Yes — Peter's charge is directed specifically to the nation of Israel because they were his audience and they precipitated Jesus' death, even though Rome carried it out.
Peter tells "ye men of Israel" that they took Jesus and by wicked hands crucified Him (Acts 2:22–23), and he tells "all the house of Israel" that the same Jesus they had crucified is now Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). Les Feldick explains that Israel did not literally kill Jesus with their own hands; they demanded it and caused Rome to do it. Even so, Peter holds the nation guilty and then calls them to repentance, acknowledging that they acted through ignorance.
Acts 2:36 — Peter's direct verdict to the house of Israel: the Jesus they had crucified is now both Lord and Christ.
Acts 3:15 — Peter charges Israel plainly, "ye killed the Prince of life," naming the national offense.
In Acts 2:22–23, Peter addresses "ye men of Israel" and says that Jesus of Nazareth, approved of God by miracles and wonders and signs, was delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and that they "have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." In Acts 2:36, he concludes that God has made this same Jesus, whom they had crucified, both Lord and Christ. In Acts 3:13–15, Peter again speaks to Israel, invoking "the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob," and tells them, "whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate... and killed the Prince of life." He then adds in Acts 3:17, "I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers," and in Acts 3:19 he commands them, "Repent ye therefore, and be converted." Psalm 2:1–2 also pictures the kings of the earth and the rulers taking counsel together against the LORD and His Anointed.
Les Feldick consistently points out that Peter is speaking exclusively to the nation of Israel. Les notes that in Acts 2:36 Peter says "all the house of Israel" and does not add "and you Gentiles," and that Peter's language — "the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob" — is distinctly Jewish. At the same time, Les is careful to explain that Israel did not literally carry out the execution; they demanded it and caused Rome to do it. He also stresses that Christ gave up His life willingly, so "no Jew took His life, no Roman took His life." Les balances the blame by appealing to Psalm 2: the kings of the earth and the people conspired together, so "the whole human race is guilty of having crucified the Messiah." Finally, he repeatedly warns that Peter's accusation must never be twisted into an excuse for anti-Semitism.
In Acts 2:36 Peter says "all the house of Israel," and Les stresses that he does not add "and you Gentiles." Peter opens with "Ye men of Israel" in Acts 2:22, and in Acts 3:13 he appeals to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Les says this is "so Jew only that you can't escape it" — Gentiles are not included in this particular accusation. Israel was the covenant nation being addressed, so Peter's blame is national, not universal.
The Bible records Peter's charge: "ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23). Les clarifies that Israel did not kill Jesus with their own hands; they demanded His death and caused Rome to carry it out. Beneath that human blame, Christ gave up His life voluntarily — no Jew took His life and no Roman took His life. So the guilt of Israel is the national guilt of rejection and of handing over their Messiah, while the actual execution was performed by Gentile Roman hands.
Psalm 2:1–2 says the kings of the earth and the rulers take counsel together against the LORD and His Anointed. Les tells his listeners never to lose sight of the fact that the whole human race is guilty of having crucified the Messiah. Yet in Peter's Acts sermons, the focus remains on Israel because Peter is "dealing with the nation of Israel on covenant ground." So Scripture condemns both Jewish and Gentile leaders together, even while Peter charges Israel directly.
In Acts 3:17 Peter says, "through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers." Les points out that under the law of Israel, ignorance was a "loophole," and Peter uses it as an escape route for the nation. Even so, the next thing Peter does is call them to repentance in Acts 3:19, because their national guilt remains until they turn. Ignorance does not remove the need to repent.
Les explicitly says he never wants to be accused of anti-Semitism and is careful in his classes that his teaching not become an excuse for anti-Semitism. He notes that many religions have accused the Jew of being God-killers, but he tempers this by pointing to Psalm 2 and to the fact that no Jew actually took Jesus' life. His purpose in stressing Peter's words is to show how the Jewish nation on covenant ground rejected their Messiah, not to revive a charge against every Jewish person.
