Acts 5:12 - Meaning and Application

Here we see the progress of the gospel, even after the terrible judgment on two hypocrites.

The first thing noted is the many miracles the apostles performed (Acts 5:12). By their hands, many signs and wonders were done among the people. There were many acts of mercy for each act of judgment. The power of the gospel now flowed again in its proper way, through mercy and grace. God had come out to punish, but now he returned to his throne of mercy.

These miracles proved that the apostles truly came from God. They were not few, but many, of different kinds, and they happened often. They were signs and wonders, clear proofs of a divine presence and power. They were also done in public, among the people, where everyone could examine them. If there had been any trick or fraud, it would have been exposed.

These miracles had several effects. First, they kept the church together and strengthened its loyalty to the apostles and to one another: “They were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.” They met in the temple, in the open area called Solomon’s Porch. It is striking that the temple leaders allowed them to meet there. But God moved their hearts to tolerate it for a time, so the gospel could spread more easily. Those who allowed buyers and sellers in the temple could hardly object to preachers and healers there.

They met there in public worship. This shows how early the church practiced regular gatherings for worship, and such gatherings should never be neglected. In those meetings, people openly profess their faith. They were also there with one heart and mind, united in doctrine, worship, and church order. There was no complaint or bitterness over the death of Ananias and Sapphira, unlike the anger shown against Moses and Aaron after Korah and his company died (Numbers 16:41). When God sets hypocrites apart by judgment, sincere believers should cling even more closely to one another and to the gospel ministry.

Second, the miracles earned the apostles great respect. The other ministers kept their distance: “None of the rest dared join themselves to them.” They did not treat themselves as equals or partners with the apostles. Others had the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues, but at this time none of them did such signs and wonders as the apostles. For that reason, they recognized the apostles’ greater authority and yielded to them in all things.

The people also held the apostles in high honor. They spoke of them with respect and saw them as favored by heaven and as great blessings to the world. Even though the chief priests tried to make them look bad, the people still honored them because they saw the truth clearly. The apostles never tried to glorify themselves. They carefully gave all the glory for what they did to Christ. Yet the people magnified them anyway, for those who humble themselves will be exalted, and those who honor God alone are honored by him.

Third, the church grew in number (Acts 5:14). More and more believers were added to the Lord, and no doubt they joined the church when they saw that God was truly at work among them. Multitudes of both men and women came in. The death of Ananias and Sapphira did not scare them away. Instead, it seems to have drawn them toward a community that kept such strict discipline.

Believers are said to be added to the Lord Jesus. They are joined to him, and through him to his body, the church. Nothing can cut us off from that body except what first separates us from Christ himself. Many have already come to the Lord, yet there is still room for more to be added. That will continue until God’s plan is complete and the full number of the elect, those chosen by God, has come in.

Notice is also taken of the conversion of women as well as men. This was not common in the Jewish church, where women did not receive circumcision or attend the main feasts in the same way, and where the court of the women was one of the outer temple courts. But just as many good women followed Christ while he was on earth, so many women believed in him after he returned to heaven.

Fourth, the apostles had many patients, and that brought great honor to both them and their teaching by the healing of all who came (Acts 5:15, 16). Because so many signs and wonders were being done, people from every place came for help and found it.

In the city, people carried their sick out into the streets. It is likely the priests would not let them bring the sick into the temple court at Solomon’s Porch, and the apostles did not have time to go to every house. So they laid the sick on beds and mats, because some were too weak to walk or even stand. They hoped that even Peter’s shadow, as he passed by, might fall on some of them. It seems this did bring the help they sought, much as the woman was healed by touching the edge of Christ’s garment. In this way, among others, Christ’s words were fulfilled: “Greater works than these you will do.”

God shows his care for his people by being a shade at their right hand. The kind rule of Christ is also compared to the shadow of a great rock. Peter stood between them and the sun, as it were, and brought healing. This also taught them not to depend on created things, which cannot truly save, but to look only to the Spirit of grace with whom Peter was filled.

If such miracles were done through Peter’s shadow, there is good reason to think the same was true of the other apostles, just as handkerchiefs from Paul’s body were used in healing (Acts 19:12). In both cases, the apostles likely intended these means as instruments of healing. So it is foolish to argue from this that dead saints’ relics have healing power. We do not read of anyone being healed by Christ’s own relics after he had gone away, though we surely would if that were a real power.

In the country towns, many came to Jerusalem from the surrounding cities, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, that is, evil spirits that oppressed their minds. Every one of them was healed. Bodies and minds that were out of order were set right again.

This gave the apostles a chance both to convince people’s minds by proving the heavenly origin of their teaching, and to win people’s hearts to both them and their message by showing its good effect on life in this world.