In Acts 3 Peter, is more pointed than in his Pentecost sermon. He says that the people who are hearing the sermon are guilty of killing the Messiah. There are people in the audience who shouted for Barabbas rather than Jesus! Peter accuses the crowd and the Temple aristocracy of killing an innocent man who was vindicated by God by the resurrection and ascension.
Acts 3 is also clearer in describing what will happen when they repent – the “times of refreshing” will come. It appears, then, that Peter is promising the soon-return of the Messiah after Israel repents. The phrase is unusual, only appearing here in the New Testament. In the Septuagint, the word “refreshing” (ἀνάψυξις) only appears in Exodus 8:15 to describe a pause in the cycle of plagues in Egypt. It appears in the Apocalypse of Sedrach 16.3 as a description of heaven. There is no exact equivalent of the phrase in Acts 3 to describe the messianic age, despite Eduard Schweizer’s statement that the word refers to “messianic refreshment, the definitive age of salvation” (TDNT 9:644).
There are, however, a number of similar phrases in the literature of the Second Temple period that indicate that the language would have been well understood by the biblically minded Jews who were congregated in Solomon’s Portico that day. Referring to the coming kingdom as “times and seasons” is also common, especially using the Greek καιρός (kairos). This word for time has the idea of the right time, the appointed time. Jesus used it in Acts 1, telling the twelve it was not for them to know the “times and the seasons.” It is highly unlikely that anyone in the Jewish crowd would have missed these eschatological allusions, even if they did not agree with them!
If the people repent, Peter says that God will send the Messiah, Jesus, who will fulfill the words of the prophets. Peter claims here that if the nation repents, then the messiah will return and establish the kingdom promised in the prophets. What is more, the ones who repent will participate fully in that kingdom since a major aspect of the Messiah’s return (in virtually every view of the messiah) was a separation of “real” Israel from “false” Israel.
When Christ returns, he will restore all things (verse 21), a term which is also unique in the New Testament, yet a theologically packed term. The word does not appear in the New Testament or the Septuagint but seems to have the sense of restoring creation to its original state. This is also a major expectation of the Hebrew Bible and the Second Temple period: the kingdom would be a restoration of the world to Eden-like conditions.
What we see here in Acts 3 is a clear statement that the Kingdom of God is about to begin. But there seems to be a condition – repent of the sin of killing the Messiah! Acts 4-8 will describe the response to this offer from most of the “men of Israel.” Despite large numbers of Jews accepting Jesus as Messiah and Savior, Israel as a nation continues to resist the Holy Spirit in the chapters that follow.
Acts 2 and 3 are, therefore, the foundation for the resistance to the Kingdom found in Acts 4-8. Are there other elements of this sermon that sound like they promise the dawning of the eschatological age?
One of the elements of this passage that stood out to me was Peter and how he instantaneously gave God the glory for this miracle. Directly after the man is healed and the onlookers came running Peter says, “By the faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong” (3:16). This type of humility is truly admirable in Peter because he did not claim any of the glory even when the people came running to him, but instead he deflected all of the attention away from himself and towards Jesus and what he did for us. This humility that was displayed by Peter was not only admirable but also inspiring because it is so easy to get wrapped up in peoples praise for oneself and lose sight of the fact that God does his work through us and gives us all of our abilities.
I think that it was so intriguing to see how Peter used this miracle and act of God to instantly speak of Gods grace how God is willing to forgive them for what they have done if they repent. It is clear that Peter wants the crowd to realize that they have indeed done something wrong by killing Jesus but Peter also describes how God is gracious and if they repent he will bless them and God will return to restore everything. Similar to what is discussed in the post about how there will be a “time of refreshing.” Gods grace is so apparent through this passage because even though these are the people that killed his son, God still wants to bless them if they turn to him. The most amazing thing about this is that these same people that killed Jesus will “participate fully” in the kingdom that Jesus will establish upon his return. This is truly encouraging to modern day Christians because it puts things into perspective for us and our own sin, because if God wants to show his grace and bless the people that murdered his son, what then does he want to do for us?
This passage is a very good selling point both for the early reader but also for the modern reader. Early readers would see the miracle done by peter and the instant declaring that God is the one gave him that power as a witnessing tool. Modern readers can see that as well very easily. Another interesting topic that comes up is the element of whether the Kingdom is coming forth.
