Session 11
Acts 9:32-43
Memory Verse: Acts 9:41
God’s only plan for the spreading of the gospel is the verbal witness of His people through the power of the Holy Spirit. As mentioned, Acts 1:8 serves as a summary of Acts, including Jesus’s call for His disciples to serve as His witnesses throughout the world. In Romans 10, the apostle Paul wrote that the gospel cannot move forward unless people share it. It should be our ambition to take the gospel to those who need to know Jesus (Rom. 15:20).
In today’s session, Peter continued his work in the area around Joppa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Despite persecutions and threats, he made himself available to Jesus in every situation. As you study this session, ask God to help you identify obstacles that hinder you from being completely open to His leading. Also, pray that the adults in your Bible study group will learn how to be Jesus’s hands and feet in the world around them.
God is still in the healing business. Perhaps we don’t recognize His work because we’re accustomed to the lesser miracles of modern medicine. A woman suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed. When she awoke after surgery, her cardiologist explained a major coronary artery had been blocked. Humanly speaking, the doctor saved her life. The patient knew, however, that the Great Physician guided him and healed her. In both cases, we should recognize God’s work and praise Him. (PSG, p. 100)
Following Saul’s encounter with Jesus earlier in Acts 9, a disciple named Ananias obeyed Christ’s command and ministered to Saul. At this meeting, at least three important events took place. First, Ananias referred to Saul as a “brother.” By addressing him this way, Ananias demonstrated that God had helped him overcome his initial fears about going to see Saul and had accepted the former persecutor as a fellow child of God.
Second, God used Ananias to heal Saul’s blindness. When the scales fell from Saul’s eyes (9:18), more than his physical sight was restored. He was also able to see with spiritual eyes.
Third, Saul was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (9:17). The filling of the Spirit was evidence of God’s work in Saul’s life. If Ananias harbored any lingering doubts, this would eliminate them once and for all.
Having gained spiritual sight to embrace Jesus as the Messiah, Saul immediately “began proclaiming Jesus” as God’s Son in Jewish synagogues (9:20). People were confounded and astonished, because they knew Saul was the same man who had been persecuting the Way.
While it is unclear how many people came to Jesus through Saul’s ministry, Luke reported that the Jews living in Damascus were mystified by Saul’s arguments that Jesus really was the Messiah (9:22). In a twist of irony and in an initial fulfillment of Jesus’s prophecy about his suffering, Saul became the target of intense persecution. As a result, some of his new Christian friends had to help him escape Damascus.
After being lowered over the city wall in a basket, Saul went to Jerusalem and attempted to fellowship with the believers there. However, they were too scared to accept him into their congregation (9:26). Barnabas, living up to his reputation as an encourager, took Saul under his wing and vouched for him to the other disciples.
After Barnabas’s intervention, Saul joined with the Jerusalem disciples and continued preaching Jesus boldly (9:28). And, once again, he was persecuted, as a group of Greek-speaking Jews plotted to kill him. The Jerusalem disciples sent him back to his hometown of Tarsus.
Luke concluded this section of Acts by saying that congregations “throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria” were living in security and were growing stronger (9:31). This indicated that the believers had taken Jesus’s commands in Acts 1:8 seriously, as they moved from Jerusalem into the world. Today’s key verses temporarily shift away from Saul and focus again on the ministry of Peter as he continued his work of sharing Jesus and fulfilling the Great Commission.
Read Acts 9:32-43. What connection do you see in this passage between God’s miraculous work and human instruments of His work? (PSG, p. 101)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
32 As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,” and immediately he got up. 35 So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
(v. 32) Traveling from place to place: Earlier Luke had said that persecution had scattered the disciples, except for the apostles (8:1). However, he now shared that Peter had been on the move, preaching the gospel and encouraging disciples. The fact that Peter was traveling outside of Jerusalem is one of the first indicators that the apostles were being intentional about obeying Jesus’s command to spread the gospel to other regions (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Just as in the first century, missionary efforts today require both intentionality and action.
(v. 32) Saints: In popular culture, saints often describes particularly serious-minded and dedicated Christians. The Roman Catholic Church has institutionalized the process of becoming a saint and only people who have performed miracles and been dead for many years are eligible. However, in the New Testament, “saint” includes all of the Lord’s people. Luke used the term here to describe ordinary believers whom Peter was visiting. Later, Paul also used it in his letters to address Christ followers in churches (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1).
Lydda
Located on the Plains of Sharon a few miles east of Joppa, the town of Lydda was also known as “Lod” and was originally built by descendants of Benjamin (see 1 Chron. 8:12). The city sat along some important trade routes from Egypt to Babylon, which added to its significance in the first century.
After the exile in Babylon, returning Jews resettled the city, and it eventually became one of the more prominent cities in Samaria. The city still exists today under Jewish control, though about a one-third of its population is Arab.
(v. 33) Paralyzed . . . bedridden: While traveling and preaching the gospel, Peter encountered a paralytic named Aeneas. It is unclear if he had become paralyzed through accident or illness, but Aeneas had been in bed for eight years.
Peter was not on a crusade to heal the sick. His primary focus was on preaching the gospel. Still, the healing of Aeneas would be a sign that pointed people to the Jesus. This also reflects the healings performed by Jesus in the Gospels. When He healed, it was always for the purpose of validating His claim as Messiah.
