Acts 3:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"Repent therefore," he says, "and be converted." He does not say, "from your sins," but, "that your sins may be blotted out," showing the same thing by this. Yet do not think that your justification is secured because the prophets spoke of this, and because you did it in ignorance. Still, he does not speak in that way, but with greater meekness: "Repent therefore." Why? "That your sins may be blotted out." I am not speaking of what you dared at the Cross. Perhaps that was done in ignorance. Rather, let your other sins also be cleansed. He did not say, "that your sin may be blotted out," but "sins," while also hinting at that sin.

He is not speaking of the Jews' transgression which they dared to commit at the time of the crucifixion. Above he had said, "And now I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers."

What meaning did his statement have there: "And now I know"? "Now I know," he says, that is, I consider it useful to speak this way in order to arrange your salvation.

Or: "Now I know that you did this in ignorance," means, I know this because many of you are being converted and saved.

For he is plainly speaking to those among them who had already been converted and had believed. Yet how had they done this through ignorance?

The Apostle Peter's address to the people after the healing of the lame man, like his address on the day of Pentecost, is a preaching about Jesus Christ. He was glorified by God (v. 13), crucified by men (vv. 14-15), risen from the dead (v. 15), and ascended into heaven (v. 21). See the interpretations on chapter 2.

"Repent"; see the note on Acts 2:38. "Be converted," that is, to Christ. Acknowledge Him as your Messiah, and believe in Him as the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.

"That your sins may be blotted out": both the sin set forth above against Christ and God the Father, and also other sins.

Repentance and conversion to Christ are the only means of reconciliation with God, however grave the sins may be.

The forgiveness of sins is presented here, as also in certain other places (Ps 50:9; Isa 43:25; Col 2:14), under the image of blotting them out from a written record.

Sin is represented as if written into a scroll. As soon as it is forgiven, what was written in the scroll is wiped away, erased, and destroyed.

The apostle makes the call to repentance comprehensive. He exhorts them to recognize their sins against God and His Christ, and to turn to Him as to a Father full of love.

In God's name he promises the coming of refreshing times for them. He also promises the coming to them, into their hearts, of the Savior, appointed to come first for them, the Jews, before other peoples.

The forgiveness of sins is so called here, as in many other places (cf. Ps 50:9; Isa 43:25; Col 2:14), because sins, like debts, are represented as written down.

Therefore they are blotted out when they are forgiven, just as a record of debts was erased on wax-covered tablets on which it had been written.

These words of Peter show that repentance is required of the one being baptized.