Acts 9:32-43

Luke now leaves Saul, home meditating in Tarsus, and comes again to the Apostle Peter. We find him right where we left him, traveling around among the churches of Judea and Samaria, ministering to them in the power of Jesus Christ: And so, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. (Acts 8:25 NASB) The "they" here may refer to Peter, John, and Philip, or the subjects of this verse could just be Peter and John. This is the last we hear of Peter until our current text. So Saul goes back to Tarsus, and the scene then refocuses on Peter, who dominates from now through Chapter 12. We don't see Peter here like we have in the past chapters of Acts--preaching to great crowds of thousands. We see him kind of isolated with individuals. In our text for today we begin to read of people becoming Christians in places farther from Jerusalem and Judea. It seems that Luke recorded the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Tabitha to show that the Gospel was being preached effectively in a region of Palestine that both Jews and Gentiles occupied. The Gospel continues to spread.

Vs32: "Now as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda."
What was Peter doing in v. 32? Why was he going here and there among all the believers? ? What did his role seem to be? Peter was on his way back to Jerusalem and came to the saints (believers) at Lydda,

Time frame: Biblical chronology shows this to be about 40 a.d., or seven years after Pentecost. Also keep in mind that since Pentecost there is no record of anyone speaking in other languages. During these months and years since Pentecost, there are untold thousands of people coming to faith in Jesus. At this point of time the Church is made up entirely of Jewish and Samaritan believers. "Traveling through those regions." This is a reference to vs31, which speaks of Judea, Galilee and Samaria. Peter is traveling throughout the region where converts have been made. He may be helping to establish the churches.
oversight of "the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria"

Lydda is a little over thirty miles from Jerusalem, near the Mediterranean sea. a
town between Jerusalem and Joppa. It was about ten miles southeast of Joppa, which was on the seacoast. That he went from Lydda to Joppa shows that he wasnt just going back to Jerusalem; the point of this stop was to preach, encourage and minister to the believers there, as various apostles and disciples were doing in all the churches Saints:
The church here may have been founded by Philip, or some other Hellenistic believers scattered by the persecution, or it may have been by believers returning after Pentecost. We don't know exactly how, but we know there were saints at Lydda. Sainthood is a positional thing, not a conditional thing. If you have trusted Jesus as Savior, you are a saint. We are all saints if we are in Christ.

What do you think of when you hear the words holiness or saintliness? What characterizes a holy or saintly person?

Vss33-35: "There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, 'Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.' Immediately he got up. And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord."
Aeneas is a Greek name. He was probably a Hellenistic Jew. We do not know if he was a Christian. The fact that Luke called him a man, but referred to Tabitha as a disciple (v. 36)

.... Peter calls Aeneas by name, and then tells him that "Jesus Christ" heals him. Next Peter tells the paralyzed man to 'get up and to 'make' his bed. It is interesting how Aeneas is told to something. You will find this is often the case where a miracle work of God is involved. The Lord requires that we do our part. As Aeneas responds to Peter's words, he receives a miracle healing. .... "All who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord." Here again we see the miracle working power of God through the apostolic band. Notice how great the Jewish harvest is becoming. Entire cities are turning to Jesus. they turned to the Lord
God's physical healings are selective

Vs36: "Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room."

Luke now takes us to Joppa. This was a seaport town on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, 10 miles west and a little north of Lydda. It was the ancient seaport for Jerusalem. Joppa would have been made up of a population of Jewish and Gentile people. Luke believes it necessary to tell us both her Jewish name and her Greek name. Disciple: "So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. (Luke 14:33 NASB) Discipleship is a call to forsake all and follow Christ. Can this be talking about the same thing as John 3:16? Do you see a difference between "believing" and "giving up all"? I sure do. I see discipleship as a conditional relationship that can be interrupted or terminated after it has begun. Let me ask you some questions: What is the distinguishing mark of a Christian? This question will get many different answers in churcheanity, but Biblically there is only one answer: Faith. The thing that distinguishes a Christian is the fact that they believe the Gospel. What is the distinguishing mark of a disciple? It is love: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 NASB) Let me be clear on this, ALL Christians are called to be disciples: Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31-32 NASB) She was full of good works, including works of charity; a woman renowned and respected for what she did.

.... It was the custom of the Jews for the women to prepare the body for burial. This they did. But they also put her body in an upper room. This was likely where the believers met for services. The believers knew that the apostle Peter was close at hand. .... This brings us back to the signs of a true apostle. Notice that the disciples in Joppa do not attempt to bring Tabitha back to life. They were well aware that the apostles had been given unique powers. So they sent two disciples for Peter.

