Acts 3:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Notice how everywhere he appeals to their testimony. Above he said, "as you yourselves know," and, "in your midst" (Acts 2:22).

Again he says, "whom you see and know," and, "this before you all." Although they did not know that the lame man stood whole in the name of Christ, they did know that he had been lame.

Those who performed the deed themselves confessed that he had been strengthened not by their own power, but by Christ's. If this had not been so, and if they had not truly been convinced that Christ had risen, they would not have preferred the glory of a dead man to their own.

They especially would not have done so when the Jews were looking upon them as the authors of the miracle.

It would follow even if he invoked that name for the healing of an unbelieving man. To prevent anyone from saying this, Peter added, "and the faith which is through Him."

That is, although this name is great and fearful, and although it pours forth healings, the souls of those healed must be worthy of such mercy.

The supplicants who intercede for them must be able to propitiate the Giver of healings. If the one asking for healing intends to remain unbelieving, healing will by no means follow so easily.

This name will not do its work if it is invoked by unbelievers. The sons of Sceva not only brought no benefit to others, but harmed themselves.

Others have explained this differently from us. Yet the faith that accomplished this is one and the same. For it is not said, "by His name," but "upon His name."

Still, the apostles did not yet have the boldness to say, "faith in Him." To soften the extreme character of humiliation in the expression "through Him," Peter added, "and His name has strengthened him."

But since this latter expression breathes grandeur and perfection, he confirms it by adding, "and the faith which is through Him." He mixes facts of majesty with facts of humiliation.

He adapts himself now to the nature of the events, and now to the disposition and capacity of his hearers. The following expressions bear the character of humiliation: "by faith in His name," and "faith which is through Him."

The words spoken by Peter, "His name has strengthened him," bear the character of majesty and perfection. This latter saying would have troubled the Jews if stated directly.

Surrounded by sayings of another character, however, it became acceptable to them.

The very course of the speech favors this interpretation. The expression "through faith in His name" is directly joined to the preceding words, "of which," that is, of Christ's resurrection, "we are witnesses."

Thus, immediately after pointing to his own witness to the Lord's resurrection, the apostle points to the extraordinary action of the faith on which this apostolic witness rests.

But the expression may also be understood as denoting purpose rather than cause. Thus: for the sake of faith in His name, that is, to bring you to faith in Christ.

The invocation of His name, through faith, healed this lame man. The Greek construction does not prevent this interpretation.

Finally, it may be admitted that the expression means the faith which the lame man had in the name of the Lord. His name healed him.

Whichever of these three opinions one accepts, the essence of the speech is the same when joined with the following expressions. The name of the Lord, through faith and for faith, healed the lame man.

It was not the apostles' own power or piety. "His name has strengthened this man," because the miracle of healing followed through the utterance of the Lord's name (v. 6).

"The faith which is from Him," and so forth. Faith is a gift of Christ through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:9). It is faith multiplied or strengthened by the Lord (cf. Lk 17:6).

This faith gave healing to the lame man. Whose faith is again meant here? By the course of the speech, one must again suppose the faith of Peter and John.

Their strong faith in the Lord Jesus, which in them is from Him Himself, from His action upon their spirit, performed this miracle of healing.

This interpretation is confirmed by the very course of the speech. We did not make him walk by our own power or piety (v. 12).

Rather, through our faith in the name of the Lord (v. 16), our faith, which is from Him, granted him healing.

Perhaps the faith of the lame man is also meant here. It too was granted him by the Lord at Peter's words: "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (v. 6).

"Before you all": before you who know that this man, now walking and leaping, was formerly lame from his mother's womb.

We, the apostles, are witnesses of the miracle of Christ's resurrection. All you gathered here are witnesses of the miracle of healing through faith in the risen Christ.

That name had not been unknown to him. And so by his faith his limbs were strengthened.

Saint Paul said something similar about faith in the Epistle to the Ephesians: "By grace you have been saved through faith, and this," that is, faith, "is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8).

"If Jesus Christ had not come, if He had not called us, how could we have believed? Faith is not sufficient for salvation by itself."

"Yet in order not to save us without us, without any participation on our part, God requires it from us. Faith saves, but not by itself, rather through God. God wills, and faith saves."

So spoke Saint John Chrysostom when explaining these words of the Apostle Paul.