Fathers

Acts 3

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Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” He took him by the right hand and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. Leaping up, he stood and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God. They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses. By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. “Now, brothers, I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled. “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days. You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘All the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.’ God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”

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What the Fathers say

Acts 3:22

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"A prophet shall the Lord God raise up for you from among your brethren, like unto me." This would most conciliate them. Do you observe the sprinkling of low matters and high, side by side,-that He Who was to go up into the heavens should be like unto Moses? And yet it was a great thing too. …

Homily on Acts 9 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

He said "will raise up… a Prophet like me." The expression "like me" should be understood not in the sense of nature, but in the sense of activity. Moses likened himself to Christ not by nature, but by actions, because if he had used the expression "like me" in the sense of nature, then not one but many would have risen. Emmanuel is called a Prophet according to His humanity — a mediator, as Moses was in his time, between God and men. …

Commentary on Acts ↗

Oecumenius

What is this, "like me"? Christ is born in Bethlehem, and Moses in Egypt. That Moses is an Israelite, as is this Jesus according to the flesh. That Moses is of a priestly lineage, as is this Jesus of David because of the Virgin. Pharaoh opposed that Moses, Herod opposed this Jesus. That Pharaoh killed infants, and this Herod slayed infants; that Moses and this Jesus are male. That Moses was saved through a mother, and this Jesus was saved through a Mother and also with His Mother. …

Commentary on Acts ↗

Western Saints

Bede

Moses indeed said: Because the Lord your God has raised up for you a prophet from among your brethren, like me, you shall listen to him according to all that he will speak to you, etc. The beginning of this passage in Greek has more: Moses indeed said to your fathers: Because the Lord your God has raised up for you a prophet. …

Retractions on Acts ↗