Author: Charlie Garrett

Friday, 24 December 2021

“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. Acts 3:17

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Peter has scathingly rebuked the “Men of Israel” (verse 3:12), and then he provided the explanation for his rebuke in the previous verse. With that stated, he changes his address, saying, “Yet now, brethren.”

He spoke to them as countrymen in an equal but general manner when he called them, “Men of Israel.” It was clearly a way of identifying himself with them as being of the same people who committed the crime of killing their Messiah without sharing directly in the guilt. Now, his address draws them into a closer bond, as if the past deeds are forgivable, and by which a restored closeness within the nation is readily possible. With this stated, he next says, “I know that you did it in ignorance.”

They are still men of Israel, and they still – both individually and collectively – bear the guilt for what occurred, even if done in ignorance. This is clearly laid out in their own law –

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a person sins unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and does any of them, ³ if the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin which he has sinned a young bull without blemish as a sin offering.” Leviticus 4:2, 3 (Individual sin).

&

“Now if the whole congregation of Israel sins unintentionally, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which should not be done, and are guilty; ¹⁴ when the sin which they have committed becomes known, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin, and bring it before the tabernacle of meeting.” Leviticus 4:13, 14 (The entire congregation).

Because of their guilt, each person must make the appropriate sacrifice for what he has done. And because the entire nation bears guilt, there must be a national sacrifice for what they have collectively done. But Peter will not direct them to make those sacrifices demanded by the Law of Moses, which are only types and shadows of the coming Messiah. Rather, he will call for them to “repent” and be converted, as will be noted in verse 3:19.

A new order of things has come, and a new means of satisfying God through the atonement process has been realized. The church is only at the very beginning of understanding this. It will take all of the New Testament epistles to fully realize the magnitude of what Christ did through His sacrificial work. For now, Peter simply points out that their guilt exists, even if it was done in ignorance. And this extends beyond the common people who may be standing before him. This is seen in his final words of the verse, “as did also your rulers.”

The rulers were responsible for the killing of Jesus, even if they too did it in ignorance. They bore the guilt of the act. But more, as leaders, their guilt must be admitted before the nation can find its promised redemption. That is seen, again, in the Levitical law –

‘When a ruler has sinned, and done something unintentionally against any of the commandments of the Lord his God in anything which should not be done, and is guilty, … So the priest shall make atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.” Leviticus 4:22 & 4:26

Israel bears guilt in various ways for what they have done. The Law of Moses can no longer purge their guilt. This is clearly laid out in the book of Hebrews, explaining that everything that happened under the law was only anticipatory of the coming of Christ. When Christ came, He fulfilled that law. In His fulfillment of it, it is annulled (Hebrews 7:18), it is obsolete (Hebrews 8:13), and it is set aside (Hebrews 10:9).

The Law of Moses is done. It is nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). In saying the law is nailed to the cross, it means that Christ embodied it. He fulfilled it. And in His death, it died with Him. When He came out of the grave, it was under the establishment of a new and better covenant.

Paul’s words to Timothy clearly understood the guilt he bore, even when his actions were in ignorance, but the forgiveness he had received was absolute when it came through the finished, final, and forever work of Jesus Christ –

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, ¹³ although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:12, 13

Life application: The nation of Israel continues to bear the guilt for what it did in rejecting Christ, even two thousand years later. Nothing can atone for their guilt apart from repenting of their actions, calling out to Christ, and being restored through the New Covenant. The Tribulation period that lies ahead will be the seven final years of the Mosaic Law being worked out in order for them to figure this out (Daniel 9:24-27).

The incredible thing to consider isn’t that the nation of Israel hasn’t figured this out, but that innumerable people who should know better – because they have the New Testament right there before them – cannot seem to figure it out.

There is a constant returning to the Law of Moses, in part or in whole, as they try to earn what God has already granted. They try to work through what God has already accomplished. And they will never find rest nor peace in the Lord through doing so.

Grace is grace. It cannot be earned. One must simply trust in what Christ has done, and then live out his life with this continued understanding. Be sure to run from the Hebrew Roots Movement, Seventh Day Adventism, and any other church that reinstates precepts from a fulfilled and now-obsolete law. And stay away from those who say that Jews have either a different gospel (hyperdispensationalism) or can be saved through adherence to the Law of Moses (dual-covenantalism).

