The Healing of Aeneas: Acts 9:32-35
“32) Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33) There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34) Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up. 35) And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.” Acts 9:32-35
With these verses, the spotlight suddenly shifts from Saul back to Peter. He is pictured in these verses doing an itinerant ministry trip that may have included Judea, Samaria, Galilee and even up into Damascus. His home was most likely still near the Sea of Galilee. He had a very broad and far ranging ministry.
As he travelled, he came to Lydia. It was there that he was introduced to a certain man named Aeneas who was paralyzed and had been bed ridden for eight years. He was well known to the people of the region.
This may sound like a trivial point, but according to the text, Peter did not anoint him with oil or lay hands on him for healing. Instead, he said to him; “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; arise, and make your bed.” That was it. There was no ceremony, long prayer or teaching about faith, but he immediately arose.
I am beginning to see a common denominator in many healings in the book of Acts; they were accomplished through the Name and authority of Jesus Christ. The same happened back in Acts 3:6. Peter spoke healing to the lame beggar in the Name of Jesus Christ.
So what’s my point? Jesus gave authority to heal to the apostles and later to the seventy during His public ministry. (See Acts 10:7-8 and Luke 10:8-9) Healing authority in the Name of Jesus Christ predated the day of Pentecost. The format did not change with the giving of the Holy Spirit.
This begins to take the mystery out of biblical healing. It appears that it was not based on an amount of faith or a special anointing or gift of the Holy Spirit, but rather New Testament healing was rooted solely in the authority of Jesus Christ. Healing was spoken in the Name of Jesus Christ and Jesus was credited as the healer.
In Acts 9:35 we see the pattern that this healing created an open door for the gospel in Lydda and Sharon and they turned to the Lord. This is consistent with the ministry of the disciples sent out by Jesus to preach the gospel. Healing and deliverance ministry was a normal part of their ministry.
But again, I want to stress the point that it was based in the person and authority of Jesus Christ and not in themselves. Healing pointed people to Jesus Christ. By His stripes people are healed.
This is starting to change my mindset and approach to healing. I’m starting to approach it through the authority of Jesus Christ and less in the amount of my faith or the faith of the person in need of healing. I find it much easier to preach Jesus Christ to people in His fulness and attributes and then simply pronounce healing in His Name. We do not heal anyone… only Jesus Christ holds the office of Savior, Lord and Great Physician. He is the One who does the saving, delivering and healing from these three offices of authority.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
