Acts 3 Footnotes

3:1 Peter and John continued practicing Jewish rituals/worship at this time. Christianity was one “sect” (hairesis) of several within Judaism (24:5; Josephus used this word of Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots); it taught that Jesus was the Messiah. The progressive split with Judaism was to a large extent mirrored in Acts, with a significant split coming by the time of the first Jewish revolt (AD 66–70) but made definite at the second one (AD 134–135). Between these periods, it was unclear whether rabbinic Judaism would prevail as the standard representative.

3:7 Much evidence proves the ancients understood physiology sufficiently enough to recognize a miraculous cure when they saw one. In this case the miracle was directly linked to God’s power through Jesus and to faith that comes through him (v. 16).

3:18-19 The suffering-Messiah prophecy was likely Is 52:13–53:12. The Servant’s suffering for sins (Is 53:10) is the basis for sinners’ repentance and forgiveness.

3:21-24 Early Christians anticipated Jesus’s return to establish his earthly kingdom. In support, Peter, citing Moses (Dt 18:15-19) and the entire prophetic tradition, presented Jesus as a Moses-like prophet.