Passage: Acts 5:12-16. Those verses are a summary of the miracles that the apostles worked, including by means of Peter’s shadow.

Let’s pray that we too can see signs and wonders worked by God’s power through our own lives, as people need them.

The translations are mine, but if you would like to see many other translations, please go to biblegateway.com. I include the Greek text to bring out the nuances, but readers may ignore the left column, if they wish.

Let’s begin.

Signs and Wonders and ‘Handiwork’ (Acts 5:12-16)

12 Διὰ δὲ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα πολλὰ ἐν τῷ λαῷ. καὶ ἦσαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἅπαντες ἐν τῇ στοᾷ Σολομῶντος, 13 τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα κολλᾶσθαι αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ’ ἐμεγάλυνεν αὐτοὺς ὁ λαός. 14 μᾶλλον δὲ προσετίθεντο πιστεύοντες τῷ κυρίῳ, πλήθη ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ γυναικῶν, 15 ὥστε καὶ εἰς τὰς πλατείας ἐκφέρειν τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς καὶ τιθέναι ἐπὶ κλιναρίων καὶ κραβάττων, ἵνα ἐρχομένου Πέτρου κἂν ἡ σκιὰ ἐπισκιάσῃ τινὶ αὐτῶν. 16 συνήρχετο δὲ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πέριξ πόλεων Ἰερουσαλὴμ φέροντες ἀσθενεῖς καὶ ὀχλουμένους ὑπὸ πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων, οἵτινες ἐθεραπεύοντο ἅπαντες.

12 Through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders took place right in front of the people. And all of them were together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one of the rest of the people dared joined them, but the people held them in great esteem. 14 More than that, believers in the Lord were added, a large crowd of both men and women, 15 with the result that they even carried the disabled to the streets, placing them on beds and mattresses, so that when Peter went by, even his shadow would fall on some of them. 16 And so the people from all the towns around Jerusalem gathered together, carrying the disabled and those troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were being healed.

Comments:

This is another summary passage about the great works of God (see also 2:41-47; 4:32-35).

Solomon’s Colonnade was a covered portico that ran the entire length of the eastern part of the outer temple court, along and just inside the eastern wall of the temple (see 5:12) (HT: Longenecker, comment on 3:11). The growing church had thousands, so house churches were deficient for a large meeting. Call it an outdoor mega-church with small groups in various houses.

“Through the hands”: Ministry of healing and signs and wonders is often hands on. Jesus himself used his hands in healing work (Matt. 8:3; 15; 9:25; Mark 8:23-25; Luke 5:13). Clearly the apostles were following Jesus in this practice. Today, Renewalists observe that the power of God often flows through the hands. But God is the source; the people who pray are mere conduits.

“signs”: Sēmeion (pronounced say-may-on). In the singular it is mostly translated as “sign” or “miraculous sign.” A sign points towards the loving God who wants to heal and redeem broken humanity, both in soul and body. Signs are indicators of God breaking into his world, to help people and announce that he is here to save and rescue them and put things right.

“wonders”: Teras (pronounced teh-ras). It is often translated as “wonders” and is always in the plural. Only once does it appear without “signs,” in Acts 2:19, where wonders will appear in the sky. Wonders inspire awe and worship of God through Christ who performs the wonders. The purpose is to patch up and restore broken humanity. They testify that God in his kingdom power is here to save and rescue people.

For nearly all the references of those two words and a developed theology of them, please click on:

What Are Signs and Wonders and Miracles?

“Solomon’s Colonnade”: at the temple; the growing church had thousands, so house churches were deficient for a large meeting. Call it an outdoor mega-church with small groups in various houses.

“of one spirit and soul”: Once again homothumadon (pronounced ha-ma-thoo-mah-dawn or ho-mo-thoo-mah-dohn) is a favorite of Luke (Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 7:57 [negative!]; 12:20; 15:25; 18:12 [negative]; 19:29, and then one in Rom. 15:6). It is a compound word: hom-, meaning “same” and thum-, meaning “soul” or “mind” or “spirit.” It meant in earlier Greek literature a heroic and excellent fighting spirit. But here it means “united in soul and spirit.”

The Spirit in the Church and Believers

But the other side of the story is that another segment of the people in fact joined them. Why? The power of God (vv. 14-15). Healing is the dinner bell that causes people to run towards the food. Let’s hope they run to Jesus and his kingdom, and not just the physical benefits, and after receiving them, the people wander off.

“Both men and women”: Jewish culture was patriarchal, so it is remarkable that Luke would even think of reminding us that women were included in the inbreaking of God’s kingdom in their small world at Jerusalem. He didn’t have to mention womankind at all. Let’s not take this honorable mention for granted.

Using biblical logic, I like to imagine that all the various Marys in the NT and Joanna and Susanna (Luke 8:1-3) and Salome and Peter’s wife and Jesus’s brothers’ wives and the other apostles’ wives (1 Cor. 9:5) and many countless unnamed women who followed Jesus during his ministry guided these new converts and discipled them.

I like to image that the mature-in-the-faith women taught the newer ones—the “newbies”—that God loves and accepts them as well. They are full participants in God’s kingdom, and he highly values and treasures them.

I even like to imagine that they helped the apostles in their ministries, as these men intersected with needy women—the ones who needed healing and deliverance, the ones who were placed along the roads. There is a practical side of power ministry, and the male apostles may have felt uncomfortable getting too deeply involved with the female side of things—too many temptations (yes, they were humans!).

I like to imagine that Jesus himself called the women to help the apostles in their ministry, appearing to them in dreams and visions (Acts 2:17-18) and saying, “Go! Help! Minister!”

