4:4 What do we learn from the fact that many believed and were saved here?

We learn from this how crucial signs and wonders are for God's purpose to be accomplished in the earth. Over five thousand souls got saved here as a result of the crippled beggar being healed in Ac 3 (CP Ac 3:1-12).

Healing is not only about restoring health to the one afflicted. It is also a sign to awaken others to a consciousness of the presence and the power of God, and to raise their faith in Jesus for salvation. It is one of the signs that Jesus said would follow believers as the evidence to a lost world that He is alive.

The signs show that He confirms the ministries of those who do the work of His word. It should be noted here that it was not the cripple's faith that got him healed. He was expecting money and he had no expectation of healing, so his faith was not an issue. He got healed because Peter and John exercised their faith in Jesus to heal him and God wrought a miracle through them (CP Mk 16:15-20).

The more signs that are wrought through believers, the more souls will be won to Jesus. Jesus placed great importance on the signs that followed His ministry. They proved who He was in God. We should place great importance on them too.

They prove who we are in Jesus (CP Jn 10:36-38; 14:8-11 with 12-14). The first century believers showed no fear in exercising their authority in Jesus for the world to see, and neither should we (CP Ac 4:29-33; 5:12-14; 6:8; 8:4-8; 14:8-10; 20:7-11; 28:3-9; Ro 15:18-21; 1Cor 2:1-5; 4:20).

See also comments on Mt 21:17-22; Mk 16:17-18; Jn 14:12-14, 15:7; Ac 2:46-47, 3:1-16, 5:14-18; 2Cor 1:19-20; 1Jn 5:14-18 and author's studies Faith, Confessing God's Word, and Healing in his book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith, Signs and Wonders in God's Redemptive Plan in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1), and Making the Impossible Possible in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2).

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