There is one gospel, it is the only way to reconciliation with God. What happens in Acts is merely a descriptive account of how the church developed while its theology was in the process of being laid out by the apostles. Their epistles explain how all things find their fulfillment and completion in Christ.

Lord God, thank You that Christ is the fulfillment and the end of the law that stood against us. Yes, praise God for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, 23 December 2021

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. Acts 3:16

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Peter has conveyed to the people their denial and killing of Jesus, but God’s approval of Him through the resurrection. With that stated, he now immediately turns to the power that comes with this fact. The Greek reads in a different order than the NKJV cited above –

And His name, through faith in His name… (NKJV)
And upon the faith of the name of Him… (CG)

In this, the Greek does not say dia, or “through.” It says epi, or “upon.” It is an important distinction. There is also an article which must be translated, “the faith.” The account from Luke is precise. This man had not heard any word concerning Christ Jesus. Peter simply brought him from being a cripple to being healed –

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 from those who entered the temple; ³ who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. ⁴ And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” ⁵ So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ Then Peter said, “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.” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Acts 3:2-7

It was not the man’s faith, but “the faith” which is found in Jesus Christ. One might say, “The church is established upon the faith found in (as the basis of) the name of Jesus.” This is the thought being expressed by Peter. The corresponding account of Paul healing a cripple is completely different –

And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. Acts 14:8-10

There, it refers to the man’s faith. He had faith (there is no preceding article in the Greek) to be healed after hearing the gospel and Paul commanded him to stand. As for Peter, he healed the man based upon the faith found in (based upon) the name of Jesus. It is this faith which Peter says, “has made this man strong.”

Faith in the man was not a requirement for this healing for exactly the reason that Peter had been explaining. Israel was guilty of crucifying their Messiah, but to demonstrate that God had, in fact, raised Christ, the power of His name was used to prove the matter. This is to contrast what Peter said in verse 3:12

“…why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?” (3:12)

“And upon the faith of the name of Him has made this man strong.” (3:16).

This is the proof of what Peter carefully explained in the intervening verses. The miracle had been wrought by power which is upon (based on) the faith of the name. As an additional note of the undeniable surety of the matter, Peter next says, “whom you see and know.”

So surely is this a valid miracle that Acts 4 will detail a trial held by the leaders concerning what happened. There it says –

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” ²¹ So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. ²² For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. Acts 4:20-22

The people knew the man, they had seen the miraculous change in his physical body, and they had no excuse to not believe what their eyes beheld. Peter’s words, as recorded by Luke, are precise and exacting. This includes what he next says to the people, “Yes, the faith which comes through Him.”

This time, the translation is correct. The word dia, or “through,” is used when speaking of Christ. Again, it is not speaking of the man’s faith. It is speaking of “the faith,” meaning the basis of the faith, which comes through the resurrected Messiah. It is this new formulation in the ongoing redemptive narrative that has been presented to Israel.

In times past, miracles were done in the name of the Lord, Yehovah. But now, it is power in the name of Jesus (Yeshua – Salvation) that such miracles are proclaimed, and which then occur. As such, Peter notes that the faith which comes through Jesus “has given him this perfect soundness.”

Here, Peter uses a word found only this one time in the Bible, holokléria. Souter says that it pertains to “the condition of wholeness, where all the parts work together for ‘unimpaired health.’” The miracle was wrought, and there was nothing lacking in it. The man went from a total cripple from his mother’s womb to a man that could walk and leap about without even needing to be trained to do so once his body was healed. Everything worked as if it had been working all his life. With that stated, Peter finishes with a note that it was done “in the presence of you all.”

Even if the people didn’t actually see the healing happen, many had come through the same gate just before it happened. The man lay there, broken and helpless, begging alms. Some may have handed him a coin. Some may have pointed at him and mocked. Some may have said to their children, “This is the curse of God.” Whatever they thought or did as they passed, they had seen him laying there, understanding his condition was hopeless. And yet, he was now before them completely healed. The testimony to all of the people concerning the faith in the name could not be denied.

