Miracles in the Book of Acts
Acts is a historical narrative, in contrast to the epistles, which teach doctrine. Acts is a chronicle of the infant experiences of the Messianic Community; the epistles contain instructions for believers throughout the Church Age. Historically, believers committed to a biblical perspective have recognized the difference. They have understood Acts as an inspired historical record of the apostolic period, not necessarily viewing every remarkable event recorded there as normative for the entire Church Age.
The book of Acts was never intended to be a primary basis for Church doctrine. It records only the earliest days of the Church Age and shows the Church in transition from the TaNaKh to the B’rit Chadashah. The apostolic healings, miracles, signs and wonders seen in Acts were not common, even in those days. They were exceptional events, each with a specific purpose, always associated with the ministry of the apostles, and their frequency can be seen decreasing dramatically from the beginning of Acts to the end, as seen below (also see Ap – Peter Heals a Lame Beggar: A Closer Look at Miracles in Acts). Therefore, miracles in the book of Acts were for the purpose of authenticating the ministry of the apostles.5
1. The Holy Spirit comes at Shavu’ot, the birth of the Church (2:1-4).
2. Tongues of fire came to rest upon the disciples (2:3).
3. One hundred and twenty people were given the gift of languages at one time (2:4).
4. Peter heals a beggar, crippled from birth, who jumped to his feet and began to walk (3:1-10).
5. The disciples prayed for the power to heal, signs and wonders, earthquake response (4:31).
6. Peter confronted Ananias and Sapphira with their sin and they died (5:1-11).
7. The apostles healed many, with the implication that they could heal at will (5:12).
8. Peter’s shadow fell on people and the implication is that they were healed (5:15).
9. An angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail allowing both apostles out (5:18-19).
10. Stephen did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people (6:8).
11. Stephen saw Jesus (the Son of Man) standing at the right hand of God (7:56).
12. Philip did many miraculous signs, with shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So, there was great joy in that city (8:6-8).
13. Simon said that anyone that Peter and John laid their hands on received the Holy Spirit (8:19).
14. After baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch, the Ruach ADONAI snatched Philip away (8:39).
15. Sha’ul had a conversation with Yeshua (9:4-6).
16. The Lord blinded Sha’ul with something like scales for three days (9:8-9, 18-19).
17. Peter healed Aeneas in Lydda, a paralytic, bedridden for eight years (9:32-35).
18. Peter raised Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead (9:36-42).
19. Cornelius clearly saw and heard an angel from God, and talked to him (10:3-8, 30-33).
20. Peter had a vision about the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Messianic Community, and he had a conversation with the Lord (10:9-16 and 11:5-10).
21. The Gentiles received the Ruach ha-Kodesh just as the Jews did (10:44-47 and 11:15-17).
22. An angel of the Lord spoke to Peter before breaking him out of prison (12:6-11).
23. Because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of ADONAI struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died (12:23).
24. Paul cursed blindness on Elymas the magician (13:11).
25. Paul and Barnabas performed many signs and wonders in Iconium (14:3).
26. Paul healed a man in Lystra who was lame from birth, who had never walked (14:8-10).
27. Paul was stoned, but was miraculously healed (14:19-20).
28. Paul exorcised a demon from a slave girl (16:18).
29. The Lord spoke to Paul through a vision (18:9).
30. God was doing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them (19:11-12).
31. The seven sons of a Jewish ruling Cohen named Sceva tried to invoke the name of Yeshua, but the man with the evil spirit sprang at them, subduing and overpowering all of them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded (19:13-16).
32. Paul raised Eutychus from the dead at Troas, the miracle of resurrection (20:7-12).
33. Paul had a vision from an angel of God (Acts 27:23-36).
34. Paul did not die after being bitten from a snake (28:3-6).
35. Paul healed the father of Publius (28:8-9).
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