Acts 3:17
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And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
And now, brethren--Our preacher, like his Master, "will not break the bruised reed." His heaviest charges are prompted by love, which now hastens to assuage the wounds it was necessary to inflict. I wot--"know." through ignorance ye did it--(See marginal references, Luk 23:34; Act 13:27; Act 26:9).
Open source ↗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 (Act 3:1-8), and the impression which this made upon the people (Act 3:9-11). II. The scope of the sermon which was preached hereupon was to bring people to Christ, to repent of their sin in crucifying him (Act 3:12-19), to believe in him now that he was glorified, and to comply with the Father's design in glorifying him (Act 3:20-26). The former part of the discourse opens the wound, the latter applies the remedy.
Open source ↗3:17 Friends: Literally Brothers, which was a common way to address one another (13:15, 26, 38; Gen 27:29; Lev 10:6; 25:46; Num 20:3; Deut 1:28; 24:7; Josh 22:3-4; 2 Sam 2:26; Ezek 11:15). • in ignorance: Cp. Acts 17:30; 1 Tim 1:12-14. The Christian message challenges this ignorance and calls all people to respond in faith and repentance (Acts 2:38).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning Him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
None of the rulers of this age understood it. For if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.
I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man; yet because I had acted in ignorance and unbelief, I was shown mercy.
So then, I too was convinced that I ought to do all I could to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed.
God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:
But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.
Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”