Aeneas

Biblical Account

Aeneas appears only in Acts 9:32-35. As Peter traveled throughout various regions, he came down to the saints who lived at Lydda, and there he met Aeneas. Aeneas had been confined to his bed for eight years, sick of the palsy. Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed," and he arose immediately. The text reports that all who lived at Lydda and Saron (Sharon) saw this and turned to the Lord (Acts 9:35). Nothing is recorded about his family, his occupation, or his later life.

Significance Within Scripture

This account comes immediately after Acts 9:31, which describes the peace and growth of the church. It is followed by the raising of Tabitha at Joppa (Acts 9:36-43) and then by the account of Cornelius at Caesarea (Acts 10). The story of Aeneas is therefore read as one scene in a sequence in which Peter's ministry extends to the various towns of Judea.

Because Peter says, "Jesus Christ maketh thee whole," the text makes clear that it was Jesus Christ, not Peter, who healed. The account also parallels in structure the episode in which Jesus told a paralytic, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way" (Mark 2:1-12; see Healing of the Paralytic). For this reason, many commentators explain that Acts portrays the ministry of the apostles as a continuation of the ministry of Jesus.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

• Whether Aeneas was a believer: The text states only that Peter came down "to the saints" and found Aeneas "there." Accordingly, some interpreters regard Aeneas as a member of the church at Lydda, while others see him as someone who had not yet come to faith.
• Name and wording: Aeneas is a Greek name, which has led to the suggestion that he was a Hellenistic Jew, though the text does not confirm this. Some scholars hold that "eight years" could also be read as "since he was eight years old." Opinions also differ on whether "make thy bed" means to put his bed in order or to prepare a meal.
• Healing today: The Pentecostal and charismatic traditions regard this passage as one basis for divine healing continuing today. Cessationists, by contrast, tend to read it as a sign that confirmed the gospel in the apostolic age. For further discussion, see Cessationism and Continuationism.
• No widely circulated extrabiblical tradition about Aeneas is known. He has no connection with Aeneas, the hero of Roman mythology who shares his name.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, the story of Aeneas is commonly treated together with the story of Tabitha when Acts 9 is preached or studied, and the phrase "Jesus Christ maketh thee whole" is frequently emphasized. The passage is also cited at healing services and prayer meetings as a text illustrating divine healing. In Sunday school, it is introduced in lessons on the miracles performed by Peter.