The Apostles heal many people - 5:12-16

Acts 5:12-16

12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

As yesterday we saw that God is willing to judge the hypocrites, today we will see that he is willing to heal those who are broken, poor, and lost. Much of Acts is looked at as a book to learn and apply to how we 'be' the church, yet passages like this are looked at as historical and irrelevant to us today. My feeling and belief, is that there is nothing in the text that would lead us to apply verses of obedience, preaching, and truth over verses like this...I personally have seen God manifest himself this way, and believe that as he did then so he desires to do today!

In this passage Luke describes the amazing signs that followed and authenticated their message. These miracles seemed to have two opposite results:

1. It Hardened Some: The text tells us, none of the rest dared join them...even though the people at Solomon's porch held them in high esteem. The context allows us a peak into the hearts of the other people at the Porch. Even though they heard the gospel, they saw the affects of the gospel, and saw the miracles that substantiated the gospel, the gospel did not melt their hearts, but rather caused htem not to join them.
2. It Softened Some:The very same gospel that caused some to not 'join them' also caused multitudes of both men and women to be added to the Lord. Not only did it soften some, it softened many, the text tells us that it softened more than ever

These are the two effects we can expect from our speaking, preaching, teaching, and living the gospel - the one result we should never expect, is indifference, for it is a sign, that our gospel guided life is not clear!

As we have seen thus far throughout Acts, the Gospel ALWAYS demands a response, there is no middile ground: (1) It either demands you to ignore and deny it, or it (2) demands that you follow Christ and join his mission. Not only were many added to the Lord, but those who were saved, instantly became missional: they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats...the people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits...

However, this text is not primarily about those who are bineg saved, nor is it about the Apostles, it is about God's saving power through his children. So we are not left with what what the people did as a result of their salvation, but what God did, "...they were all healed." It is important to realize that Paul uses the word, episkiazo, in reference to Peter's shadow falling on people, this was not to ellude that Peter's shadow had special powers, but rather, that through Peter, God's Presence overshadowed all that Peter was around. Luke uses this word two other times to ellude to the same thing.

Here is my point, it is clear that when we read the Bible healings happen and sometimes they don't. Salvation happens and sometimes it doesn't. The point is never to try and figure out who will accept what and who will get what, the point is to be as addicted to Jesus, the Gospel, and the Covenant Community as someone like Peter, and allow God to be God through your life!