Both the early and modern reader can interpret a couple of verses from this passage as possible hints to the coming of the Kingdom. Peter believed that the Kingdom was at hand but over the years, the visual Kingdom has not come yet. Many modern Christian now wonder if this means the Kingdom is still far off or even closer than ever to presenting itself. Acts 3:19-20 “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you”, hints at the idea that if Israel will repent and turn from their way, which doesn’t happen completely, then the Lord will bring about time of refreshing, also hinting at the time of the Kingdom. However, if you read on you see Acts 3:21 “Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.” This verse hints that the Kingdom will come when Israel repents and turns but also when the time for God to restore everything.
This raises the question was the Kingdom dawning? (We can determine at least from the time of Peter to present that was not the case, at least in a visual and full sense). However, now reading the same scripture are we in the time of the Kingdom dawning or is the Kingdom still far off in the eyes of God? To be honest, I think you may have hints and inclinations about when the Kingdom is going to arrive but, referring back to Acts 1:7 and that God said it is not for us to know the dates or times, but to serve and announce the coming Kingdom, which is the ending task for all past, present, and future Christians.
This is great, the question you raise at the end is the right question – what *kind* of kingdom is dawning? If it was the one that the Jews in the first century expected, then that does not really happen, does it? There is either a spiritualiztion of that kingdom in the church, or the kingdom is postponed to a (much) later time.
One thing that was pretty cool a that stuck put was the fact that God gave Peter the gift of healing in this chapter. But Peter had extraordinary faith. To actually say “get up and walk” without studdering or questioning. Peter had the faith that God gave him this gift and he used it the way God wanted him to. So what are we doing. Sometimes we have a hard time believing that God is doing things and we are sometimes scared because we don’t know if it will happen the way we want it to. We need faith like Peter. We need to have unquestionable faith. Peter said in verse 16 “by faith in the name of Jesus this man whom you see and know was made strong”. We are also made strong in the name of Jesus.
There are quite a few elements that appear in this chapter that seems to suggest the dawning of a new eschatological age. First off are the miracles performed by Peter and John, in particular the healing of the crippled man. What stands out here is how Peter heals him, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk (3:6).” This power of healing through the name of Jesus Christ shows that the Holy Spirit has come and Christ is empowering his followers in ways not seen before. There were obviously miracles in the Old Testament and by Christ, but never before had such empowerment been given to disciples. Another element is the way in which Peter speaks of the prophets. “Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days (3:24).” Here, Peter speaks of Moses’ prophecy in the past, and refers to the present as, “these days.” This language clearly points to the fact that Israel is no longer waiting for hte fulfillment of the prophecy, but are currently experiencing this fulfillment through Christ and the Gospel preached by the disciples.
Something that came to my mind while reading this was this. Obviously God knew that today believers like us would be reading the Word, people wondering what all this “Jesus” stuff was about. When I read this passage it’s obviously talking about how people denied the Messiah, but I see people denying the Messiah today. I can’t help but think of this passage as almost prophetic in itself. I know that could be a little confusing but if you think about it everything that Peter said relates perfectly to todays culture. As I read Acts 2:13-15 I see this.
Also, Peter is telling the crowds that they need to repent of killing the Messiah, but I believe that this relates to us in this way. We did not kill or chose Barabbas over Jesus. However I believe that we have other “Barabbas’ in our lives. Things and other gods that we chose and therefore do the same thing that the Pharisees did to the human person, Jesus.
I love what Nick said about the humility of Peter. This also relates to us today. Many times as a ministry leader when the Lord gives us success in ministry we start to think that it is something that we have done. I could see how easily it would have been for Peter to take the Glory for himself.
I can see where you are coming from Dan. The other elements that make this prophetic are the settings in which this was delivered. It is amazing to see how this was given to people who were fighting against Christ and the message of salvation and that the content of it was apologetic in nature. It can teach us how to better proclaim the gospel and how we can better “take up our cross.” It is awesome to be able to look to this passage and see that we as Christians have come a long way in our acceptance by the world, but it also shows us how far we have gone from the true faith driven ministries and hearts of the Christians today. It can be looked at also like a call out, almost, to those who are not living in the way they should be and that they need to get back to the “grass roots” of Christianity.
