King James Version
What Does Acts 3:16 Mean?
“And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”
Context
14
But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15
And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses. Prince: or, Author
16
And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Topics in This Verse
Commentary
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(16) **His name through faith in his name.**—We have, in technical language, the efficient cause distinguished from the indispensable condition of its action. The Name did not work as a formula of incantation; it required, on the part both of the worker and the receiver, faith in that which the Name represented, the manifestation of the Father through the Son.
**Hath made this** **man strong.**—The verb is the same as that which had been used in Acts 3:7 of the “feet and ankle-bones.” It was Jesus who had given them that new firmness.
**The faith which is by him.**—The causation of the miracle is carried yet another step backward. The faith which was alike in the healer and in the man healed was itself wrought in each by the power of Christ. The man was first a willing recipient of that faith spiritually, and then was in a state that made him worthy to be a recipient also of the bodily restoration.
**This perfect soundness.**—Literally, *this completeness.* This is the only passage in the New Testament in which the word occurs. The cognate adjective is found in the “whole” of 1Thessalonians 5:23; the “complete” of James 1:4.
Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.
Historical Context
This verse is found in the book of Acts. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.
Theological Significance
Acts 3:16 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.
Cross-References
Verses related to Acts 3:16
Cross-references from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge