Acts 3:6

Silver and gold. The accounts in chs. 2:45; 5:2 show that the apostles were the custodians of the funds committed to the leadership of the church by the generosity of the Christian community. One could understand that Peter and John had no money of their own, but why did they not give to the lame man from the treasury of the church? Either they had none of these funds with them at the moment, or for some reason felt that such money must be reserved for the benefit of members of the Christian society. But they had more than money to give, a gift of which the church in its later wealth has not shown itself possessed. A remarkable anecdote is related of Thomas Aquinas, who called on Pope Innocent IV when he had a very large sum of money on the table before him. Said the Pope to him: “You see, Thomas, that the Church cannot now say as the primitive Church could, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” “Yes, Holy Father,” Aquinas replied, “but neither can she say, as did Peter to a crippled man, ‘Arise, and walk.’”

Such as I have. Rather, “what I have.” Luke already has referred to “wonders and signs” performed by the apostles prior to this incident (ch. 2:43); so this may not have been Peter’s first miracle since Pentecost. This passage shows him speaking with firm assurance. In the presence of this great incident every Christian must ask himself, What have I to give? One cannot give what he has not received, nor can he truly give from an ungenerous heart. He cannot give of Christ when he does not possess Christ. But when he has Christ, he knows it, and cannot too quickly share his precious gift with others.

In the name. The name Jesus Christ, the anointed Saviour, contains the description of the personality and character of its divine bearer. The reverent invocation of the name resulted in a demonstration of His power. The recognition and invocation of the power of this name is frequent in the book of Acts (see chs. 4:10, 12; 9:14; 16:18; 19:5, 13; 22:16). The full trust with which the name was spoken by Peter in the healing act was an expression of simple faith in his Master’s promise (Mark 16:18). See on Acts 3:16.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The name was probably not new to the cripple. There had once been a blind man who received his sight at the Pool of Siloam (John 9:7, 8). Perhaps the healing of the cripple at Bethesda (John 5:2-9) was known also to this sufferer from a like infirmity.

Nazareth was a place of low reputation (see John 1:46). According to John’s account, Nazareth was named on the superscription of the cross (ch. 19:19). Not only the Galilean background of Jesus (ch. 7:40-42), but the fact that He came from Nazareth, was a stumbling block to the Jews. It must have been a great test of faith for the lame man to respond to Peter’s call. Only a few weeks before, the One who bore this name had come to shame and death upon the cross, as one who had deceived the people. But the utterance of the name in faith opened the way for the operation of the power of God. “No sooner is the name of Jesus mentioned in love and tenderness than angels of God draw near, to soften and subdue the heart” (CM 112).

Rise up and walk. Textual evidence is divided (cf. p. 10) as to whether this passage should read as here, or simply, “Walk!” This man had never walked, or if at all, most haltingly, for he had been crippled from birth (v. 2). Peter’s command was to be obeyed in the power of God, without regard to conditions. Obedience in faith meant health.