Matthew Henry's Commentary on the
Lesson
(Acts 5:12-16)
The Progress of the Gospel.
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders
wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's
porch. 13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the
people magnified them. 14 And believers were the more added to the Lord,
multitudes both of men and women.) 15 Insomuch that they brought forth the
sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least
the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 16 There
came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing
sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were
healed every one.
We have here an account of the progress of the gospel,
notwithstanding this terrible judgment inflicted upon two hypocrites.
I. Here is a general account of the miracles which the apostles
wrought (v.
12): By the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought
among the people, many miracles of mercy for one of judgment. Now the
gospel power returned to its proper channel, which is that of mercy and
grace. God had come out of his place to punish, but now returns to his
place, to his mercy-seat again. The miracles they wrought proved their
divine mission. They were not a few, but many, of divers kinds and often
repeated; they were signs and wonders, such wonders as were confessedly
signs of a divine presence and power. They were not done in a corner, but
among the people, who were at liberty to enquire into them, and, if there
had been any fraud or collusion in them, would have discovered it.
II. We are here told what were the effects of these miracles which
the apostles wrought.
1. The church was hereby kept together, and confirmed in its
adherence both to the apostles and to one another: They of the church
were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. (1.) They met in the
temple, in the open place that was called Solomon's porch. It was strange
that the rulers of the temple suffered them to keep their meeting there. But
God inclined their hearts to tolerate them there awhile, for the more
convenient spreading of the gospel; and those who permitted buyers and
sellers could not for shame prohibit such preachers and healers there. They
all met in public worship; so early was the institution of religious
assemblies observed in the church, which must by no means be forsaken or let
fall, for in them a profession of religion is kept up. (2.) They were there
with one accord, unanimous in their doctrine, worship, and discipline; and
there was no discontent nor murmuring about the death of Ananias and
Sapphira, as there was against Moses and Aaron about the death of Korah and
his company: You have killed the people of the Lord,
Num.
xvi. 41. The separation of hypocrites, by distinguishing judgments,
should make the sincere cleave so much the closer to each other and to the
gospel ministry.
2. It gained the apostles, who were the prime ministers in Christ's
kingdom, very great respect. (1.) The other ministers kept their distance:
Of the rest of their company durst no man join himself to them,
as their equal or an associate with them; though others of them were endued
with the Holy Ghost, and spoke with tongues, yet none of them at this time
did such signs and wonders as the apostles did: and therefore they
acknowledged their superiority, and in every thing yielded to them. (2.) All
the people magnified them, and had them in great veneration, spoke of
them with respect, and represented them as the favourites of Heaven, and
unspeakable blessings to this earth. Though the chief priests vilified them,
and did all they could to make them contemptible, this did not hinder the
people from magnifying them, who saw the thing in a true light. Observe, The
apostles were far from magnifying themselves; they transmitted the glory of
all they did very carefully and faithfully to Christ, and yet the people
magnified them; for those that humble themselves shall be exalted, and those
honoured that honour God only.
3. The church increased in number (v.
14): Believers were the more added to the Lord, and no doubt
joined themselves to the church, when they saw that God was in it of a
truth, even multitudes both of men and women. They were so far from
being deterred by the example that was made of Ananias and Sapphira that
they were rather invited by it into a society that kept such a strict
discipline. Observe, (1.) Believers are added to the Lord Jesus, joined to
him, and so joined to his mystical body, from which nothing can separate us
and cut us off, but that which separates us and cuts us off from Christ.
Many have been brought to the Lord, and yet there is room for others to be
added to him, added to the number of those that are united to him; and
additions will still be making till the mystery of God shall be finished,
and the number of the elect accomplished. (2.) Notice is taken of the
conversion of women as well as men; more notice than generally
was in the Jewish church, in which they neither received the sign of
circumcision nor were obliged to attend the solemn feasts; and the court
of the women was one of the outer courts of the temple. But, as among
those that followed Christ while he was upon earth, so among those that
believed on him after he went to heaven, great notice was taken of the good
women.
4. The apostles had abundance of patients, and gained abundance of
reputation both to themselves and their doctrine by the cure of them all,
v. 15, 16. So many signs and wonders were wrought by the
apostles that all manner of people put in for the benefit of them, both
in city and country, and had it. (1.) In the city: They brought forth
their sick into the streets; for it is probable that the priests would
not suffer them to bring them into the temple to Solomon's porch, and the
apostles had not leisure to go to the houses of them all. And they laid
them on beds and couches (because they were so weak that they could
neither go nor stand), that at the least the shadow of Peter, passing by,
might overshadow some of them, though it could not reach them all; and,
it should seem, it had the desired effect, as the woman's touch of the hem
of Christ's garment had; and in this, among other things, that word of
Christ was fulfilled, Greater works than these shall you do. God
expresses his care of his people, by his being their shade on their right
hand; and the benign influences of Christ as a king are compared to the
shadow of a great rock. Peter comes between them and the sun, and so
heals them, cuts them off from a dependence upon creature sufficiency as
insufficient, that they may expect help only from that Spirit of grace with
whom he was filled. And, if such miracles were wrought by Peter's shadow, we
have reason to think they were so by the other apostles, as by the
handkerchiefs from Paul's body (ch.
xix. 12), no doubt both being with an actual intention in the minds of
the apostles thus to heal; so that it is absurd to infer hence a healing
virtue in the relics of saints that are dead and gone; we read not of any
cured by the relics of Christ himself, after he was gone, as certainly we
should if there had been any such thing. (2.) In the country towns:
Multitudes came to Jerusalem from the cities round about, bringing sick
folks that were afflicted in body, and those that were vexed with
unclean spirits, that were troubled in mind, and they were healed
every one; distempered bodies and distempered minds were set to rights.
Thus opportunity was given to the apostles, both to convince people's
judgments by these miracles of the heavenly origin of the doctrine they
preached, and also to engage people's affections both to them and it, by
giving them a specimen of its beneficial tendency to the welfare of this
lower world.
