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In this chapter we have a miracle and a sermon: the miracle wrought to make way for the sermon, to confirm the doctrine that was to be preached, and to make way for it into the minds of the people; and then the sermon to explain the miracle, and to sow the ground which by it was broken up. I. The miracle was the healing of a man that was lame from his birth, with a word speaking (Ac 3:1-8), and the impression which this made upon the people, Ac 3:9-11. II. The scope of the sermon which was preached here upon was to bring people to Christ, to repent of their sin in crucifying him (Ac 3:12-19), to believe in him now that he was glorified, and to comply with the Father's design in glorifying him, Ac 3:20-26. The former part of the discourse opens the wound, the latter applies the remedy.
1-11
The Healing of a Cripple
繁體中文
醫治瘸腿的人
¹ 申初禱告的時候，彼得、約翰上聖殿去。
² 有一個人，生來是瘸腿的，天天被人抬來，放在殿的一個門口（那門叫做美門），要求進殿的人賙濟。
³ 他看見彼得、約翰將要進殿，就求他們賙濟。
⁴ 彼得、約翰定睛看他；彼得說：「你看我們！」
⁵ 那人就留意看他們，指望得著甚麼。
⁶ 彼得說：「金銀我都沒有，只把我所有的給你：我奉拿撒勒人耶穌基督的名，叫你起來行走！」
⁷ 於是拉著他的右手，扶他起來；他的腳和踝子骨立刻健壯了，
⁸ 就跳起來，站著，又行走，同他們進了殿，走著，跳著，讚美神。
⁹ 百姓都看見他行走，讚美神；
¹⁰ 認得他是那素常坐在殿的美門口求賙濟的，就因他所遇著的事滿心希奇、驚訝。
¹¹ 那治好了的瘸腿的人拉著彼得、約翰，眾人都一齊跑到他們那裏，很覺希奇，在那稱為所羅門的廊下。
我們在前面曾概括地被告知（Ac 2:43），使徒行了許多奇事神蹟，那些事並沒有記在這書上；但這裏給了我們一個實例。他們行神蹟，不是每個人有所需要的時候都行，而是按聖靈的指引而行，以達成他們使命的目的；同樣，他們所行的一切神蹟並非都記在這書上，只有聖靈認為合宜的才記錄下來，以達成這神聖歷史的目的。
I. 藉著誰的服事行了這件神蹟——是彼得和約翰，使徒中兩位首要的人物；他們在基督在世時就是如此，一個多半是發言人，另一個是主所愛的；如今他們仍然如此。當數千人歸信之後，教會分為幾個聚會點，也許彼得和約翰主持了路加所參與的那一個，因此路加較詳細地記錄了他們的言行，正如後來他跟隨保羅時也詳細記錄了保羅的言行——兩者都被設計為其他使徒所作之事的樣本。
彼得和約翰在十二使徒中各有一位兄弟，他們被差遣出去時是與自己的兄弟同行的；但如今他們似乎比各自與兄弟的關係更為密切，因為友誼的紐帶有時比血緣的紐帶更為堅固：有一朋友比弟兄更親密。彼得和約翰在基督復活之後，似乎有一種特殊的親密關係，超過從前（Joh 20:2）。其原因（若我可以大膽猜測）可能是這樣的：約翰這位由愛構成的門徒，在彼得跌倒和悔改時，比其他使徒更體恤他，在他為罪痛哭時更溫柔地對待他，更殷勤地用溫柔的心把他挽回，這使彼得從此對約翰極為珍重；而基督所最愛的門徒成了彼得的密友，正是彼得悔改後蒙神悅納的明證。大衛在跌倒之後禱告說：願敬畏你的人歸向我（Ps 119:79）。
II. 這裏記下了時間和地點。1. 這是在聖殿裏，彼得和約翰一同上去，因為那是人群聚集的地方；在那裏有魚群，福音的網正要撒在其中，尤其是在五旬節期間，我們可以設想這事就發生在那段時間內。請注意，上聖殿去，參與公眾敬拜的典禮，這是好的；與人一同上聖殿去，這是令人欣慰的：人對我說：我們往耶和華的殿去，我就歡喜。最好的團契就是在敬拜神中的團契。2. 這是在禱告的時辰，即猶太人通常定立並遵守的公眾敬拜時辰之一。時間和地點是每一個行動的兩個必要條件，必須照著大家所同意的、最有助於造就的方式來決定。關於公眾敬拜，必須有禱告的殿和禱告的時辰：申初，即下午三點，是猶太人的禱告時辰之一；上午九點和正午十二點是另外兩個。見 Ps 55:17, Da 6:10。對個人基督徒而言，有自己的禱告時辰是有益的，雖不能以此為約束，卻可以提醒良心：萬事都有定時。
III. 這位蒙神蹟醫治的患者在這裏有所描述（Ac 3:2）。他是聖殿門口一個可憐的瘸腿乞丐。1. 他是瘸子，不是因意外造成，而是生來如此；他從母腹裏就是瘸腿的，似乎是因一種癱瘓性的病症使四肢乏力；因為在他得醫治的描述中（Ac 3:7）說，他的腳和踝子骨立刻健壯了。世間偶爾也有這樣可憐的病例，我們應當為之動容，以憐憫的心看待，這些病例正是要讓我們看見我們每個人屬靈上的本性如何：無力，從出生就是瘸腿的，不能在事奉神的事上做工或行走。2. 他是乞丐。因為不能做工謀生，就必須靠賙濟度日；這樣的人就是神的窮人。他天天被朋友放在殿的一個門口，是個悲慘的景象，除了向進殿的人求賙濟以外，甚麼也不能為自己做。那裏有許多人——有許多虔誠善良的人，可以期望他們施捨；而且是在他們可能處於最好心境的時候；他就在那裏被放下。那些有所需要又不能做工的人，不當以乞討為恥。他若不是常在那裏得到供應——日日的供應——就不會天天被放在那裏。請注意，我們的禱告和賙濟應當並行；哥尼流就是如此（Ac 10:4）。當我們上聖殿去禱告時，施捨的對象應當格外為我們所歡迎；可惜教堂門口尋常的乞丐中，有些人其品格會令人對施捨卻步；但他們不應總被忽視：其中總有一些配得關懷的，與其讓一隻蜜蜂餓死，不如餵飽十隻懶蜂，甚至幾隻黃蜂。他被放在那裏的殿門在這裏有名字：那門叫做美門，因它格外輝煌壯麗。萊特富特博士觀察到，這是從外邦人院通往猶太人院的門，他設想那瘸子只向猶太人乞討，不屑向外邦人求甚麼。但惠特比博士（Dr. Whitby）認為這門在聖殿的入口處，裝飾得極為華美，配作那神聖威嚴者願意居住之處的門面；而一個窮人躺在那裏乞討，並不損這門的美觀。3. 他向彼得和約翰乞討（Ac 3:3），求人賙濟；這是他對他們最高的期望——他們素有慈善之名，雖然不多，卻善用所有的。幾個禮拜以前，瞎子和瘸子到聖殿裏去找基督，在那裏得了醫治（Mt 21:14）。他若知道彼得和約翰是基督的使者，奉祂的名講道、行神蹟，為何不向他們求比賙濟更多的事呢？但他得到了他所沒有期待的：他求賙濟，卻得了醫治。
IV. 這裏我們看到醫治的方法。
1. 他的期待被提升了。彼得沒有像許多人對施捨對象那樣轉過眼不看他，而是把目光轉向他，甚至定睛看他，使他所看的能感動他的心生出憐憫（Ac 3:4）。約翰也是如此，因為他們都受同一位聖靈引導，在這神蹟上同心合意；他們說：你看我們！我們的眼睛當時刻仰望主（心靈的眼睛），並為表明這一點，身體的眼睛可以正當地注視那些祂所使用作恩典器皿的人。這人不必被兩次吩咐才看使徒；因為他理當這樣想，這給了他理由期待將從他們得著甚麼，所以他留意看他們（Ac 3:5）。請注意，我們來到神面前，無論是聆聽祂的話語，還是在禱告中向祂呼求，都當存著堅定的心和提升的期待。我們當仰望天上，期望從神在那裏所說的話中得益處，也期望我們上達那裏的禱告得到平安的回應。我向你禱告，並要仰望。
2. 他對賙濟的期待落空了。彼得說：「金銀我都沒有」，所以沒有甚麼可以給你；然而他暗示，他若有的話，就會給他賙濟——不是銅錢，而是銀子或金子。請注意，（1）基督的朋友和寵兒並不常有這世界財富的豐足。使徒們極其貧窮，僅僅夠自己使用，沒有多餘。彼得和約翰有許多錢放在他們腳前，但這些錢是專門用來供養教會中的窮人的，他們不會將任何一部分挪為己用，也不會不照捐獻者的意圖來使用。公眾的託付當嚴格而忠誠地遵守。（2）許多人有心行善，卻無力做甚麼大事，而另一些人有能力做許多，卻沒有那顆心去做。
3. 然而，他的期待遠遠被超越了。彼得沒有錢給他；但，（1）他有更好的，就是在天上的那樣的關係，從天上來的那樣的能力，能醫治他的疾病。請注意，在世上貧窮的人，在屬靈的恩賜、恩典和安慰上，仍可以富足，非常富足；我們所能擁有的，確實有遠勝於金銀的東西；它的價值和得著比精金更美（Job 28:12, Pr 3:14 等）。（2）他給了他更好的——醫治了他的疾病；這是他若有金銀、若能用金銀換來的話，也甘願付出許多金銀來得的。這能使他做工謀生，不必再乞討；不但如此，他還能有東西給那些需要的人，而施比受更為有福。一次神蹟的醫治，比千萬金銀更能顯明神的恩惠，更能尊榮他。請注意，當彼得沒有金銀可給時，他卻說：只把我所有的給你。請注意，那些沒有財物可施捨的人，仍可以、也應當以別的方式對窮人慈善和幫助；那些沒有金銀的人，有他們的四肢和感官，可以用這些來服事瞎子、瘸子和病人；他們若在有需要時不這樣做，就算有了金銀也不會給他們。各人要照所得的恩賜彼此服事。現在讓我們看看這醫治是怎樣成就的。[1] 基督發出祂的話語醫治了他（Ps 107:20）；因為醫治之恩是藉著基督的話語賜下的；這話語是從基督而來之醫治能力的載體。基督親自說出醫治；使徒是奉祂的名說出。彼得吩咐一個瘸子起來行走，他若沒有先說我奉拿撒勒人耶穌基督的名，這就成了一種戲弄：「我是憑祂的權柄說這話，必藉祂的能力成就，一切的榮耀和頌讚都歸給祂。」他稱基督為拿撒勒人耶穌，這原是個羞辱的名號，為要表明祂在世上所受的屈辱，如今祂在天上只不過更襯托出祂的榮耀。「隨你們給祂取甚麼名，就算你們輕蔑地稱祂為拿撒勒人耶穌，你們也要看見在那名裏所行的奇事；因為祂自己卑微，所以被升為至高。」他吩咐那瘸子起來行走，這不是要證明他有能力這樣做，而是要表明：他若試著起來行走，在自己無能為力的感覺中倚靠神聖的能力來使他能做到，他就必能；而他必須以起來行走來證明那能力在他身上所成就的；然後讓他享受其中的安慰，讓神得著頌讚。我們屬靈上無力的靈魂得醫治，也是如此。[2] 彼得伸出手來幫助他（Ac 3:7）：他拉著他的右手，以他先前吩咐他起來行走時所用的那同一個名，扶他起來。這並不能對他的醫治有甚麼貢獻；但這是一個記號，清楚地表明他若照所吩咐的努力而為，就必從神那裏得到幫助。當神以祂的話語吩咐我們起來，在祂誡命的道路上行走，我們若以信心與那話語調和，將自己的靈魂置於那話語的能力之下，祂就必賜下聖靈拉著我們的手，扶我們起來。我們若盡力做我們所能做的，神就應許賜恩典使我們能做我們所不能做的；我們藉著那應許得有分於新的性情，而那恩典必不徒然；在這裏也是如此：他的腳和踝子骨立刻健壯了，這若不是他試著起來並被扶起，是不會發生的；他盡了自己的本分，彼得盡了他的本分，然而成就一切的乃是基督：是祂把力量賜給他。正如餅在擘開時增多，水在倒出時變為酒，瘸子的腳也是在活動和使用時得了力量。
V. 這裏是這醫治在患者本人身上所產生的印象，我們若把自己放在他的位置上，就最能體會。1. 他跳了起來，為順服那起來的命令。他覺得自己的腳和踝子骨有了那樣的力量，他不像虛弱的人開始恢復時那樣戰戰兢兢地慢慢起來；他像一個睡醒得著精神的人一樣，大膽而靈巧地跳起來，好像毫不懷疑自己的力量。力量的臨到是突然的，他顯出力量也同樣突然。他跳起來，像一個樂於離開那躺了許久瘸腿的床或草墊的人。2. 他站著，又行走。他站著不靠不扶，也不發抖，筆直地站起來，不用拐杖行走。他踏得有力，走得穩當；這是為了顯明這醫治，並證明這是一次徹底的醫治。請注意，那些經歷過神恩典在他們身上運行的人，應當以行動證明他們所經歷的。神已將力量賜給我們嗎？讓我們在敬拜的操練中站在祂面前；讓我們在一切敬虔生活的例證中行在祂面前。讓我們堅決地為祂站立，喜樂地與祂同行——這兩者都靠著從祂領受的力量。3. 他拉著彼得和約翰（Ac 3:11）。我們不必問他為何拉著他們。我相信他自己也幾乎不知道：那是出於狂喜，他擁抱他們，視為所遇到過最好的恩人，緊緊抓住他們到了近乎失禮的程度；他不肯讓他們往前走，非要他們留下來陪他，同時他向周圍所有的人傳揚神藉他們為他所行的事。他這樣表明對他們的愛；他拉著他們，不肯放手。有人設想，他緊抓住他們是怕他們一旦離開，他的瘸腿又會復發。神所醫治的人，愛那些被神用作醫治器皿的人，也看到自己需要他們進一步的幫助。4. 他同他們進了殿。他對他們的深愛使他拉住他們；但這也不能把他們拉住到阻止他們進殿的地步——他們正是要到那裏去傳基督。我們決不可讓朋友最深情的善意使我們偏離當盡的本分之路。但他們既然不肯留下來陪他，他就決定跟著他們去，何況他們是進聖殿——他從前因著軟弱和乞討被關在殿外那麼久：正如基督所醫治的那個癱子，很快就在殿裏被找到了（Joh 5:14）。他進了殿，不僅是為了向神獻上頌讚和感恩，也是為了從使徒那裏多聽一些關於那奉祂的名使他得醫治的耶穌的事。那些經歷過基督大能的人，應當懇切渴望在認識基督上長進。5. 他在那裏走著，跳著，讚美神。請注意，神賜給我們的力量，無論是心思上的還是身體上的，都當用來讚美祂，我們當思想如何以這力量榮耀祂。那些奉祂的名得醫治的人，必須奉祂的名、靠祂的力量往來行走（Zec 10:12）。這人一能跳，就為喜樂而跳，讚美神。這就應驗了聖經上的話（Isa 35:6）：*那時，瘸子必跳躍像鹿。*這人剛得醫治，正處於這種狂喜和感恩之中。一切真信徒都行走並讚美神；但年幼的信徒也許在讚美中跳躍得更多。
VI. 這件神蹟對親眼目睹的群眾產生了甚麼影響，我們接著看到。1. 他們完全確信這神蹟的真實性，沒有甚麼可反對的。他們認得他是那素常坐在殿的美門口求賙濟的（Ac 3:10）。他在那裏坐了那麼久，人人都認得他；正因如此，他被選為這恩典的器皿。如今他們並不像法利賽人質疑基督所醫治的瞎子那樣（Joh 9:9,18），頑梗地懷疑他是否就是那人。他們如今看見他行走，讚美神（Ac 3:9），也許還注意到他心思上的改變；因為他如今高聲讚美神，正如他從前高聲乞求幫助。最好的證據表明這是一次完全的醫治，那就是他如今為此讚美神。恩典達到完全，是在它被分別為聖的時候。2. 他們為之驚訝：他們滿心希奇、驚訝（Ac 3:10）；很覺希奇（Ac 3:11）。他們驚喜若狂。聖靈澆灌似乎產生了這樣的效果：百姓，至少耶路撒冷的百姓，對使徒所行的神蹟比從前對基督自己所行的同類神蹟更為震撼；這是為了使神蹟達成其目的。3. 他們聚集在彼得和約翰周圍：眾人都一齊跑到他們那裏，很覺希奇，在那稱為所羅門的廊下：有些人只是出於好奇，想看看有這樣能力的人；另一些人則渴望聽他們講道，斷定他們的教訓既有這樣神聖的印證，必是出於神。他們蜂擁到所羅門的廊下——那是外邦人院的一部分，所羅門在那裏建造了聖殿的外廊；或者是一些迴廊或柱廊，是希律在所羅門從前建造那宏偉廊子的同一地基上豎立的——希律在這方面也想作第二個所羅門。百姓就在這裏聚集，觀看這奇事。
英語原文
The Healing of a Cripple
¹ Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
² And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
³ Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
⁴ And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
⁵ And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
⁶ Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
⁷ And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
⁸ And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
¹⁰ And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
¹¹ And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
We were told in general (Ac 2:43) that many signs and wonders were done by the apostles, which are not written in this book; but here we have one given us for an instance. As they wrought miracles, not upon every body as every body had occasion for them, but as the Holy Spirit gave direction, so as to answer the end of their commission; so all the miracles they did work are not written in this book, but such only are recorded as the Holy Ghost thought fit, to answer the end of this sacred history.
I. The persons by whose ministry this miracle was wrought were Peter and John, two principal men among the apostles; they were so in Christ's time, one speaker of the house for the most part, the other favourite of the Master; and they continue so. When, upon the conversion of thousands, the church was divided into several societies, perhaps Peter and John presided in that which Luke associated with, and therefore he is more particular in recording what they said and did, as afterwards what Paul said and did when he attended him, both the one and the other being designed for specimens of what the other apostles did.
Peter and John had each of them a brother among the twelve, with whom they were coupled when they were sent out; yet now they seem to be knit together more closely than either of them to his brother, for the bond of friendship is sometimes stronger than that of relation: there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Peter and John seem to have had a peculiar intimacy after Christ's resurrection more than before, Joh 20:2. The reason of which (if I may have liberty to conjecture) might be this, that John, a disciple made up of love, was more compassionate to Peter upon his fall and repentance, and more tender of him in his bitter weeping for his sin, than any other of the apostles were, and more solicitous to restore him in the spirit of meekness, which made him very dear to Peter ever after; and it was good evidence of Peter's acceptance with God, upon his repentance, that Christ's favourite was made his bosom friend. David prayed, after his fall, Let those that fear thee turn unto me, Ps 119:79.
II. The time and place are here set down. 1. It was in the temple, whither Peter and John went up together, because it was the place of concourse; there were the shoals of fish among which the net of the gospel was to be cast, especially during the days of pentecost, within the compass of which we may suppose this to have happened. Note, It is good to go up to the temple, to attend on public ordinances; and it is comfortable to go up together to the temple: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go. The best society is society in worshipping God. 2. It was at the hour of prayer, one of the hours of public worship commonly appointed and observed among the Jews. Time and place are two necessary circumstances of every action, which must be determined by consent, as is most convenient for edification. With reference to public worship, there must be a house of prayer and an hour of prayer: the ninth hour, that is, three o'clock in the afternoon, was one of the hours of prayer among the Jews; nine in the morning and twelve at noon were the other two. See Ps 55:17, Da 6:10. It is of use for private Christians so far to have their hours of prayer as may serve, though not to bind, yet to remind conscience: every thing is beautiful in its season.
III. The patient on whom this miraculous cure was wrought is here described, Ac 3:2. He was a poor lame beggar at the temple gate. 1. He was a cripple, not by accident, but born so; he was lame from his mother's womb, as it should seem, by a paralytic distemper, which weakened his limbs; for it is said in the description of his cure (Ac 3:7), His feet and ankle bones received strength. Some such piteous cases now and then there are, which we ought to be affected with and look upon with compassion, and which are designed to show us what we all are by nature spiritually: without strength, lame from our birth, unable to work or walk in God's service. 2. He was a beggar. Being unable to work for his living, he must live upon alms; such are God's poor. He was laid daily by his friends at one of the gates of the temple, a miserable spectacle, unable to do any thing for himself but to ask alms of those that entered into the temple or came out. There was a concourse,—a concourse of devout good people, from whom charity might be expected, and a concourse of such people when it might be hoped they were in the best frame; and there he was laid. Those that need, and cannot work, must not be ashamed to beg. He would not have been laid there, and laid there daily, if he had not been used to meet with supplies, daily supplies there. Note, Our prayers and our alms should go together; Cornelius's did, Ac 10:4. Objects of charity should be in a particular manner welcome to us when we go up to the temple to pray; it is a pity that common beggars at church doors should any of them be of such a character as to discourage charity; but they ought not always to be overlooked: some there are surely that merit regard, and better feed ten drones, yea, and some wasps, than let one bee starve. The gate of the temple at which he was laid is here named: it was called Beautiful, for the extraordinary splendour and magnificence of it. Dr. Lightfoot observes that this was the gate that led out of the court of the Gentiles into that of the Jews, and he supposes that the cripple would beg only of the Jews, as disdaining to ask any thing of the Gentiles. But Dr. Whitby takes it to be at the first entrance into the temple, and beautified sumptuously, as became the frontispiece of that place where the divine Majesty vouchsafed to dwell; and it was no diminution to the beauty of this gate that a poor man lay there begging. 3. He begged of Peter and John (Ac 3:3), begged an alms; this was the utmost he expected from them, who had the reputation of being charitable men, and who, though they had not much, yet did good with what they had. It was not many weeks ago that the blind and the lame came to Christ in the temple, and were healed there, Mt 21:14. And why might not he have asked more than an alms, if he knew that Peter and John were Christ's messengers, and preached and wrought miracles in his name? But he had that done for him which he looked not for; he asked an alms, and had a cure.
IV. We have here the method of the cure.
1. His expectations were raised. Peter, instead of turning his eyes form him, as many do from objects of charity, turned his eyes to him, nay, he fastened his eyes upon him, that his eye might affect his heart with compassion towards him, Ac 3:4. John did so too, for they were both guided by one and the same Spirit, and concurred in this miracle; they said, Look on us. Our eye must be ever towards the Lord (the eye of our mind), and, in token of this, the eye of the body may properly be fixed on those whom he employs as the ministers of his grace. This man needed not to be bidden twice to look on the apostles; for he justly thought this gave him cause to expect that he should receive something form them, and therefore he gave heed to them, Ac 3:5. Note, We must come to God both to attend on his word and to apply ourselves to him in prayer, with hearts fixed and expectations raised. We must look up to heaven and expect to receive benefit by that which God speaks thence, and an answer of peace to the prayers sent up thither. I will direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
2. His expectation of an alms was disappointed. Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, and therefore none to give thee;" yet he intimated that if he had had any he would have given him an alms, not brass, but silver or gold. Note, (1.) It is not often that Christ's friends and favourites have abundance of the wealth of this world. The apostles were very poor, had but just enough for themselves, and no overplus. Peter and John had abundance of money laid at their feet, but this was appropriated to the maintenance of the poor of the church, and they would not convert any of it to their own use, nor dispose of it otherwise than according tot he intention of the donors. Public trusts ought to be strictly and faithfully observed. (2.) Many who are well inclined to works of charity are yet not in a capacity of doing any thing considerable, while others, who have wherewithal to do much, have not a heart to do any thing.
3. His expectations, notwithstanding, were quite outdone. Peter had not money to give him; but, (1.) He had that which was better, such an interest in heaven, such a power from heaven, as to be able to cure his disease. Note, Those who are poor in the world may yet be rich, very rich, in spiritual gifts, graces, and comforts; certainly there is that which we are capable of possessing which is infinitely better than silver and gold; the merchandise and gain of it are better, Job 28:12, Pr 3:14, etc. (2.) He gave him that which was better—the cure of his disease, which he would gladly have given a great deal of silver and gold for, if he had had it, and the cure could have been so obtained. This would enable him to work for his living, so that he would not need to beg any more; nay, he would have to give to those that needed, and it is more blessed to give than to receive. A miraculous cure would be a greater instance of God's favour, and would put a greater honour upon him, than thousands of gold and silver could. Observe, When Peter had no silver and gold to give, yet (says he) such as I have I give thee. Note, Those may be, and ought to be, otherwise charitable and helpful to the poor, who have not wherewithal to give in charity; those who have not silver and gold have their limbs and senses, and with these may be serviceable to the blind, and lame, and sick, and if they be not, as there is occasion, neither would they give to them if they had silver and gold. As every one hath received the gift, so let him minister it. Let us now see how the cure was wrought. [1.] Christ sent his word, and healed him (Ps 107:20); for healing grace is given by the word of Christ; this is the vehicle of the healing virtue derived from Christ. Christ spoke cures by himself; the apostles spoke them in his name. Peter bids a lame man rise up and walk, which would have been a banter upon him if he had not premised in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: "I say it by warrant from him, and it shall be done by power from him, and all the glory and praise of it shall be ascribed to him." He calls Christ Jesus of Nazareth, which was a name of reproach, to intimate that the indignities done him on earth served but as a foil to his glories now that he was in heaven. "Give him what name you will, call him if you will in scorn Jesus of Nazareth, in that name you shall see wonders done; for, because he humbled himself, thus highly was he exalted." He bids the cripple rise up and walk, which does not prove that he had power in himself to do it, but that if he attempt to rise and walk, and, in a sense of his own impotency, depend upon a divine power to enable him to do it, he shall be enabled; and by rising and walking he must evidence what that power has wrought upon him; and then let him take the comfort, and let God have the praise. Thus it is in the healing of our souls, which are spiritually impotent. [2.] Peter lent his hand, and helped him (Ac 3:7): He took him by the right hand, in the same name in which he had spoken to him to arise and walk, and lifted him up. Not that this could contribute any thing to his cure; but it was a sign, plainly intimating the help he should receive from God, if he exerted himself as he was bidden. When God by his word commands us to rise, and walk in the way of his commandments, if we mix faith with that word, and lay our souls under the power of it, he will give his Spirit to take us by the hand, and lift us up. If we set ourselves to do what we can, God has promised his grace to enable us to do what we cannot; and by that promise we partake of a new nature, and that grace shall not be in vain; it was not here: His feet and ankle-bones received strength, which they had not done if he had not attempted to rise, and been helped up; he does his part, and Peter does his, and yet it is Christ that does all: it is he that puts strength into him. As the bread was multiplied in the breaking, and the water turned into wine in the pouring out, so strength was given to the cripple's feet in his stirring them and using them.
V. Here is the impression which this cure made upon the patient himself, which we may best conceive of if we put our soul into his soul's stead. 1. He leaped up, in obedience to the command, Arise. He found in himself such a degree of strength in his feet and ankle-bones that he did not steal up gently, with fear and trembling, as weak people do when they begin to recover strength; but he started up, as one refreshed with sleep, boldly, and with great agility, and as one that questioned not his own strength. The incomes of strength were sudden, and he was no less sudden in showing them. He leaped, as one glad to quit the bed or pad of straw on which he had lain so long lame. 2. He stood, and walked. He stood without either leaning or trembling, stood straight up, and walked without a staff. He trod strongly, and moved steadily; and this was to manifest the cure, and that it was a thorough cure. Note, Those who have had experience of the working of divine grace upon them should evidence what they have experienced. Has God put strength into us? Let us stand before him in the exercises of devotion; let us walk before him in all the instances of a religious conversation. Let us stand up resolutely for him, and walk cheerfully with him, and both in strength derived and received form him. 3. He held Peter and John, Ac 3:11. We need not ask why he held them. I believe he scarcely knew himself: but it was in a transport of joy that he embraced them as the best benefactors he had ever met with, and hung upon them to a degree of rudeness; he would not let them go forward, but would have them stay with him, while he published to all about him what God had done for him by them. Thus he testified his affection to them; he held them, and would not let them go. Some suggest that he clung to them for fear lest, if they should leave him, his lameness should return. Those whom God hath healed love those whom he made instruments of their healing, and see the need of their further help. 4. He entered with them into the temple. His strong affection to them held them; but it could not hold them so fast as to keep them out of the temple, whither they were going to preach Christ. We should never suffer ourselves to be diverted by the utmost affectionate kindnesses of our friends from going in the way of our duty. But, if they will not stay with him, he is resolved to go with them, and the rather because they are going into the temple, whence he had been so long kept by his weakness and his begging: like the impotent man whom Christ cured, he was presently found in the temple, Joh 5:14. He went into the temple, not only to offer up his praises and thanksgivings to God, but to hear more from the apostles of that Jesus in whose name he had been healed. Those that have experienced the power of Christ should earnestly desire to grow in their acquaintance with Christ. 5. He was there walking, and leaping, and praising God. Note, The strength God has given us, both in mind and body, should be made us of to his praise, and we should study how to honour him with it. Those that are healed in his name must walk up and down in his name and in his strength, Zec 10:12. This man, as soon as he could leap, leaped for joy in God, and praised him. Here was that scripture fulfilled (Isa 35:6): Then shall the lame man leap as a hart. Now that this man was newly cured he was in this excess of joy and thankfulness. All true converts walk and praise God; but perhaps young converts leap more in his praises.
VI. How the people that were eye-witnesses of this miracle were influenced by it we are next told. 1. They were entirely satisfied in the truth of the miracle, and had nothing to object against it. They knew it was he that sat begging at the beautiful gate of the temple, Ac 3:10. He had sat there so long that they all knew him; and for this reason he was chosen to be the vessel of this mercy. Now they were not so perverse as to make any doubt whether he was the same man, as the Pharisees had questioned concerning the blind man that Christ cured, Joh 9:9,18. They now saw him walking, and praising God (Ac 3:9), and perhaps took notice of a change in his mind; for he was now as loud in praising God as he had before been in begging relief. The best evidence that it was a complete cure was that he now praised God for it. Mercies are then perfected, when they are sanctified. 2. They were astonished at it: They were filled with wonder and amazement (Ac 3:10); greatly wondering, Ac 3:11. They were in an ecstasy. There seems to have been this effect of the pouring out of the Spirit, that the people, at least those in Jerusalem, were much more affected with the miracles the apostles wrought than they had been with those of the same kind that had been wrought by Christ himself; and this was in order to the miracles answering their end. 3. They gathered about Peter and John: All the people ran together unto them in Solomon's porch: some only to gratify their curiosity with the sight of men that had such power; others with a desire to hear them preach, concluding that their doctrine must needs be of divine origin, which thus had a divine ratification. They flocked to them in Solomon's porch, a part of the court of the Gentiles, where Solomon had built the outer porch of the temple; or, some cloisters or piazzas which Herod had erected upon the same foundation upon which Solomon had built the stately porch that bore his name, Herod being ambitious herein to be a second Solomon. Here the people met, to see this great sight.
12-26
Peter's Address after Healing the Cripple
繁體中文
彼得醫好瘸子之後的講論
¹² 彼得看見，就對百姓說：以色列人哪，為甚麼把這事當作希奇呢？為甚麼定睛看我們，以為我們憑自己的能力和虔誠使這人行走呢？
¹³ 亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的神，就是我們列祖的神，已經榮耀了他的僕人耶穌；你們卻把他交給彼拉多。彼拉多定意要釋放他，你們竟在彼拉多面前棄絕了他。
¹⁴ 你們棄絕了那聖潔公義者，反求著釋放一個兇手給你們。
¹⁵ 你們殺了那生命的主，神卻叫他從死裏復活了；我們都是為這事作見證。
¹⁶ 我們因信他的名，他的名便叫你們所看見所認識的這人健壯了；正是他所賜的信心，叫這人在你們眾人面前全然好了。
¹⁷ 弟兄們，我曉得你們做這事是出於不知，你們的官長也是如此。
¹⁸ 但神曾藉眾先知的口，預言基督將要受害，就這樣應驗了。
¹⁹ 所以，你們當悔改歸正，使你們的罪得以塗抹，這樣，那安舒的日子就必從主面前來到；
²⁰ 主也必差遣所預定給你們的基督耶穌降臨。
²¹ 天必留他，等到萬物復興的時候，就是神從創世以來、藉著聖先知的口所說的。
²² 摩西曾說：主－你們的神要從你們弟兄中間給你們興起一位先知像我，凡他向你們所說的，你們都要聽從。
²³ 凡不聽從那先知的，必要從民中全然滅絕。
²⁴ 從撒母耳以來的眾先知，凡說預言的，也都說到這些日子。
²⁵ 你們是先知之子，也是神與我們列祖所立之約的子孫，神對亞伯拉罕說：地上萬族都要因你的後裔得福。
²⁶ 神既興起他的僕人，就先差他到你們這裏來，賜福給你們，叫你們各人回轉，離開罪惡。
我們在此看到彼得醫好瘸子之後所傳講的信息。彼得看見了。1. 他看見百姓聚集在一起成為人群，便抓住那機會向他們傳講基督，特別是因為聖殿是他們聚集之處，那裏有 Solomon 的廊子：讓他們來聽比所羅門更卓越的智慧，因為看哪，比所羅門更大的一位在此被傳揚。2. 他看見百姓被神蹟感動、心中充滿驚奇，便在這樣鬆土的田地裏撒下福音的種子，這田地已被翻鬆、預備好了要接受。3. 他看見百姓正要敬拜他和約翰，便立刻介入，將他們對自己的敬意轉移，使這敬意唯獨歸向基督；他立刻回答他們，正如保羅和巴拿巴在路司得所行的。見 Ac 14:14-15。在這篇講論中，
I. 他謙卑地拒絕了這神蹟的榮耀，因這榮耀不屬於他們——他們不過是基督的僕人，是他手中的器具。他們所傳的道不是出於自己的發明，印證這道的印記也不是他們的，而是那道之主的。他稱呼他們為以色列人——是律法和應許、也是福音和作為所歸屬的人，他們與當前的時代施行密切相關。他問他們兩件事：——1. 為甚麼他們對神蹟本身如此驚奇：為甚麼把這事當作希奇呢？這誠然奇妙，他們理當為此驚歎，但這並不超過基督多次所行的，他們卻未 duly 留意，也未受感動。不久之前基督才叫拉撒路從死裏復活；那麼這事為何看來如此奇特？請注意，遲鈍的人如今覺得希奇的事，若不是因為他們自己的過失，本可成為他們熟悉的事。基督最近自己從死裏復活了；他們為甚麼不為此驚奇呢？為甚麼不被此說服呢？2. 為甚麼他們將這事過多地歸功於他們——他們不過是器具：為甚麼定睛看我們呢？(1.) 他們確實使這人行走，這顯明使徒不僅為神所差，而且是為要作世人的祝福、人類的恩人而差——要醫治那些屬靈上瘸腿無力的、患病失調的靈魂，接合斷骨，使他們歡喜。(2.) 然而他們不是憑自己的能力或虔誠做的。這不是靠他們自己的力量，不是靠他們在醫術或外科上的技能，也不是靠他們話語中的能力：他們行這事所憑的能力完全來自基督。這也不是靠他們自己的功德；基督賜給他們行這事的能力，並非他們所配得的；這不是靠他們自己的虔誠；因為正如他們是軟弱的，他們也是愚拙的——基督所揀選使用的；彼得是個罪人。猶大有甚麼虔誠呢？他卻奉基督的名行過神蹟。他們任何一人所有的虔誠都是在裏面作成的，他們不能藉此自誇為有功。(3.) 百姓將這事歸於他們的能力和虔誠、因而注目看他們，這是他們的錯誤。請注意，神向我們施恩的器具，雖然理當受尊敬，卻不可被偶像化；我們當防備將神所作的事歸功於器具。(4.) 彼得和約翰的榮耀在於他們不肯將這神蹟的榮耀歸給自己，而是小心地將之歸給基督。有用的人當注意要極其謙卑。*耶和華啊，榮耀不要歸與我們，不要歸與我們，要歸在你的名下。*每一冠冕都要投於基督腳前；不是我，乃是與我同在的神的恩。
II. 他向他們傳講基督；這是他的要務，為要引導他們順服基督。
1. 他傳講基督為應許給列祖的真正彌賽亞（Ac 3:13）；因為，(1.) 他是耶穌，神的兒子；雖然他們最近因基督自稱為神的兒子而以褻瀆之罪定他死罪，彼得卻公開宣告這事：他是他的兒子耶穌；對神而言，他親如兒子；對我們而言，他是耶穌，是救主。(2.) 神已經榮耀了他，使他作其教會的君王、祭司和先知；無論在他的一生和受死中，還是在他的復活和升天中，神都榮耀了他。(3.) 神作為我們列祖的神榮耀了他——他以敬意提到列祖（因為他們的名在以色列人眼中是大的，理當如此），即亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的神。神差他到世上，是為履行對那些列祖的應許——地上萬族都要因他們的後裔得福——以及對他們所立的約——神要作他們和他們後裔的神。使徒稱列祖為他們的父，稱神為猶太人所從出之列祖的神，是要暗示他們對猶太民族並無惡意（不當以猜疑的眼光看他們），反而珍視和關心他們，是善意相待的人；他們所傳的福音，正是亞伯拉罕的神之旨意的啟示。見 Ac 26:7,22；路 1:72-73。
2. 他坦白而直接地指控他們謀殺了這位耶穌，正如他從前所行的。(1.) 「你們把他交給了你們的祭司長和長老」——那代表全民的機構；「而你們平民百姓受他們的影響去攻擊他，將他當作公害來喧嚷。」(2.) 「你們不認他，你們否認他，不願接納他作你們的王，不能以他為彌賽亞，因為他不是帶著外在的威榮和權能而來；你們在彼拉多面前不認他，放棄了你們教會一切的期望，在羅馬巡撫面前如此行——他理當為此嘲笑你們；你們當著彼拉多的面不認他」（Hammond 博士如此讀），「無視他對你們的勸說」（彼拉多定意要釋放他，百姓卻反對，凌駕於他之上）。「你們比彼拉多更壞，因為他若讓你們隨他自己的判斷，就會釋放他。你們棄絕了那聖潔公義者——他已證明自己確是如此，他逼迫者的一切惡意都無法反駁。」主的聖潔和公義——這超過了他的無辜——大大加重了那些將他處死之人的罪。(3.) 「你們求著釋放一個兇手，卻要釘基督十字架；好像巴拉巴在你們眼中比主耶穌更配受恩待一樣——再沒有比這對他更大的侮辱了。」(4.) 你們殺了那生命的主。請留意這對照：「你們保存了一個兇手——生命的毀壞者；卻毀滅了救主——生命的主。你們殺了那被差來作你們生命的主的，如此不僅是離棄，更是背叛了你們自己的恩惠。你們做了一件忘恩負義的事——奪去那本要作你們生命之人的生命。你們做了一件愚昧的事——竟以為能征服生命的主，他生命在自己裏頭，必快快恢復他所捨的生命。」
3. 他如前次一樣為基督的復活作見證（Ac 3:15）：「你們以為生命的主也能像任何別的君王被剝奪尊位和權勢那樣被奪去生命，卻發現自己錯了，因為神叫他從死裏復活了；所以你們在將他處死這事上是與神為敵，結果一敗塗地。*神叫他從死裏復活了，*因而認可了他的要求、印證了他的教訓、抹去了一切加在他受苦上的羞辱，我們都是為他復活這事的見證人。」
4. 他將這殘疾人的痊癒歸於基督的能力（Ac 3:16）：我們因信他的名，他的名便叫你們所看見所認識的這人健壯了。他再次重申：正是他所賜的信心，叫這人在你們眾人面前全然好了。此處，(1.) 他就神蹟的真實性向他們自己提出上訴；那得醫治的人是你們所看見、所認識的；他此前與彼得和約翰並不相識，因此他們之間不可能有串通：「你們知道他從小就是瘸子。神蹟是公開行的，在你們眾人面前；不是在角落裏，而是在殿門口；你們看見事情是怎樣成的，其中不可能有詭詐；你們當時可以立即查問，如今也可以。這醫治是完全的；這是全然的康復；你們看見這人行走跳躍，如同身上沒有絲毫殘餘的軟弱或疼痛。」(2.) 他告訴他們這神蹟是憑甚麼能力而成的。[1.] 這是因基督的名而成，不是僅僅像念咒那樣念誦他的名，而是因為我們作為他名的宣認者和教師——憑著從他領受的使命和指示、他所賦予我們的權能——因那超乎萬名之上的基督之名；是他的權柄、他的命令成就了這事；正如文書雖然由下級官員執行，卻是以王的名義發出的。[2.] 基督的能力是因信他的名而引進的——對他的信靠、對他的倚賴、憑信心向他祈求並從他期待——正是那信心，di autou——因他，是出於他作成的；這不是出於我們自己，是基督的恩賜；也是為他的緣故，好使他得榮耀；因為他是我們信心的創始者，也是完成者。Lightfoot 博士推測，Ac 3:16 兩次提到信心，是因使徒行神蹟時的信心和瘸子得醫治時的信心；但我認為這主要——若非完全——是指前者。那些憑信心行這神蹟的人，是從基督支取能力來行的，因此將一切榮耀歸給他。藉著這對神蹟真實而公正的解釋，彼得既印證了他們要向世人傳講的偉大福音真理——耶穌基督是一切能力和恩典的源頭，是那偉大的醫治者和救主——又推薦了信靠他這一偉大的福音本分，作為從他領受益處的唯一途徑。這也解釋了我們靠基督得救的偉大福音奧秘；使我們稱義的是他的名——他那榮耀的名，耶和華我們的義；但我們各人特別是因他的名、藉著信他的名而稱義，將這名應用於我們自己。如此，彼得正如新郎的忠心朋友那樣，向他們傳講耶穌並他釘十字架，將一切所有的都獻於他的服事和榮耀。
III. 他鼓勵他們存盼望——雖然他們犯了殺害基督的罪，卻仍可以尋求憐憫；他盡力使他們知罪，卻小心不將他們逼入絕望。罪咎確實極重，然而，1. 他以善意將他們的罪行歸於無知，從而減輕其罪責。也許他從聽眾的面色看出，當他告訴他們他們殺了生命的主時，他們大為驚恐，或要沉淪、或要離去，因此他認為有必要以弟兄的稱呼來緩和指控的嚴厲；他如此稱呼他們實在合宜，因為他本人在這罪中也與他們同為弟兄：他曾不認那聖潔公義者，並起誓說不認識他；他是在突發情況下做的；「至於你們，我曉得你們做這事是出於不知，你們的官長也是如此」（Ac 3:17）。這是彼得愛心的言語，教導我們對那些我們希望使之變好的人，要從最好的方面看他們。彼得已將傷口探到底，如今開始思想醫治；為此，必須使他們對醫生產生好感；還有甚麼比這更得人心的嗎？他這樣作的根據，是他有夫子為釘他的人禱告的榜樣——為他們辯護說他們所做的他們不曉得。論到官長，經上說他們若知道，就不會把榮耀的主釘十字架了。見林前 2:8。也許有些官長和百姓確實是違背亮光和自己良心的定罪而行的，是出於惡意；但大多數人是隨波逐流，是出於無知；正如保羅逼迫教會，是在不信不明白的時候做的（提前 1:13）。2. 他減輕了他們罪行的後果——生命的主的死；這話聽來可怕，卻是照著聖經（Ac 3:18）——聖經的預言雖不強迫他們犯罪，卻必要他的受苦；他自己也如此說：基督這樣受害，又進入他的榮耀，豈不是應當的嗎。「你們是出於不知而做的」也可如此理解：「你們應驗了聖經卻不知道；神藉你們的手*，成就了他從前藉眾先知的口所說基督將要受害的事*；這是他將他交在你們手中的旨意，但你們有自己的盤算，對這旨意完全不知；你們的心裏並沒有這樣想，你們的心意也不是如此。當你們滿足自己的私慾時，神正在應驗聖經。」請留意，基督將受害，不僅在神隱密的旨意中定了，而且在許多世代之前藉著先知的口和筆向世人宣告了——為要成就他所承擔的使命；而且是神自己藉著他們說明了這事，他必看到自己的話應驗；他所預示的他所成就的，是照著他所預示的，準確而精密，毫無偏差。如今，這雖然絲毫不能減輕他們恨惡並逼迫基督至死的罪（這在神眼中仍顯得極其罪惡），卻是他們悔改、盼望在悔改中蒙憐憫的鼓勵；不僅因為總的來說神恩惠的旨意藉此得以推進（這與約瑟對哥哥們的鼓勵一致——當他們以為自己對他的過犯幾乎不可饒恕時，他說：不要害怕，你們的意思是要害我，但神的意思原是好的——創 50:15,20），更因為特別來說，基督的死和受苦是為罪得赦免，也是彼得如今鼓勵他們所盼望的那憐憫之彰顯的根基。
IV. 他勸勉他們全部歸信基督教，並向他們保證如此行必為他們帶來不可言喻的益處；這將是他們永遠的造就。這是他講論的應用。
