“And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?”
My Notes
What Does Acts 3:12 Mean?
Peter and John have just healed a lame man at the temple gate, and a crowd has gathered in astonishment. Peter's immediate response is to redirect their attention: don't look at us. This wasn't our power. This wasn't our holiness.
The phrase "as though by our own power or holiness" is Peter pushing back against two common misunderstandings. First, that the apostles had some personal supernatural ability. Second, that their moral goodness earned them special favor with God. Peter rejects both. The healing didn't come from who they were or how well they lived. It came from Jesus.
This is Peter's first major public sermon after Pentecost, and his instinct is to deflect glory. The same man who once argued about who would be greatest in the kingdom now stands before a crowd and says: this has nothing to do with us. That transformation is itself evidence of the resurrection.
Reflection Questions
- 1.When something good happens through you — a breakthrough, a word that lands, a moment of impact — where does the credit tend to go in your heart?
- 2.Why do you think Peter specifically named both 'power' and 'holiness' as things to reject as the source?
- 3.How do you stay honest about the source of good things in your life without falling into either false humility or false pride?
- 4.What's the difference between God working through you and God working because of you — and why does it matter?
Devotional
Peter's first instinct after performing a miracle was to say: it wasn't us. If you've been around Christian culture for any length of time, you've seen the opposite instinct — people building personal brands on spiritual gifts, claiming authority based on the impressive things God has done through them.
But Peter, who had every reason to bask in this moment, immediately deflected. Not out of false humility, but out of genuine understanding. He knew where the power came from, and he knew what happened when people started thinking it came from them.
This is a question worth sitting with: when God moves in your life — when something beautiful or powerful happens through you — where does the credit go? Not in your official theology. In your gut. In the way you tell the story later.
Peter had been with Jesus long enough to know that the moment you start thinking your holiness earned you something, you've missed the entire point. The miracle came through them, not from them. That distinction changes everything.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And when Peter saw it,.... That the people ran to them, and looked wistly upon them, and wondered at what was done:
he…
When Peter saw it - Saw the people assembling in such multitudes and wondering at the miracle. He answered - The word…
As though by our own power - Δυναμει, Miraculous energy.
Or holiness - Η ευσεβειᾳ, Meaning religious attachment to the…
We have here the sermon which Peter preached after he had cured the lame man. When Peter saw it. 1. When he saw the…
when Peter saw it i.e. their wonder, as may be inferred from his opening words.
he answered Often used although no…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture