Acts 5:12

Acts 5:12 . And by the hands of the apostles were many signs, &c., wrought — Many miracles of mercy for one of judgment. Now the gospel power returned to its proper channel, which is that of grace and goodness. These miracles, which were not a few, but many, not of one kind merely, but of divers kinds, evidently proved the divine mission of the apostles, for they were signs and wonders, such wonders as were confessedly signs of the divine presence and power; they were not done in a corner, but among the people, who were at liberty to inquire into them, and if there had been any fraud or collusion in them, would have easily discovered it. And they were all — All the believers; with one accord in Solomon’s porch — Frequently meeting there, and conversing together with the most affectionate expressions of mutual endearment, being unanimous in their doctrine, worship, and discipline; and there was no discontent or murmuring about the death of Ananias or Sapphira, as there was against Moses and Aaron, about the death of Korah and his company, Numbers 16:31 . The separation of hypocrites from the society of the faithful, should make those that are sincere cleave so much the closer to each other.

It seems strange that the priests, and other rulers of the temple, should suffer the Christians to keep their meetings there; but it was, doubtless, through the providence and grace of God, who inclined the hearts of their enemies to tolerate them there a while, in order to the more convenient spreading of the gospel.

By the hands of the apostles; by the apostles’ ministry: though they were holy and excellent men, they were but instruments; the power they acted by was God’s; which also they had prayed for and acknowledged, Acts 4:30 . Among the people; generally among the meaner sort, according to that question, Have any of the rulers believed on him? John 7:48 . Not many mighty, not many noble, are called, 1 Corinthians 1:26 . In Solomon’s porch; a large and capacious place, where they might with greatest convenience hear and see what was done and said.

Verse 12. - By the hands of the apostles, etc. Two things are here remarkable. The one that Christianity at its beginnings was mightily helped and advanced by miracles done in the Name of Jesus Christ. The other that the authority of the apostles as the rulers of the Church was greatly strengthened by these miracles being wrought exclusively by their hands. We cannot understand either the external relations of the Church to the world, or the internal relations of the people to their spiritual rulers, unless we duly take count of these two things. With one accord (see Acts 4:24 , note). In Solomon's porch (see Acts 3:11 , note). It is quite true to nature that Solomon's porch, having been the scene of the miracle, became the place of frequent concourse. There is a difference of opinion among commentators as to whether the all refers to the whole Christian laity as in Acts 2:1 , or to the apostles only. Alford thinks the latter, Meyer the former. The opinion that the whole body of Christians is meant seems most probable, both from the use of the words in Acts 2 . I and from the phrase ὁμοθυμαδὸν (especially in connection with ἅπαμτες ), which seems more applicable to a mixed multitude than to twelve colleagues like the apostles. You could hardly say that all the queen's ministers met in a Cabinet Council with one accord. There is no need for the parenthesis as in the A.V. Acts 5:12

12–16 . Miraculous powers of the Apostles. Continued growth of the Church 12 . And by the hands of the apostles , &c.] By the hands may here only be the Hebrew mode of expressing by . Cp. ( Joshua 14:2 ) “By lot was their inheritance as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses.” But as in the description of our Lord’s miracles we very often read “he laid his hands upon a few sick folk” ( Mark 6:5 , &c.), and as it is said of the Apostles ( Mark 16:18 ) “they shall lay their hands on the sick and they shall recover,” it seems better to understand the words here of such acts of imposition of hands, though we presently find ( Acts 5:15 ) that the multitudes believed that a cure could be wrought without such an act. and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch ] This must refer to such assemblies as were held by the Apostles for conference and instruction when they went up at the usual times of prayer. Thus all will signify the whole company assembled on some such occasions, and not embrace every person who had joined the new teaching. They came to Solomon’s porch, both teachers and hearers, with one common purpose, to tell and know more of the religion of Jesus. But it is not necessary to interpret the sentence to signify that they took a regular possession of this cloister as their place for worship (see Acts 3:11 ).

(12) Many signs and wonders . . . .—See Note on Acts 2:22 . They were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.—See Notes on Acts 3:2; John 10:23. It was, we have seen, at all times a favourite place of resort for teachers. The chronology of this period of the history is still, as before, left somewhat indefinite; but assuming some months to have passed since the Day of Pentecost, what is now related would be in the winter, when, as in John 10:23, that portico, as facing the east and catching the morning sunlight, was more than usually frequented. On “with one accord,” see Note on Acts 4:24.

Acts 5:12-16 . After this event, which formed an epoch as regards the preservation of the holiness of the youthful church, there is now once more (comp. Acts 2:43 f., Acts 4:32 ff.) introduced as a resting point for reflection, a summary representation of the prosperous development of the church , and that in its external relations. δέ is the simple μεταβατικόν , carrying on the representation. By the hands of the apostles, moreover, occurred signs and wonders among the people in great number. And they were all (all Christians, comp. Acts 2:1 , in contrast to τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν [166]) with one accord in Solomon’s porch (and therefore publicly ): of the rest, on the other hand, no one ventured to join himself to them; but the people magnified them (the high honour in which the people held the Christians, induced men to keep at a respectful distance from them): and the more were believers added to the Lord, great numbers of men and women; so that they brought out to the streets , etc.

The simple course of the description is accordingly: (1) The miracle-working of the apostles continued abundantly, Acts 5:12 : διὰ … πολλά . (2) The whole body of believers was undisturbed in their public meetings, protected by the respect[167] of the people ( καὶ ἦσαν , Acts 5:12 … ὁ λαός , Acts 5:13 ), and the church increased in yet greater measure; so that under the impression of that respect and of this ever increasing acceptance which Christianity gained, people brought out to the streets, etc., Acts 5:14-15 . Ziegler (in Gabler’s Journ. f. theol. Lit. I. p. 155), entirely mistaking the unartificial progress of the narrative, considered καὶ ἦσαν … γυναικῶν as a later insertion; and in this Eichhorn, Heinrichs, and Kuinoel agree with him; while Laurent ( neutest. Stud. p. 138 f.) recognises the genuineness of the words, but looks on them as a marginal remark of Luke. Beck ( Obss. exeg. Crit. V. p. 17) declared even Acts 5:15 also as spurious. It is unnecessary even to make a parenthesis of Acts 5:14 (with Lachmann), as ὥστε in Acts 5:14 is not necessarily confined in its correct logical reference to ἀλλ ̓ ἐμεγ . αὐτ . ὁ λαός alone, but may quite as fitly refer to Acts 5:13-14 together . Compare Winer, p. 525 [E. T. 706]. τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν ] are the same who are designated in the contrast immediately following as ὁ λαός , and therefore those who had not yet gone over to them , the non-Christian population.