Atos 3
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 3
Morgan - Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give I thee.—Acts 3.6 These were not the words of apology. By comparison with what Peter had to bestow, silver and gold are the veriest dross. To give silver and gold to a cripple is a good thing indeed, if that is the best you can do for him. But it only maintains him in his disability. To give him strength to walk is to set him free from the need of alms. This is the difference between Christianity and all merely humanitarian efforts for the relief of the incapable. Thy help to make the conditions of continued inability somewhat bearable. It cancels the inability, and so ends the conditions, and makes the efforts for relief unnecessary. Therefore Christianity never has any need to apologize for itself. The service it renders to men, individually and socially, is of the highest. It deals not so much with conditions as with causes. By so doing it necessarily deals with conditions also. The principle illustrated in the case of this man is of the widest application. Apart from Christ, humanitarian efforts deal with surroundings, but cannot touch the man. Christianity begins with the man and so makes him the instrument for changing his own surroundings. Humanitarian effort plants a garden round a man and leaves him to spoil the garden. Christianity remakes the man, and he makes the garden. Acts 3:1-16 Change Your Name By Cindy Hess Kasper Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. —Romans 10:13 Names are important. Parents may spend months researching and deciding on the perfect name for their baby. Often their final decision is based on its sound, uniqueness, or meaning. One woman took on a new name because she disliked her original name. She mistakenly believed that changing it could alter her destiny. That’s not likely, but for those who trust in Jesus as their Savior and are identified by His name from that time on, a radical transformation does take place. There is a powerful significance attached to the name of Jesus. The apostles performed miracles (Acts 3:6-7,16; 4:10) and cast out demons in His name (Luke 10:17). They spoke and taught in the name of Jesus. They baptized believers in the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38). And it is only through the name of Jesus that we gain access to the Father (Acts 4:12). When we become Christians, we share in that worthy name. And as we follow Christ, we are able to reflect His light to any darkness we encounter, whether in our neighborhood, our workplace, or even our home. Our prayer should be that when people see us—they will see Christ. Our names may have meaning or significance. But to bear the name Christian is life-transforming. Lord of my life, henceforth I bear The name of Christian everywhere; Therefore, O Christ, my spirit claim, And make me worthy of Your name. —Freeman Is He Enough? Read: Acts 3:1-10 Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. —Acts 3:6 Is Jesus enough? That’s a question many Christians need to ask themselves. They have abundant material possessions. But do these believers depend on Jesus? Or on their stuff? While having wealth is not condemned in Scripture as long as priorities are in order and the needs of others are addressed, those of us with relative wealth must remind ourselves that Jesus—not riches—sustains us. The apostle Peter helps us with this in the story of the lame man begging at the temple gate in Jerusalem. This man asked Peter for money, but Peter replied, “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” (Acts 3:6). The man lying at the gate thought the answer to his problems that day was money, but Peter showed him that the answer was Jesus. And He still is. I read about a group of Chinese Christians who have much to teach us as they seek to spread the gospel in their homeland and beyond. These believers say, “We can’t afford any big programs or fancy gospel presentations. All we have to give people is Jesus.” Jesus is enough for our brothers and sisters in China. He is enough for the poor. Is He enough for you? You may have much gold and grandeur, Yet by God be reckoned poor; He alone has riches truly Who has Christ, though nothing more. —Anon. Our greatest riches are the riches we have in Christ. Acts 3:7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. KJV Acts 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. Acts 9:41; Mk 1:31; 5:41; 9:27; Luke 13:13 Acts 3 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up - Presumably the hand the lame man is holding out for alms -- Peter is about to give him far more than alms! Now Peter's seizing him and raising him up did not strengthen his feet and his ankles because if his feet and ankles had not been strengthened, he would have fallen down and certainly would not been able to walk on his own and leap up praising God (Acts 3:8). A T Robertson suggests that "Peter had to pull him up on his feet before he would try to walk." (Ibid) Seizing (4084)(piazo related to piezo = to press) originally meant to press or squeeze, and then to take hold of with a firm grasp as here in Acts 3:7. More often piazo speaks of seizing someone with a hostile intent so as to overpower them or to gain control. Most often piazo is used to describe the hostile attempts to seize Jesus (Jn 7:30, 32, 44, Jn 8:20, 10:39, 11:57). In 2 Cor 11:32 used of the attempt "to seize" Paul at "the city of the Damascenes." In Acts 12:4 of Herod who "seized him (Peter and), he put him in prison." There is one vivid use in the Septuagint of Song 2:15+ in the form of a command to "Catch (Heb = achaz; Lxx = piazo - aorist imperative) the foxes for us, The little foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in blossom.” Piazo - 12x in 12v - caught(2), seize(6), seized(3), seizing(1). Jn. 7:30; Jn. 7:32; Jn. 7:44; Jn. 8:20; Jn. 10:39; Jn. 11:57; Jn. 21:3; Jn. 21:10; Acts 3:7; Acts 12:4; 2 Co. 11:32; Rev. 19:20 Immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened - Remember Luke is a doctor so he gives us a detailed description of this man's weakness and what the healing affected. This was a miracle that exalted the Name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. The religious leaders did not discount that this was indeed a miracle "saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it." (Acts 4:16) David Thompson points out that "This was a miracle. What is even more amazing is that this happened to this man in no connection with his faith at all. This fact shows the fallacy of today’s phony faith healers. Religious faith healers put on a show and carefully select their candidates. They do this for money, and if the person isn’t healed they blame it on a lack of faith. This man who was really healed had been crippled all of his life and he didn’t have any faith." Of course we do see his faith in regard to the miraculous healing of his spiritual malady (Acts 3:16). Gangel - To this point in the text we find no reference to the man's faith. Throughout Scripture both salvation and healing come through faith (though not always the faith of the sick, compare James 5:14-15). As we glance ahead in our chapter, we see in Acts 3:16 that somehow the man responded spiritually as well as physically. Even as strength entered his ankles, faith entered his heart. (Holman New Testament Commentary – Acts) Immediately (at once, instantly, cf Lk 4:39, 8:44, 55) (3916)(parachrema from pará = at, and chrḗma = something useful or needed) means suddenly, immediately, at the very moment, on the spot, forthwith, directly after something else has taken place. It sometimes has the implication of unexpectedness in certain context as the withering of the fig tree (Mt 21:19, 20). Note how most of the uses are in the context of a miraculous event and emphasize the absence of delay in the performance of the miracle. Parachrema is used to describe Peter's mother in law "immediately" getting up after Jesus rebuked the fever (Lk 4:39), the paralyzed man "immediately got up" after Jesus healed him (Lk 5:25), the woman's hemorrhage stopping "immediately" after she touched the fringe of Jesus' cloak (Lk 8:44, 8:55), of the woman bent double "Immediately" standing erect after Jesus laid His hands on her (Lk 13:13), of the blind man "immediately" receiving his sight at the command of Jesus (Lk 18:43, 42), of Jesus' disciples misconception that "the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately (Lk 19:11), before a cock crowed a second time Peter denied Jesus and immediately he crowed (Lk 22:60), of the man lame from birth who Peter seized by the right "and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened (Acts 3:7), of Sapphira lying to Peter and "immediately" falling dead at his feet (Acts 5:10), of Herod's being struck "immediately" by an angel because he did not give God the glory (Acts 12:23), of Saul (Paul) made blind "immediately" (Acts 13:11), of the sudden earthquake that liberated Paul and Silas from prison (Acts 16:25, 26), and lastly of the immediate baptism of the jailer at Philippi (Acts 19:33).
Atos 3
Morgan - “Perhaps only medical men can fully appreciate the meaning of these words; they are peculiar, technical words of a medical man. The word translated feet is only used by Luke, and occurs nowhere else. It indicates his discrimination between different parts of the human heel. The phrase ankle-bones is again a medical phrase to be found nowhere else. The word ‘leaping up’ describes the coming suddenly into socket of something that was out of place, the articulation of a joint. This then is a very careful medical description of what happened in connection with this man.” Were strengthened - This is the passive voice, in context, clearly a "divine passive," indicating that the force that gave him stability and strength was God. It is fascinating that the same verb (stereoo) is used in the OT (Septuagint) to describe God establishing the heavens (Ps 33:6) and the earth (Ps 75:3). Were strengthened (4732)(stereoo from stereos = solid, stable) means to make firm, stable, strong or solid, to become physically taut (or tauter), especially describing the muscles and limbs and so to be physically strong and vigorous. "In medical language applied to the bones in particular." (Vincent) Used only in Acts 3:7, Acts 3:16 ("strengthened this man") and Acts 16:5, this last use being more figurative as Luke describes that "the churches were being strengthened (imperfect tense - again and again, over and over) in the faith, and were increasing in number daily." Stereoo is used figuratively in Hannah's prayer when she says "My heart exults (Lxx = stereoo) in the LORD," where the Septuagint has "My heart is established in the LORD." In Ps 33:6 says "by the Word of the LORD the heavens were made (Lxx= stereoo = "were established"). "The earth and all who dwell in it melt; It is I who have firmly set (Lxx= stereoo = "have strengthened") its pillars. Selah." (Ps 75:3, cf similar use in Ps 93:1, 136:6) The related verb sterizo is used by Peter speaking of the faith of individual believers who were being afflicted and tested by trials promising that "After you have suffered for a little while (cf 1 Pe 1:6+), the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm (sterizo), strengthen and establish you." (1 Pe 5:10+) This verb stereoo is the root of the noun stereoma which describes anything as stable and in Col 2:5+ was used figuratively to describe the "stability of (the Colossian saints') faith in Christ." Stereoo - 34x in 34v in the Septuagint - 1 Sa 2:1; 1 Sa 6:18; Job 37:18; Ps. 18:17; Ps. 33:6; Ps. 75:3; Ps. 93:1; Ps. 136:6; Isa. 42:5; Isa. 44:24; Isa. 45:12; Isa. 48:13; Isa. 51:6; Jer. 5:3; Jer. 10:4; Jer. 52:6; Lam. 2:4; Ezek. 4:7; Dan. 8:24; Hos. 13:4; Amos 4:13 Thomas
Atos 3
Morgan writes "We must get back into the atmosphere of Solomon's porch, and of these Hebrews thronging Peter, before we begin to apprehend how startling was the thing he said. "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Servant." These men would catch the prophetic allusion, and be ready to ask, Who is the Servant of God? Before the enquiry could be put, Peter answered in uttering that word "Jesus." He thus claimed the fulfillment in Christ of all Messianic hope and prediction, declaring that God had glorified Him. These men might well say, and doubtless would say, "Glorified Him! We saw Him die, He was crucified." (Acts of the Apostles) Albert