1. 他告訴他們當信甚麼。(1.) 他們當信耶穌基督是那應許的後裔——就是神曾告訴亞伯拉罕地上萬族都要因他得福的那後裔（Ac 3:25）。這是指著對亞伯拉罕的應許（創 12:3），那應許許久才應驗，如今終於在這位耶穌身上成就——他是按肉體說，從亞伯拉罕的後裔出的，在他裏面地上萬族都得了福，不僅是以色列的家族；所有人都從他得了一些益處，有些人得著了一切的益處。(2.) 他們當信耶穌基督是先知——就是神應許要從他們弟兄中間給他們興起的那位像摩西的先知（Ac 3:22）。這是指著申 18:18 的應許。基督是先知，因為神藉著他對我們說話；一切屬天的啟示都以他為中心，也藉他傳給我們；他是像摩西的先知——是神所喜愛的，比任何別的先知更親密地認識神的旨意，更親近地與神交往。他如同摩西，是拯救百姓脫離奴役的救主，是引導他們經過曠野的嚮導；是君王和立法者，如同摩西；是真正帳幕的建造者，正如摩西建造那預表的帳幕。摩西在神的全家盡忠，如同僕人，基督如同兒子。摩西被以色列人埋怨，被法老挑戰，神卻維護他，認可了他的使命。摩西是柔和謙卑的榜樣，基督也是如此。摩西是因耶和華的話而死，基督也是如此。以後以色列中再沒有興起先知像摩西的（民 12:6-7；申 34:10），但基督所在之處，有比摩西更大的。他是神所興起的先知，因為這尊榮不是他自己取的，而是蒙神呼召的。他首先被興起歸於以色列。他以自己的身分僅在他們中間盡這職分。他們最先得著屬天恩典的邀請；因此他是從他們中間興起來的——按肉體說，基督也是從他們出來的——這既是他們所受的大榮耀，也是他們的義務和鼓勵，促使他們接受他。他到自己的地方來，理當被自己的人接待。舊約教會蒙恩有許多先知、有先知學校，許多世代有先知不斷的傳承（這裏被注意到——從撒母耳以來，以及隨後的眾先知，Ac 3:24，因為從撒母耳開始了先知的時代）；但這些僕人被虐待之後，末了神差了他的兒子——那在他懷中的。(3.) 他們當信那安舒的日子將從主面前來到（Ac 3:19），而那將是萬物復興的時候（Ac 3:21）。有未來的狀態，有今生之後的另一生命；那些時候將從主面前、從他那日在榮耀中的顯現、從他在末世的降臨而來。主的缺席造成罪人的許多自恃和聖徒的許多不信；但他的顯現正迅速臨近，必永遠止息這兩者。看哪，審判的主站在門前了。主的顯現要帶來，[1.] 萬物的復興（Ac 3:21）；新天新地——那是萬物消融的產物（啟 21:1）——是整個受造界的更新，這正是受造界所切望的，正如它如今在人的罪下所擔的重擔是它所嘆息的。有人將此理解為末世之前今世的狀態；但更當理解為萬物的結局——神從創世以來藉著聖先知的口所說的；因為這正是以諾，亞當的七世孫，所預言的（猶 14），而其他先知所預言的今世審判，乃是使徒所稱永遠審判的預表。這在新約中比從前更清楚而明白地啟示了出來，凡領受福音的人都對此有所期待。[2.] 與此同時將有安舒的日子（Ac 3:19）——對主百姓的安慰，如同給那些擔當了白日的炎熱和重擔之人的涼爽蔭蔽。一切基督徒都盼望為神的子民存留的安息——在今世的勞苦和疲乏之後，憑這盼望，他們在現今的受苦中得到扶持，在現今的服事中得以持續。那時從主面前來的安舒，將永遠持續在主面前。
2. 他告訴他們當做甚麼。(1.) 他們當悔改——當回想自己所犯的過錯，當回復正常的理智，當接受第二次的思考並順服其定罪；他們當重新開始。彼得自己曾不認基督，他悔改了，他也要他們如此行。(2.) 他們當歸正——當轉過身來，將臉面和腳步都轉向與先前相反的方向；他們當歸向主他們的神——就是他們所背離的那位。僅僅為罪悔改是不夠的，還當從罪中歸正，不再返回。他們不僅要將猶太教的信仰改為基督教的信仰，還要將屬肉體的、世俗的、感官之心的權勢和轄制，改變為聖潔、屬天、屬神的原則和情感。(3.) 他們當聽從基督，這位大先知：*「凡他所說的，你們都要聽從。接受他的指示，領受他的教訓，順服他的治理。要以屬神的信心聽從先知——那些帶著屬天使命而來的先知。你們要聽從他，以無條件的信心和順服向他臣服。在一切事上聽從他；讓他的律法管治你們一切的行動，讓他的旨意決定你們一切的順服。每當他有話要說，你們就當有耳可聽。無論他對你們說甚麼，即使對肉體多麼不悅，也當欣然接受。」*求主說，僕人敬聽。這裏也給了我們一個好理由，為甚麼我們當留意並順服基督的話；因為我們若對他的呼召充耳不聞、對他的軛硬著頸項，就要自擔風險（Ac 3:23）：*凡不聽從那先知的，不照他所說的被引導，必要從民中全然滅絕。*輕看舊約先知，曾以戰爭和饑荒毀滅那城和那國為威脅；但輕看基督——這位大先知——所威脅的，是靈魂的毀滅，是屬靈而永遠的毀滅。那些不肯受救主勸戒的人，別無他途，唯有落在那毀滅者的手中。
3. 他告訴他們可以期待甚麼。
(1.) 他們將得著罪的赦免；這一向被稱為一切接受福音之人的大特權（Ac 3:19）：所以你們當悔改歸正，使你們的罪得以塗抹。這意味著，[1.] 罪的赦免就是將之塗抹，如同雲被日頭的光輝塗抹（賽 44:22），如同債務在獲赦時被勾銷塗抹。這暗示當神赦免罪時，就不再記念它來反對罪人；它被忘記了，如同被塗抹了一樣；一切寫在罪人身上的苦澀之事（伯 13:26）都被如同用海綿擦去了；這是取消債券、撤銷判決。[2.] 我們不能期望罪得赦免，除非我們悔改並轉向神。雖然基督受死是為買贖罪的赦免，但要使我們在罪的赦免中得著那買贖的益處，我們必須悔改歸正：不悔改，就不得赦免。[3.] 悔改即可使罪得赦免的盼望，當是我們悔改的強大動力。你們當悔改，使你們的罪得以塗抹；而那從對神在基督裏的憐憫之認識、以及赦免的盼望而生的悔改，才是福音的悔改。這是首要而重大的論據：天國近了，你們應當悔改。[4.] 罪得赦免最令人安慰的果子，將在那安舒的日子來到之時顯出；我們的罪若蒙赦免，如今就有理由歡喜；但那安慰將是完滿的——當赦免在公開法庭上被認可，我們的稱義在天使和人面前被宣告之時——預先所定下的人又召他們來；所召來的人又稱他們為義；所稱為義的人又叫他們得榮耀（羅 8:30）。正如我們如今是神的兒女（約壹 3:2），我們如今已有罪被塗抹；但將來如何，還未顯明——要等安舒的日子來到才顯明。在這勞苦爭戰的日子裏（內有疑懼，外有患難危險），我們不能完全享受赦免的滿足；要到安舒的日子來到，那日要擦去一切眼淚。
(2.) 他們將得著基督再來的安慰（Ac 3:20-21）：「主也必差遣基督耶穌降臨，就是從前所傳給你們的那位；因為你們不可期望另一種安排、另一個福音，而是這福音的延續和成全；你們不可期望另一位像耶穌的先知，如同摩西叫你們期待一位像他那樣的先知；因為天必留他，直到萬物復興的時候；但你們若悔改歸正，必不覺得缺少他；他以某種方式必被你們看見。」[1.] 我們不可期望基督在此世親自與我們同在；因為那將他從門徒眼前接去的天，必將他保留到末世。他那蒙福的座位，其肉身的同在受此局限，直到末世，直到萬事的成全（也可如此讀）；因此，那些夢想他在聖餐中有肉身同在的人，既羞辱了他，也欺騙了自己。在試驗和考驗的狀態中，那得榮耀的救贖主不在眼前是合宜的，因為我們必須憑那不見之事的信心而活；因為他必在被世人信服，他必被接在榮耀裏。Hammond 博士如此讀：天必留他，即他必領受上界的榮耀和權能；他必掌權，直到一切都服了他（林前 15:25；詩 75:2）。[2.] 然而應許的是，他必被差到一切悔改歸正的人那裏（Ac 3:20）：「主也必差遣基督耶穌——就是從前藉他的門徒在你們中間所傳的，無論在他復活之前還是之後；他是，也將是，他們的一切。」**第一，「你們將有他屬靈的同在。那被差到世上的，也必被差到你們這裏；你們要享受他被差的安慰；他必在他的福音裏被差到你們中間——這福音要作他的帳幕、他的戰車。」第二，「主也必差遣基督耶穌來毀滅耶路撒冷和那些不信的猶太人——他們是基督和基督教的仇敵——並拯救他的僕人和百姓脫離他們，使他們在信奉福音上得享平安，那將是一個安舒的日子，你們也必有份於其中。」那時教會得著平安；Hammond 博士如此說。第三，「在末世差遣基督審判世界，對你們也是福分；那時你們要挺身昂首，因為你們得贖的日子近了。」這似乎是指此事，因為天必留他，直到那時（Ac 3:21）。正如神的旨意從永世以來，他的預言從創世之初就指向末日的事——那時神的奧秘就成全了，正如神所傳給他僕人眾先知的佳音（啟 10:7）。教會中一切制度的設立，也都著眼於末世萬物的復興。
4. 他告訴他們，他們若歸向基督，有甚麼根據可以期待這些事。雖然他們曾不認他、將他處死，卻可以因自己是以色列人而希望藉他蒙恩。因為，
(1.) 作為以色列人，他們獨享了舊約的恩典；他們是超越其他民族的神所喜愛之國，神所賜給他們的恩惠都與彌賽亞及其國度有關：你們是先知之子，也是……約之子孫。這是雙重的特權。[1.] 他們是先知之子，即先知的門徒，如同學校裏的學生；不是舊約中所記那種先知的兒子——從撒母耳以後被訓練、要被賦予先知之靈的人；而是你們屬於那從其中興起先知、也差遣先知到其中的民族。以色列從你們的兒子中興起先知，被說為大恩惠（摩 2:11）。一切受默示的作者，無論新約或舊約，都是亞伯拉罕的後裔；而神的聖言交託他們，是他們的榮耀和益處（羅 3:2）。他們的政權是藉先知設立的，即藉屬天的啟示；他們的事務許多世代以來也大半藉此管理。見何 12:13。耶和華藉先知領以色列出埃及，以色列也藉先知而得保存。後世教會的百姓，當先知之靈已止息之時，仍可恰當地被稱為先知之子，因為他們雖不曉得，卻聽見了先知的聲音——每個安息日在他們的會堂裏誦讀的（Ac 13:27）。這當激發他們接受基督，他們也可盼望蒙他悅納；因為他們自己的先知早已預言這恩典要在耶穌基督顯現時賜給他們（彼前 1:13），因此不當被他們輕忽，也不當被拒絕。那些蒙恩有先知和預言的人（凡有聖經的人都是如此），當留意不可白白領受神的恩典。我們也可特別應用於傳道人的兒女——他們若有效地以自己的出身作為勤於信仰的動力，就可放心以此向神祈求，並盼望神僕人的兒女必存留。[2.] 他們是約之子孫，即神與我們列祖所立之約的後嗣，如同家中之子。神的約是與亞伯拉罕和他的後裔立的，而他們就是與之立約的那後裔，約的福分就在他們身上：「彌賽亞的應許是賜給你們的，因此你們若不離棄自己的恩惠、不以頑梗的不信在自己門上加閂，就可以盼望這應許在你們身上應驗。」那在此作為約之主要條款而提到的應許——地上萬族都要因你的後裔得福——雖然主要指著基督（加 3:16），卻也可包括教會——就是他的身體、一切信徒、那按屬靈說為亞伯拉罕後裔的人。地上萬族得福，在於他們中間因基督而有了教會；而按肉體說為亞伯拉罕後裔的，最有資格享有此特權。地上萬族既因基督得福，那按肉體說是他的親屬的民族豈不更如此嗎。
(2.) 作為以色列人，他們最先得著新約恩典的邀請。正因他們是先知之子、也是約之子孫，所以救贖主首先被差到他們那裏，這是鼓勵他們盼望——他們若悔改歸正，他將更被差來使他們得安慰（Ac 3:20）：主也必差遣基督耶穌，因為神既興起他的兒子，就先差他到你們這裏來（Ac 3:26）。他先到你們這裏來——你們猶太人，雖不是僅僅到你們這裏，神既興起他的兒子耶穌，就設立並授權他作君王、作救主，並以叫他從死裏復活來印證這事，就先差他到你們這裏來，賜福給你們——向你們提供他的祝福，特別是叫你們各人回轉，離開罪惡這大福分；因此你們當領受這祝福，離開你們的罪惡，也可以盼望蒙恩。[1.] 我們在此被告知基督的使命從何而來：神興起他的兒子耶穌，就差他來。神興起他，是當他設立他作先知時，以天上的聲音承認他，以無限量的聖靈充滿他，然後差遣他；因為他興起他正是為此目的——要他作議和的使者。他差他來為真理作見證，差他來尋找拯救失喪的靈魂，差他來迎擊仇敵、征服他們。有人將興起他歸於復活——那是他升高邁出的第一步；這彷彿是更新他的使命；雖然他既興起他之後，似乎立刻將他從我們中間取去，他卻實在在他的福音和聖靈裏重新差遣他到我們這裏來。[2.] 他被差到誰那裏：「先到你們這裏來。你們是亞伯拉罕的後裔，你們是先知之子、也是約之子孫*，福音恩典的邀請是向你們發出的。」基督親自的傳道，如同先知的傳道一樣，僅限於猶太人；那時他不過奉差到以色列家迷失的羊那裏去*，他禁止當時所差的門徒走得更遠。在他復活之後，他固然要被傳給萬國，但他們必須從耶路撒冷起首傳（路 24:47）。當他們到別國去時，也先向那裏的猶太人傳道。他們是長子，照此享有首先蒙邀請的特權。他們決不會因為將基督處死而被排除在外；相反，他復活之後，首先被差到他們那裏，他的死所帶來的益處主要也是為他們預備的。[3.] 他奉差是為甚麼使命：「他先到你們這裏來，是為賜福給你們；這是他首要的使命——不是為定你們的罪（這是你們該受的），而是為稱你們為義——只要你們願意接受所提供、並按所指示的方式提供的稱義；但那先差他來賜福給你們的，若你們拒絕、藐視這祝福，就要差他來以咒詛詛咒你們」（瑪 4:6）。請注意，第一，基督到世上來的使命是為賜福給我們，要帶著祝福而來，因為公義的日頭興起，其光線有醫治之能；他離世時留下了祝福，因為他正祝福的時候，就離開他們，被帶到天上去了（路 24:51）。他差聖靈來作那大福分——福中之福（賽 44:3。神是藉著基督將祝福賜給我們的，我們也唯獨藉著他才能指望領受這些祝福。*第二，*基督來要賜的大福分，是叫我們離開罪惡——拯救我們脫離罪惡（太 1:21），使我們轉離罪惡，好使我們有資格領受一切其他的祝福。罪是我們本性所依附的；屬天恩典的旨意是要使我們轉離罪惡——不，要使我們轉而反對罪惡，不僅離棄它，更恨惡它。福音有直接的傾向來成就這事，不僅因為它要求我們各人轉離罪惡，更因為它應許賜恩典使我們能做到。「所以，你們當盡自己的本分——悔改歸正——因為基督已預備要盡他的本分——叫你們離開罪惡，從而賜福給你們。」
英語原文
Peter's Address after Healing the Cripple
¹² And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
¹³ The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
¹⁴ But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
¹⁵ And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
¹⁶ And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
¹⁷ And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
¹⁸ But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
¹⁹ Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
²⁰ And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
²¹ Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
²² For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
²³ And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
²⁴ Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
²⁵ Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
²⁶ Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
We have here the sermon which Peter preached after he had cured the lame man. When Peter saw it. 1. When he saw the people got together in a crowd, he took that opportunity to preach Christ to them, especially the temple being the place of their concourse, and Solomon's porch there: let them come and hear a more excellent wisdom than Solomon's, for, behold, a greater than Solomon is here preached. 2. When he saw the people affected with the miracle, and filed with admiration, then he sowed the gospel seed in the ground which was thus broken up, and prepared to receive it. 3. When he saw the people ready to adore him and John, he stepped in immediately, and diverted their respect from them, that it might be directed to Christ only; to this he answered presently, as Paul and Barnabas at Lystra. See Ac 14:14,15. In the sermon,
I. He humbly disclaims the honour of the miracle as not due to them, who were only the ministers of Christ, or instruments in his hand for the doing of it. The doctrines they preached were not of their own invention, nor were the seals of it their own, but his whose the doctrines were. He addresses himself to them as men of Israel, men to whom pertained, not only the law and the promises, but the gospel and the performances, and who were nearly interested in the present dispensation. Two things he asks them:—1. Why they were so surprised at the miracle itself: Why marvel you at this? It was indeed marvellous, and they justly wondered at it, but it was not more than what Christ had done many a time, and they had not duly regarded it, nor been affected with it. It was but a little before that Christ had raised Lazarus from the dead; and why should this then seem so strange? Note, Stupid people think that strange now which might have been familiar to them if it had not been their own fault. Christ had lately risen from the dead himself; why did they not marvel at this? why were they not convinced by this? 2. Why they gave so much of the praise of it to them, who were only the instruments of it: Why look you so earnestly on us? (1.) It was certain that they had made this man to walk, by which it appeared that the apostles not only were sent of God, but were sent to be blessings to the world, benefactors to mankind, and were sent to heal sick and distempered souls, that were spiritually lame and impotent, to set broken bones, and make them rejoice. (2.) Yet they did not do it by any power or holiness of their own. It was not done by any might of their own, any skill they had in physic or surgery, nor any virtue in their word: the power they did it by was wholly derived from Christ. Nor was it done by any merit of their own; the power which Christ gave them to do it they had not deserved: it was not by their own holiness; for, as they were weak things, so they were foolish things, that Christ chose to employ; Peter was a sinful man. What holiness had Judas? Yet he wrought miracles in Christ's name. What holiness any of them had it was wrought in them, and they could not pretend to merit by it. (3.) It was the people's fault that they attributed it to their power and holiness, and accordingly looked at them. Note, The instruments of God's favour to us, though they must be respected, must not be idolized; we must take heed of reckoning that to be done by the instrument which God is the author of. (4.) It was the praise of Peter and John that they would not take the honour of this miracle to themselves, but carefully transmitted it to Christ. Useful men must see to it that they be very humble. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give glory. Every crown must be cast at the feet of Christ; not I, but the grace of God with me.
II. He preaches Christ to them; this was his business, that he might lead them into obedience to Christ.
1. He preaches Christ, as the true Messiah promised to the fathers (Ac 3:13); for, (1.) He is Jesus the Son of God; though they had lately condemned Christ as a blasphemer for saying that he was the Son of God, yet Peter avows it: he is his Son Jesus; to him dear as a Son; to us, Jesus, a Saviour. (2.) God hath glorified him, in raising him up to be king, priest, and prophet, of his church; he glorified him in his life and in his death, as well as in his resurrection and ascension. (3.) He hath glorified him as the God of our fathers, whom he names with respect (for they were great names with the men of Israel, and justly), the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. God sent him into the world, pursuant to the promises made to those patriarchs, that in their seed the families of the earth should be blessed, and the covenant made with them, that God would be a God to them, and their seed. The apostles call the patriarchs their fathers, and God the God of those patriarchs from whom the Jews were descended, to intimate to them that they had no evil design upon the Jewish nation (that they should look upon them with a jealous eye), but had a value and concern for it, and were hereby well-wishers to it; and the gospel they preached was the revelation of the mind and will of the God of Abraham. See Ac 26:7,22, Lu 1:72,73.
