Acts 5:12-16

What the wicked intended for destruction, God used for creation. The enemies of Christianity were in the early stages of persecuting the church. It was already enough to cause nonbelievers fear. Even though they held Christians in high regard, they were afraid to associate with them when they met in Solomon’s Colonnade. They watched and listened from a distance.

As they listened to the apostles, more and more came to believe. When they arrived at a point of belief in the Lord, they could not hide it. They had to cross the empty space of separation and join the believers. The number of believers continued to grow. Because fear forced the believers to stand in separation, there was a strong sense of unity and fellowship. Their belief overcame their fear.

As well as preaching, the apostles perform many signs and wonders. They were healing the sick and lame. The truth of the healing spread, and people from the towns around Jerusalem brought the sick to the apostles. They knew that the Jewish leadership would not approve, but their need overcame their fear.

Many of the people in antiquity were superstitious. In their ignorance and fear of the unknown, they trusted in magic and chance. They had formed many superstitions. They had superstitions that believed a person’s shadow was attached to the person. Some believed that injuring the shadow could injure the person. Some Jewish tradition suggested that if the shadow of a corpse touched a person it made them impure. Some of those coming to the apostles with their needs still believed in their superstitions. God did not let their superstitions prevent the apostles from meeting their needs.

The crowds that came to Peter were full of fear and superstition. Many were sick, and others were tormented by impure spirits. They were not a group made up of the best and brightest.  As a group, they were helpless, but they had hope. The apostles met their needs and many became believers. God helped the helpless and they became helpers.