Act 9:32-34 | KingComments | STEP | After Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, described Saul’s conversion and his first activities as a Christian, he again turns our eyes to Peter and his service. The two histories that follow at the end of this chapter stand between the conversion of Saul and that of Cornelius. The conversion of Saul is the beginning of the great harvest of which Cornelius is the beginning. The question could then arise: Has Israel come to an end? We see the answer in Peter’s two wonders from which we can learn that God has not rejected His people forever. Peter travels everywhere to strengthen and encourage the new churches. On his itinerary he also visits the saints who live in Lydda. The church there may have come into being through the work of the evangelist Philip, who has traveled through the country from Asdod to Caesarea, proclaiming the gospel to all the cities ( ). Here the believers are called “saints” again, as in . The saints are the special company of people who no longer belong to the world, but to the Lord Jesus. They form a new and separate company in the world that has a new object of love: the glorified Christ. Among the saints, Peter encounters a man named Aeneas who has been lying paralyzed in bed for eight years. We can see in him a picture of Judaism that has no power of itself to do what God asks in His Word. Peter speaks to the cripple as he did to the lame at the door of the temple ( ). He mentions his name and points to Jesus Christ Who heals him. Peter has no power to heal anyone. Only the Lord Jesus can do that. Peter also does not say ‘will heal you’, but ”heals you”. Peter is only the instrument of the Lord’s power. The power comes through Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. The Lord Jesus guarantees immediate and perfect health. Peter commands him to get up and make his bed. Aeneas responds immediately and gets up. His healing is a clear testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus. The result of his healing is that all who live in Lydda and Saron and see Aeneas turn to the Lord. The wonder works that hearts are turned to the Lord and not to people. Saron is a fertile coastal plain that stretches from Lydda to Mount Carmel. The fertility turns out to affect not only the soil, but also the spiritual fruit that can now be found there through the turning to the Lord. Here we find a spiritual pre-fulfillment of the word of Isaiah: “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks” ( ).

‏ Acts 9:32-34

Healing of Aeneas

After Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, described Saul’s conversion and his first activities as a Christian, he again turns our eyes to Peter and his service. The two histories that follow at the end of this chapter stand between the conversion of Saul and that of Cornelius. The conversion of Saul is the beginning of the great harvest of which Cornelius is the beginning. The question could then arise: Has Israel come to an end? We see the answer in Peter’s two wonders from which we can learn that God has not rejected His people forever.

Peter travels everywhere to strengthen and encourage the new churches. On his itinerary he also visits the saints who live in Lydda. The church there may have come into being through the work of the evangelist Philip, who has traveled through the country from Asdod to Caesarea, proclaiming the gospel to all the cities (Acts 8:40). Here the believers are called “saints” again, as in Acts 9:13 ; 41. The saints are the special company of people who no longer belong to the world, but to the Lord Jesus. They form a new and separate company in the world that has a new object of love: the glorified Christ.

Among the saints, Peter encounters a man named Aeneas who has been lying paralyzed in bed for eight years. We can see in him a picture of Judaism that has no power of itself to do what God asks in His Word. Peter speaks to the cripple as he did to the lame at the door of the temple (Acts 3:6).

He mentions his name and points to Jesus Christ Who heals him. Peter has no power to heal anyone. Only the Lord Jesus can do that. Peter also does not say ‘will heal you’, but ”heals you”. Peter is only the instrument of the Lord’s power. The power comes through Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. The Lord Jesus guarantees immediate and perfect health.

Peter commands him to get up and make his bed. Aeneas responds immediately and gets up. His healing is a clear testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus. The result of his healing is that all who live in Lydda and Saron and see Aeneas turn to the Lord. The wonder works that hearts are turned to the Lord and not to people.

Saron is a fertile coastal plain that stretches from Lydda to Mount Carmel. The fertility turns out to affect not only the soil, but also the spiritual fruit that can now be found there through the turning to the Lord. Here we find a spiritual pre-fulfillment of the word of Isaiah: “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks” (Isa 65:10a).