Commentary - Acts 9:32-35

Bird's-eye view

Following the seismic event of Saul's conversion, Luke pauses the narrative of that great persecutor-turned-apostle and returns his attention to the ministry of Peter. This brief account of the healing of Aeneas serves as a powerful demonstration that the work of Jesus did not cease at His ascension. Rather, Christ continues His ministry through His appointed apostles, by His Spirit. The passage is a straightforward but profound display of apostolic authority, the power inherent in the name of Jesus Christ, and the evangelistic fruit that such power produces. A man who has been a fixture of helplessness for eight years is raised, and as a direct result, two entire towns turn to the Lord. This is not a story about Peter's personal giftedness; it is a story about the ongoing, active, and effective reign of the risen Christ over disease and unbelief.

This healing is a microcosm of the gospel's advance. It is personal, addressing a specific man in a specific place. It is powerful, doing what is humanly impossible. It is Christ-centered, with Peter making it explicitly clear who the true healer is. And it is public, resulting in a corporate turning to the Lord. This little episode is a potent reminder that the growth of the church is not the result of clever programs or marketing, but rather the manifest power of Jesus Christ changing lives, one Aeneas at a time, with ripple effects that can capture entire communities.

Outline

Context In Acts

This passage is strategically placed by Luke. It comes directly after the account of Saul's conversion and his early ministry in Damascus and Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-30). The church had just entered a period of peace and growth (Acts 9:31). Luke then shifts the camera back to Peter, the leading apostle among the twelve. This section, which includes the healing of Aeneas and the subsequent raising of Dorcas in Joppa (Acts 9:36-43), serves to reaffirm Peter's central role and apostolic authority before the narrative takes its momentous turn toward the inclusion of the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10). These miracles demonstrate that the same power at work in Jesus' earthly ministry is now flowing through His church, authenticating the apostles' message and preparing the way for the gospel to break its next great barrier.

Key Issues

The Un-Paralyzed Gospel

We live in an age that is functionally paralyzed by unbelief. Modern man, particularly in the West, is like Aeneas, bedridden by his own naturalistic assumptions. He has been lying on his mat for a long time, convinced that the world he can see, touch, and measure is the only world there is. Miracles are, by his definition, impossible. The gospel comes to this paralyzed man and does not offer him a better pillow or a more comfortable bed. It does not offer a therapeutic program for coping with paralysis. It speaks a direct, authoritative, and creative word.

What Peter does here is crucial. He does not draw attention to himself, his faith, or his apostolic office. He points away from himself entirely. "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you." This is the central issue. There is no healing apart from a healer, no salvation apart from a savior. Humanistic schemes for self-improvement are just so much rearranging of the bedding. The power to get up and walk comes from outside of us. The name of Jesus is not a magical incantation; it is the invocation of a living and reigning King who has all authority in heaven and on earth. The healing of Aeneas is a signpost, pointing to the greater reality that what Jesus can do for a paralyzed body, He can and will do for a paralyzed soul, a paralyzed church, and a paralyzed culture.

Verse by Verse Commentary

32 Now it happened that as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

After the conversion of Saul, the church experiences a time of peace. Peter, as a good shepherd, uses this time to travel and strengthen the churches. He is making an apostolic tour, visiting the scattered communities of believers, here called "saints." This term is not reserved for a spiritual elite; it is the standard New Testament word for all those who have been set apart by God in Christ. Peter's journey takes him to Lydda, a town on the coastal plain northwest of Jerusalem. This is the routine, faithful work of ministry, moving from place to place to encourage the flock.

33 And there he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed.

In Lydda, Peter encounters a specific man with a specific problem. His name is Aeneas. Luke is a careful historian, and the naming of individuals often lends weight and verifiability to the account. This isn't a vague story about "some guy." This is Aeneas. His condition is chronic and severe; he has been bedridden for eight years. This is not a psychosomatic illness or a temporary ailment. This is a long-term, hopeless condition of paralysis. He is a fixture of helplessness in that community, a man everyone would have known as "Aeneas, the paralytic."

34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and make your bed.” Immediately he rose up.

Peter's words are direct, personal, and authoritative. He addresses him by name, "Aeneas," engaging him as a person, not a project. Then comes the declaration, which is the heart of the passage: "Jesus Christ heals you." Peter is simply the mailman delivering the royal decree. He takes no credit. He claims no intrinsic power. The healer is Jesus Christ. The healing is not a future hope but a present reality. On the basis of that declaration, Peter issues two commands: "Rise up and make your bed." The second command is brilliant. Making his bed is the proof of the healing. It's a mundane task, but it signifies a complete restoration to normal life. You don't need a bed made if you're going to be lying in it all day. The response is instantaneous. "Immediately he rose up." There is no hesitation, no physical therapy, no gradual recovery. The creative word of Christ, spoken through His apostle, accomplishes its purpose instantly and completely.

35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

The miracle was not done in a corner. Aeneas was a known figure, and his healing was a public and undeniable event. The result is not simply amazement or applause for Peter; the result is conversion. And it is not just a handful of people. Luke says "all who lived at Lydda and Sharon," the nearby coastal plain, saw him and turned to the Lord. This is likely a form of hyperbole meaning a massive, widespread revival broke out in that entire region. The sight of this formerly paralyzed man, now walking and active, was an irrefutable testimony to the power of the Lord whom Peter preached. The sign produced the intended result: faith. The healing of one man's body led to the salvation of two towns' worth of souls. This is how the kingdom advances, through decisive displays of God's power that lead people to turn from their own impotence to the living Lord.

Application

This short account is packed with application for us. First, we must be clear that all true spiritual power resides in the person and name of Jesus Christ. Our ministries, our evangelism, and our prayers are impotent unless they are centered on Him. We are not the healers; He is. We are simply the heralds who have the privilege of announcing His power. When we speak to a lost world, our message must be, "Jesus Christ saves you," not "Our church has a great program for you."

Second, we should not despise the day of small things. Peter was on a routine ministry trip, visiting the saints. He healed one man. But God used that one act of faithfulness to bring an entire region to faith. We are often tempted to look for massive, spectacular results, but the kingdom of God frequently works through quiet, personal encounters that God then explodes into something far greater than we could have imagined. Be faithful with the Aeneas that God puts in your path.

Finally, this passage challenges our naturalistic assumptions. The God of the Bible is a God who intervenes. He healed a paralytic in Lydda, and His power has not diminished. While we cannot command miracles in the same way an apostle could, we should pray with bold confidence to the God for whom nothing is impossible. We serve a Lord who specializes in telling paralyzed people to get up and walk. This applies to our own spiritual paralysis, the paralysis of our churches, and the cultural paralysis of our nation. The command is the same: Rise up in the name of Jesus, and make your bed. Get to work. The power is His, the command is ours to obey.