Life application: Just a few incorrectly translated prepositions and missing articles can change the entire meaning of a verse. And with the change in meaning, there is seen to be an entirely different purpose for what was said than would otherwise have been known. Israel is being given instruction on a miracle that occurred among them. But with the faulty translation of the KJV, which is then repeated in the NKJV, people will have a complete misunderstanding of what is being conveyed.

In Acts 14, in the comparable healing passage which refers to Paul, there will be a different design and purpose for what is said. In noticing these differences, one’s theology will be strengthened and more perfectly aligned with what the Bible is telling us. But without noticing these things, we will remain deficient in our thinking.

In learning this lesson, it should teach us for our own spiritual lives. Let us endeavor to always be precise in how we present the gospel. Including various words not laid out in Scripture concerning the gospel, we can easily present a false gospel. The beauty of being saved by faith alone through Christ alone can be obliterated by saying something as innocuous as “repent and be baptized.”

Acts 2:38 says this, but Acts 2:38 must be taken in its proper context (as noted then) or a false impression of what Peter was saying (and to whom he is speaking) will arise. Learn the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4), and then proclaim that by believing that message salvation will be realized. Yes, let us be precise concerning such important matters.

O God, help us to be faithful in presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. And when we do, help us to faithfully present it. May our words be words approved by You in Your word so that no errors in thinking arise in those we speak to. To Your glory we pray, Amen

Wednesday, 22 December 2021

and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. Acts 3:15

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse should be cited together with this to see the contrast and to better understand the paradox that is presented –

“But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”

The immediate contrast –

“asked for a murderer” / “killed the Prince of life.”

The paradox –

The Prince of life was killed.

The broader contrast –

“But you denied the Holy One and the Just” / “whom God raised from the dead.”

Peter sets the actions of Israel in complete contrast one to another. Whereas they asked for Barabbas, a man who purposefully ended another’s life, they also killed the One who grants it. The word archégos is introduced here. It will be seen again in Acts 5 and then twice in Hebrews. It comes from arché, meaning “beginning” or “origin,” and agó, “to lead” or “to guide.” Hence, it is one who is a file-leader. He sets the way for others to follow.

Some translations use the term “author.” Though this is a close thought, it is not exact. It more closely would signify an originator or founder that continues to lead. Its other uses will help understand the significance of the word –

Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Acts 5:31

       For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

Christ is the “file-Leader” of life, of restoring others to God, of salvation itself, and of the faith possessed by those who look to Him. The question of what “life” is being referred to is appropriate. It could be referring to life itself, that which animates humans (and indeed all life), or it could refer to the “life” which is obtained through restoration with God, meaning the spiritual restoration to God that was lost at the fall.

The immediate context is surely referring to the latter because Peter will next speak of the resurrection that makes this life possible. But the former is true as well. Jesus is clearly revealed as the Lord (YHVH) of the Old Testament Scriptures. It is He who breathed life into Adam at the first (Genesis 2:7), but He is also the one who indicated He would breathe the new life, the Holy Spirit, into those who would come to Him by faith (John 20:22). In Him is life (John 1:4), both the initial giving of it, and the restoration of that spiritual life through His completed work.

It is this One that Israel killed, revealing the great paradox. How could the file-Leader of life die? And yet, He had to die to bring about life in those who killed Him. One necessitated the other. It reveals the wisdom and the immensity of God’s plans. And in their killing of Christ came the victory over death, as Peter notes, saying, “but whom God raised from the dead.”

Peter has already said in Acts 2:24 that “it was not possible that He should be held” by death. This is because “the wages of sin is death.” But Christ, the Prince of life, had no sin. As such, death could not hold Him. He had done nothing to earn death, and He therefore was resurrected by the power of God.

Life was found in Him who is the life. The enormity of the event, and the piercing nature of the words, must have been terrifying to those who realized what they meant. And to make certain that the words could be trusted, Peter next says, “of which we are witnesses.”

It is debated what Peter is referring to:

“the Prince of life…of whom we are witnesses.”
“God raised from the dead…of which we are witnesses.”

Either way, the fact is that Peter and John are witnesses, thus establishing the truth of the matter as required by law. They did witness the life and deeds of Christ, and they did witness Christ in His resurrection. Both testify to the fact that He was, and still remained, the Messiah. Israel is being presented with information that they cannot live without. Likewise, each individual was being presented with that same information. The choice is both an individual one and it is a collective one. Each person standing there had to individually choose to believe, and the nation as a whole – who was under the terms of the Mosaic Covenant – had to do so as well.

Life application: What God has done in Christ is incredible in the extreme. But it is not impossible to believe. If the story of Jesus was just one made up in the minds of a group of people at a given time, it could easily be ignored.

However, the books of the Bible span about fifteen hundred years of time. And more, not only are they written over that span of time, but they encompass details that go from the very beginning of time until the end of time as we currently understand it – telling of things that would happen well into the future, and which continue to be realized even at the current time.

They are comprised of the writings of about forty different people. They are written in various locations throughout the Middle East. They are written in several different languages, and they are written to various groups of people.

Despite all of these things, the message found in these sixty-six books is a single, unified whole. It carries one overall theme while also carrying – very consistently – many individual themes that form it into a single body of literature that defines the very purpose of man’s existence on earth.

The main theme, the Subject, of this compilation is God working in Christ in order to have an eternal relationship exist between the two. The Person of Jesus, who is Christ, is that Subject. It is He who is the Prince of life, and it is He to whom we are responsible.

Let us never forget this, and may we spend our time and energy – above all else – focused on this. Let us praise God, exalt Him, and magnify His glorious name for all the world to see and understand His goodness towards us in the giving of His Son. May this be how we direct our lives, all the days of our lives.

Lord God, thank You for what You have done in and through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, 21 December 2021

But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, Acts 3:14

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Peter just noted to those gathered before him. They, men of Israel who should have known better, had delivered up Jesus when even a Gentile, Pilate, was determined to let Him go. To continue describing the guilt that rested upon them, he next says, “But you denied the Holy One.”

When considered, the irony is palpable. Israel denied the Holy One, something even the demons acknowledged –

Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴ saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” Mark 1:23, 24

Despite even the demons knowing who Christ was, the men of Israel rejected him and denied His position as their Messiah – a title which includes the thought of kingship –

When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. ¹⁴ Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!”
¹⁵ But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!”
¹⁶ Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away. John 19:13-16

Peter is standing before them and is defending who Christ Jesus is, preparing to explicitly state that it is He who healed the beggar. But before he does this, he wants them to understand the guilt they bear. What he has said so far cannot be denied. He was there, they were there, and they had called out the words rejecting Jesus. Peter next adds in another set of words to increase the accusation. Not only is He the Holy One, but Peter next says, “and the Just.”

The word signifies “righteous” or “just in the sight of God.” A righteous person is one who conforms to the will of God and meets His standards of uprightness. Peter claims that Jesus fits this description. But more, and again showing the irony of the matter, both Pilate and his wife recognized this quality in Him –

While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” Matthew 27:19

When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
²⁵ And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” Matthew 27:24, 25

But even worse than this obvious fact is that Israel went a step further. Not only did they deny Christ who is both the Holy One and the Just, but they added to their guilt by violating the Law of Moses in an open and direct way. Peter explicitly states this by saying, “and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.”

The Greek reads, “and asked for a man, a murderer, to be granted to you.” In this, there is a hint of Christ’s deity being conveyed by Peter without explicitly stating it. The Scriptures implicitly reveal the deity of the coming Messiah. Without getting into a long theological discussion about the matter, Peter sets Barabbas – a mere man – against the Holy One and the Just. But along with this contrast, Peter identifies Barabbas as a murderer. This fact, along with the request for his return, is recorded in Mark 15 –

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. ⁷ And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion. ⁸ Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. ⁹ But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. ¹² Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
¹³ So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
¹⁴ Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
¹⁵ So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. Mark 15:6-15

Israel had called out for a murderer to be released to them while calling out for One who was clearly innocent to be led away for crucifixion. This is in direct violation of their own law –

“Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.” Numbers 35:31

And again –

‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’
“And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ Deuteronomy 27:25

Those guilty of murder were not to be allowed to live, and those who were innocent were not to be slain for the price of a bribe, which is essentially what occurred when they took Barabbas over Jesus. A bribe is a type of inducement which is given, normally illegally or through dishonesty, in order to act favorably towards one party over another. Israel looked for the favor (which is the meaning of the word used) of ridding them of this Man in exchange for a known criminal.

