Acts 3:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Therefore they spoke to you, and everything was for you. Since, because of their crime, they considered themselves estranged, the Apostle shows that both this and that agree with prophecy.

It was not natural to think that the One whom they crucified would care for them as His own. "You," he says, "are sons," that is, heirs of the covenant.

Lest they think they receive this by Peter's favor, he shows that it was to belong to them from of old. Thus they would more readily believe that this is pleasing to God.

What does "sons of the prophets and of the covenant" mean? It means heirs, successors. Therefore, if you are sons, why do you treat what is yours as though it were foreign?

Certainly you have done what deserves condemnation. Yet despite this, you can receive forgiveness.

"You are the sons of the prophets." He says, "sons of the prophets," as though to say: you must neither grow despondent nor think that you have been deprived of the promises. "You are the sons of the prophets," so they spoke to you, and for your sake all this took place. What does "sons of the covenant" mean? It means heirs, yet not heirs merely enrolled as such, but heirs like sons. He also said "sons" in order to show that they are heirs by adoption. Therefore, if you yourselves desire it, you are heirs. This is why Peter says, "You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant," and, "Jesus, whom He sent to bless you."

The seed of Abraham is Christ. Through faith in His name, blessing was promised to all the tribes of the earth, that is, both to Jews and to Gentiles. The Apostle soothes the souls of the Jews in order to make them more ready for faith. He says that the Savior of the whole world chose them first for His visitation and blessing.

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.

"You are sons of the prophets and of the covenant," and so forth. This is the immediate application of everything just said by the Apostle to the direct hearers of his speech.

You are sons and therefore heirs of all the promises of the Law and the prophets. All these promises concerning the kingdom of the Messiah belong to you, as does the fulfillment of the prophecies about Him.

According to the Apostle's further words, they belong first to you, and afterward to all other tribes. The Apostle sets this circumstance as a new and final inducement for the Jews to repent and turn to Christ.

Sons of the prophets are the pupils of the prophets, especially numerous under the Prophet Samuel, and the successors of their ministry. Such, for example, was the Prophet Elisha in relation to Elijah the Prophet.

But since among the Hebrews there were many prophets in general, the Apostle, in this sense, collectively calls all Hebrews disciples, or sons, of all the prophets.

From spiritual sonship he passes to the Hebrews' natural inheritance from Abraham. To Abraham was promised the blessing in his Seed, that is, in Jesus Christ. This blessing was so great that it would extend to all tribes.

The Apostle's mention of Abraham, the promises given to him, their fathers, the sacred covenant, and the mysterious Seed of Abraham was all supremely dear and pleasant to the Hebrew hearers.