Vs38: "Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, 'Do not delay in coming to us.'"

.... There is no question that the disciples believed Peter had the power to raise Tabitha from the dead. No was would have strayed very far from the upper room. Vs39: "So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them."
The widows would be among those who would most miss her ministry, because they benefitted by it. Hard Questions: If you were to suddenly die would there be a bunch of people mourning because they would miss your ministry to them? What are you doing to minister to others? Is there anyone you minister to outside your family? We are called by God to minister to others: As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10 NASB) The Greek word for "gift" here is charisma, it has the idea of: "grace." The word "special" is in the text, but we should think of it as follows: "As each one has received grace, employ it in serving others." We have received grace, and we are to minister grace to each other. Think about this for a minute. How important is God's grace to you? We can't make it through one day apart from the grace of God. We need God's enabling power to live our lives; and this power, this grace, can come to us through the ministry of others. Now you might be thinking, "How is this possible?" Have you ever been in the pit of despair, being overcome by your circumstances? I have. And in those times, God uses His Word to strengthen me, and He uses prayer. But He also uses "fellow believers." When I think of times of trial, I remember the comfort that I received from my friends; friends who gave me encouraging words, words of support, words of comfort. My friends reminded me of what I knew the Scripture said and reminded me of God's faithfulness. My friends ministered grace to me. They were used of God as a means of grace. Ministering to one another in time of need is an important means by which the Lord mediates His grace to us. Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NASB) When you live independent of the corporate community, when you don't spend time with other believers, you cut off a means of the grace of God. How sad it is for those who have no one to minister grace to them in their time of need. How sad for you when you are to be the minister of grace and are not.

Vs40: "But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, 'Tabitha, arise.' And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up."
Peter's first response is to pray. What is prayer? It is a declaration of our dependance on God; whereas prayerlessness is a declaration of our self-sufficiency.

.... Why did Peter send the disciples out of the room? Were they not believers? The reason is deeper. Peter needed his moment of aloneness with Jesus. The apostles did not just go around raising people from the dead. Peter kneels in prayer. Just he and Jesus. And in the quietness of the moment the apostle receives what he is to do. No shouting. No loud noises. No repeated praying. No having to wrestle the devil. Peter turns to the body, and says, "Tabitha, arise!" Instantly resurrection power fills her lifeless body, and she sits up. This is what happens when Jesus is in charge of a situation. When we are in charge the best we can do is make a fair show in the flesh. Can we learn from this? How often do we set about to do great things for the Lord, and then wonder why they don't happen? Could it be that we aren't getting our instructions in prayer. Vs41: "And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive." .... Peter calls the believers back to the upper room, and there before them stands this precious disciple of Jesus Christ. She had been made whole. And you can be sure that whatever medical condition resulted in her demise, that condition was no longer present in her body.
These widows were being ministered to by Tabitha. In that society orphans and widows were the most economically vulnerable. No government safety net was there to catch them. Do you realize that the Church has a responsibility, according to 1 Timothy chapter 5, to care for the widows?

Vs42,43: " It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon." .... Again we see the pattern of 'many' conversions as a result of a miracle. The Lord knows that the Jewish harvest has to have it's miracle element, and this is exactly what He provides.

But this is another reason the Jewish people of that time were left without excuse. Signs and wonders followed the apostles and others of the apostolic band. These signs and wonders continued to affirm that Jesus was truly Messiah. The apostle Paul later writes, "For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1Co1:22-24)
And it came about that he stayed many days in Joppa with a certain tanner, Simon. (Acts 9:43 NASB) For a law-keeping Jew of that time, it was strictly forbidden to associate with anyone who routinely worked with dead animals. According to the laws of that time, a tanner had to live at least 75 feet outside a village because of his ritual uncleanness. The Mishnahsaid if a woman had a husband who took on the trade of a tanner, she had the right to divorce him, because he went into something so defiled. A tanner was not respected. Not only that, it was ceremonially unclean. So for Peter, an orthodox Jew, to have stayed with Simon is a way of saying something is changing here. Peter is obviously less concerned about Jewish traditions and ceremonial notions than he was before. This work of God in Peter's heart lays groundwork for what God will do in Peter in the following chapter. Our text says, "it came about that he stayed many days"--the same phrase is used earlier in the chapter to speak of Paul's three years in Arabia. So Peter spent some time there ministering to the believers.

Dorcas did special things to help others. It really made a difference in their lives. Peter helped others know about Jesus. What are some ways that YOU can help others and make a difference.

