The New Testament & Psalms Bible Reading Plan
April 2
Acts 3
Chapter 3
Healing the Lame Beggar
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour
of prayer.
2 And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried
along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is
called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to
receive alms.
4 But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at
us!”
5 And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from
them.
6 But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have
I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!”
7 And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet
and his ankles were strengthened.
8 With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with
them, walking and leaping and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God;
10 and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful
Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement
at what had happened to him.
Peter’s Second Sermon
11 While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them
at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.
12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why
are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety
we had made him walk?
13 “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified
His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of
Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.
14 “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer
to be granted to you,
15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead,
a fact to which we are witnesses.
16 “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which
has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through
Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your
rulers did also.
18 “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the
prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in
order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;
20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,
21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about
which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
22 “Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like
me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.
23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall
be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
24 “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his
successors onward, also announced these days.
25 “It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which
God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the
families of the earth shall be blessed.’
26 “For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you
by turning every one of you from your wicked ways.”
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)