Peter Speaks in Solomon’s Colonnade

The healed man clings to Peter and John as the astonished crowd gathers in Solomon's Colonnade. Peter denies that the healing came from their own power or godliness and instead names Jesus, whom the people rejected and God raised. He says the man's strength comes through faith in Jesus' name.

W¹¹hile the man clung to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and ran to them in the walkway called Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹²And when Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him. ¹⁴You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. ¹⁵You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses of this fact. ¹⁶By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has been made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given him this complete healing in your presence.

Peter says the people and their rulers acted in ignorance, yet God fulfilled what the prophets foretold about the Christ's suffering. He calls them to repent and turn back so that sins may be wiped away, refreshing may come from the Lord, and the appointed Christ may be sent from heaven at the time of restoration.

¹⁷And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. ¹⁸But in this way God has fulfilled what He foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer. ¹⁹Repent, then, and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped away, ²⁰that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you. ²¹Heaven must take Him in until the time comes for the restoration of all things, which God announced long ago through His holy prophets.

Peter grounds his appeal in Moses, the prophets, and the covenant with Abraham. These days are the days they proclaimed, and God's Servant has been sent first to Israel so that blessing may come by turning people from wickedness.

²²For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to Him in everything He tells you. ²³Everyone who does not listen to Him will be completely cut off from among his people. ’ ²⁴Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have proclaimed these days. ²⁵And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ ²⁶When God raised up His Servant, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”