St. Peter heals a beggar

Peter heals crippled beggar  

The Passage: Acts 3:1 – 4:4

Structure: a (scene’s beginning) – b,c,d,e,d’,c’,b’, (Peter’s speech) – a’ (scene’s end)

a. 3:1-11, all people in the portico 

  b. 3:12-13, God of ancestors

    c. 3:14-16, refusing the sacred person

      d. 3:17-18, suffering Messiah

        e. 3:19, Repent

      d’. 3:20-21, appointed Messiah, Jesus

    c’. 3:22-24, refusing the sacred person

  b’. 3:25-26, God made covenant with ancestors

a’. 4:1-4, 5000 people

Structure of “a”

a. 3:1, Peter and John are in the Temple

  b. 3:2, Lame man was carried in by the Beautiful Gates 

    c. 3:3, He sees Peter and John going into the Temple

      d. 3:4, Peter speaks

        e. 3:5, He looks at them – response to Peter

      d’. 3:6, Peter speaks

        e’. 3:7, His feet and ankles got strong – response to Peter

    c’. 3:8, He begins to walk

  b’. 3:9-10, Now man leaping by the Beautiful Gates

a’. 3:11, Peter and John are at the Portico of the Temple   

Historical and geographical context:

The passage begins with a fairytale start – “once upon a time”. Sometime after Pentecost within a timeframe of 2:40-47 (see last lesson). Now the story moves from “houses” to the Temple area. 

Theology:

Healing is an important part of Christian ministry but not the main one. The most important one is the restoration of man because of his faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Also, note that disciple do same things as Jesus did – cp. John 5. 

Name of Jesus. Building up theology of the NAME. The name of God was associated with the Sanctuary – the Tabernacle and Temple. To be in the name – to be in God’s presence (1 Kings 8:48 “the house I have built for Your NAME”). 

Proclamation of Jesus Christ crucified. The consistent central point of apostles preaching. St. Peter brings this during his Pentecostal sermon (2:22-24), here in ch. 3, then 4:10-11. The first Christian martyr Stephen drives the same point (7:52-53). Then St. Paul declares it as the main message of his ministry (1 Cor. 1:22-24). Also, note personal theological growth one can see in the life of St. Peter. Matthew 16:21-23 tells us that idea of suffering and crucifixion was repulsive to Peter, he was confession the Son of God as a glorious person, not the one who must suffer and die. Yet, being a person of betrayal and an eyewitness of the Cross and Resurrection, he comes to personal, devotional conviction of the importance and necessity of Son’s sacrifice.    

Other themes:

Regular religious life of the apostles was taking place in Jerusalem and – most importantly – in the Temple. They did not cut off all the connections with the “old ways” but used any chance to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to those who knew the Scriptures, who were raised in the traditions, who wanted to maintain piety prescribed by Torah. Neither St. Peter nor St. John who accompanied him wanted to insult the worshipers or obscure their faith and conduct. They engaged in the healing activities because they were asked to. What later St. Peter will summarize in 1 Pet. 3:15.