Home  |  Acts Home  |  Studies Home

Doing As Jesus Did

Passage To Study: Acts 5:12-16

12And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. 13Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

(Verse 12) - And by the hands  - By the apostles. This verse should be read in connection with the 15th, to which it belongs.

Signs and wonders - Miracles. (See Acts 2:43).

With one accord - With one “mind,” or intention. (See the notes on Acts 1:14).

In Solomon’s porch – (See Matt. 21:12; John 10:23). They were doubtless there for the purpose of worship. It does not mean that they were there constantly, but at the regular periods of worship. Probably they had two designs in this; one was, to join in the public worship of God in the usual manner with the people, for they did not design to leave the temple service; the other, that they might have opportunity to preach to the people assembled there. In the presence of the great multitudes who came up to worship, they had an opportunity of making known the doctrines of Jesus, and of confirming them by miracles, the reality of which could not be denied, and which could not be resisted, as proofs that Jesus was the Messiah.

(Verse 13) - And of the rest - Different interpretations have been given of this expression. Lightfoot supposes that by “the rest” are meant the remainder of the 120 disciples of whom Ananias had been one; and that they feared to put themselves on an equality with the apostles. But this interpretation seems to be far-fetched. One writer supposes that by “the rest” are meant those who had not already joined with the apostles, whether Christians or Jews, and that they were deterred by the fate of Ananias. Others suppose that by “the rest” are meant the “rich” men, or the people of authority and influence among the Jews, of whom Ananias was one, and that they were deterred from it by the fate of Ananias. This is by far the most probable opinion, because:

(1)   There is an evident contrast between them and the people; “the rest,” that is, the others of the rich and great, feared to join with them; but “the people,” the common people, magnified them.

(2)   The fate of Ananias was suited to have this effect on the rich and great.

(3)   Similar instances had occurred before, that the great, though they believed on Jesus, were afraid to come forth publicly and profess him before people. (See John 12:42-43; 5:44).

(4)   The phrase “the rest” denotes sometimes what is more excellent, or which is superior in value or importance to something else. (See Luke 12:26).

Join himself - Become united to, or associated with. The rich and the great then, as now, stood aloof from them, and were deterred by fear or shame from professing attachment to the Lord Jesus.

But the people - The mass of the people; the body of the nation.

Magnified them - Honored them; regarded them with reverence and fear.

(Verse 14) - And believers - This is the name by which Christians were designated, because one of the main things that distinguished them was that they “believed” that Jesus was the Christ. It is also an incidental proof that none should join themselves to the church who are not “believers”; that is, who do not profess to be Christians in heart and in life.

Were the more added - The effect of all these things was to increase the number of converts. Their persecutions, their preaching, and the judgment of God, “all” tended to impress the minds of the people, and to lead them to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Compare Acts 4:4). Though the judgment of God had the effect of deterring hypocrites from entering the church - though it produced awe and caution, yet still the number of true converts was increased. An effort to keep the church pure by wholesome discipline, and by cutting off unworthy members, however rich or honored, so far from weakening its true strength, has a tendency greatly to increase its numbers as well as its purity. People will not seek to enter a corrupt church, or regard it as worth any effort to be connected with a society that does not endeavor to be pure.

Multitudes – (Compare Acts 4:4).

(Verse 15) - Insomuch - So that. This should be connected with Acts 5:12. Many miracles were performed by the apostles, “insomuch, etc.”

They brought forth - The people, or the friends of the sick, brought them forth.

Beds -   . This word denotes usually the “soft” and “valuable” beds on which the rich commonly lay. And it means that the rich, as well as the poor, were laid in the path of Peter and the other apostles.

Couches -   . The coarse and hard couches on which the poor used to lie, (Mark 2:4, 9,11-12; 6:55; John 5:8-12; Acts 9:33).

The shadow of Peter - That is, they were laid in the path so that the shadow of Peter, as he walked, might pass over them. Perhaps the sun was near setting, and the lengthened shadow of Peter might be thrown afar across the way. They were not able to approach him on account of the crowd, and they “imagined” that if they could “anyhow” come under his influence they might be healed. The sacred writer does not say, however, that any “were” healed in this way, nor that they were commanded to do this. He simply states the “impression” which was on the minds of the people that it “might be.” Whether they were healed by this, it is left for us merely to conjecture. An instance somewhat similar is recorded in (Acts 19:12), where it is expressly said, however, that the sick were healed by contact with “handkerchiefs” and “aprons” that were brought from the body of Paul. (Compare also Matt. 9:21-22, where the woman said respecting Jesus “If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole.”)

Might overshadow - That his shadow might pass over them. Though there is no certain evidence that any were healed in this way, yet it shows the full belief of the people that Peter had the power of working miracles. “Peter” was supposed by them to be eminently endowed with this power, because it was by him that the lame man in the temple had been healed (Acts 3:4-6), and because he had been most prominent in his addresses to the people. The persons who are specified in this verse were those who dwelt at Jerusalem.

(Verse 16) - There came also  - Attracted by the fame of Peter’s miracles, as the people formerly had been by the miracles of the Lord Jesus.

Vexed - Troubled, afflicted, or tormented.

Unclean spirits - Possessed with devils; called “unclean” because they prompted to sin and impurity of life. (See Matt. 4:23-24).

And they were healed - Of these persons it is expressly affirmed that they were healed. Of those who were so laid as that the shadow of Peter might pass over them, there is no such direct affirmation.

Jesus told us that we would do the works that He did, and far greater that those works, if we believed.   Of course, this is for entirely different reasons than He was able to do them!  He did them because of the power and authority inherent to His Name.  We do them because He has delegated a portion of that authority, or more properly, the use of that authority, to us to use in the service of His plan and purpose.  I’m sure you’ll agree that these are very different things.  As we use the authority granted to us, we must do so as Peter did – mindful of the charge and responsibility that such a privilege carries.  It is our job to exercise that great privilege, but we must exercise it as ones to whom such power and authority is not native, as the possessors of the authority of another.  We possess a very valuable and a very powerful thing – we can speak for God in matters of spirituality.  We must speak, but we must speak is such a fashion as to serve His plan, and not damage it!

I need to take care that all that I do serves the purpose of God and serves it properly!