# Acts Chapter 3
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## Summarrium
Peter and John were going up to the temple at at the hour of prayer and a man lame from birth was carried out at the Beautiful Gate to ask for alms. He asks for alms from Peter and John who offer him no money but instead Peter gives `what I do have` and commands the man to walk who immediately begins to walk with his feet and ankles made strong. People are there praising God and filled with wonder and amazement.

Peter points out that this miracle was not the result of power or piety within himself or John but instead the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who sent Jesus whom the people of Jerusalem had put to death. Peter points out that the people should repent and be refreshed from the presence of Lord as foretold by the prophets. 

## Meditatio
Within Acts 3 we begin to see the kind of potential that exists within the power of the Holy spirit. Peter is going about his business but for some reason stops to address a beggar that he would likely have encountered on numerous occasions before. We see in verse 2 indeed that this individual would have been a *daily* feature at the gate that is called beautiful. So from a material perspective little has changed.

Yet we will see that much has changed from a spiritual perspective. Peter has been filled with the spirit of God and empowered to resolve something he was previously powerless to change. Peters response to this is not to accept the Glory at having healed another individuals but rightly attributes the action to the Lord directly. He is not there to perform for the crowd.

Indeed if anything it seems Peter is intent on speaking the kind of truth that may even lead to his death. For example in verse 15 '`you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead`' does not pull punches. Peter is explicit that the people of Jerusalem have culpability in the death of God calling for Barabbas release that Jesus might be executed.

Yet Paul points out that the Jews are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant implying that they inherit something significant. In the beginning of Acts 4[^1] we see that the priests and the captain of the temple and Sadducees come upon them because they are teaching the people.  They are arrested and placed in custody. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, about 5,000 men come to believe in Jesus.

[^1]: This is really one of those unfortunate chapter placements that cuts the dialogue prematurely.