32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. 33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. 34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. 35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord. (Acts 9:32-35 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
The Holy Ghost now leaves the relation of St. Paul’s life and actions for the present, and returns to give a farther account of St. Peter, what he said, what he did, and what he suffered, particularly at Lydda, at Joppa, and Cesarea: At Lydda he healed Eneas, at Joppa he raised Dorcas, and at Cesarea he preached the gospel to the Gentiles.
Observe, 1. What this great apostle St. Peter did at Lydda: He there, in the name, that is, by the power of Christ, healeth Eneas, who lay sick of the palsy, and had kept his bed eight years.
Where note, The difficulty of the cure; the disease was a dead-palsy, which had taken away the use of his limbs, and made him bed-rid for eight years: All this is recorded, to shew the difficulty of the cure, and the greatness of the miracle: Omnipotenti medico nullas insanabilis occurit morbus; “To such an Almighty Physician, as the great God is, no disease is found incurable.”
Note, 2. The manner of the cure: St. Peter acts in Christ’s name, not his own: and lets the lame man know whom he should own for his benefactor, Christ himself: The apostle was but the instrument in Christ’s hand; and that the cure was perfectly miraculous appears by this: The cripple was cured immediately, and cured perfectly; it was a present cure, And he arose immediately Ac 9:34.
The instantaneous manner of the cure shows it to be miraculous, and by divine power; for nature and art act in time and by degrees, bringing nothing to perfection on a sudden: Whereas this cure was wrought in a moment, his strength is restored in an instant.
It was also a perfect cure, and as an evidence of it, he takes up his bed. This was to shew that he was fully recovered.
Note, 3. The effects of this cure: It had such an influence upon the spectators of this miracle, that all that dwelt at Lydda and Sharon, when they saw it, turned to the Lord, Ac 9:35. That is, they embraced the faith, seeing this cripple so strangely, so suddenly, and so perfectly cured.