ACTS - CHAPTER 3 - THE NAME OF JESUS

Pastor Carolyn Sissom \ June 6th, 2022 (292 views)

ACTS – CHAPTER 3 – IN THE NAME OF JESUS

TUESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY

PASTOR CAROLYN SISSOM

February 8, 2022, the Year of Our Lord

 

When chapter 3 opens, the apostles continue to live as faithful Jews, observing the set times of prayer in the temple: 9a.m, 12 noon, and 3 p.m.  As yet, they do not understand how Christ’s indwelling has made them the “temple of the Holy Spirit,” superseding the Jerusalem temple and its ordinances.   It won’t be until the stoning of Steven that the Church of Jesus Christ will separate from worshiping at the Temple.

 

1 Corinthians 6:19:  Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

 

Peter and John were close companions even before Pentecost. 

Acts 3:1-4:  Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.  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; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

 

“The gate Beautiful in Herod’s Temple is unknown to us but historians believe it was the gate on the east built by an Alexandria Jew, Nicanor.  It was referred to as “gate of Nicanor” of the Mishna; or the “Corinthian Gate” described by Josephus.  The name “Corinthian” refers to the costly materials and massive size from which it was constructed.  It was covered with gold and silver” (W. Shaw Caldecott).

 

The beggar, born a cripple, lay at the entrance for 40 years (Acts. 4:22) begging alms.

 

3: 5-7: Peter fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “look at us.”  So, he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.  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.”  He took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.  

 

We can suppose that Jesus stopped at this same gate when he healed the man born blind (Jn. 9:1).  I heard my husband tell a man this.  I won’t say who the man was because he is now in heaven.  Don was telling him to get up out of his circumstances and move forward. 

 

Peter tells the lame man that in the power of Christ’s name, he can do the same.  Peter mentions a name the man had heard before—Jesus of Nazareth!  But what would be the gift?  In that name,  Peter gives a command, “Walk!”   The gift was healing for his body.  The man knew Jesus had been a healer.  Was it possible to receive such a gift from One Who had been crucified?

 

The man just sat there.  He knew what Jesus’ name meant.  According to Jewish custom, it was the equivalent to Jesus Himself.  Acting in the authority of that name, Peter commands a lifetime cripple to rise and start walking.  Yet, he is acting as the representative of someone alive, not dead.  Peter had made the offer.  He gave the command by faith.   There is no mention the lame man had even a drop of faith.  The only faith he had was to beg alms.  It is Peter and John’s Faith in the name of Jesus through which the Presence of the Lord releases this miracle.

 

Instantly, Peter makes his move, reaching forth his right hand to help the cripple respond to the command.  The power of God touched the cripple and he actually leapt to his full height and began to walk! 

 

Acts 3:8-10:  So.  he, leaping up, stood and walked into the temple with them---walking, leaping, and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God.  They knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

 

 Imagine a man who had never even learned to walk, running and leaping at once!  The man’s soul is flooded with joy and gratitude.  He doesn’t run way, but goes into the temple to praise God with the apostles.   How many who are healed use their healing for the glory of God?  Luke reported nine cured lepers who didn’t even say thank you (Luke 17:17).  It is told that Thomas Aquinas happened upon Pope Innocent II when he was counting money.  “See Thomas,” said the Pope, “The church can no longer say silver and gold have I none.”  Thomas answered, “yes, and neither can she say, ‘rise and walk in Jesus; name!”  There had been an obvious trade of spiritual power for money.  Also note Peter and John did not use this opportunity to take up an offering.

 

The miracle was done in the midst of a great crowd.  The crowds knew the man.  They had seen him begging at this gate year after year.  It could not have been a trick of magic.  Besides was it not Jesus who healed the blind man at the temple gates the previous December?  Jesus’ power to heal was no secret.  Just as Jesus healed the ma born blind, this healing was done in the open.    

 

The crowd takes note that Peter and John did not heal in their own name, but in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 

 

That a blind man should “leap as a deer,” was one of the expected signs of the Messiah. Isa. 35:6: Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped, lame men will leap like a deer.

 

The wonder would be the same power by which Jesus healed cripples during His earthly ministry was somehow still in their midst!  The healing of this man was more than a miracle, it was a sign.  Jesus was alive!

