Here is a reference to divine healings, in spite of the fact that Luke, a physician, accompanied Paul. This fact is so troublesome to critics of modem miraculous healings that some have come forth with the theory that the healings mentioned in verse 9 were the work of Luke who used medical remedies, although Luke is not mentioned by name.
The theory is based on the use of the Greek word for “healed” (v. 8), which some insist refers to medical therapy alone. This word, however, is used thirty-two times in Scripture with reference to divine healing.
This observation is not to say that medical treatment is wrong. It is not. However, it does clarify that this text is not grounds for the substitution of medical therapy for prayer. God heals by many means: the prayer of faith, natural recuperative power, medical aid or medicine, and certainly miracles—all are gifts from His hand (James 1:17).