I also love how you talk about the choice of our own “Barabbas” in our day to day lives. I fully agree that it can loosely apply to this day in age in that we choose things over Christ and His path for us. It is a great reminder to be that we need to be living lives worthy of God. I can see that here on campus we strive to be smart for academia’s sake than to further our own understanding of the scriptures and to grow in our own relationship with God.
In Peter’s sermon to the nation of Israel, he tells them that they sinned by choosing to free Barabbas and denying Christ. It is interesting that Peter tells them that they killed Him by their ignorance, but it was God’s plan for Christ to suffer and to save people to fulfill prophecy (Acts 3:17-18). He tells them to repent of their sin and turn to God so that “times of refreshing may come from the Lord” and Christ will return (Acts 3:19-20). “What we see therefore here in Acts is a clear statement that the Kingdom of God is about to begin” (Peter’s Sermon in Acts 3). However, Israel as a nation did not repent and turn to God. Peter quotes the prophets saying that they foretold the coming eschatological age. In Acts 3:21-24, Peter tells them that the prophets foretold Christ’s coming. Christ is going to come and the Jews will listen to Him, but some will reject Him and be destroyed (Acts 3:22-23). The prophets have been speaking about it since the world began (Acts 3:21, 24). Deuteronomy 15:18-19 speak of how Christ will come, but not everyone will believe. Even though Peter believed and saw signs of the Kingdom beginning (Acts 2), like Lundy said, only God knows when Christ will return and set up His kingdom.
I think verses 1-3 are also really important. Just keeping our minds on heavenly things, on the kingdom of God. I see it as a call to the people that Peter was preaching. Peter wants them to stop thinking in the ways of this earth and start viewing the world from the view point of heaven. To see the kingdom of God in action.
Peter is extremely bold in his sermon in Acts 3. The fact that the crowd who are hearing his sermon are some of those who wished Barabbas free rather than Jesus is intimidating to say the least. However, Peter plugs on, practically pointing the finger at those in the audience, intent that they see the consequences for killing the Messiah. He wants them to understand the gravity of what they did. Peter says, “but you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murder to be granted to you, and killed the Author of life” (Acts 3:14). People cannot repent from their sins unless they recognize it first. However, Peter also is telling them of the “times of refreshing” to come. He points out their grave mistake, but also offers salvation and hope, saying he knows they acted in ignorance (Acts 3:17). I found it interesting that the phrase “times of refreshing” appears only in Exodus 8:15 in the Bible (Peter’s Sermon in Acts 3). It was a very powerful time for Peter to use this phrase; the Jewish crowd had to pick up on the references Peter was referring to.
Other elements of this sermon which sound like they promise the dawning of the eschatological age can be found in verse 18, where Peter said God foretold Christ would suffer, had been fulfilled. In verse 22 Peter quotes Moses who said that God would raise up “a prophet like me from you brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.” To me, if I were listening, I may think that this next prophet could be Peter, as he is filled with the Holy Spirit and able to perform miracles and clearly knows Jewish readings and the Old Testament.
Good, I think that the allusion to Deut 18 is important (I had another post on it started, but did not get it finished!) This is one of the most clear messianic texts in the Pentateuch, someone in the future is coming like a new Moses.
One of my favorite things about this sermon is that just before it was given Peter heals a lame man. He goes forward and heals the man without hesitation. While it probably was not difficult for him to believe in the power that God had given him. I think this leads up well to the sermon itself. The man had faith so he was healed. It is obvious that the men that killed Jesus had no faith so it is no surprise that they needed to repent in order to receive the kingdom of heaven. In fact, I find it necessary that they do so! As did Peter. So while this did set up the stage for most of Israel to reject the message of Christ, it was good to see some people receive it that day!
Do you really think the man at the gate had faith? He just thought Peter was going to give him something. There is no real “expression of faith,” is there?