 

3:11-13:  As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s greatly amazed.  When Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?  Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 

 

The crowd was full of amazement and wonder.  Peter addressed them as, “Men of Israel.”  This was not an unruly mob, but an assembly of devout Jews.  Peter could sense the admiration fixed on Himself and John.  The point of the miracle was to draw attention to Jesus.  Peter who at an earlier time wanted to be greatest in the kingdom (Luke 9:46), here has a chance to be credited with a miracle of God.  But see the change in Peter.  Listen to his honesty.  “We didn’t heal this man”, says the apostle, God did.  The God of our Fathers produced this miracle through us.  Yet, it wasn’t just for the benefit of this lame man, but for the honor and glory of Jesus.

 

I have always been fascinated that so many miracles, signs and wonders were done on Solomon’s Porch (Acts 5:12).  Even in John 10:23, Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.  This first miracle of Jesus’ Church, in His name, was done on Solomon’s Porch (Acts 3:11).   I have inquired about from the LORD more than once. 

 

Yesterday morning I was reading in 1 Kings 5-9.  This is the story of Solomon building the temple, the Lord’s promise to him 6:13:  If you walk in my statutes, execute my judgment, keep all my commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father, David.  I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people.  Then in chapter 7: 22-61, when he had finished the temple, the cloud of the Presence of God filled the house of the LORD with the glory of the LORD (10-11).  Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD and dedicated (prophesied) of the glory of God’s kingdom through His covenant with his father, David.  Of course, all of this was conditional on the sons of David’s obedience and worship of God.  As we know, they all failed ‘until He comes whose right it is, and God will give it to him (Ez. 21:27).  Solomon had the ark of the covenant placed in the Temple.  The Ark placed by Solomon in the temple is fulfilled in the temple of Jesus Christ.  The first miracles of the New Church of Jesus Christ had to be done on Solomon’s porch to fulfill all that was written of David’s greater son from his loins.   

 

1.       The Throne of God in the earth. (Mt. 28: 18-20).

2.      The Presence of God in Christ, by the Spirit, in our midst (Acts 3).

3.      The Glory of God revealed in Divine order, worship and ministry.

4.      The Government of God in the earth. (Mt. 6:10).

5.       The fullness of the Godhead bodily revealed in Jesus (Col. 1:19).

6.      The Enthroned Jesus as the King of Kings, Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).

7.       The Total and complete victory of Jesus Christ over all enemies.

8.      The Glorious church in perfection (maturity) (Eph. 4:13; 5:27).   

9.      The Melchizedeck Priesthood of Christ, the head and Body (Heb. 7). 

10.  The Kingdom of God in power and manifestation (1 Cor. 4:20).

 

Luke 1:32: He shall be great, and shall be called the son of the highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of his father David. 

 

As clear and simple as this truth is, this is the first time I have had a clear understanding of the significance of Solomon’s Porch in the New Testament Church.  Due to Solomon’s sins, the kingdom was divided after his death, but his dedication in the authority of a sitting, anointed King; and God’s promise stands; and is now fulfilled in his Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  “A greater than Solomon is here (Mt. 12:42).”  Solomon’s Porch is also on the eastern side of the temple.  The glory of the LORD must come through the East Gate as it surely did when Jesus entered in;  and will again as it did when Peter and John declared the glory of Christ on Solomon’s porch.   We. Christ’s Church, are now the temple. 

 

The promised GLORY stood in view of the old temple and declared: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.  For Jesus Christ was indeed the true temple of God in whom dwelt the GLORY that had occupied all former temples.  So, sudden a transition from the old to the new was too much for the people of that hour.  God was saying, I would give you silver for iron, and gold for brass, but they said, “No, we just want the brass and the iron.”  Then suddenly this new temple was destroyed, and God raised it up again after three days.  More amazing still, we in union with Him would become living stones of that Temple, as well as co-priests and co-rulers with him and an entirely different order, and a royal Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek.

 

3:13-16:  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son, Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.  But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; whereof 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 is by Him has given him this perfect soundness (healing) in the presence of you all.”

 

Prince of life is the originator of life and has the power over death. 

 

 In verse 16, Peter states the power to heal this man resides in Jesus, for again, the Jewish use of the Name of Christ meant Jesus Himself.  The man was healed by Faith in the name of Jesus.  This was important, for sorcerers and exorcists employed names for healing and hexing people in those days.  By faith in Jesus’ name, says Peter, the living, indwelling Christ gave the apostles the power to perform miracles, with the miracles themselves signs of the Messiah.  The sign of the miracle was to prove the power of the crucified Christ was still in their midst and operating in His servants because of their faith in Him. 

 

There have been endless and futile arguments over Faith to be healed.   Faith to raise the lame man was in the NAME OF JESUS, not the cripple.

 

Faith is one of the power or action gifts which enables us to do the Works of God.  Faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith is also a fruit of the Spirit.

 

There are many ways we are able to please God with our Faith. 

 

1. It is God who gives us the Faith to be saved.
2. We receive our Salvation by Faith. 
3. We receive Christ’s righteousness by Faith.
4. We believe the Word of God by Faith and walk in obedience to His Word by Faith
5. We receive the Holy Spirit by Faith.
6. We prophesy and operate in the Gifts of the Spirit by Faith.
7. We obey His spoken Word.  As we walk by Faith in that Word, then we

      receive the promises.

8. We are led by the Holy Spirit by Faith.
9. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
10. Faith is the evidence of things not seen.
11. Faith has the invisible backing of the great cloud of witnesses.
12. Faith trusts in an unknown future.
13. Faith counts things that be not as though they were.
14. Faith is assurance of God’s faithfulness.
15. Faith is confidence in things to come.
16. Faith is the life-blood of the just.
17. Faith is the shield of the Christian armor
18. Faith is the down payment of things desired.
19. Faith is our guarantee of answered prayer.

 

3:17-20, Peter tells them, “My brothers, I am well aware that you, like your rulers, didn’t realize what you were doing when you crucified Jesus.  Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before.

 

3: 17-21 T.P.T.: My fellow Jews, I realize that neither you nor your leaders realize the grave mistake you made.  But in spite of what you’ve done, God has fulfilled what he foretold through the prophets long ago about the sufferings of his Anointed One.  And now you must repent and turn back to God that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the LORD’S presence.  And he will send you Jesus, the Messiah, the chosen one for you.  For he must remain in heaven until the restoration of all things has taken place fulfilling everything that God said long ago through the holy prophets.

 

“Aramaic translation: “He will send you all that has been prepared for you through Jesus the Anointed One.” (T.P.T.) 

 

Peter speaks of times of refreshing which shall precede (He will send Jesus Christ) the coming of the LORD.  Some translators surmise that Peter’s words indicate the Lord’s return is conditioned upon Israel’s repentance as a nation.  I can’t go that far in my interpretation.  You are on are on your own with that.

 

Peter is addressing the “whole house of Israel.”  He is asking the entire nation to repent.  It is still the Pentecostal season, and Jerusalem is packed with devout Jews from the known world.  As we know from Paul’s teachings, Israel’s hardness of heart brought salvation to the Gentiles.  We have much to answer for because the Grace of the Holy Spirit has wooed the Gentiles to receive Christ; but we are in a time of darkness.   

 

Peter also speaks in 2 Peter 1;19, of the present world as a “dark place,” but he likewise speaks of darkness and light, and in that order “a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” 

 

We have the blessing of the Presence of the Lord at our church fellowship.   Many come and wonder at this awesome Presence.  The same authority and power which Peter used to raise the lame man is available to every Christian.  By repentance, conversion and faith in the Name of Jesus, the Church still performs miracles through the Presence of the Lord in His NAME.

 

Acts 3:22-26:  For Moses truly said to the fathers, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren.  Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.  It shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.”  Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.  You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, “In your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  To you first, God having raised up His Servant, Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.

 

With one voice, all the prophets from Samuel onwards, prophesied these days would come to pass.  They have all spoken of that which we are seeing today.    Peter tells his listeners they are the heirs of God’s promises through the prophets.  They are the ones who were alive when God’s Word walked on the earth and God’s words to Abraham were fulfilled.  Jesus came to the Jews first because they are the natural offspring of Abraham.  They have a fresh opportunity to receive God’s pardon if they will seize it.  If they refuse, they forfeit all their rights as heirs of Abraham and the prophets. 

 

Dake’s Interpretation of the Restoration of All Things: “Christ’s second coming will be at the time of restoration of all things.  He will gather together all things in one as before the fall.  He will rid the earth of all rebellion.  He will make new heavens and a new earth.  He will restore all things to perfection and sinlessness as before the rebellions of Lucifer and Adam.  When this complete restoration work is finished, then the Son will deliver the restored and perfect kingdom to the Father so that He may be all in all as before the rebellion.”

 

Carolyn Sissom, Pastor

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

www.eastgateministries.com

Scripture from N.K.J.V; I entered into the labors of C. S. Lovett’s Lights on Acts; Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible as indicated; Morning and Evening by George H. Warnock.