Acts  ◦   Chapter 3

1Peter and John went to the temple one day at prayer time, which was three o'clock in the afternoon.2As they approached the temple, a man who was crippled from birth was being carried to the Beautiful Gate. He was brought there every day to beg from those going to worship at the temple.3When he spotted Peter and John entering the temple, he asked them for money.4Peter and John stopped and looked at the man, and then Peter said to him, "Look at us!"5So the man stopped scanning the crowd for more potential donors and paid attention to them, expecting some money from them.

6When he had the man's attention, Peter said, "I don't have money, but what I do have I give you: In accordance with the character of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, be healed and walk."7Reaching down and taking his right hand, Peter helped him up, and immediately the man's feet and legs went from being shriveled, weak and deformed to a normal size and strength.8He leapt to his feet, bouncing up and down, and began to walk. Then he went into the temple courts with them and was walking, skipping, jumping, and praising God.9When the people saw him walking and shouting praises to God,10they realized who it was-the cripple who begged at the Beautiful Gate — and they were amazed, and wondered how this had happened to him.

11As the beggar hugged and embraced Peter and John, the people, amazed and bewildered, rushed to them at Solomon's Colonnade where they had stopped.12When Peter noticed the stunned and wondering crowd, he said to them: "People of Israel, why are you shocked by this? Why do you look at us as if we somehow have the power of God to restore life to dead limbs and make this man walk?13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob — the God our fathers worshiped — sent his Son Jesus to procure the Remedy and save us. But you rejected him and demanded that Pilate execute him, even though Pilate found him innocent and wanted to set him free.14Don't you realize what you did? You rejected the Perfect One-the Remedy from God-and asked that a murderer be released to you.15You killed the Designer of life, but God raised him from the dead. We have seen him alive and witness the truth of it.16It is by Jesus-his victory, the Remedy he achieved-that this man, whom all of you see and recognize, was enabled to walk. It is Jesus' character of love and the trust that comes through him that has caused the complete healing of this man, as all of you can see for yourselves.

17"Now, my fellow Israelites, I know you didn't realize what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders.18But God knew exactly what you would do, and foretold through his spokespersons the suffering the Messiah would endure to fulfill God's purpose of procuring the Remedy.19So don't reject him again! Turn your hearts back to God so that your sinfulness may be purged and the time of renewal-the time of hearts refreshed in love from the Lord-may come,20so that he may send you the Messiah-the Remedy made for you; the Remedy who is Jesus.21He must keep his radiant physical form hidden in heaven until all who are willing are restored in love to be like him, and until the time comes for God to put creation back to his original perfection, just as he promised through his holy spokespersons.22For Moses told us, 'The Lord your God will raise up a great Spokesperson from among you, just as he raised me up from among you; you must listen to him and follow all his instructions.23Anyone who refuses to listen to him and follow his instructions will be without Remedy and die of their terminal condition, disconnected and cut off from the family of God.'

24"In truth, all God's spokespersons, from Samuel on down — all who have spoken for God — have been foretelling of these very days.25And you are the beneficiaries, the ones who are to receive the completed Remedy that God promised and his spokespersons foretold. God promised Abraham, 'It is through your offspring that all humanity will be blessed.'26But because you are part of Israel-God's helpers to spread the Remedy-once he raised his Son, he sent him to you first: to heal you and cleanse you from all fear and selfishness, so you might fulfill your calling and distribute the Remedy to the world."