Acts 3:6

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(6) Silver and gold have I none.—The narrative of Acts 2:45 shows that the Apostles were treasurers and stewards of the sums committed to their charge by the generous self-denial of the community. Either, therefore, we must assume that the words meant that they had no silver or gold with them at the time, or that, as almoners, they thought themselves bound to distribute what was thus given them in trust, for the benefit of members of the society of which they were officers and for them only. They, obeying their Lord’s commands (Matthew 10:9), had no money that they could call their own to give to those that asked them. But they could give more than money.

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth . . . .—The full trust with which the words were spoken was in part a simple act of faith in their Master’s promise (Mark 16:18), in part the result of a past experience in the exercise of like powers (Mark 6:13). And the Name in which they spoke could hardly have been a new name to the cripple. Among the beggars at the Temple-gate there had once been the blind man who received his sight at the pool of Siloam (John 9:7-8). The healing of the cripple at Bethesda (John 5:2; John 5:14) could scarcely have been unknown to the sufferer from a like infirmity. What made the call to rise and walk a test of faith was that, but a few weeks before, that Name had been seen on the superscription over the cross on which He who bore it had been condemned to die as one that deceived the people (John 7:12).

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

3:1-11 The apostles and the first believers attended the temple worship at the hours of prayer. Peter and John seem to have been led by a Divine direction, to work a miracle on a man above forty years old, who had been a cripple from his birth. Peter, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, bade him rise up and walk. Thus, if we would attempt to good purpose the healing of men's souls, we must go forth in the name and power of Jesus Christ, calling on helpless sinners to arise and walk in the way of holiness, by faith in Him. How sweet the thought to our souls, that in respect to all the crippled faculties of our fallen nature, the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth can make us whole! With what holy joy and rapture shall we tread the holy courts, when God the Spirit causes us to enter therein by his strength!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Silver and gold have I none - The man had asked for money; Peter assures him that he had not that to give; what he did was done, however, in such a way as to show his willingness to aid him if he had possessed money.

Such as I have - Such as is in my power. It is not to be supposed that he meant to say that he originated this power himself, but only that it was entrusted to him. He immediately adds that it was derived solely from the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the name - Compare Acts 4:10. In Mark 16:17-18, it is said, "These signs shall follow them that the sick, and they shall recover." The expression means "by his authority," or "in virtue of power derived from him." We are here struck with a remarkable difference between the manner in which the Lord Jesus performed miracles and that in which it was done by his apostles. He did it in his own name and by virtue of his own power. The apostles never attempted to perform a miracle by their own power. It was only in the name of Jesus; and this circumstance alone shows that there was a radical difference between Christ and all other prophets and teachers.

Of Nazareth - This was the name by which he was commonly known. By the name he had been designated among the Jews and on the cross. It is by no means improbable that the man had heard of him by this name, and it was important that he should understand that it was by the authority of him who had been crucified as an impostor.

Rise up and walk - To do this would be evidence of signal power. It is remarkable that in cases like this they were commanded to do the thing at once. See similar cases in John 5:8; Matthew 9:6; Matthew 12:13. It would have been easy to allege that they had no power; that they were lame, or sick, or palsied, and could do nothing until God should give them strength. But the command was to do the thing; nor did the Saviour or the apostles stop to convince them that they could do nothing. They did not doubt that if it were done they would ascribe the power to God. Precisely like this is the condition of the sinner. God commands him to do the thing; to repent, and believe, and lead a holy life. It is not merely to attempt to do it, to make use of means, or to wait on him, but it is actually to repent and believe the gospel. Where he may obtain power to do it is another question. It is easy for him to involve himself in difficulty, as it would have been in these cases. But the command of God is positive, and must be obeyed. If not obeyed, people must perish, just as this man would have been always lame if he had put forth no effort of his own. When done, a convicted sinner will do just as this man did, instinctively give all the praise to God, Acts 3:8.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

6. Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee—What a lofty superiority breathes in these words!

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk—These words, uttered with supernatural power, doubtless begat in this poor man the faith that sent healing virtue through his diseased members.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Silver and gold have I none; that is, at hand, or about me; neither had he much elsewhere; the apostles abounded indeed, but in grace, not in riches.

Such as I have; a power from Christ to heal.

Give I thee; I apply it to thee, and will make it effectual for thee.

In the name, in the power, or at the command, of Jesus Christ, and trusting unto his promised assistance, who can speak to things that are not as if they were.

