Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Thursday, June 27, 2013 Read – Acts 9:32-35 The next two brief stories provide a transition for Luke to the next major section of his book. They help to move Peter from Jerusalem to the edges of Jewish territory. Peter is pictured by Luke something like a bishop – moving here and there overseeing the ministry of the church in Judea. The center of the church may be Jerusalem, but clearly Peter is the prime leader. The little story about the healing of Aeneas does two things – first of all it emphasizes again that it is Jesus who heals, not Peter (Acts 9:34) and secondly it tells once again of the growth in believer (Acts 9:35). Luke has not provided a number since he said there were about 5000 believers (Acts 4:4). As we read Luke’s story we get the impression that the group must easily have doubled by now. Luke’s point all along is to emphasize that there were those within Judaism who did receive Jesus and welcomed the visitation of God to his people. Luke will not permit his readers to come to the wrong conclusion – that Israel as a whole has been rejected by God and that now God has turned to Gentiles. Nothing could be further from the truth!