Commentary on Acts 3:16-21

By Bob Myhan

16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

By, “name,” Peter almost certainly means “authority.” It was not the lame man but Peter and John who had faith in the authority of Jesus on this occasion. It was not always necessary for the person to be healed to have faith but it was necessary for the would-be healer to have faith. (See Mark 9:16-24; Matthew 17:19-21; Acts 19:13-16.)

It would be hard not to notice a man who is literally jumping for joy for the first time in his life.

17 Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. (Luke 23:34)

THEY KNEW THEY WERE CONDEMNING A MAN UNJUSTLY!

1. THEY ACCUSED JESUS FALSELY.

And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." (Luke 23:2)

And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death (Acts 13:28).

2. THEY SOLICITED FALSE TESTIMONY.

Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put him to death (Matthew 26:59).

3. THEY CONSPIRED AGAINST HIM.

When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. (Matthew 27:1).

4. THEIR MOTIVATATION WAS ENVY.

Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. (Matthew 27:17-18)

WHAT WAS IT, THEN, THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE DOING?

1. THEY DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE CRUCIFYING THE LORD OF GLORY.

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:7-8).

2. THEY DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE KILLING THE PRINCE OF LIFE.

“But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.” (Acts 3:14-17)

3. THEY DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE FULFILLING THE PROPHETS.

“For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.” (Acts 13:27)

18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.

What the prophets had written about the Messiah was a mystery to the prophets themselves and even to the angels in heaven (1 Peter 1:10-12). The death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah were all prophesied (Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22) but were not understood by the Jews. It is no small wonder, therefore, that the Ethiopian eunuch did not understand (Acts 8:36-34). Nevertheless, it was necessary that these prophecies be fulfilled (Luke 24:26-27). This was pointed out by Peter on Pentecost. Paul proclaimed the same in his preaching (Acts 17:3; 26:22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

The people were still responsible for their participation in the crucifixion of an innocent man and, for this reason, needed to repent. The English phrase, “be converted,” is in the passive voice and implies that conversion is from without. While this is in harmony with the doctrine that a direct operation of the Holy Spirit is necessary for salvation, it is an incorrect rendering of the Greek word, which is in the active voice. Notice the following translations.

Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; (ASV)

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, (ESV)

So change the way you think and act, and turn {to God} to have your sins removed. (TLB)

Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, (MSG)

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; (NASB)

Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (NASB77)

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, (NIV 2011)

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. (NLT)

Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, (NRSV)

Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord (TLB)

Repent, therefore, and reform your lives, so that the record of your sins may be cancelled, and that there may come seasons of revival from the Lord, (WEY)

…reform ye, therefore, and turn back, for your sins being blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, (YLT)

The difference between the active and passive voices can be illustrated by the word, “baptize,” and the phrase, “be baptized.” Philip was active when he “baptized” the Ethiopian eunuch but the eunuch was passive. Likewise, there is a difference between “turning” and “being turned.” Peter did not command the people to “be turned” but to “turn.”

The phrase, “that your sins may be blotted out,” is equivalent to the phrase, “for the remission of sins” (2:38), and shows the purpose for which they were to “repent … and turn.”

But when does an individual turn that his sins may be blotted out? Does one turn when he repents? No, for Peter said, “Repent … and turn.” Does one turn when he believes? No, for we later read of a great number of people who “believed and turned” (Acts 11:21).

By comparing what Peter commanded on this occasion with what he had previously commanded on Pentecost, we see that “turn” stands in the same relation to “repent” and “that your sins may be blotted out” that “be baptized” stood in relation to “repent” and “for the remission of sins” on that occasion. Thus, submission to the Lord by being baptized in water is the turning act.

This brings us to the phrase, “times of refreshing.” What are these “times”? The phrase is reminiscent of a statement made by Jesus to the Samaritan woman.

Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13-14)

On another occasion recorded by John we read,

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39)

This is probably referring to the fact that Christians enjoy many spiritual blessings by virtue of their being “in Christ Jesus” where “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” is found (Ephesians 1:3-14). It probably also includes “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23). All of these “come from the presence of the Lord” and have an impact on our lives. They also enable us to impact others. In the first century, miraculous spiritual gifts might also have been included.

20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

This is likely the same thing of which Paul wrote regarding attaining “to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:8-14). All will be raised from the dead but only the righteous will be raised to die no more (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 5:28-29). Jesus will one day be sent not to set up His kingdom but to deliver it up “to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power” (1 Corinthians 15:23-24). He will not return until all things are restored. This refers to the same thing, but from a different perspective, as “till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). When “the last enemy” has been destroyed, all things will have been restored. This twofold period of destruction and restoration must be the church age. God’s word cuts both ways (Isaiah 55:6-11; Hebrews 4:11-13).

(To be continued)