..all the people ran together to them at the portico named Solomon’s, completely astonished. But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people..

Acts of the Apostles 3:11b-12a NASB20

It’s MASSIVE and Magnificent!

Herod the Great left a temple to Jerusalem’s elite where MULTITUDES could enter stadium-sized courts rivaling Rome’s great temples. Jewish religious officials would continue their façade of political power in a city held captive to a tolerant Roman ‘peace.’

Signs of the Holy Spirit of God

Jerusalem was all abuzz. Tongues of fire, Galileans preaching about the Messiah Jesus to men in their own languages, and now a well-known beggar lame from birth STANDING beside Peter and John as they walked to worship in the Temple. The public courts seem more packed than usual and everyone looks for explanations of all this from the Apostles. So multitudes follow Peter to Solomon’s portico.

Simon Peter replies: “Men of Israel,

why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.

and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life,

whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

---

Do you have a question about the signs of God before your very eyes?

PETER preaches his response to the questions of the crowds who witness what has just happened. And the Apostle takes no credit for this miracle either by his personal power {dynamis} or piety, reverence or respect (eusebeia – often translated as godliness).

Amazed multitudes run to the Apostles, crowd in on them, look to them for an explanation in their response.

Peter replied to their amazement, yet with the same personal conviction AND compassion of his Lord Jesus who offered to those with ears to hear grace when He preached to the crowds.

Luke has already shown our Lord’s gracious encouragement though Jesus’ replies in his Gospel.

ἀποκρίνομαι Replies in Luke’s Gospel

• And Jesus answered ^G611 and said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.
• And Jesus, answering ^G611 them, said, “Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,
• And He answered ^G611 and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: people who were blind receive sight, people who limped walk, people with leprosy are cleansed and people who were deaf hear, dead people are raised up, and people who are poor have the gospel preached to them.

HOW MANY SIGNS OF THE MESSIAH DO YOU NEED?

Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe [literally, fear was occurring to every soul]; and many wonders and [confirming miracles] signs were taking place through the apostles.

Acts of the Apostles 2:43 NASB20

Luke now shows the Apostles preaching to men wondering about many SIGNS of the day in ACTS of the APOSTLES. Peter replies in effect that ‘JESUS has done this through faith as a sign to you.’

• Strong’s Number G611 matches the Greek ἀποκρίνομαι (apokrinomai),
• which occurs 21 times in 21 verses in ‘Act’ in the TR Greek.

“And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

Acts of the Apostles 3:16 NASB20

“And now, brothers, 

He first addressed them as ‘men of Israel.’ Peter replied to their fear (or awe) more personally now as the Apostle of Jesus calls them brothers.

adelphos – brethren

I know that you acted in ignorance..

(Are any already convicted by the Holy Spirit by the signs they have just witnessed?)

Countenances diminish from amazement in their crowd curiosity to faces of men showing humility as they cling to Peter’s words:

“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 

Acts of the Apostles 3:17-18 ESV

Like his Lord and Master, Christ Jesus, the Apostle replies with great compassion, ‘I know that you didn’t know what you were doing’ (ignorance).

John had heard such forgiveness even from the foot of the Cross. Peter had experienced it from the risen Christ forgiving his ignorance and denials.

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.

Gospel of Luke 23:34a KJV

Yet Peter replied also inviting their response.

μετανοήσατε οὖν καὶ ἐπιστρέψατε

REPENT, THEREFORE, AND RETURN.

Repent.

What does repentance mean once we are no longer ignorant?

“Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each according to his conduct,” declares the Lord GOD. “Repent and turn away from all your offenses, so that wrongdoing does not become a stumbling block to you.

Hurl away from you all your offenses which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, house of Israel?

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord GOD. “Therefore, repent and live!”

The Prophet Ezekiel 18:30-32 NASB20

Peter replied to their ignorance in familiar fashion from the preaching of the Prophets.

And Jesus responded and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans just because they have suffered this fate?

No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Or do you think that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse offenders than all the other people who live in Jerusalem?

“No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Gospel of Luke 13:3-5 – Jesus preaching on repentance

Peter replied much as Jesus had taught, as well as John the Baptizer had warned and others.

“Repent G3340, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent G3340, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Gospel of Matthew 3:2; 4:17 NASB20 – Repent – Strong’s G3340

AND notice how frequently in the Bible REPENT follows ‘THEREFORE’

‘Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 3:19 NASB20

AND Return

Peter replied also with an implied action required of those with ears to hear his call of repentance. You must now return to God.

You know the LORD God [brothers] and you are not ignorant of God’s requirements in the LAW, the Commandments Moses gave you from the Lord our God.

¹⁹ “Therefore, make teshuva (repentance, turning from chet [sin] to G-d) and turn in order that your chatta’im, your averos (sins) may be removed, [TEHILLIM 51:1; YESHAYAH 43:25; 44:22]

Acts Gevurot 3:19 Orthodox Jewish Bible

ἐπιστρέφω

• Return
  • to the worship of the true God
  • to the love and obedience of God
  • to the love for the children (of God, your fellow brothers)
  • to love wisdom and righteousness (now that you are no longer ignorant of G-d’s Messiah, WHO IS our Savior.)

Peter then proceeds with an amazing invitation to those who not only have rejected their Messiah, but some in the crowd of the Temple gathering at Solomon’s Portico who may have been part of the shouting crowds calling for Jesus’ crucifixion at Jerusalem’s most recent festival.

Revival of the Spirit

• And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.. – Ephesians 2:1
• Turn your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. – Psalm 51:9
• Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.. – ACTS 3:19 NASB
  • ἀνάψυξις anápsyxis, an-aps’-ook-sis; from G404; properly, a recovery of breath, i.e. (figuratively) revival:—revival.

that your sins may be blotted out,

• in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
  • NO, brothers (and tell our sisters and children as well), we know that God will not and can not have any sinner in His Presence — NO sacrifice is sufficient to blot out our many sins.
• and that He may send Jesus, the [Messiah, the anointed one] Christ appointed for you,
• whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things,
  • The Christ, the One Who came to us in body and soul, Who Is now the presence of the Lord, will cover your sins by His Perfect Sacrifice – He has blotted out your sins so that you may in your living spirit be with Him until your body dead to sin is restored with all things.
• about which God spoke by the mouths of His holy prophets from ancient times.

Peter replied pointing to Scripture

The Apostle includes Moses with God’s holy prophets, separated to speak the One truth of the Lord God.

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.

Acts of the Apostles 3:22 KJV

Moses also a Prophet

Of course every faithful Jew not only knew the Law of Moses, but also heard the Scripture of Moses WHEN rabbis chose to preach all of the truth of Scripture.

Therefore, many standing at Solomon’s Portico listening to Simon Peter preach knew these things Simon [שִׁמְעוֹן] Peter preaches..

15 נָבִ֨יא מִקִּרְבְּךָ֤ מֵאַחֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּמֹ֔נִי יָקִ֥ים לְךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ אֵלָ֖יו תִּשְׁמָעֽוּן׃

16 כְּכֹ֨ל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁאַ֜לְתָּ מֵעִ֨ם יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּחֹרֵ֔ב בְּי֥וֹם הַקָּהָ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֣א אֹסֵ֗ף לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ אֶת־קוֹל֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י וְאֶת־הָאֵ֨שׁ הַגְּדֹלָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את לֹֽא־אֶרְאֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד וְלֹ֥א אָמֽוּת׃

17 וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י הֵיטִ֖יבוּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽרוּ׃

18 נָבִ֨יא אָקִ֥ים לָהֶ֛ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב אֲחֵיהֶ֖ם כָּמ֑וֹךָ וְנָתַתִּ֤י דְבָרַי֙ בְּפִ֔יו וְדִבֶּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוֶּֽנּוּ׃

19 וְהָיָ֗ה הָאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִשְׁמַע֙ אֶל־דְּבָרַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יְדַבֵּ֖ר בִּשְׁמִ֑י אָנֹכִ֖י אֶדְרֹ֥שׁ מֵעִמּֽוֹ׃

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 18 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)

“Moshe Rabbenu indeed said, “NAVI KAMOCHA [T. N. i.e., a prophet like Moses] for you Hashem Adonoi will raise up from your achim; to him you will give heed according to everything whatever he may speak to you.” [DEVARIM 18:15,18] ..

Gevurot 3:22 Orthodox Jewish Bible

How are you doing with 'hearing' all this in the native 'tongue' of your birth?

Peter replied to those God chose in the Temple to hear by the Spirit.

You will see shortly that Simon Peter's preaching truth from the Scripture of Moshe will not be received by all, in deference to the great sign Peter has just performed at the Beautiful Gate.

From the back of crowds temple officials begin to push their way to the front where Peter, the Apostles and a formerly lame beggar stand before Jerusalem's largest crowd praising God and the Messiah of Israel.

It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God ordained with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘ And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’

Acts 3:25

.. God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”

Acts of the Apostles 3:26 ESV – Simon Peter Replies to the jews at Solomon’s Porch by Preaching Christ Crucified & Risen

Who will God save?

• And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob” – Romans 11:26
  • “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord. “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.” – Isaiah 59:20-21
    • [The true sons of Israel (Jacob) know the true Word of Scripture. – Roger@TalkofJESUS.com Let’s talk.]
  • You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. – Gospel of John 4:22 – The Messiah Jesus to a woman in Samaria

And why does Peter preach also to those at the Temple who will not be saved along with those who by the Spirit have been blessed with ears to hear?

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 3 :: Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)

So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat.. And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them. For you are not sent to a people of foreign speech and a hard language, but to the house of Israel—

.. But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, for they are not willing to listen to me: because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart.

Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads..

If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.

But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

Ezekiel 3:19 ESV

3:19 וְאַתָּה כִּֽי־הִזְהַרְתָּ רָשָׁע וְלֹא־שָׁב מֵֽרִשְׁעוֹ וּמִדַּרְכּוֹ הָרְשָׁעָה הוּא בַּעֲוֺנוֹ יָמוּת וְאַתָּה אֶֽת־נַפְשְׁךָ הִצַּֽלְתָּ׃ ס

Herod’s temple authorities respond.

Simon Peter preaches repentance in Jesus Christ to Spirit-called crowds. Yet while the Apostles proclaim the Good News of the MESSIAH from Solomon’s Porch..

Acts of the Apostles 4:

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, being greatly disturbed

because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

And what would these men have just heard as Peter preached from Solomon’s Porch?

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go.

ACTS of the Apostles 3:13 NKJV

“Repent therefore and be converted..

ACTS of the Apostles 3:19a

.. “For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.‘ And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

ACTS of the Apostles 3:22-23 NKJV

Peter replied differently than in Gethsemane

Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.”

Ezekiel 3:8-9 ESV

The Apostle preached with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Peter is a rock now in the strength of the Word of the Lord. This is no cowering Disciple denying Jesus as he huddled up to a campfire within earshot of false testimonies.

ACTS 4:

As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them..

And they laid hands on them and put them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening.

To be continued...