The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (146 page)

2:39 and to your children:
The benefits of Baptism are available to adults and children alike. This explains why the apostles baptized entire households (16:15, 33; 1 Cor 1:16; CCC 1252).
See note on Lk 18:16
.
all that are far off:
Applicable to the dispersed nation of Israel (Is 57:19) and to the worldwide family of Gentiles (Eph 2:17). 
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2:40 this crooked generation:
Peter indicts his contemporaries as Jesus had done before him (Lk 9:41) and Paul would do after him (Phil 2:15). • The expression comes from the Song of Moses and was first applied to the faithless generation of Israel that came out of Egypt (Deut 32:5). 
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2:42 teaching . . . fellowship . . . bread . . . prayers:
Essential actions of the Church's life shown forth in the believing community of Jerusalem. They held to the doctrinal catechesis of the apostles (teaching), interpersonal communion and support (fellowship), the celebration of the Eucharist (breaking of bread), and community praise and petitions (prayers). Thus, in every aspect of life, the earliest believers were united as a family: they learned together, lived together, ate together, worshiped together, and prayed together (CCC 950, 1329, 2624). 
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2:46 the temple:
Continued to be a venue for prayer and preaching in the earliest days of Christianity (3:1; Lk 24:53; CCC 584). Separate gatherings for the eucharistic liturgy were initially held in private homes (20:7-8; 1 Cor 11:17-22). 
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2:47 the Lord added:
Because Christ is the true builder of the Church (Mt 16:18), he is credited with her astonishingly rapid growth (2:41; 4:4; 5:14, etc.). 
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3:1 Peter and John:
Closely associated in the writings of Luke (8:14; Lk 22:8) and John (Jn 18:15; 20:2-3; 21:20-23).
the hour of prayer:
Twice a day liturgical services were held in the Temple, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices (Ex 29:38-39). The
ninth hour
corresponds to the evening prayers recited around 3
P.M.
, just a few hours before sunset and the end of the Jewish day.
See note on Lk 1:10
. 
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3:2 called Beautiful:
Probably the gate that led from the outermost court of the Gentiles into a series of inner courts where only Israelites were permitted to worship. 
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3:8 leaping and praising God:
The healing ministry of Jesus (Mt 11:5) continues through the apostles he has authorized to speak in his name (3:6; Mk 16:17-18). • The leaping of the man once lame is a sign that the messianic age has arrived (Is 35:6; Mal 4:2). 
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3:11 portico called Solomon's:
A colonnade walkway along the eastern edge of the Temple platform. It was a favorite meeting place of the early Christians (5:12), as it had been for Jesus (Jn 10:23). 
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3:13 God of Abraham . . . Isaac . . . Jacob:
The formula spoken to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:6).
glorified his servant:
The Father glorified Jesus in his suffering, dying, and rising. See word study:
Glorify
at Jn 17:1. • Peter identifies Jesus as the messianic Servant of the Lord, who is exalted and lifted up (in Gk., "glorified") in Is 52:13. The context of this excerpt includes the entire song of the "Suffering Servant", which runs from Is 52:13 to 53:12. It is clear by the end of the song that Yahweh glorified his Servant because he endured the rejection of his people and offered his life as a sacrifice for sin. This prophecy is examined again in 8:32-33. 
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3:14 a murderer:
Barabbas (Lk 23:18-19). 
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3:15 the Author of life:
All creation and life comes from Jesus Christ, who created the world with the Father (Jn 1:1-4; Heb 1:2) and renews the world through the Spirit (Jn 20:2223; 2 Cor 3:18). 
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3:17 acted in ignorance:
The perpetrators of Christ's death were unaware of the full gravity of their actions or the divine plan that lay behind them (Lk 23:34).
See note on Acts 2:23
. 
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3:19 sins may be blotted out:
That is, through Baptism (2:38; 22:16). 
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3:22 The Lord God will raise:
Peter identifies Jesus as the messianic prophet envisioned in the Torah. • Moses forewarned in Deut 18:15-19 that a prophet after his own likeness would arise in Israel bearing the word of the Lord. Failure to heed this prophet would bring a curse of destruction and disinheritance upon the impenitent. This prophecy is quoted again in 7:37. 
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3:25 And in your posterity:
A reference to the Abrahamic covenant ratified by divine oath in Gen 22:18. • Yahweh swore an oath to make the descendants of Abraham his chosen instrument for blessing the world. As the messianic son of Abraham, Jesus makes this promise a reality, first by restoring life to Israel (5:31; Mt 10:5-6) and then by using believers from Israel to bless the nations with the gospel (15:16-18; Mt 28:18-20). 
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4:1 the captain:
The head of the police force that patrolled the Temple precincts.
Sadducees:
Members of the priestly aristocracy of Jerusalem. They were fierce opponents of the apostles and their doctrine of the resurrection (23:8). See essay:
Who Are the Sadducees?
at Mk 12. 
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4:3 already evening:
The gates of the Temple were locked shut after the evening liturgy, around 4
P.M.
Criminal cases, usually tried within a judicial chamber inside (or adjacent to) the Temple, could not be dealt with until the following day. 
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4:4 five thousand:
A growth of nearly 2,000 since Pentecost (2:41).
See note on Acts 2:47
. 
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4:5 rulers and elders and scribes:
A formal assembly of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of ancient Judaism.
See note on Mk 14:55
. 
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4:6 Annas the high priest:
He served in this capacity from
A.D.
6 to 15, at which time Roman authorities replaced him with another (Eleazar). The Jewish leadership, however, still considered him the rightful occupant of the position and so addressed him accordingly (Lk 3:2).
Caiaphas:
The son-in-law of Annas and the officiating high priest appointed by the Romans in
A.D.
18 (Jn 18:13).
John:
Probably the son of Annas and the direct successor of Caiaphas. He was appointed high priest in
A.D.
36. 
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4:11 This is the stone:
A paraphrase of Ps 118:22. • The apostles learned from Jesus that Ps 118 envisions the rejection of the Messiah (Mk 12:10-12). This tragedy is described as the builders of Jerusalem discarding a stone that God would make the honored cornerstone of a new and living Temple (Eph 2:20-22). Peter turns to this text again in 1 Pet 2:4-7 (CCC 756).
you builders:
The Psalmist's depiction of the leaders of Israel as "builders" is here reinforced by the setting: the priestly leaders of the Sanhedrin supervised the building of the Herodian Temple in Jerusalem, which was under continual construction from 19
B.C.
until
A.D.
63. 
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4:12 no other name:
The powerful name of Jesus is the focus of the entire episode (3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 17-18). Its Hebrew form can also be rendered "Joshua", meaning "Yahweh saves" (Sir 46:1; Mt 1:21). The name is invoked in Acts to heal the sick (9:34), perform signs and wonders (4:30), drive out demons (16:18; 19:13), and administer Baptism (2:38; 10:48; 22:16; CCC 430-35, 1507). 
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4:13 uneducated:
Peter and John were former fishermen, i.e., men of labor, not learning (Mk 1:16-20). Even so, their bold defense of the gospel caused many to wonder and made their limited knowledge of traditional Jewish theology irrelevant (1 Cor 1:26-27). 
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