Women are vital in ministry. We men could not live without them! Thank you, women!

Women Really Did Work as–and Were–Overseers, Elders, Pastors: A Close Look at 1 Timothy 5:9-10

Women, Men, and Five Ministry Gifts in Ephesians 4:11

Are Older Women Restricted to Teaching (‘Only’?) Young Women? A Close Look at Titus 2:3-5

Should Women Not Speak One Word in Church? A Close Look at 1 Cor. 14:34-36

Are Women Allowed to Teach Men? A Close Look at 1 Timothy 2:11-15

Yes, Junia Really Was a Female Apostle: A Close Look at Roman 16:7

Schnabel: “Luke does not see these happenings in a critical light. He is convinced that the conversion of thousands of people was accompanied by a mighty display of God’s power that healed many people in miraculous ways, and that the reputation of the apostles was linked with the healings that took place during this period. For Luke, it was not the shadow of Peter but God who caused healings to happen when people come to faith in Jesus (3:16; 4:10, 30)” (comment on v. 15).

“were being healed”: the verb is therapeuō (pronounced thair-ah-pew-oh, our word therapy is related to it), and it means to “make whole, restore, heal, cure, care for.” Its tense is imperfect, which means unfinished or incomplete action. People were continuously being healed; this is not to say their healings were gradual (though healings can often be gradual). Rather, the imperfect tense means that Peter’s and the eleven’s ministry was never done—they kept on healing and delivering people. Exhilarating and exhausting, in one!

“Unclean spirits”: The spirit was unclean, and Luke had to remind his pagan or former pagan readers that all spirits were bad, for some pagans believed that some spirits were good or a sign of blessing. People need to be healed of demonic oppression, after the demon leaves. They must be sure they do not fall in the same trap that led them to oppression in the first place, like drugs or sex addiction or unhealed abuse or unforgiveness and bitterness and so on. Life must be surrendered to God; then the devil can be resisted (Jas. 4:6-8). An unsurrendered life gives access to the devil.

Application for Ministry Today

I believe we can learn how to minister as the apostles did, because of the nine gifts of the Spirit are available to all believers (1 Cor. 12:4-11). Three gifts are discernings of spirits, the workings of miracles and gifts of healings, as the Spirit distributes them. All Bible-based leaders should pray for and welcome these gifts and the seven others in that passage, when people needs healings and deliverances.

Let me number my points in this section for clarity and order.

1.. Ministry of healing and signs and wonders is often hands on. Jesus himself used his hands in healing work (Matt. 8:3; 15; 9:25; Mark 8:23-25; Luke 5:13). Clearly the apostles were following Jesus in this practice. Today, Renewalists observe that the power of God often flows through the hands. But God is the source; the people who pray are mere conduits.

2.. “Right in front of the people”: To have their full impact, signs and wonders have to be done in front of people. People need to know and experience that God has broken into their world to rescue them, body and soul.

3.. “to the streets”: The Greek noun plateia could also be translated as “wide roads,” “main streets,” “broadways,” or perhaps even “plazas” or “squares” (Our word plaza comes from this Greek word, and so does Italian piazza, French place, and German platz). Often we have to take the miracles to the streets. Expect miracles to happen on the streets!

4.. The power of God was so thick and awesome that Peter’s shadow would heal. Bock points out that some pagans and Jews claimed unusual miracles, but nothing that attests to exact parallels (comment on v. 15, p. 232). Yes, Renewalists believe these things can happen today. Reports from the Developing World say similar things. Some healing evangelists in the West, particularly in America, try to see these unusual miracles in their meetings.

5.. Recall these words of Jesus: “I tell you the firm truth: The one who believes in me will do the works which I do, and he will do greater works than these because I go to the Father (John 14:12). In John’s Gospel an in the immediate context, “greater works” means signs and wonders. Jesus did not heal by shadows while on earth. But in his ascended, exalted state, he is allowing Peter to do this.

What Does ‘Greater Things’ Mean in John 14:12?

However, let’s hope they are not moved by soul power that manifests in shrieking and freaking and dancing and prancing on the platform. One gets the impression from these verses that Peter never did those outlandish displays. He was calm and authoritative, as he walked by or laid hands on people. Happily today, outlandish displays of soul power are in decline (or so I hope).

6.. Maybe God will restore miracles like this when people are as humble and obedient as Peter was. Or maybe this is a one-off. We shall see.

7.. As I write in all the healing posts:

Let it be noted that the disciples never went in for or “decree and declare.” (Name one time they used such verbiage during their prayer for the sick. Thus even the first-generation of disciples never arrogated this much power to themselves.

Instead, while Jesus was alive, God the Father through his Son who was anointed by the Spirit performed miracles of healing and deliverance (Acts 10:38). And it is easy to believe that the disciples followed Jesus, in Acts.

8..We too should develop life in the Spirit (Gal. 5), so we can hear from the Father through the Spirit, in Jesus’s name and authority granted to us. We will never heal as Jesus did, because he is the Anointed One without limits (John 3:34). But after the cross and the Son’s ascension, the Spirit can distribute the gifts of healings (plural) as he determines (1 Cor. 12:11), not as we “name and claim” or “decree and declare.”

Let the Spirit work, and you listen and obey, and then rebuke a disease (not the person) or pray for healing.

4. Gifts of the Spirit: Gifts of Healings

Kenneth Copeland Gets a Pacemaker

Is ‘Decreeing’ Biblical for Christians?

What Is Biblical Confession?

For fuller commentary, click on the chapter:

Acts 5

Scroll down to the right verses.

As for deliverance ministry, consider these articles:

Bible Basics about Deliverance

Magic, Witchcraft, Sorcery, and Fortunetelling