2. He charges them flatly and plainly with the murder of this Jesus, as he had done before. (1.) "You delivered him up to your chief priests and elders, the representative body of the nation; and you of the common people were influenced by them to clamour against him, as if he had been a public grievance." (2.) "You denied him, and you disowned him, would not have him then to be your king, could not look upon him as the Messiah, because he came not in external pomp and power; you denied him in the presence of Pilate, renounced all the expectations of your church, in the presence of the Roman governor, who justly laughed at you for it; you denied him against the face of Pilate" (so Dr. Hammond), "in defiance of his reasonings with you" (Pilate had determined to let him go, but the people opposed it, and overruled him). "You were worse than Pilate, for he would have released him, if you had let him follow his own judgment. You denied the Holy One and the Just, who had approved himself so, and all the malice of his persecutors could not disprove it." The holiness and justice of the Lord Jesus, which are something more than his innocency, were a great aggravation of the sin of those that put him to death. (3.) "You desired a murderer to be released, and Christ crucified; as if Barabbas had deserved better at your hands than the Lord Jesus, than which a greater affront could not be put upon him." (4.) You killed the prince of life. Observe the antithesis: "You preserved a murderer, a destroyer of life; and destroyed the Saviour, the author of life. You killed him who was sent to be to you the prince of life, and so not only forsook, but rebelled against your own mercies. You did an ungrateful thing, in taking away his life who would have been your life. You did a foolish thing to think you could conquer the prince of life, who has life in himself, and would soon resume the life he resigned."
3. He attests his resurrection as before, Ac 11:32. "You thought the prince of life might be deprived of his life, as any other prince might be deprived of his dignity and dominion, but you found yourselves mistaken, for God raised him from the dead; so that in putting him to death you fought against God, and were baffled. God raised him from the dead, and thereby ratified his demands, and confirmed his doctrine, and rolled away all the reproach of his sufferings, and for the truth of his resurrection we are all witnesses."
4. He ascribes the cure of this impotent man to the power of Christ, (Ac 3:16): His name, through faith in his name, in that discovery which he hath made of himself, has made this man strong. He repeats it again, The faith which is by him hath given him this soundness. Here, (1.) He appeals to themselves concerning the truth of the miracle; the man on whom it was wrought is one whom you see, and know, and have known; he was not acquainted with Peter and John before, so that there was no room to suspect a compact between them: "You know him to have been a cripple from a child. The miracle was wrought publicly, in the presence of you all; not in a corner, but in the gate of the temple; you saw in what manner it was done, so that there could be no juggle in it; you had liberty to examine it immediately, and may yet. The cure is complete; it is a perfect soundness; you see the man walks and leaps, as one that has no remainder either of weakness or pain." (2.) He acquaints them with the power by which it was wrought. [1.] It is done by the name of Christ, not merely by naming it as a spell or charm, but it is done by us as professors and teachers of his name, by virtue of a commission and instructions we have received from him, and a power which he has invested us with, that name which Christ has above every name; his authority, his command has done it; as writs run in the king's name, though it is an inferior officer that executes them. [2.] The power of Christ is fetched in through faith in his name, a confidence in him, a dependence on him, a believing application to him, and expectation from him, even that faith which is, di autou—by him, which is of his working; it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of Christ; and it is for his sake, that he may have the glory of it; for he is both the author and finisher of our faith. Dr. Lightfoot suggests that faith is twice named in Ac 3:16, because of the apostles' faith in doing this miracle and the cripple's faith in receiving it; but I suppose it relates chiefly, if not only, to the former. Those that wrought this miracle by faith derived power from Christ to work it, and therefore returned all the glory to him. By this true and just account of the miracle, Peter both confirmed the great gospel truth they were to preach to the world—that Jesus Christ is the fountain of all power and grace, and the great healer and Saviour—and recommended the great gospel duty of faith in him as the only way of receiving benefit by him. It explains likewise the great gospel mystery of our salvation by Christ; it is his name that justifies us, that glorious name of his, The Lord our righteousness; but we, in particular, are justified by that name, through faith in it, applying it to ourselves. Thus does Peter preach unto them Jesus, and him crucified, as a faithful friend of the bridegroom, to whose service and honour he devoted all his interest.
III. He encourages them to hope that, though they had been guilty of putting Christ to death, yet they might find mercy; he does all he can to convince them, yet is careful not to drive them to despair. The guilt was very great, but, 1. He mollifies their crime by a candid imputation of it to their ignorance. Perhaps he perceived by the countenance of his hearers that they were struck with great horror when he told them that they had killed the prince of life, and were ready either to sink down or to fly off, and therefore he saw it needful to mitigate the rigour of the charge by calling them brethren; and well might he call them so, for he had been himself a brother with them in this iniquity: he had denied the holy One and the Just, and sworn that he did not know him; he did it by surprise; "and, for your parts, I know that through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers," Ac 3:17. This was the language of Peter's charity, and teaches us to make the best of those whom we desire to make better. Peter had searched the wound to the bottom, and now he begins to think of healing it up, in order to which it is necessary to beget in them a good opinion of their physician; and could any thing be more winning than this? That which bears him out in it is that he has the example of his Master's praying for his crucifiers, and pleading in their behalf that they knew not what they did. And it is said of the rulers that if they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. See 1Co 2:8. Perhaps some of the rulers, and of the people, did therein rebel against the light and the convictions of their own consciences, and did it through malice; but the generality went down the stream, and did it through ignorance; as Paul persecuted the church, ignorantly, and in unbelief, 1Ti 1:13. 2. He mollifies the effects of their crime—the death of the prince of life; this sounds very dreadful, but it was according to the scriptures (Ac 3:18), the predictions of which, though they did not necessitate their sin, yet did necessitate his sufferings; so he himself saith: Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer. You did it through ignorance may be taken in this sense: "You fulfilled the scripture, and did not know it; God, by your hands, hath fulfilled what he showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer; this was his design in delivering him up to you, but you had views of your own, and were altogether ignorant of this design; you meant not so, neither did your heart think so. God was fulfilling the scripture when you were gratifying your own passions." Observe, It was not only determined in the secret counsel of God, but declared to the world many ages before, by the mouth and pen of the prophets, that Christ should suffer, in order to the accomplishment of his undertaking; and it was God himself that showed it by them, who will see that his words be made good; what he showed he fulfilled, he so fulfilled as he had shown, punctually and exactly, without any variation. Now, though this is no extenuation at all of their sin in hating and persecuting Christ to the death (this still appears exceedingly sinful), yet it was an encouragement to them to repent, and hope for mercy upon their repentance; not only because in general God's gracious designs were carried on by it (ant thus it agrees with the encouragement Joseph gave to his brethren, when they thought their offence against him almost unpardonable: Fear not, saith he, you thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good, Ge 50:15,20), but because in particular the death and sufferings of Christ were for the remission of sins, and the ground of that display of mercy for which he now encouraged them to hope.
IV. He exhorts them all to turn Christians, and assures them it would be unspeakably for their advantage to do so; it would be the making of them for ever. This is the application of his sermon.
1. He tells them what they must believe. (1.) They must believe that Jesus Christ is the promised see, that seed in which God had told Abraham all the kindreds of the earth should be blessed, Ac 3:25. This refers to that promise made to Abraham (Ge 12:3), which promise was long ere it was fulfilled, but now at length had its accomplishment in this Jesus, who was of the seed of Abraham, according to the flesh, and in him all the families of the earth are blessed, and not the families of Israel only; all have some benefits by him, and some have all benefits. (2.) They must believe that Jesus Christ is a prophet, that prophet like unto Moses whom God had promised to raise up to them from among their brethren, Ac 3:22. This refers to that promise, De 18:18. Christ is a prophet, for by him God speaks unto us; in him all divine revelation centres, and by him it is handed to us; he is a prophet like unto Moses, a favourite of Heaven; more intimately acquainted with the divine counsel, and more familiarly conversed with, than any other prophet. He was a deliverer of his people out of bondage, and their guide through the wilderness, like Moses; a prince and a lawgiver, like Moses; the builder of the true tabernacle, as Moses was of the typical one. Moses was faithful as a servant, Christ as a Son. Moses was murmured against by Israel, defied by Pharaoh, yet God owned him, and ratified his commission. Moses was a pattern of meekness and patience, so is Christ. Moses died by the word of the Lord, so did Christ. There was no prophet like unto Moses (Nu 12:6,7, De 34:10), but a greater than Moses is here where Christ is. He is a prophet of God's raising up, for he took not this honour of himself, but was called of God to it. He was raised up unto Israel in the first place. He executed this office in his own person among them only. They had the first offer of divine grace made to them; and therefore he was raised up from among them—of them, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, which, as it was a great honour done to them, so it was both an obligation upon them and an encouragement to them to embrace him. If he come to his own, one would think, they should receive him. The Old-Testament church was blessed with many prophets, with schools of prophets, for many ages with a constant succession of prophets (which is here taken notice of, from Samuel, and those that follow after, Ac 3:24, for from Samuel the prophetic era commenced); but, these servants being abused, last of all God sent them his Son, who had been in his bosom. (3.) They must believe that times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord (Ac 3:19), and that they will be the times of the restitution of all things, Ac 3:21. There is a future state, another life after this; those times will come from the presence of the Lord, from his glorious appearance at that day, his coming at the end of time. The absence of the Lord occasions many of the securities of sinners and the distrusts of saints; but his presence is hastening on, which will for ever silence both. Behold, the Judge standeth before the door. The presence of the Lord will introduce, [1.] The restitution of all things (Ac 3:21); the new heavens, and the new earth, which will be the product of the dissolution of all things (Re 21:1), the renovation of the whole creation, which is that which it grieves after, as its present burden under the sin of man is that which it groans under. Some understand this of a state on this side the end of time; but it is rather to be understood of that end of all things which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began; for this is that which Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of (Jude 1:14), and the temporal judgments which the other prophets foretold were typical of that which the apostle calls the eternal judgment. This is more clearly and plainly revealed in the New Testament than it had been before, and all that receive the gospel have an expectation of it. [2.] With this will come the times of refreshing (Ac 3:19), of consolation to the Lord's people, like a cool shade to those that have borne the burden and heat of the day. All Christians look for a rest that remains for the people of God, after the travails and toils of their present state, and, with the prospect of this, they are borne up under their present sufferings and carried on in their present services. The refreshing that then comes from the presence of the Lord will continue eternally in the presence of the Lord.
2. He tells them what they must do. (1.) They must repent, must bethink themselves of what they have done amiss, must return to their right mind, admit a second thought, and submit to the convictions of it; they must begin anew. Peter, who had himself denied Christ, repented, and he would have them to do so too. (2.) They must be converted, must face about, and direct both their faces and steps the contrary way to what they had been; they must return to the Lord their God, from whom they had revolted. It is not enough to repent of sin, but we must be converted from it, and not return to it again. They must not only exchange the profession of Judaism for that of Christianity, but the power and dominion of a carnal, worldly, sensual mind, for that of holy, heavenly, and divine principles and affections. (3.) They must hear Christ, the great prophet: "Him shall you hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. Attend his dictates, receive his doctrine, submit to his government. Hear him with a divine faith, as prophets should be heard, that come with a divine commission. Him shall you hear, and to him shall you subscribe with an implicit faith and obedience. Hear him in all things; let his laws govern all your actions, and his counsels determine all your submissions. Whenever he has a mouth to speak, you must have an ear to hear. Whatever he saith to you, though ever so displeasing to flesh and blood, bid it welcome." Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears. A good reason is here given why we should be observant of, and obedient to, the word of Christ; for it is at our peril if we turn a deaf ear to his call and a stiff neck to his yoke (Ac 3:23): Every soul that will not hear that prophet, and be directed by what he saith, shall be destroyed from among the people. The destruction of the city and nation, by war and famine, was threatened for slighting the prophets of the Old Testament; but the destruction of the soul, a spiritual and eternal destruction, is threatened for slighting Christ, this great prophet. Those that will not be advised by the Saviour can expect no other than to fall into the hands of the destroyer.
