What does Acts 5:14 mean?
Although the new believers seem to stay away from the apostles' public ministry in Solomon's Portico (Acts 5:12–13), others discover the apostles' amazing ability to heal and expel demons, and come in droves (Acts 5:16). The purpose of miracles is never only to heal, as noble a cause as that is. After healing a great many people in Capernaum, Jesus told His followers, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out" (Mark 1:38). Miracles identify God's servants and validate their message; miracles are not the message, itself.It is true that Satan or demonic forces can empower people to perform false miracles, but God is greater. The Egyptian magicians copied Aaron's sign of turning their staffs into serpents; Aaron's serpent ate the magicians' serpents (Exodus 7:8–12). Later, Paul and Barnabas will tangle with a magician on the island of Cyprus. The magician tries to distract the proconsul from the missionaries' words until Paul gets frustrated and blinds him (Acts 13:5–12).
Luke gives several other updates on the church throughout the book of Acts. Three thousand joined the first day and more came daily (Acts 2:41, 47). After Peter healed the man born lame, the church included about five thousand men, plus women and children (Acts 4:4). Eventually, even some of the priests become Jesus-followers (Acts 6:7). When the Jesus-followers flee the persecution in Jerusalem, they will bring the gospel to Syrian Antioch, where Jews and Gentiles will establish a healthy church (Acts 11:21). Even after Agrippa executes James and Peter escapes Jerusalem the church grows (Acts 12:1–3, 24).
Acts 5:12–16 gives a short update of the state of the early church in Jerusalem. The first chapters of Acts alternate between highlights of the activities of the apostles and short summaries of indefinite periods of time. As in Acts 2:43–47 and Acts 4:32–35, Luke glosses over the events here. People are a little leery because of Peter and John's arrest by the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1–22) and God's immediate judgment of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11), but both the miracles and the message are irresistible. Even more people come to saving faith in Jesus.
The apostles continue to make hard decisions in the name of Jesus, both inside and outside the church. When Ananias and Sapphira lie to God, the Holy Spirit inspires Peter to pronounce God's judgment on them, protecting the church from the love of the world. Despite the Sanhedrin's watchful eye—and direct orders (Acts 4:17–18)—the apostles continue to preach and heal openly. The guards arrest the apostles, but the Sanhedrin settles for beating them instead of capital punishment. The apostles consider it an honor to suffer on behalf of their Savior.