The testimony is recorded for the world to see, but while Peter stood before the men of Israel it was clearly evident that it was true. The events had only happened a short time earlier. There could be no denying what had transpired. The burden of guilt rested (and continues to rest) upon the nation who betrayed its Messiah.

Life application: Today, something unexpected has come upon the world. Within the past generation, the nation of Israel has been reestablished. This is an amazing miracle that confirms the words of Scripture which stated this would come about. Only a short time ago in relation to their time of exile, it would never have even been imagined possible.

Because this has occurred, many churches and individuals take this as a sign of God’s divine favor upon them and that their time of punishment is over. This is incorrect. The national guilt of Israel remains, and it will not be cleansed until they acknowledge Jesus as their rightful Messiah. That is explicitly stated by the Lord –

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! ³⁵ See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Luke 13:34, 35

God has returned the people to the land in preparation for this event, and it is right that Christians support this and pray for their restoration. But this does not mean that Israel is to be given a blanket approval for their actions. They, like all of the nations, are immersed in approving immorality. Their abortion laws are more liberal than most nations and they are working to make them even looser. As a nation, they do not acknowledge the hand of the Lord in their restoration, nor in their continued existence. They are filled with pride and self-righteousness, just like all of the nations of the world.

This must all be purged from them before they are a people prepared for their God. Let us take a balanced look at Israel and understand that what God has done, is doing, and will continue to do the miraculous in and through them. And yet, they continue to reject Him and act indecently before Him. To this day, the words of Ezekiel 36 remain true of this peculiar nation –

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. ²³ And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord,” says the Lord God, “when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.” Ezekiel 36:22, 23

Let us consider Israel in the light in which God does, just as any sinner. We evangelize the lost while condemning their actions. We hope for restoration and new life to be found in them, and we pray for their healing. So it should be in our attitude towards this wayward nation. Remember to pray for Israel.

Lord God, help us to have a right and proper understanding of the events unfolding in the world today. A people under sentence for their past actions are being prepared for a time where their guilt will be atoned for, and they will stand purified in Your presence. May that day be soon. Until then, we pray for Israel the people and for each within the nation. May Your Spirit continue to call them to Yourself through the cleansing power of the shed blood of Christ. Amen.

Monday, 20 December 2021

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 3:13

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

Peter now explains the source of the healing power that brought the beggar to full health of his legs. He had just noted that it was not by their own power or godliness that he was made to walk. Rather, his words will point to the power of God in Christ, beginning with, “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

By introducing the patriarchs, Peter is clearly identifying the accomplishment of the miracle with the same God who had been faithfully followed by the fathers of the “men of Israel” whom he began to address in the previous verse. There has been an unbroken line of His power being displayed in this line, and Peter acknowledges that it continues at their present time. Having noted these three patriarchs by name, he next says that he is “the God of our fathers.”

The selection of this line was carefully recorded each step of the way. Abraham was called, he was directed by the Lord to follow a certain course of life, he was given promises and the covenant of faith was made with him. He was given the sign of circumcision. He was tested and the surety of the promise was restated because of his faithfulness.

From him, the line was carefully detailed to continue through Isaac, the son of promise. And from Isaac, the line continued through Jacob, who is Israel. The same God who had directed the course of events of their lives, and who had carefully detailed the continued course of events through the specified chosen line, is the same God who “glorified His Servant Jesus.”

By noting the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Peter is carefully ensuring that he is proclaiming the works and power as belonging to that same God. He is not introducing a new god, nor is he introducing an aberrant way of worshipping this same God. Rather, as he continues, he will clearly demonstrate that “His Servant Jesus” is the fulfillment of the Scriptures.

