ACC ~ Acts 3 v17 - 26

OVERVIEW:

Modern commentators, who since the Middle Ages are more aware of the subjectivity and intentions of the author, see here another instance of Lukan theology and point out the resemblance here to the call to repentance in the speech at Pentecost (Acts 2:38-39). Also intriguing and unique to this passage are the remarks in Acts 3:19-20, which speak of the “times of refreshing,” meaning the blessings to flow from repentance and baptism in this time before the Messiah returns from heaven, which is described as “until the time for establishing all.” (A more literal and felicitous rendering might be, “until the times for the restoration of all things.”) The theme of ignorance of those who were involved in the death of Jesus is a theme that occurs elsewhere in Acts (Acts 13:27; 17:30). Chrysostom states the working out of salvation and forgiveness in a rather unsatisfactory way that makes God appear a manipulator of human ignorance who then coerces through fear of punishment, rather than one who willingly handed himself over in weakness to undo the evil that would come upon him. Here is one of Chrysostom’s least astute readings of the mystery of the cross. Didymus’s concerns are grammatical but throw light on how the entire Bible, with no attention to the individual style of an author, was seen as a source of comparison for single passages in order to establish the meanings of different words. Origen offers a meditation on the time of restoration.

3:17 | Acting in Ignorance

TWO EXCUSING CIRCUMSTANCES. CHRYSOSTOM: As he had been hard on them and had shown that he whom they crucified had risen, he now relaxes, by giving them the power of repentance: “And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers.” This is one ground of excuse. The second is of a different kind. As Joseph says to his brothers, “God sent me before you.” In the earlier speech Peter had briefly said, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” He enlarges upon that here: “But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.” HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 9.

3:18 | What God Foretold

GOD USES THE WICKEDNESS OF PEOPLE. CHRYSOSTOM: If indeed it was all the prophets and not only one of them who said this, it follows that, although the event took place through ignorance, it did not take place contrary to God’s ordinance. See how great is the wisdom of God, when it uses the wickedness of others to bring about what must be. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 9.

3:21 | Whom Heaven Must Receive

THE MEANING OF “UNTIL.” DIDYMUS THE BLIND: Someone familiar with the way Scripture speaks knows that the words until and then are not to be taken in the strict sense meaning a specific time, as though when that time passes something else quite different must take place. Thus, what was said by God to some, “I am your God and until you grow old, I am he,” does not imply that, when these addressees grow old, he will no longer be God. He is immortal and eternal. There are thousands of such instances that are contained in the divine teaching, and who can number them? Thus in the present text when it says that “heaven must receive the Lord until the time of restoration,” this should be understood to mean that Christ, now received into heaven, will remain there until the consummation of the world. Then he will come in power when everything else is restored as the prophets foretold. Or it can be understood to mean that, when the end is near and sensible things will cease, then Christ will be higher than the heavens, not established in heaven but above heaven with that glory that he had with the Father before the world was. Raised up above every visible creature, he will constitute an end to what is in heaven. CATENA ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 3.21.

ALL THINGS RESTORED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS. ORIGEN: Everything endowed with reason will come under one law. … If we must refer to this subject, it will be with great brevity. The Stoics, indeed, hold that, when the strongest of the elements prevails, all things shall be turned into fire. But our belief is that the Word will prevail over the entire rational creation and change every soul into his own perfection. In this state all, by the mere exercise of his power, will choose what he desires and obtain what he chooses. For although, in the diseases and wounds of the body, there are some which no medical skill can cure, yet we hold that in the mind there is no evil so strong that it may not be overcome by the supreme Word and God. For stronger than all the evils in the soul is the Word and the healing power that dwells in him. This healing he applies, according to the will of God, to everything. The consummation of all things is the destruction of evil, although as to the question whether it shall be so destroyed that it can never anywhere arise again, it is beyond our present purpose to say. Many things are said obscurely in the prophecies on the total destruction of evil and the restoration to righteousness of every soul; but it will be enough for our present purpose to quote the following passage from Zephaniah: “Prepare and rise early; all the gleanings of their vineyards are destroyed. Therefore wait upon me, says the Lord, on the day that I rise up for a testimony. For my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kings, to pour upon them my indignation, even all my fierce anger. For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy. For then will I bring about a transformation of pure language among the people, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring my offering. In that day you will not be ashamed for all your sinful deeds of transgression against me. For then I will take away out of your midst them that rejoice in your pride; and you will be haughty no more because of my holy mountain. I will also leave in your midst an afflicted and poor people, and they will trust in the name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will not commit iniquity nor speak lies. Neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” AGAINST CELSUS 8.72.

3:22 | The Lord Will Raise a Prophet

MOSES CONFIDES HIS DISCIPLES TO CHRIST. CHRYSOSTOM: Christ sent the Jews back to Moses so that, through Moses, he might draw them to himself. In the same way, Moses hands over his disciples to his teacher and commands them to believe him in all things. AGAINST THE ANOMOEANS 12.5.

3:24 | All the Prophets Have Spoken

ALL IN ACCORD WITH PROPHECY. CHRYSOSTOM: Then [Peter] takes refuge in what is trustworthy, saying, “The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet from your brothers as he raised me up. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.” And then the severity of the punishment, “And it shall be that every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people. And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came afterwards, also proclaimed these days.” … It is remarkable that the two stand together, obedience and disobedience, and the punishment. “As I am,” he says (why are you alarmed at this?), “You are the sons of the prophets.” It was to you that they spoke, and it was for your sake that all these things have come to pass. They were of the belief that they had alienated themselves through their outrage—for it was illogical that the same one was now crucified and now cherished them as his own. So he proves to them that both the one and the other are in accordance with prophecy. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 9.

THE PROPHETIC MOVEMENT. BEDE: Although the patriarchs and saints of earlier times prophesied many things about Christ by their words and deeds, properly speaking the time of the prophets (I mean those who wrote clearly about the mystery of Christ and the church) had its beginning from Samuel, under whom the period of the kings began in Israel, and it lasted up to the deliverance from the Babylonian captivity. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 3.24.

3:25 | Sons of the Prophets and of the Covenant

YOU ARE NOT TO FEEL LIKE CASTAWAYS. CHRYSOSTOM: “Children of the covenant,” that is, heirs. To prevent them from thinking that they are receiving this as a favor from Peter, he reveals that it was owed to them from the beginning, so that they might more readily believe that such is also the will of God. “God, having raised up his servant,” he says, “sent him to you first.” He did not say simply “he sent his servant to you,” but adds that it was after the resurrection and when he had been crucified. Because he did not want them to think that it was he, and not the Father, who granted this favor, he says “to bless you.” For if he is your brother and blesses you, it is a matter of promise. That is, so far from your having no share in these blessings, he wishes you to become advocates and authors of them to others. For you are not to feel like castaways. Again the resurrection. “In turning every one of you,” he says, “from your wickedness,” he blesses you [particularly], not in a general way. What kind of blessing is this? A great one. For turning from wickedness, of course, does not suffice to destroy it. If it does not suffice to destroy, then what is meant by conferring a blessing? It is certainly not that the transgressor immediately becomes blessed but that he is released from his sins. … Then high praise also from the other side, so that for this reason too you are obliged to obey. He calls you “sons of the prophets and of the covenant,” that is, heirs. Why then do you feel towards what is your own as if it were another’s? True, you have done things worthy of condemnation, but you will be able to obtain pardon. Having spoken this, he is then able to say with truth, “God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you.” He does not say, to save you, but what is greater, that the crucified one blesses his crucifiers. HOMILIES ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 9.

ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH. BEDE: Christ indeed is the offspring of Abraham, and through faith in his name a blessing is promised to all the families of the earth, namely, Jews and Gentiles. However, the apostle soothed the minds of the Jews in order to make them more well-disposed to believing by saying that, out of the whole world, the Savior chose to visit and bless them first. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 3.25.

3:26 | God Sent Him to Bless You

ONE PERSON, TWO NATURES. BEDE: Here it must be borne in mind that the one whom he calls the offspring of Abraham is at the same time the Son of God because of the two natures of the one Christ. Thus they should not believe either that Christ is only a man or that there is one son of man and one Son of God. This is the trap of heresy into which the mad Manes and Nestorius were misled. COMMENTARY ON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 3.26.