“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.”
Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. — Peter shows mercy: the crowd's action (putting Jesus to death) was in ignorance (agnoeo, not know, lack understanding), echoing Jesus' own prayer from the cross ('Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,' Luke 23:34). The ignorance doesn't excuse but it opens space for repentance. The leaders' ignorance is significant; even rulers and authorities were operating without full understanding.
Church Fathers on Acts 3:16
Why do you look so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? Acts 3:13 Nay, not even this; for not by our own merit did we draw down the Divine influence. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers. See how assiduously he thrusts himself (εἰσωθει) upon the fathers of old, lest he should appear to be introducing a new doctrine. In the former address he appealed to the patriarch David, here he appeals to…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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