Discovery BoxActs 3:12-18 
Context3:12 When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, 1 why are you amazed at this? Why 2 do you stare at us as if we had made this man 3 walk by our own power or piety? 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 4 the God of our forefathers, 5 has glorified 6 his servant 7 Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected 8 in the presence of Pilate after he had decided 9 to release him. 3:14 But you rejected 10 the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you. 3:15 You killed 11 the Originator 12 of life, whom God raised 13 from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses! 14 3:16 And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ 15 name, 16 his very name has made this man – whom you see and know – strong. The 17 faith that is through Jesus 18 has given him this complete health in the presence 19 of you all. 3:17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, 20 as your rulers did too. 3:18 But the things God foretold 21 long ago through 22 all the prophets – that his Christ 23 would suffer – he has fulfilled in this way.
1 tn Or perhaps “People of Israel,” since this was taking place in Solomon’s Portico and women may have been present. The Greek ἄνδρες ᾿Ισραηλῖται (andre" Israhlitai) used in the plural would normally mean “men, gentlemen” (BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a).
2 tn Grk “or why.”
3 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4 tc ‡ The repetition of ὁ θεός (Jo qeos, “God”) before the names of Isaac and Jacob is found in Ì74 א C (A D without article) 36 104 1175 pc lat. The omission of the second and third ὁ θεός is supported by B E Ψ 33 1739 Ï pc. The other time that Exod 3:6 is quoted in Acts (7:32) the best witnesses also lack the repeated ὁ θεός, but the three other times this OT passage is quoted in the NT the full form, with the thrice-mentioned θεός, is used (Matt 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37). Scribes would be prone to conform the wording here to the LXX; the longer reading is thus most likely not authentic. NA27 has the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.
5 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
sn The reference to the God of the patriarchs is a reminder that God is the God of the nation and of promises. The phrase God of our forefathers is from the Hebrew scriptures (Exod 3:6, 15-16; 4:5; see also the Jewish prayer known as “The Eighteen Benedictions”). Once again, event has led to explanation, or what is called the “sign and speech” pattern.
6 sn Has glorified. Jesus is alive, raised and active, as the healing illustrates so dramatically how God honors him.
7 sn His servant. The term servant has messianic connotations given the context of the promise, the note of suffering, and the titles and functions noted in vv. 14-15.
8 tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”
9 tn This genitive absolute construction could be understood as temporal (“when he had decided”) or concessive (“although he had decided”).
10 tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”
11 tn Or “You put to death.”
12 tn Or “Founder,” “founding Leader.”
13 sn Whom God raised. God is the main actor here, as he testifies to Jesus and vindicates him.
14 tn Grk “whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the words “to this fact” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
sn We are witnesses. Note the two witnesses here, Peter and John (Acts 5:32; Heb 2:3-4).
15 tn Grk “in his name”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 sn Here is another example of appeal to the person by mentioning the name. See the note on the word name in 3:6.
17 tn Grk “see and know, and the faith.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation and καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated.
18 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn The faith that is through Jesus. Note how this verse explains how the claim to “faith in Jesus’ name” works and what it means. To appeal to the name is to point to the person. It is not clear that the man expressed faith before the miracle. This could well be a “grace-faith miracle” where God grants power through the apostles to picture how much a gift life is (Luke 17:11-19). Christology and grace are emphasized here.
19 tn Or “in full view.”
20 sn The ignorance Peter mentions here does not excuse them from culpability. It was simply a way to say “you did not realize the great mistake you made.”
21 sn God foretold. Peter’s topic is the working out of God’s plan and promise through events the scriptures also note.
22 tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).
23 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
