Bible Commentaries

1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

Ver. 1. At the hour of prayer] The Jews had their stata precibus tempora, set hours of prayer. See Psalms 55:17; Daniel 6:10; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:30.

2 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 of them that entered into the temple;

Ver. 2. To ask alms] This ought not to have been suffered, Deuteronomy 15:7-8 There might not be a beggar in Israel. But all was out of order, as it useth to be among a people nigh to destruction.

3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

Ver. 3. Asked an alms] The Dutch beggars ask not, but look pitifully.

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

Ver. 4. Look on us] Together with this word there went forth a power, as Luke 5:17.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Ver. 5. Expecting] God was better to him than his expectation. God presseth kindness upon his suitors, and heapeth it upon them, as Naaman upon Gehazi, 2 Kings 5:22-23.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Ver. 6. Silver and gold have I none] The newelected pope, in his solemn Lateran procession, must take copper out of his chamberlain’s lap, and scatter it among the people, saying, Gold and silver have I none. Whenas Petrarch writeth that when Pope John XXII died, his heirs found in his treasury 250 tons of gold. And when Pope Boniface VIII was taken and plundered by Philip the Fair, king of France, there was more store of treasure carried out of his palace than all the kings of the earth could show again, saith the historian. Every pope hath the sign of the cross on his pantofle shining gloriously with pearls and precious stones, ut plenis faucibus crucem Christi derideat, saith mine author in derision of Christ’s cross. (Heidelfield.)

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

Ver. 7. His feet and ankle bones] "The Lord raiseth them that are crooked," but (as a further favour, and far better than that former) "he loveth the righteous," Psalms 146:8, as he did this cripple, whom he healed on the inside also.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Ver. 8. Into the temple] There to hang up his crutches, as it were.

Walking and leaping] Weak Christians are commonly most affectionate, as this cripple when first cured leaped for joy.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Ver. 9. Praising God] Not the apostles. We may pay the messenger, but return thanks chiefly to the sender.

10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

Ver. 10. And they knew] There could be therefore no collusion.

11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

Ver. 11. Held Peter and John] Fearing perhaps lest, if he should lose them, he should lose his limbs again. So that demoniac, Mark 5:18.

12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

Ver. 12. Why look ye] We are ready to pay our rent to a wrong landlord.

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

Ver. 13. Denied him] Crying out, We have no king but Caesar, John 19:15;

14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

Ver. 14. But ye denied] This he again beats upon, and drives home to the head.

15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

Ver. 15. And killed] Wherein they were but our workmen, Zechariah 12:10.

16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Ver. 16. And his name] That is, Christ himself, as God’s name is often put for God’s self.

17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

Ver. 17. I wot that through ignorance] Peter excuseth not their fact, but thus far forth mitigateth it, that it was not the sin against the Holy Ghost, which can never be forgiven. This must be carefully cautioned, and the weak informed that they despair not. This irremissible sin is wilful blaspheming of God, and the work of his Spirit, out of revenge, Hebrews 10:29; a will to crucify Christ again.

18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

Ver. 18. By the mouth of all his prophets] All the prophets spake but with one mouth; such a sweet consent and happy harmony there is in all their writings, as if done by one only.

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

Ver. 19. Repent and be converted] The first word comprehendeth contrition and confession. The second, faith and reformation. The first, repentance for sin; the second, repentance from sin. Da poenitentiam, et postea indulgentiam, said dying Fulgentius.

20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

Ver. 20. Preached unto you] Or handed to you, or put into your hands, προκεχειρισμενον.

21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Ver. 21. Whom the heavens must receive until, &c.] Note this against the Ubiquitaries, whose error was first broached by Gerson, about the time of the Council of Constance. Afterwards, defended at Paris by Jacobus Faber Stapulensis, A. D. 1524, who was therefore banished the next year out of France. (Scultet. Annul.) But Luther brought it into Germany, Brentins stickled for it, and Smidelinus obtruded it upon many, even against their wills; and was therefore called the apostle of the Ubiquity. The author of the Practice of Piety thus distinguisheth: Secundum esse naturale Christus non est ubique, secundum esse personale Christus est ubique, even the body of Christ. It was objected as a heresy against Thomas Man, martyr, that he had affirmed, That the Father of heaven was the altar, and the second person the sacrament: and that upon the Ascension Day, the sacrament ascended upon the altar, and there abideth still. But what an audacious heretic is he that writes of the "mortality of the soul," to interpret this place thus, "The heavens must contain him," that is, he "must be in the sun;" for he holds that there is no heaven till the resurrection.

Until the times of restitution] This Plato hammered at in his great revolution; when, after many thousands of years, all things shall be again statu quo prius, as they were at first.

22 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.

Ver. 22. Like unto me] 1. A man, as I Amos 2:1-16. A prophet, and more than a prophet, the archprophet, to whom Moses must bow.

23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Ver. 23. Shall be destroyed] As it justly befell the refractory Jews; wrath came upon them to the uttermost, 1 Thessalonians 2:16.

24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

Ver. 24. All the prophets] The prophet Isaiah especially, who speaks more like an evangelist than a prophet, and is therefore called the "evangelical prophet" (Jerome).

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

Ver. 25. Ye are the children] Here he comforts them, being now cast down.

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Ver. 26. To bless you] Ephesians 1:3.