Acts 3:6 is Peter’s answer to a man who asked for money at the temple gate. Peter says he has no silver or gold to give, but offers what he does have: the power of Jesus Christ, spoken as a command to stand up and walk. Peter speaks these words to a man crippled from birth, who was carried to the Beautiful Gate each day to beg from people entering the temple.
But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
Acts 3:6 (WEB)
What Acts 3:6 Means
Peter begins by being honest about what he lacks. The beggar wanted money, and Peter admits he has none. That honesty matters. Peter does not pretend to be rich or pretend to offer something he cannot give. He names the limit of his own resources before he names the gift he does carry.
The phrase “what I have, that I give you” points to something other than money. Peter has a relationship with Jesus, the authority to speak in his name, and the expectation that God still acts through his followers. The phrase “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth” means Peter is acting as Jesus’ representative and by his authority, not by his own strength. The command “get up and walk” is direct and immediate, and the verse that follows shows it was obeyed at once.
The verse does not promise that every believer will heal every physical need on request, or that money is unimportant. Its focus is narrower: it shows one moment when the apostles, acting in Jesus’ name, gave a man far more than he asked for. Read carefully, it teaches that God’s gifts can exceed what people expect from us.
The Context of Acts 3:6
Acts was written by Luke, the same author who wrote the Gospel of Luke. It records the early growth of the church after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, with the apostles preaching in Jerusalem and beyond. The first readers were likely Christians and people curious about the new movement, and the book shows how the message about Jesus spread from a small group in Jerusalem outward.
The verses just before this one show the beggar expecting a coin from Peter and John, and the verses just after show him leaping, walking into the temple, and praising God. That setting makes Peter’s words stand out. The contrast between the expected gift of money and the actual gift of healing is the point of the scene, and it sets up the sermon Peter preaches to the crowd that follows.
Key Phrases in Acts 3:6
2 Corinthians 12:9
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
(WEB)
This verse shows Paul learning that God’s power is made complete in weakness, much like Peter admitting he lacks silver and gold. Both passages teach that limitation does not cancel God’s work through a person, and that people are often used most clearly when they stop relying on their own resources.
Acts 4:12
There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”
(WEB)
Spoken shortly after the healing, this verse explains why Peter acted in Jesus’ name. It places the authority behind the healing firmly in Jesus, which helps clarify the meaning of the phrase in Acts 3:6 and shows the apostles’ confidence in Christ alone.
A Short Prayer From Acts 3:6
Lord, you know how often I measure what I have by what I lack. Help me to be honest about my limits, the way Peter was, and to stop waiting until I feel fully equipped before I offer anything. Show me what I already carry because of you, and give me the courage to hand it over to the people you place in my path. Let my words and actions point to Jesus, whose name is greater than any gift I can name. Amen.
