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History · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Acts 3

The Spirit forms a witnessing church as the gospel moves from Jerusalem toward Rome.

New Testament

Acts 3

1Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

2A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple.

3Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy.

4Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.”

5He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them.

6But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”

7He took him by the right hand and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength.

8Leaping up, he stood and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God.

9All the people saw him walking and praising God.

10They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

12When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk?

13The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.

14But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

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

16By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17“Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers.

18But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

19“Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,

20and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before,

21whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.

22For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you.

23It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’

24Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, also told of these days.

25You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘All the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.’

26God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

The Spirit forms a witnessing church as the gospel moves from Jerusalem toward Rome. Read Acts 3 within the complete Acts overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Acts 3

Acts 3 contains 26 verses and about 615 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 26 closes: “God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include peter, temple, whom, will, john, people. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Acts 3

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Acts 3:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer