I believe you are referring to what we read in Acts 5:14-15, “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least THE SHADOWN OF PETER PASSING BY MIGHT OVERSHADOW SOME OF THEM.”

Along with this, I would like to include a portion dealing with the Apostle Paul.  We read in Acts 19:11-12, “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that FROM HIS BODY WERE BROUGHT UNTO THE SICK HANDKERCHIEFS OR APRONS, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”

Peter and Paul were two significant men in the early days of the Church.  We read Paul’s words in Galatians 2:7-8, “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles).”  Peter and Paul were greatly used of the Lord, with Peter being the main apostle to the Jews and Paul being the apostle to the Gentiles.  (All are Gentiles who are not Jews.)  Because of the special, peculiar work of these men, they were given supernatural power.  As we just read about Paul, “God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.”

We also read of special miracles being performed by the other apostles in Acts 5:12, “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.”  The miracles of Christ and His apostles were mainly miracles of healing…a fact to be taken notice of. The power to work these has been largely withdrawn; but the same object is still accomplished by believers praying under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  We read in James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

We can see the evidence of these supernatural powers of the apostles being taken away by reading a few words concerning the Apostle Paul.

  • Acts 19:11, “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.”  Here, the Lord was working mightily and frequently through Paul to heal others.
  • 1 Timothy 5:23, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”  Later in Paul’s career, instead of healing Timothy, we see Paul offering advice to this faithful young brother.  He was instructed to treat his illness with “a little wine.”
  • 2 Timothy 4:20, “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.”  In the last epistle Paul wrote, we learn that he left a dear brother, Trophimus, at Miletum because he was sick.  At this point, it seems obvious that Paul’s miraculous power to heal was gone. 

Why was that?  As the Word of God neared completion, it was no longer necessary to perform miracles to confirm the truth of their preaching by the Word.  We can rightly assume that Peter and the other apostles also lost the ability to heal at will.  These ‘sign gifts’ were no longer necessary as God’s Word could validate itself by the leading of the Holy Spirit.  (CC)  (657.2)