Israel's Repeated Failure to Comprehend God
Les shows that Israel had seen miracle after miracle throughout history yet still did not comprehend who Jesus was, which explains why Peter could hold them especially responsible.
Peter's Charge to All the House of Israel
Les emphasizes that Peter says "all the house of Israel" and does not include Gentiles, and that Peter puts the blame for the crucifixion on the nation of Israel while Les himself avoids anti-Semitism.
The Whole Human Race Guilty
Les says Peter repeatedly lays the blame on the Jewish nation, but Psalm 2 shows the kings of the earth and people conspired together, so the whole human race is guilty — Israel is being addressed on covenant ground.
Israel Demanded It, Rome Carried It Out
Les explains Peter's plain language in Acts 2:23: Israel killed their Messiah even though they did not do it with their own hands — they demanded it and caused Rome to execute Him.
Ignorance Offers an Escape Route
Les says Israel was guilty, but because neither Jerusalem nor Rome knew who Jesus was, Peter uses the fact of ignorance as an escape route for the nation while still insisting that Israel is suffering for rejecting its Messiah.
No Jew or Roman Took Jesus' Life
Les clarifies that in reality no Jew took Jesus' life and no Roman took His life; Jesus gave it up of His own will, yet Peter, by inspiration, accuses the nation of Israel of killing their Messiah.
Jew-Only Language in Acts 3
Les highlights Peter's Jewish wording — the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — showing the message is only to Israel, and then notes Peter says "you killed the Prince of life" while also invoking the law's ignorance loophole.
Repent of Killing the Prince of Life
Les points out that Peter first tells Israel they killed the Prince of Life, then immediately says "Repent," because the nation has not yet been forgiven of rejecting and crucifying their Messiah — and Les warns against anti-Semitism.
Acts 2:36: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
This is Peter's direct accusation to the nation of Israel that they crucified Jesus, the one God has made Lord and Christ.
Acts 2:22-23: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Peter names the men of Israel as those who took Jesus and by wicked hands crucified and slew Him.
Acts 3:13: The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
Peter uses exclusively Jewish language to remind Israel that the God of their fathers glorified Jesus, whom they delivered up and denied before Pilate.
Acts 3:15: And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Peter states plainly that Israel killed the Prince of life, the clearest statement of the national charge.
Acts 3:17: And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Peter immediately qualifies the blame by recognizing that Israel and its rulers acted through ignorance.
Acts 3:19: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Peter's accusation is followed by a call to repentance, showing that national guilt remained until they turned.
Psalm 2:1-2: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Scripture itself shows that both Gentile kings and earthly rulers took counsel together against the Lord's Anointed, not Israel alone.
1 Corinthians 2:8: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Paul's later statement shows that neither the Jewish leaders nor Rome knew who Jesus was when they crucified the Lord of glory.
According to Peter, Israel took Jesus and by wicked hands crucified Him (Acts 2:23). Les explains this was not a literal hand-to-hand killing: Israel demanded His death and Rome carried out the execution. So on the human level the Romans did the crucifying, but Israel bore the national guilt of rejection and of handing over their Messiah.
In Acts 3:17 Peter recognizes that Israel and its rulers acted through ignorance. Les notes that under the law, ignorance was a loophole, and Peter used it as an escape route for the nation. Still, Peter immediately calls them to repent, so ignorance did not erase their guilt.
No. Les repeatedly says he is not anti-Semitic and is careful that his teaching not become an excuse for anti-Semitism. He emphasizes that no Jew actually took Jesus' life, that Christ gave up His life voluntarily, and that Psalm 2 shows the whole human race is guilty.
In Peter's Acts sermons, the charge is specifically to the nation of Israel, not to Gentiles. Psalm 2, however, pictures the kings of the earth and the people conspiring against the Lord's Anointed. Les uses this to show that the whole human race is guilty of having crucified the Messiah.
Watch the Teaching: What Peter Really Preached in Acts 3 — Israel's Call to Repent