In relation to the eschatological age, I like what Dan had to say. Living in a post-Christian world today, there are so many things that we tend to put above God. We need to repent of those things in preparation for the coming age when Jesus returns. It is the same for the Jews who killed the Messiah (Jesus) but they are stubborn. Many people possess that same attitude of stubbornness. We’re too stubborn to let go of our idols just as the Jews were too stubborn to look at the facts of Christ’s messiah-ship, and therefore repent. Obviously we see from Peter’s sermon in Acts 3 that the Jews did not repent, leading up to His crucifixion (and subsequent resurrection shortly thereafter). We have become too comfortable to do whatever we please without heeding to the consequences. We need to come to a place of repentance in light of the coming eschatological age to come. This is something that Peter was alluding to when he was trying to confront the Jews and tell them that they need to repent for their part in killing the Messiah.
Peter seems to allude to the coming age in Acts 3:24. He tells the audience that the prophets foretold of these days. This verse seems to tell the audience that these are the last days. Now, the audience would be familiar with prophets like Daniel and Samuel, so I would assume they would understand what Peter is talking about in verse 24. I do not see what else Peter could be referring to when he talks about “these days.” Also, when one reads verse 24 with verse 26, it seems as if Peter is saying that the prophets foretold of the age of grace, in which Jesus came to the Jews first to try to get them to repent and turn from their wickedness. Later on in the New Testament, Paul confirms that Jesus came to the Jews first, and then the Gentiles (Rom. 1:16), and it seems that Peter is telling his audience this fact. Jesus came to the Jews to get them to repent, and the prophets of old all foretold of this event, as well as the age to come.
Peter is very direct when he is giving his sermon in chapter 3. Peter uses the exact language of saying that the Jews in attendance did kill the Messiah. I think the harsh language was necessary so the audience understood the severity of the situation and the need to repent would be realized.
I also think that it is interesting that the word used for “refreshing” was only used one time in the New Testament. I would think that the word would be used in the book of Revelation when describing Jesus’ actually coming back. I think with the similar words used to describe this time, combined with Peter’s harsh words, emphasize the need for the Jews in the Crowd to hear what they were hearing.
When Christ returns, he will restore all things (verse 21), a term which is also unique in the New Testament, yet a theologically packed term. I know that a similar verse is used in Revelation 21:4, when describing that Jesus will wipe away every tear and make all things new. I think that it can be taken at face value that when Jesus comes back he will make everything better than in the time when he was still in heaven
During Peter’s sermon you claims that they ones he was talking to were the ones who killed the messiah. Peter was very intense and straight forward with the message so that the people would understand what they did and how it has impacted the world. Peter claims to the people that they need to repent and understand the consequences of not following the messiah. The kingdom of God is just beginning and will soon come again. He will come again and some individuals will choose to follow Him and others will choose to deny him again and again no matter how much truth they are revealed. The prophets foretold the days that were to come and what was going to be revealed. “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Peter, like a lot of preachers now days, uses a sense of urgency in his message. If you repent then you will be apart of the Kingdom, God will send Jesus back. I like what a previous blog post said about this being a good selling point. It is possible that Peter thought this coming back of Christ would happen in his lifetime. If he did think in this way then his urgency would be passionate. Almost like pleading with people, or selling it to them. Peter is also calling the people out, using a little bit of guilt to make them listen. He says that they are the ones who killed Jesus. He is definitely hinting toward the end of the eschatological age. He has a sort of complacency or confidence in what he is preaching. He reminds everyone of God’s promises for all people at the end of chapter 2 and then continues by saying “save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
The way that Peter speaks to the crowd during Acts 3 is spoken with urgency. Peter tries to tell the people that when they denied Jesus and asked for Barabbas instead, they committed a sin against the son of God. Peter and the disciples are witnesses to this and they wanted to show the people that. Peter had a sense of urgency to get the information about what is necessary to experience the kingdom of heaven. Jesus gave the disciples the command to be his “witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The disciples knew the urgency that Jesus had and decided to act upon it. Jipp states that “Peter’s plea is that the ignorance of the people be replaced with the Spirit-inspired apostolic interpretation of God’s plan as prophetically set for in Israel’s Scriptures” (Jipp 53). Peter uses what they are familiar with to show the validity of what he is saying. He quotes part of the old testament that they would have been familiar with and tells them about what will happen if they do not repent. He even encourages them by stating that they are the chosen people of God and to remind them of the blessings that God promised to Abraham. He is hinting at the eschatological age that they are entering while trying to encourage them to repent and receive the blessings.
This sermon like you said is a lot more pointed. Peter references the coming of Jesus many times throughout it. He says that God raised Jesus from the dead just like what was prophesied, and everyone there was a witness to it. He says all this to tell them that they need to repent from their sins because the time of God’s “refreshing” will be very soon. He was telling them that all of these prophesies were coming true and that they needed to repent fast because judgement will be coming soon.
There are certainly aspects of Peter’s sermon here that touch on and indicate the dawning of the Kingdom in this section. In verses 19-23, Peter delivers us a message of repentance, claiming multiple things such as, “that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” or “Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of the prophets.” That sounds like prophesying of the return of Christ, his Second Coming, and the eternal kingdom, directly being referenced her by Peter and instilled with many of the messages of the New Testament, particularly in some of Paul’s epistles. Acts 3:11-26 is a sermon of repentance, salvation, and rebuke of sinful behavior and actions, so that those listening can get the message of the gospel and be saved, becoming apart of the eternal kingdom.
It is easy for twenty-first-century Christians to look down upon those who sentenced Jesus to death. They certainly committed a grave sin – though it was all necessary for the redemption of mankind – and they needed to repent (like Peter preaches in verse 19). However, deeper thought reveals the chaotic mindset of first-century Jews. As a people, they spent thousands of years oppressed, enslaved, and bound by intense Law. They desperately looked forward to the Messianic age; the everlasting Sabbath. Unfortunately, their hopes of an earthly kingdom of peace and prosperity were founded in misunderstanding. Imagine a person was kidnapped and tortured for years. One day, someone finds out about their situation and promises that someone will soon arrive to help, but they must continue to endure torture until that time arrived. However, when the promised person arrives, they do not set the kidnapped victim free, but instead tell them that if they truly believe they will be rescued, that one day it will indeed happen. Naturally, this fulfillment of previous promises seems like a let-down. The victim was awaiting a triumphant, physical victory over the kidnapper, but instead, it appeared that the deadline for salvation was moved out of reach. How disappointing! Can one even blame the Jewish people for their treatment of Jesus? They had been awaiting salvation for so long, and now they are told that they were wrong this whole time, and they need to wait even longer for their rest from oppression. However, this is exactly why Peter’s message is so crucial at this moment… the people he is speaking to have already been “let-down” due to their misunderstanding of the Messianic mission. If they were to reject Jesus and die, they would be ultimately let-down when they were resurrected in the last days, only to find that their path to eternity led not upward, but down into the depths.
We do not know when Jesus is going to come back and when the Kingdom will be restored, and it is not for us to know. In Acts 1:7 Jesus says to the 12 disciples “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” In Acts 3:20-21, Peter promises “the soon-return of the Messiah after Israel repents” and “that if the nation repents, then the Messiah will return and establish the Kingdom promised in the prophets.” This implies that Peter believed that these events were coming soon. He told the people of Israel in Acts 3 that if they repent “times of refreshing” may come which is a mark of the messianic age (Crossway, 2087). He also mentions the “Time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” This “Time for restoring all the things” is referring to when Christ will come back and the kingdom will be restored on earth, and that the earth will be brought back even better than the way it was before sin entered the world. Romans 8:20-21 says “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” While Peter thought that this was all going to happen soon, and we still have not experienced the restoration of the Kingdom it still may be “soon.” In Acts 2:17 Peter begins to quote the prophet, Joel. “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” Later in verses 18 and 19 Peter continues to quote Joel’s prophecy and it mentions that God will pour out His Spirit which had just happened. This implies that the “last days” began when the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and that we are currently in the “last days.” This was thought of and understood as the start of a new messianic age (Crossway, 2084).
Acts 3 may appear short in terms of the number of verses there are in comparison to the other chapters of Acts, but it is packed full of allusions to the kingdom that is coming. The overarching theme of Peter’s sermon is the repentance that is required of Israel so that the Messiah can come and restore things back to an “Eden-like” state (Long). It is evident in verse 20 that Peter is foretelling of the return of Christ by stating, “That he (the Lord) may send the Christ” along with the repentance of the people who sentenced Jesus to death. It is also evident in verse 21 that when Jesus does come back, he will restore all things, as I mentioned earlier. This event also will be the establishing of the kingdom that is meant to be on earth and Peter encourages those listening to the renewal that will take place only when Christ returns (Polhil 2087). Again, Peter seems to base this all on the condition that Israel must turn away from its sins and repent from the act of crucifying Christ. Peter also appears to hope that the coming of the Lord would be soon and he had hope in the restoration of the earth. I do not believe this makes Peter a fool for hoping that the return of Christ would be soon, I think he trusted God to initiate the return of Christ, but he was hopeful. Who would not be hopeful that they would experience the return of Christ in their lifetime? Peter was not a fool, but rather a faithful servant who trusted in his Lord. I am sure that Peter knew very well that no one would know the day and time of Jesus’ return except the Father himself, but he had faith that it all would be carried out in God’s perfect timing. This passage also shows that Peter had a sense of urgency to bring truth to those who were living in their sin and not repenting from the evil things they had done. Peter had every right to be urgent and tell others of the return of Christ. Knowing that Christ could return at any time, who would not have a sense of urgency to tell others of the restoration, and judgment, that would be coming? To Peter, the messianic age was coming soon enough for him to want to spread this message to those who needed to hear it and repent.
References:
Crossway Bibles. (2016). Esv Study Bible: English Standard Version.
Peter used a sense of urgency with his sermon is Acts 3. He used this urgency by saying that if you repent, you will then be a part of the Kingdom of God. Someone responded to this and said that it was used as a selling point to have people repent and become a part of the Kingdom because people believed that Jesus would come back during his lifetime. Peter also blamed the people for the death of Jesus which I liked because he was guilting them but also showing the power of God when he healed the lame man. Peter showed that he had so much faith in the power of God when healing the lame man because he said, “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6). Peter said this without hesitation which showed the people that the power of Jesus was all powerful and that Jesus would be back. By Peter showing this great power is allowed everyone to see what they have done and to repent. With Peter doing this without knowing of when Jesus will come back it showed the amount of faith that Peter had and with him putting it onto display it gave the people a chance to reevaluate of what they had done in crucifying Jesus and then turn to have faith in Jesus.
Two specific parts of Peter’s sermon in Acts 3 are of particular interest to me. Polhill (p. 2086) writes, “His Pentecost sermon emphasized Jesus’ messianic status. This one was primarily a call for Jews to repent of their rejection of Jesus as Messiah and focuses the argument on the Torah.” Peter’s call for the Jews to “repent of their rejection of Jesus as Messiah” is relevant today as they continue to have unbelieving and hardened hearts. Some Jews are among the most spiritual and prayerful people, yet their eyes have not been opened to the Truth. Their knowledge of the Old Testament should serve as proof that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies, yet the message of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing (1 Cor 1:18).
The second part of Peter’s sermon that I will focus on is the phrase “that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” which reminds me of times when I have had the privilege and blessing of being present when someone comes to accept the Lord as their personal Lord and Savior for the first time. That phrase also reminds me of precious times in chapel or church (or in the privacy of my home or car!) when I am drawn into worship and sense the Lord’s presence. It is a unique time of refreshing that can only come from a personal encounter with the Lord.
As mentioned in the blog post, we read in Acts that the Kingdom of God is going to begin. Several Old Testament prophecies are beginning to be fulfilled, for example when Peter mentioned Joel’s prophecy of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the last days in Acts 2. In addition, Peter quoted Deuteronomy 18:15 to establish that Jesus was the prophet like me that God had promised to send (Polhill, p. 2087). These prophecies were believed to indicate the beginning of the messianic age. In his sermon in Acts 3, Peter emphasizes Christ’s status as the Messiah, that he has fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy. Peter also urges the Jews to repent of their sins, specifically their denial of Jesus as the Messiah. Peter states, “But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of Life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses” (Acts 3:14-15, ESV). The people that Peter spoke was not an audience of prostitutes or a group of people that were very distant from God, they were Jews who had ultimately contributed to the death of Jesus Christ. In addition, Peter stated, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus” (Acts 3:19-20). The “times of refreshing”, which refers to the Holy Spirit refreshing us as it dwells within believers, was a sign of the messianic age.
The “time of refreshing” is a very visual phrase used and invokes the same imagery of things being restored as Peter later mentions in the sermon. He also uses other imagery filled phrases to also say the same thing. I wonder if he is partially trying to disguise the intention or if it’s the author’s way of giving more “life” to his text? In a previous blog post, there was discussion about Luke taking creative liberties with his writing and potentially overdramatizing certain things to make a larger affect. In the case of Peter’s sermon, the use of so many visual phrases, could this perhaps be the style in which Peter talked or did the author take creative liberties with the sermon as well? The focus of what Peter says though is the future and the establishment of the future Kingdom. Verse 21 talks about Christ restoring all things, verse 20 talks about the refreshing of times to come, and verse 23 talks about the destruction of people who do not listen. This is the other eschatological implication mentioned. It’s more then just that Jesus will return and restore and refresh all things but that those who do not turn from their wickedness will be destroyed. Maybe that’s why Peter starts off with the accusation of killing Jesus, because they are just as guilty as anyone else, even if they are God’s chosen people. He points out their sin and then shows them a way in which they can saved from it and then how it’s going to happen.
Peter in his sermon addressed the crowd, especially the Jews concerning the Messiah and how Christ has inaugurated His Kingdom on this earth through His resurrection. Secodnly, Peter ponders how the Israelites had rejected the Kingdom of God by resisting not only the Messiah but the Holy Spirit as well. Acts 3 is the climax of Peter’s indictment toward the Israelites on how they disowned him before Pilate and handed him over to be killed by the Roman who was the Holy and Righteous One. Afterward, we saw that Peter then offer a solution; repent and turn to God so that their sins may be wiped out and that time of refreshing may come from the Lord. This is where the confusion starts, especially for the Jews, “what kind of kingdom was Peter was talking about”? For the Jews, it is the complete opposite perception in terms of Kingdom. The Jew expectation was a physical Kingdom where the Messiah will be their ultimate King on this earth who would then rule over all the nations and that will mark the end time. This is one of the reasons why they can’t accept Jesus, the gospel, and the Holy Spirit because of their traditional view about the Messaih. To be clear, their view of the Messiah is not wrong either. When the appointed comes, the Messiah (Jesus) will indeed establish His Kingdon on earth just like the Garden Eve condition where He will be the King of all nationalities, however, this future Kingdom is being postponed for now. But, those who receive Christ in their heart can now taste the Kingdom although it’s not physically here yet, cause Christ reign in their heart to those who receive. Peter gave many convincing proofs regarding why a person can now taste the Kingdom of God now although it’s not physically here yet. He quoted Joel’s words, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams (Acts 3:17). We can clearly see the fulfillment of this prophecy throughout the book of Acts.
Acts 2:17 opens with the statement, “And in the last days,” showing that Peter truly believed the beginning of the eschatological age was upon them. Peter quotes the prophet Joel, explaining that in “the last days,” God will grant mankind His Spirit (Acts 2:17). Since the Apostles had already received the Holy Spirit, they were informed of the fact that the messianic age was coming. “Joel’s prophecy of an outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh was understood as referring to a new messianic age (Polhill, 2008, p. 2264). This could be why the Apostles (Peter), spoke to the crowd with such conviction and passion (Acts 2:22-24, 36). Knowing that the spirit would descend on any believers who fully trusted Peter’s message of the Gospel and repented of their sins, the Apostles added 3,000 Believers to the initial body (Acts 2:41). Again Peter urges the crowd who watched the lame man be healed, to repent for their own sins and turn to God (Acts 3: 19). Verse 20 explains that once the people have finished repenting, their sins will be “blotted out” (2008, p. 2268) and that the Lord will return, which is a direct reference to the The Lords second coming (Polhill, 2008, p. 2268).
I have two questions in response to this: What does this “time of refreshing” look like? And how can the majority of the Jews reject this message?