Appendix Lessons & Applications. [The two outlines below are from Frank L. Cox, Treatises of Luke, pp. 174-77]. 1. The Miracle at Lydda (Acts 9:31-35). I. The Time of It: 1. During a period of peace and prosperity (v. 31). This favorable condition was due in part to the conversion of the persecutorSaul. 2. Just before the opening of the door of faith unto the Gentiles. II. The Instruments of It: 1. A Christian. A good man in the hands of God is like a sharp tool in the hands of a skillful workman. Men must be good if they do good. But Peter was more than a Christian. 2. An apostle. It was because of his divine call and apostleship that he was able to do miraculous works (cf., Acts 3:1ff; 5:1ff, 19; 8:14ff; 9:36ff). III. The Subject of It: Aeneas, by name. An obscure man. Likely, a disciple (verses 32, 33a). It seems that he was numbered with the saints at Lydda. Let us study the nature of his sickness. 1. He was palsied. This rendered him helpless. he had kept his bed. 2. A disease of long standing: Eight years. 3. Incurable by human means. IV. The Nature of It:

1. Divine. Aeneas, Jesus Christ healeth thee. The apostle claimed no healing power of his own. 2. Instantaneous: And straightway he arose. This is evidence that the power which touched him was super-human. Human remedies are slow in bringing about a cureif at all. 3. Complete: He arose. Without doubt, he did what he was told to do make his bed. he did that which others had been doing for him. That disease was dismissed, and the old powers were again used. He was not immunized from future sickness. When the Lord healed, he did not inoculate. 4. Not creative, but restorative in nature. Nothing material has been created since the beginning (Gen 1). Aeneas was not given something new, but the old powers, which had been wasted by disease, were restored. V. The Results of It: (verse 35). Lydda was a town between Jerusalem and Joppa. Sharon was the name of the level country between Lydda and Caesarea. When the people of this section saw Aeneas whole again, they turned to the Lord that is, a general conversion of the inhabitants followed the miracle. 2. The Raising of Dorcas (Acts 9:36-43). This paragraph, so thrilling in interest, presents three different scenes of this unique character I. Dorcas In Life. The life of this woman may be described by one word beautiful

(v. 36).A Study of Acts 9:3243...Page 4 of 5 Teacher: David Lemmons 1. A beautiful name: Dorcas, or Gazelle. The gazelle (or antelope), celebrated for its agreeable form, its graceful motions, its fiery and beautiful eyes, was frequently employed by the Orientals as a type of female loveliness. 2. A beautiful soul: A disciple of Christ. Her soul was adorned with compassion. She considered the poor (Ps 41:1; 1 Pet 3:1-4). 3. A beautiful dress. Her compassion did not perish for want of action: for she was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. A needlewoman. It has been said that a stitch in time saves nine, but this Christian lady got her needle into the very fabric of eternity (cf., 1 Tim 2:9-10). II. Dorcas in Death. Notwithstanding the beauty of her soul and the usefulness of her hands, Dorcas died. We shall now come to scenes in the death-chamber of this worthy woman 1. Tenderness. They washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber (cf., 1 Kgs 17:19). 2. Mourning. The chief mourners were widowsthe recipients of her kindness. No hired mournerstheir sorrow was genuine. 3. Comfort. This came from the presence of a gospel preacher. When shadows fall, the presence of one who is intimate with the Lord is greatly desired.

4. An exhibition. Not the trophies of one skilled in worldly amusement, but the coats and garments which Dorcas made. No words of eulogy were spoken, no words of eulogy were needed: for the garments were alleloquent! (cf., Rev 14:13). III. Dorcas in her Resurrection. Peter was the instrument by which her resurrection was effected. He had restored withered limbs (Acts 3), purged the church of dross (Acts 5), imparted the miraculous gift of the Spirit (Acts 8), healed the sick (Acts 9), but never had he or any other apostle raised the dead. Let us ask 1. How was Dorcas raised? 1) In solitude. Peter modeled his behavior after the example of Jesus in the house of Jairus (Lk 8:54). 2) Through prayer. Jesus raised the girl through his own power; but Peter on this occasion invoked divine power. 3) With a command: Tabitha, Arise. (Cf., Luke 8:54; Jn 11:43). 4) With a helping hand (cf., Mark 1:31). 2. Why was Dorcas raised? 1) To prove to the people the divinity of Jesus and his religion. 2) Perhaps, to show that goodness is immortal. Women, like Dorcas, never die. 3. What was the nature of Dorcas resurrection? Unlike the resurrection of the last day, Dorcas lived as she had lived before; she lived her natural life, subject to death.

4. What was the effect of Dorcas resurrection? Luke does not try to describe the emotions of joy which must have been expressed by the people present. The ultimate effect was that it caused many to believe in the Lord.