3. He tells them what they might expect.
(1.) That they should have the pardon of their sins; this is always spoken of as the great privilege of all those that embrace the gospel (Ac 3:19): Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. This implies, [1.] That the remission of sin is the blotting of it out, as a cloud is blotted out by the beams of the sun (Isa 44:22), as a debt is crossed and blotted out when it is remitted. It intimates that when God forgives sin he remembers it no more against the sinner; it is forgotten, as that which is blotted out; all the bitter things written against the sinner (Job 13:26) are wiped out as it were with a sponge; it is the cancelling of a bond, the vacating of a judgment. [2.] That we cannot expect our sins should be pardoned unless we repent of them, and turn from them to God. Though Christ has died to purchase the remission of sin, yet, that we may have the benefit of that purchase in the forgiveness of our sins, we must repent, and be converted: if no repentance, no remission. [3.] Hopes of the pardon of sin upon repentance should be a powerful inducement to us to repent. Repent, that your sins may be blotted out: and that repentance is evangelical which flows from an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, and the hopes of pardon. This was the first and great argument, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. [4.] The most comfortable fruit of the forgiveness of our sins will be when the times of refreshing shall come; if our sins be forgiven us, we have now reason to be of good cheer; but the comfort will be complete when the pardon shall be allowed in open court, and our justification published before angels and men—when whom he has justified, them he glorifies, Ro 8:30. As now we are the sons of God (1Jo 3:2), so now we have our sins blotted out; but it doth not yet appear what are the blessed fruits of it, till the times of refreshing shall come. During these times of toil and conflict (doubts and fears within, troubles and dangers without) we cannot have that full satisfaction of our pardon, and in it, that we shall have when the refreshing times come, which shall wipe away all tears.
(2.) That they should have the comfort of Christ's coming (Ac 3:20,21): "He shall send Jesus Christ, the same Jesus, the very same that before was preached unto you; for you must not expect another dispensation, another gospel, but the continuance and completion of this; you must not expect another prophet like unto Jesus, as Moses bade you expect another like unto him; for, though the heavens must receive him till the times of the restitution of all things; yet, if you repent and be converted, you shall find no want of him; some way or other he shall be seen of you." [1.] We must not expect Christ's personal presence with us in this world; for the heavens, which received him out of the sight of the disciples, must retain him till the end of time. To that seat of the blessed his bodily presence is confined, and will be to the end of time, the accomplishment of all things (so it may be read); and therefore those dishonour him, and deceive themselves, who dream of his corporal presence in the eucharist. It is agreeable to a state of trial and probation that the glorified Redeemer should be out of sight, because we must live by that faith in him which is the evidence of things not seen; because he must be believed on in the world, he must be received up into glory. Dr. Hammond reads it, Who must receive the heavens, that is, who must receive the glory and power of the upper world; he must reign till all be made subject to him, 1Co 15:25, Ps 75:2. [2.] Yet it is promised that he shall be sent to all that repent and are converted (Ac 3:20): "He shall send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you by his disciples, both before and since his resurrection, and is, and will be, all in all to them." First, "You shall have his spiritual presence. He that is sent into the world shall be sent to you; you shall have the comfort of his being sent; he shall be sent among you in his gospel, which shall be his tabernacle, his chariot of war." Secondly, "He shall send Jesus Christ to destroy Jerusalem, and the nation of unbelieving Jews, that are enemies to Christ and Christianity, and to deliver his ministers and people from them, and give them peace in the profession of the gospel, and that shall be a time of refreshing, in which you shall share." Then had the churches rest; so Dr. Hammond. Thirdly, "The sending of Christ to judge the world, at the end of time, will be a blessing to you; you shall then lift up your heads with joy, knowing that your redemption draws nigh." It seems to refer to this, for till then the heavens must receive him, Ac 3:21. As God's counsels from eternity, so his predictions from the beginning of time, had a reference to the transactions of the last day, when the mystery of God shall be finished, as he had declared to his servants the prophets, Re 10:7. The institution of all things in the church had an eye to the restitution of all things at the end of time.
4. He tells them what ground they had to expect these things, if they were converted to Christ. Though they had denied him, and put him to death, yet they might hope to find favour through him, upon the account of their being Israelites. For,
(1.) As Israelites, they had the monopoly of the grace of the Old Testament; they were, above any other, God's favourite nation, and the favours God bestowed upon them were such as had a reference to the Messiah, and his kingdom: You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant. A double privilege. [1.] They were the children, that is, the disciples, of the prophets, as children at school; not sons of the prophets, in the sense that we read of such in the Old Testament, from Samuel and downward, who were, or are, trained up to be endued with the spirit of prophecy; but you are of that people from among whom prophets were raised up, and to whom prophets were sent. It is spoken of as a great favour to Israel that God raised up of their sons for prophets, Am 2:11. All the inspired writers, both of the Old and New Testament, were of the seed of Abraham; and it was their honour and advantage that unto them were committed the oracles of God, Ro 3:2. Their government was constituted by prophecy, that is, by divine revelation; and by it their affairs were for many ages very much managed. See Ho 12:13. By a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. Those of the latter ages of the church, when prophecy had ceased, might yet be fitly called the children of the prophets, because they heard, though they did not know, the voices of the prophets, which were read in their synagogues every sabbath day, Ac 13;27. Now this should quicken them to embrace Christ, and they might hope to be accepted of him; for their own prophets had foretold that this grace should be brought unto them at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1Pe 1:13), and therefore ought not to be neglected by them, nor should be denied to them. Those that are blessed with prophets and prophecy (as all are that have the scriptures) are concerned not to receive the grace of God therein in vain. We may apply it particularly to ministers' children, who, if they plead their parentage effectually with themselves, as an inducement to be faithful and forward in religion, may comfortably plead it with God, and hope that the children of God's servants shall continue. [2.] They were the children, that is, the heirs, of the covenant which God made with our Fathers, as children in the family. God's covenant was made with Abraham and his seed, and they were that seed with whom the covenant was made, and on whom the blessings of the covenant were entailed: "The promise of the Messiah was made to you, and therefore if you forsake not your own mercies, and do not by an obstinate infidelity put a bar in your own door, you may hope it shall be made good to you." That promise here mentioned, as the principal article of the covenant, In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed, though referring principally to Christ (Ga 3:16), yet may include the church also, which is his body, all believers, that are the spiritual seed of Abraham. All the kindreds of the earth were blessed in having a church for Christ among them; and those that were the seed of Abraham according to the flesh stood fairest for this privilege. If all the kindreds of the earth were to be blessed in Christ, much more that kindred, his kinsmen according to the flesh.
(2.) As Israelites, they had the first offer of the grace of the New Testament. Because they were the children of the prophets and the covenant, therefore to them the Redeemer was first sent, which was an encouragement to them to hope that if they did repent, and were converted, he should be yet further sent for their comfort (Ac 3:20): He shall send Jesus Christ, for to you first he hath sent him, Ac 3:26. Unto you first, you Jews, though not to you only, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, appointed and authorized him to be a prince and a Saviour, and, in confirmation of this, raised him from the dead, sent him to bless you, to make a tender of his blessing to you, especially that great blessing of turning every one of you from his iniquities; and therefore it concerns you to receive this blessing, and turn from your iniquities, and you may be encouraged to hope that you shall. [1.] We are here told whence Christ had his mission: God raised up his Son Jesus, and sent him. God raised him up when he constituted him a prophet, owned his by a voice from heaven, and filled him with his Spirit without measure, and then sent him; for to this end he raised him up, that he might be his commissioner to treat of peace. He sent him to bear witness of the truth, sent him to seek and save lost souls, sent him against his enemies, to conquer them. Some refer the raising of him up to the resurrection, which was the first step towards his exaltation; this was, as it were, the renewing of his commission; and though, having raised him up, he seemed presently to take him from us, yet he did really send him afresh to us in his gospel and Spirit. [2.] To whom he was sent: "Unto you first. You of the seed of Abraham, you that are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant, to you is the tender made of gospel grace." The personal ministry of Christ, as that of the prophets, was confined to the Jews; he was not then sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and he forbade the disciples he then sent forth to go any further. After his resurrection, he was to be preached indeed to all nations, but they must begin at Jerusalem, Lu 24:47. And, when they went to other nations, they first preached to the Jews they found therein. They were the first-born, and, as such, had the privilege of the first offer. So far were they from being excluded for their putting Christ to death, that, when he is risen, he is first sent to them, and they are primarily intended to have benefit by his death. [3.] On what errand he was sent: "He is sent to you first, to bless you; this is his primary errand, not to condemn you, as you deserve, but to justify you, if you will accept of the justification offered you, in the way wherein it is offered; but he that sends him first to bless you, if you refuse and reject that blessing, will send him to curse you with a curse," Mal 4:6. Note, First, Christ's errand into the world was to bless us, to bring a blessing with him, for the Sun of righteousness rose with healing under his wings; and, when he left the world, he left a blessing behind him for he was parted from the disciples as he blessed them, Lu 24:51. He sent his Spirit to be the great blessing, the blessing of blessings, Isa 44:3. It is by Christ that God sends blessings to us, and through him only we can expect to receive them. Secondly, The great blessing wherewith Christ came to bless us was the turning of us away from our iniquities, the saving of us from our sins (Mt 1:21), to turn us from sin, that we may be qualified to receive all other blessings. Sin is that to which naturally we cleave; the design of divine grace is to turn us from it, nay, to turn us against it, that we may not only forsake it, but hate it. The gospel has a direct tendency to do this, not only as it requires us, every one of us, to turn from our iniquities, but as it promises us grace to enable us to do so. "Therefore, do your part; repent, and be converted, because Christ is ready to do his, in turning you from your iniquities, and so blessing you."
在本章我們看到一個神蹟和一篇講章：神蹟是為講章鋪路，印證所要傳的道，並為它開通進入百姓心裡的道路；接著講章則解明神蹟，並在神蹟所鬆開的土地上播種。一、這神蹟就是以一句話醫好一個生來瘸腿的人（徒 3:1-8），以及這事在百姓中間所造成的影響，徒 3:9-11。二、這裡所傳講章的目的，是要領人歸向基督，為他們釘死基督的罪悔改（徒 3:12-19），又因基督如今已經得了榮耀而信他，並順服父使基督得榮耀的旨意，徒 3:20-26。講論的前半部剖開傷口，後半部則敷上良藥。