Acts 3:12 Meaning and Explanation
“And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Peter turns the crowd's amazement away from himself and John: this man was not made to walk by their own power or godliness.
What Does Acts 3:12 Mean?
Peter sees the stares and answers them before anyone speaks. Addressing the worshippers as 'ye men of Israel,' he refuses at the outset the two explanations they are reaching for — that the apostles possess some power of their own, or that their personal holiness earned this miracle.
It is a rare man who deflects glory at the very moment it is offered. Peter knows what the healing is — a signpost, not a shrine — and he will not let it point at him. Those who serve Christ still take the lesson: the surest mark of God's power working through a person is that the person steps out of the way. The miracle was never about the hands; it was about the Name.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 3:12
What does Acts 3:12 mean?
Peter turns the crowd's amazement away from himself and John: this man was not made to walk by their own power or godliness.