Acts 19:12

so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. Acts 19:12

The previous verse noted the unusual (not matched) miracles that God worked through Paul. The account of that now continues, saying, “so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought.”

The word translated as handkerchief, soudarion, is seen for the last of four times in this verse. It is “Of Latin origin; a sudarium (sweat cloth). i.e. Towel (for wiping the perspiration from the face, or binding the face of a corpse) -- handkerchief, napkin” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).

The word translated as apron, simikinthion, is found only here. It is also “Of Latin origin; a semicinctium or half-girding, i.e. Narrow covering (apron) – apron” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).

Both of these were probably items that Paul used while working his trade as a tentmaker. He would be working and sweating, so he would use the handkerchief. He would also be wearing the apron while doing his cutting and sewing to protect his regular garments as is common with any such skilled laborer. These were brought “from his body.”

It is another word found only here in Scripture, chrós. It signifies the surface of the body, the skin. Despite this, Vincent’s Word Studies notes that in medical language it was used as a reference to the body itself. The same terminology is used even today in a negative way when one might say, “That guy is just wasted skin.” It speaks of the whole person, represented by the skin covering. These were carried from his body and were taken “to the sick.”

The reason for this is probably as simple as a token of acknowledgment. Paul is working, maybe finishing an order for a customer. Someone comes up to him and says, “We have a sick person that we would like you to come and pray over.” Paul may have then said, “Give me forty-five minutes. I am on the final stitching of this tent and the man is waiting to take it.” With that, the disciple says, “Don’t worry about it, Sir, just give me your handkerchief. I’ll take it to the person.”

Luke, being a physician, highlights such activities, knowing that they were certainly of a miraculous nature. The unusual workings here would be a sign to those in the synagogue and a means of edification for those at Tyrannus. This care for the sick would not be unlike what happened during Jesus’ ministry –

“Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, ‘Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, “Go,” and he goes; and to another, “Come,” and he comes; and to my servant, “Do this,” and he does it.’” Luke 7:6-8

The centurion knew that God was working through Jesus. He simply asked for a token, a word, knowing that was all that was needed. Likewise, the disciples knew that God was working through Paul as just stated in the previous verse. If this was so, then it wasn’t Paul at all that accomplished the healing. He was simply the material cause (as described in the previous verse). As this was so, then God could work just as easily through his sweaty napkin as He could through his physical presence.

Thus, this was to demonstrate to the person that God approved of Paul’s ministry and that He was working through Paul in a real way to bring glory to Himself. In Paul’s case, he was proclaiming Jesus as Lord (verse 10). Therefore, God was being glorified in Christ Jesus (the final cause) through Paul’s ministry.

This was being carried out by God (the efficient cause, which was the Lord’s presence) through Paul’s articles of trade (which were the material cause as being connected to Paul). With this understood, it next says, “and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.”

These actions are the formal cause, the design. They are the miracles that occurred. The people could see or personally experience the events taking place and know, without any doubt at all, that God had accomplished these things, that they were done through Paul, and thus Paul’s ministry was validated through what occurred. Because Paul’s ministry proclaimed the Lord Jesus, God was glorified in Christ by the events that took place.

Life application: Quite often, the words of 1 Peter 2:24 are used to justify healing of people today, “by whose stripes you were healed.” Sometimes, the person who calls out those words will also pretend that God is working through him to bring about healing. Often, televangelists and others will send healing cloths, healing water, etc., to people, claiming that they have this same special power as seen in Acts 19.

The words of 1 Peter 2:24 are not intended to be used in this manner. The obvious question for all believers to consider is “Healed of what?” What healing is Peter referring to? Is it healing from the sniffles? Is it healing from cancer? Is it healing from any other body ailments? The answer is “No” to all of them. The whole verse says, “...who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

Peter referred to sin and only sin. The highly inappropriate nature of claiming physical healing based on the words of either Isaiah 53:5, or 1 Peter 2:24, is obvious. Healing from the effects of sin, such as sickness, anxiety, trouble, and death, may come about through prayer and/or right living, or it may only come about when the believer is translated to glory. But claiming physical healing of any type based on the words of Peter is not only poor doctrine, it is a false teaching which leads hopeful believers into sad paths of dejection and turmoil when they are not healed of the physical affliction they fervently desire to be healed of.

Paul was used as an instrument of healing to validate his ministry. The words of Luke have been recorded. The ministry stands validated through Scripture. There is no longer a need to validate Paul’s ministry in this manner. Today, preachers and teachers are to be evaluated based on adherence to the word of God. There is no need for external validations of their ministries, and none will be provided.

Claiming healing in such ways can only lead to false expectations and weakened faith in those who are not healed. We can pray for healing and hope for it to come about, but we should never be so presumptuous as to claim it. We do not possess that authority. The word is written, and we are to live by faith in what is documented there.

The amazing part of what is conveyed to us in Scripture is that God took our pain and our suffering and placed it on His own precious Son. The healing we receive because of His cross is spiritual and it is eternal. We have new life because of the work of Jesus Christ.  Praise God in the highest for what He has done for us in the giving of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thank You, O Lord, for the wonderful blessing of Jesus and the healing He provides. Through Him and through His suffering, we are healed of our state of corruption and death, and we now have new life through Him. How precious it is to be called a son of the Living God because of His terrible trials! May we never forget what He went through to restore us to You. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.