1-8.
- The power in His name, not human ability: Acts 3:12-16.
- There is salvation in no other name: Acts 4:10-12.
- Repent and be converted for forgiveness and refreshing: Acts 3:19-21.
- Whatever you do in word or deed, do in the name of the Lord Jesus: Colossians 3:17.