And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
In Ephesus, magic, demon-possession and the worship of Diana were at home. Here God chose to display His power through Paul as He did nowhere else. The verse raises two questions at once: why such unusual works, and what they were meant to prove.
God the Worker, Paul the Instrument
The verse is careful about who did the miracles. One writer notes the phrase "by the hands of" and compares it with the same wording used earlier of Peter and the others:
The Christian's Friend"God was doing extraordinary miracles ('no ordinary miracles') by the hands of Paul." Compare this with the account of the Spirit's extraordinary energy flowing out through Peter and the other apostles in Acts 5. Note that there, as in Ephesus, the same phrase appears — "by the hands of the apostles." Whoever the servant, he was only the instrument or channel of the divine power.
Why Such Power in This City
The strength of the display matched the strength of the opposition. Ephesus was not neutral ground:
F. W. GrantWhat characterizes the whole account of Ephesus as we have it here is the uniqueness of power shown. It is at the very seat of the enemy's power. You see this in the notorious idolatry there — the worship of Artemis or Diana, in her image that fell down from heaven — and in the demon-possessions, sorcery and magic that filled the place. For this very reason God had to put His power forth in a decisive way.
Cloths From a Working Man's Body
The next verse names what was used. One commentator sees meaning in the objects themselves — the cloths of hard work:
F. W. GrantThe power of God is now shown in an extraordinary way in connection with Paul, the minister of this new and heavenly grace. Napkins (or sweat-cloths) and aprons from his skin — both signs of a toil that sin has made necessary — not only healed disease but drove demons out of those who had them. So has love's labour worked through Him who came under the penalty of sin to heal spiritual disease and destroy the power of Satan.
Reaching Those Who Could Not Reach Him
Healing at a distance was the striking feature here:
William KellyThis did not happen only when the apostle was present or when he spoke. What had touched him still worked for the sick who could not come to him. The faith that carried handkerchiefs or aprons from him to them had its reward: the diseases left them, and evil spirits (a distinct class) went out.
What the Miracles Were Testifying To
These works were not an end in themselves. They pointed to a victory already won and a kingdom still to come:
William KellyThese works attested the kind power of God in man and for man. Later that power will triumph in the kingdom, where all things will be put into the hands of the glorified Son of Man... They were testimonies to His defeat of the devil in man's favour, powers of the world to come — though of course only samples of what will then be universal. Neither the church nor any individual saint has had ground to boast about this through the long centuries since.
One writer links this display to a promise the Lord made about greater works:
C. E. StuartHe certainly was a vessel to carry the knowledge of grace, and just as surely a vessel that displayed divine power... Ephesus had never seen such miracles before, and nowhere else were greater ones done. The Lord's words, "Greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12), had abundant fulfilment through Paul as well as Peter.
Not a Method to Copy
This was exceptional, not a pattern to copy. One writer notes that the episode stands alone:
Leslie M. GrantThis is so unusual that it is the only case of its kind recorded in Scripture. Many people were healed before this by simply touching the edge of the Lord Jesus' garment. Certain would-be healers have tried to imitate this, but this is not faith.
Another observes the direction such gifts faced, and the plain fact that Paul did not always heal:
The Christian's FriendGifts of healing showed that the gospel of God was not words only, wonderful as they were, but active love to men. Handkerchiefs from Paul's body healed the sick in Ephesus, as a witness alongside the word that all Asia heard. Yet Paul left Trophimus, himself an Ephesian, sick at Miletus — and that was while he was begging Timothy to come to him... such gifts pointed outward, to the world.
Summary
- Source — God did the work; Paul's hands were only the channel, as with Peter in Acts 5.
- Setting — Ephesus was the seat of idolatry, magic and demons. So God acted decisively.
- Sign — work cloths and aprons carried healing to the sick who could not reach Paul.
- Substance — the miracles were samples of the world to come. They witnessed to Christ's defeat of Satan for man.
- Scope — such works faced outward to the world. They stand alone in Scripture, and even Paul left Trophimus sick.