In class, you compare this time of refreshing to the place of rest the ancient Israelites found in the promised land. I like this comparison. It evokes an image of safety and prosperity due to the familiarity Peter’s audience would have had with the story of the ancestors. It was a good argument. Indeed many hearts were swayed by Peter’s speech and there were those that did repent. They would then go on to see the time of refreshing Peter promised them. Right? If the time of refreshing was meant to refer to the return of Christ, it would appear at least that Peter is a liar, or worse, that Jesus is a liar. But this can not be the case, as we know Jesus and Peter both to be righteous through the signs and miracles they perform. Why then is the time of refreshing not realized then and there? Because not all Jews who heard Peter’s message repented. There were those who turned away. Only God knows the hearts of men and can say why they turned away. But the consequences for their decision include the fact that the time of refreshing Peter talked about did not come to be. At least not in full, not then.
In Acts 3, Peter preaches to the Israelites about how they killed Jesus and how they need to repent. As Dr. Long said in his post, there is quite a bit of eschatological truth in this specific Scripture passage. Peter says that the Israelites need to repent or else they will be destroyed. This is a similar message to other eschatological passages in the Bible where other authors/prophets write about how God’s wrath will come onto those who have not surrendered to him/repented from their sins.
Peter says that those who do repent will experience a “time of refreshing”, which basically means the coming/salvation of Christ, the Messiah. Those who repent get to actually thrive in the kingdom!
Regarding if there are other elements of this passage that refer to the dawning of the eschatological age, Peter mentions toward the end of his sermon that Samuel (and other prophets) have been “also proclaimed these days” (vs. 24). This means that this news of the Messiah’s redemption/cleansing of those who repent, and the coming of the kingdom, isn’t a new ideal, but has been reported throughout other parts of Scripture (as we know already, since Scripture has been around for quite some time.)
When reading through the blog post titled Peter’s Sermon in Acts 3 the main focus is the so-called “time of refreshing”. Peter tells the people of Israel that if they repent of their sins and most specifically the killing of the Messiah that He would return. While with the knowledge he had Peter made a great assumption it did not prove to be true. In this post Long also presents the idea through interpretation of scripture that repentance is “full participation in the kingdom”. This is an idea that the common Christian church neglects to talk about. We hear the words repentance and confession and rarely do people in the church know the detentions and definitions let alone how to execute the practice. If repentance is something that is the “full participation in the kingdom” we as believers should be equipping and bringing up people in the church to practice repentance on a daily basis, growing and furthering the Kingdom. As we know the goal of the gospel is to restore Eden, that Jesus will return and all will be made new. In order for this truth to occur, this “time of refreshing”, it is important that we continue to labor and engage in the Kingdom of God.
I am not surprised with how blunt Peter was when telling the audience that they were the ones to kill the Messiah, as he saw Jesus after his resurrection (John 21). As you stated in your blog, he is also more straight forward as to what will happen when Christ returns, as well as why they must repent. While there were certainly believers in the crowd, I would not be surprised if the non-believers stopped listening when Peter began telling them what they shall do. This being said, Peter did a great job reassuring the crowd that they were all sent by Jesus, and that all their offspring should be blessed. Acts 3 shows that the eschatological age is promised when Peter says the “Lord God will raise up for you,” all of this assuming we accept the coming prophet (Acts 3: 22-23). While this verse does not reference that the new age is coming soon, Acts 3:20 does when it says that the time of refreshing are to come from the Lord. Verse 24 also references that the discussion of the coming of Christ is not a new topic, as they have been “proclaimed these days,” (Acts 3:24). Peter’s sermon in Acts 3 is important to us, not that we need to repent our sins for killing Jesus like the “men of Israel” did, but the sins we perform in our day-to-day life.
In Acts 3, it talks about miracles, repentance, and the return of Jesus Christ. Peter and John healed a man who had been lame since birth in the name of Jesus Christ at the temple. Peter preached to the Israelites that they must repent and believe in Jesus Christ. He told them that Jesus would be back to build his kingdom on this earth. Jesus wanted the people to help the poor in secret so they would get their reward from God. Peter also condemned the Jews for killing Jesus, but not only the Jews were guilty, all humans were guilty. All the people were responsible for the death of Jesus because, while we were all sinners, God gave his son to save us. When Peter healed the man, it was not by the power of the Law of Moses but by the name of Jesus Christ, the man was healed. Also, the book of Acts 3 taught us to follow Jesus and live for him. Jesus rebuilt the relationship between God and humans, and he came to this earth to save all. It did not matter, people were poor or rich and of different races; Jesus wanted everyone to be saved. So people needed to repent of their sins and obey God.