Chapter

Acts 9:33

ESV There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.
NIV There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.
NASB There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed.
CSB There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.
NLT There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.
KJV And there he found a certain man named AEneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.

What does Acts 9:33 mean?

Peter is in the city of Lydda, about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Saul is now a Jesus-follower (Acts 9:13–18) and no longer persecuting the church (Acts 8:1–3). Other persecution has also decreased (Acts 9:31), so Peter has freedom to travel around Judea, encourage those who have received Christ in Jerusalem, and share the gospel with those who haven't heard yet.

In his travels, he meets a man who is paralyzed. Peter had seen Jesus heal the paralyzed before (Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 5:17–26; John 5:2–9), and Peter had performed many miracles in Jesus' name since His ascension (Acts 5:12–16). In the Bible, God equips His messengers to perform miracles to validate the fact that He sent them. God's healing, however, is not a universal right. When Adam and Eve sinned, the world was no longer the "very good" creation of God (Genesis 1:31). Injury and illness became a part of life. Sometimes, God does choose to heal. Other times, He chooses to work in the injured or ill person's life to bring them closer to Him.

Sometimes God uses that person to reach the world. Joni Eareckson Tada was paralyzed in a diving accident in 1967. Despite chronic pain and several bouts with cancer, she has changed the way people see the disabled. She was one of the driving forces behind the Americans with Disabilities Act, and she is a strong advocate for helping the disabled have full and meaningful lives.

Peter heals Aeneas, and in response, the residents of Lydda and the nearby Plain of Sharon come to a saving faith in Jesus (Acts 9:35). Because of Joni Eareckson Tada's injury, millions have a better life. Putting our trust in God always results in life.
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