Jesus Christ of Nazareth; our Saviour was usually so called, and being known by that name, the apostle does not decline it, though it had been by many (without cause) given him by way of reproach.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "we have none"; and so it reads the next clause in the first person plural; that is, they had no money either of gold or silver coin; they had none about them, nor any of their own perhaps any where; none but what was brought to them, and put into their hands as a common stock for the whole church, or the poor of it: nor indeed might any money be carried in a purse into the temple; See Gill on Matthew 10:9, Mark 11:16 though doubtless they might carry it in their hands, or otherwise, for the offerings, or for the poor, or this man would not have lain here for alms.

But such as I have, give I thee; meaning the gift of healing; not that he communicated that to him, but exercised the gift upon him, by curing him of his lameness; and which was much preferable to large quantities of gold and silver, had he had them to give unto him:

in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: signifying, that it was by the command of Christ he said what follows; and by his power he wrought the cure which commenced upon it; even by the authority and virtue of him, who was treated with so much contempt by the Jews, and had lately been crucified by them: in his name he bid him

rise up and walk; without making use of any medicines, or applying anything to him; but believing that power would go along with the words, and strength would be communicated to him, by him in whose name he spoke, he said these words: and herein lies the difference between the miracles wrought by Christ, and by his disciples; those that were done by him were done in his own name, and by his own power; those that were performed by his disciples, were done in the name of Christ, and by his power alone; and the Jews themselves own, that the disciples performed cures , "in the name of Jesus" (a).

(a) T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 14. 4. & Avoda Zara, fol. 40. 4.

Geneva Study Bible

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Acts 3:6. Δίδωμι] I give thee herewith.

ἐν τῷ ὀνόμ.… περιπάτει] by virtue of the name (now pronounced) of Jesus the Messiah, the Nazarene, arise and walk, ἐν denotes that on which the rising and walking were causally dependent. Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17; Acts 4:10; Acts 16:18. Comp. the utterance of Origen, c. Cels. 1, against the assertion of Celsus, that Christians expelled demons by the help of evil spirits: τοσοῦτον γὰρ δύναται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ ʼΙησοῦ. This name was the focus of the power of faith, through which the miraculous gift of the apostles operated. Comp. on Matthew 7:22; Luke 9:49; Luke 10:17; Mark 16:17. A dico or the like is not (in opposition to Heinrichs, Kuinoel, and others) to be supplied with ἐν τ. ὀνόμ. κ.τ.λ. Observe, moreover, first, the solemnity of the ʼΙησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζ.; and secondly, that Χριστοῦ, as in Acts 2:38, cannot yet be a proper name. Comp. John 17:3; John 1:42.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Acts 3:6. ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον: the words do not suggest the idea of a complete communism amongst the believers, although Oecumenius derives from them a proof of the absolute poverty of the Apostles. They may perhaps be explained by remembering that if the Apostles had no silver or gold with them, they were literally obeying their Lord’s command, Matthew 10:9, or that whatever money they had was held by them in trust for the public good, not as available for private charity. Spitta, who interprets Acts 2:45 of the Apostles alone (pp. 72–74), sees in St. Peter’s words a confirmation of his view, and a further fulfilment of our Lord’s words in Luke 12:33, but if our interpretation of Acts 2:44 ff. is correct, our Lord’s words were fully obeyed, but as a principle of charity, and not as a rule binding to the letter. St. Chrysostom (Hom., viii.) justly notes the unassuming language of St. Peter here, so free from boasting and personal display. Compare 1 Peter 1:18 (Acts 3:3), where the Apostle sharply contrasts the corruptible gold and silver with higher and spiritual gifts (Scharfe).—ὃ δὲ ἔχω: the difference between this verb and ὑπάρχει may be maintained by regarding the latter as used of worldly belongings, ἔχω of that which was lasting and most surely held.—ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι: no occasion to prefix such words as λέγω σοι for the expression means “in the power of this name” (cf. Matthew 7:22, Luke 10:17, Acts 4:10; Acts 16:18, Jam 5:14, Mark 16:17). So too the Hebrew בְּשֵׁם in the name of any one, i.e., by his authority, Exodus 5:23, and thus “in the name of Jehovah,” i.e., by divine authority, Deuteronomy 18:22, 1 Chronicles 22:19, Jeremiah 11:21, and frequently in the Psalms, cf. also Book of Enoch, xlviii. 7 (Charles, p. 48). On the use, or possible use, of the phrase in extra-biblical literature, see Deissmann, Bibelstudien, p. 145, and also Neue Bibelstudien, p. 25 (1897). When Celsus alleged that the Christians cast out demons by the aid of evil spirits, Origen claims this power for the name of Jesus: τοσοῦτον γὰρ δύναται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, cf. also Justin Martyr, Dial. c. Tryph., 85.—Ἰ. Χ. τοῦ Ναζωραίου: the words must n themselves have tested the faith of the lame man. His part has sometimes been represented as merely passive, and as if no appeal of any kind were made to his faith contrasted with Acts 14:9 (Acts 3:16 in this chapter being interpreted only of the faith of the Apostles), but a test of faith was implied in the command which bade the man rise and walk in the power of a name which a short time before had been placed as an inscription on a malefactor’s cross, but with which St. Peter now bids him to associate the dignity and power of the Messiah (see Plumptre, in loco). It is necessary from another point of view to emphasise this implied appeal to the man’s faith, since Zeller and Overbeck regard the omission of faith in the recipient as designed to magnify the magic of the miracle. Zeller remarks: “Our book makes but one observation on his state of mind, which certainly indicates a receptivity, but unfortunately not a receptivity for spiritual gifts”. But nothing was more natural than that the man should at first expect to receive money, and his faith in St. Peter’s words is rather enhanced by the fact that the Apostle had already declared his utter inability to satisfy his expectations. St. Luke much more frequently than the other Evangelists names our Lord from His early home Nazareth in which frequency Friedrich sees another point of likeness between St. Luke’s Gospel and the Acts, Das Lucasevangelium, p. 85. Holtzmann attempts to refer the whole story to an imitation of Luke 5:18-26, but see as against such attempts Feine, Eine vorkanonische Überlieferung des Lukas, pp. 175, 199, 200.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

6. Silver and gold have I none] The Apostles, we may see from this, made no claim for themselves upon the contributions of the richer converts.

but such as I have give I thee] Better literally, what I have that give I thee. We are nowhere told how much time had passed since the day of Pentecost, and it is probable that this was not the first miracle which Peter wrought (see Acts 2:43). For he speaks as not without experience of what works God will enable him to do. His language is that of firm assurance, “what I have,” though in a moment he adds “In the name of Jesus Christ.”

Jesus Christ of Nazareth] According to St John’s account, the name Nazareth was included in the title on Christ’s cross (John 19:19), and we can see that the place was despised in the eyes of the Jews (John 1:46) from Nathanael’s question to Philip. This despised origin, as well as the shameful death of Jesus, was a stumbling-block to the Jews.

rise up and walk] The best MSS. have only the last verb walk. So that the arguments which have been based on these words to shew that St Luke in the Acts has drawn his picture here from what is recorded of Christ’s language (Luke 5:23) in the Gospel, fall to the ground.

Bengel's Gnomen

Acts 3:6. Ἀργύριον καὶ χρύσιον, silver and gold) The beggar was expecting money.—οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι, I have none) There is no doubt but that alms were given even to those who were not of the community of believers: but Peter at that time, either had nothing with him in going to the temple, or was not able to give as much as was needed for the relief of the poor man. Observe the abstinence of the apostle, though exercising such an ample administration of charitable funds: ch. Acts 2:45, with which comp. ch. Acts 4:35.—Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, of Jesus Christ) Jesus therefore is the Christ.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 6. - But for then, A.V.; what I have that for such as I have, A.V.; walk for rise up and walk, A.V. and T.R. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. What Peter meant by "in the Name," he clearly explains in vers. 12 and 16, where he shows that they did not work the miracle by their own power or godliness, but that the lame man was healed by the Name of Jesus, in which he believed. So our Lord said of himself, "I am come in my Father's Name" (John 5:43; comp. John 10:25) Observe the full designation of our Lord as "Jesus Christ of Nazareth" (τοῦ Ναζωραίου), as in Acts 4:10, and comp. Matthew 11:23. The faith which was the condition of the healing (ἐπὶ τῇ πίστει, ver. 16) embraced the humiliation and cross of the Christ (as expressed in the word the Nazarene) as well as his power and glory. Acts 3:6

Vincent's Word Studies

Silver and gold (ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον)

Properly, silver and gold money. See on 1 Peter 1:18.