As yet, Peter has not called their God by His name Lord (YHVH). Rather, he has only used the term “God” and affixed His identity to the patriarchs. What will be implied in his continued words is that the Lord their God is, in fact, the Lord Jesus. For now, however, he is acknowledging that Jesus is the One Scripture testifies to.

In this verse, some translations say “Son” or “Child” here instead of “Servant.” The word can be translated either way, but Peter is clearly identifying Christ in His role as the “Servant of the Lord” who was prophesied of in their Scriptures. More specifically, he is surely tying Him to the “Servant” of Isaiah 52/53 –

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.” Isaiah 52:13

That this is what is on Peter’s mind is to be inferred beginning with the next words which say, “whom you delivered up and denied.”

“He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” Isaiah 53:3

The rejection of the Servant is prophesied in these words. Peter is calling them to mind and telling the people before Him that it is they who fulfilled this prophecy. There is no need to directly cite the words as they would have been familiar to all of the people before him. They would be able to clearly tie the prophecy together with the event, if they were mentally willing to do so. Peter then adds salt into the wound of the event by saying, “in the presence of Pilate.”

Not only did they reject the Servant of the God of their fathers who was glorified by Him, but they had done it in the presence of a Gentile ruler. They called out for a guilty sentence upon the One who was clearly innocent in God’s eyes, but who was also clearly innocent in the eyes of this Gentile placed over them. Peter avows this poignantly by saying, “when he was determined to let Him go.”

The words of Pilate would have rushed back into the mind of any of the people who had been present at the time –

Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
⁵ Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”
⁶ Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.”
⁷ The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
⁸ Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, ⁹ and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer.
¹⁰ Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?”
¹¹ Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”
¹² From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” John 19:4-12

Pilate clearly saw the innocence of the Man, and he attempted to have him released several times. But more, the account shows that Pilate was aware that Jesus was more than just another “Man.” He may not have understood the truth of who Jesus was, but he understood that God’s hand was certainly upon Him and thus it made the contrast to the angry calls of the Jews all the more striking.

This is clearly seen in the structure of Peter’s words. As Vincent’s Word Studies notes –

“He is ἐκείνου [ekeinou], the pronoun of more definite and emphatic reference, the latter, Pilate, ‘in order to make the contrast felt between what Pilate judged and what they did.’ This is further emphasized in the next verse.”

Peter is setting the actions of Israel against the decision of Pilate, bringing the guilt of their conduct squarely back on them. And this is before even acknowledging that it is Christ Jesus who is the One who healed the man. That will not be specifically stated until verse 3:16. Peter is applying lashes upon the people before telling them of the healing balm that can bring restoration to their souls. For now, he is simply acknowledging that they bear guilt for the sin which they committed.

Life application: Peter’s words reveal an effective way of reaching some people with the gospel. Some people already know that they are guilty of sin. They wear it on their shoulders for all the world to see, and they are scared of the day they have to meet their Maker. For these, the simple gospel that tells them Christ died for their sins is all they need to hear. When presented to them, the wonderful words of release flow over them like a flood of cool water while in a dry and barren land.

Others, however, feel just fine with themselves. They may compare themselves to others, as if God grades on a bell curve. “Well, I’m a lot better than most people. God understands my faults. All is good.” They have no idea that “others” are not a valid standard, but rather absolute perfection is.

For such people, they need to be presented with their (many) imperfections in light of the absolute perfection of the Lord. “You have done this in the presence of God, even a criminal can know that. Why can’t you see this?” Eventually, when the sin is presented as an infinite crime against God, the person will then realize how terrible his state before God actually is. From that understanding, a presentation of the gospel will bring peace to the now-troubled soul.

Each person must be evaluated to understand what is going on in his or her mind. Once that is done, the proper approach to evangelizing is then to be pursued. Peter knew the guilt of the people before him, but because a miracle had been done in their presence, they sure thought that they were right with God. “We are Israel, and God is doing great things among us!”

To avoid any such notion that God approved of them because of what had been done, Peter gave them the bad news first. Let us use this tool when necessary.

Lord God, help us to be effective at telling others about Your wonderful workings in Christ on our behalf. Each person is an individual, and so help us to carefully understand what he needs to know in order to be saved. From there, may we then present it in a way that will be effective in his life. To Your glory we pray. Amen.