(v. 34) Jesus Christ heals you: Aeneas did not ask to be healed, and Peter did not ask anything of Aeneas before he healed him. Peter simply stated that Jesus was making him well, so Aeneas should get up and make his bed. This healing is similar to the miracle performed by Jesus at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-16. There, Jesus told a disabled man to pick up his bed and walk away.
The power of healing did not depend on any faith Aeneas could have mustered or in anything Peter could say or do. The power came from Jesus, the same power that makes all of His followers His witnesses.
(v. 34) Immediately: Aeneas got to his feet without delay. The efficacy of Jesus’s power was complete, demonstrating that Acts truly is the continuation of Jesus’s story. Even though Jesus was no longer physically present, His power was no less effective. He was physically absent, but spiritually active.
(v. 35) All . . . turned to the Lord: All the people in Lydda and Sharon who saw Aeneas turned to Jesus in faith. As noted, miracles in Acts were not ends in and of themselves. They were signs that fulfilled a purpose. They were performed to bring glory to Christ and to bring individuals to salvation through faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated Dorcas). She was always doing good works and acts of charity. 37 About that time she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who urged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.”
(v. 36) Joppa: Joppa is a coastal city located about 10 miles northwest of Lydda (v. 38) and was the most important port city in Judea. In the Old Testament, Jonah had fled to Joppa to board a boat to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). Modern-day Joppa is located within the city of Tel Aviv and sits on a small hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
In Acts 9, Luke demonstrated that a community of believers had already been established by the time Peter visited them. It is possible that this local congregation had been started by people who had been present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
(v. 36) Tabitha . . . Dorcas: Luke introduced his readers to a disciple named Tabitha. She was also known as Dorcas, which Luke probably included for his Greek readers. Tabitha, a Hebrew name, and Dorcas both mean “gazelle.”
(v. 36) Good works and acts of charity: Around Joppa, Tabitha was well known for her good works and acts of charity. Good works point people to Jesus, as do integrity, godly character, and generosity. By describing her godly character, Luke emphasized how the Holy Spirit transforms believers.
While all twelve of the apostles were men and the office of pastor is limited to men (1 Tim. 2:12), women are equal in status as Jesus’s disciples (Gal. 3:28). Throughout Scripture, many women have served as examples of dedication to Jesus and faithful discipleship (Luke 10:38-42; 23:27).
All Christ followers should strive to be transformed by the Holy Spirit so we can be a blessing to those around us. Good works can also draw nonbelievers toward faith in Christ. As James pointed out, faith is impotent unless it’s put into practice through good works (Jas. 2:26).
(v. 37) Placed her in a room upstairs: Tabitha died, but the believers in Joppa worked together to honor her with a proper funeral. Ancient Jews often performed their own funeral practices, including washing the body (v. 37). The washing of Tabitha’s body recalls the preparation of Jesus’s body by Joseph and Nicodemus (John 19:38-42).
It is not clear why the disciples placed Tabitha’s body in a room upstairs. Some believe that it might be related to their hope that she would be raised from the dead. They also could have simply wanted Peter to minister to those who were mourning before they buried Tabitha. In either case, Luke wanted his readers to connect her being laid upstairs with the congregation reaching out to Peter.
(v. 38) Disciples: As noted, Luke highlighted the roles of women who followed Jesus in both his Gospel and in Acts. While women are restricted from the office of pastor, their value as sisters in Christ and their importance to the body of Christ should never be diminished. Just as ethnicity does not define discipleship, gender is not a barrier to the practice of genuine faith. The church’s respect for Tabitha affirmed this truth.
(v. 38) Don’t delay: Two men were sent to Lydda to urge Peter to come to Joppa. These men found Peter and pleaded with him to come immediately.
In the Gospels, Peter had been anything but “the Rock” of stability that his nickname implied. Now, Peter was truly providing a stable influence for the young church. When the disciples in Joppa discovered that he was in the area, they wanted him to help them.
39 Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. He called the saints and widows and presented her alive. 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed for some time in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.
(v. 39) Peter got up: Peter acted immediately. He traveled back with the disciples from Lydda to Joppa and was taken to the room where Tabitha’s body had been placed.
(v. 39) Widows: The early church was marked by its love for orphans and widows, and Tabitha was an example of that. God’s people are called to be His hands and feet, caring for the people that society often casts aside (Jas. 1:27). Tabitha’s impact on these widows was evident through their weeping. Several widows lamented her death. Even among believing communities, death is a time of sorrow. However, believers have the hope of eternal life in Christ (1 Thess. 4:13).
(v. 39) Robes and clothes: Apparently, one of the acts of charity that Tabitha regularly performed was sewing clothes for needy widows. An African proverb states that a hungry man has no ears, which means that it’s hard for someone to hear and receive the good news if they have unmet physical needs. Good works do not have the power to save givers or receivers. However, they are a powerful demonstration of Christ’s love and can open doors for sharing Jesus.
(v. 40) Prayed: Peter dismissed everyone in the upper room and then prayed toward Tabitha’s body. Peter’s actions were unique to his time and place in redemption history. Believers today are not called to pray for the dead to be raised to life. However, believers should prayerfully consider how to honor Christ in all situations.
Tabitha, get up
Peter told Tabitha’s corpse to get up. This incident is evocative of two incidents in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus raised both a widow’s son (Luke 7:11-17) and Jairus’s daughter (8:49-56) with the same command. Peter was present at both events. Study these passages and compare them to Luke’s account of Tabitha’s resurrection.
(v. 42) Many believed in the Lord: Peter presented Tabitha to the believers (v. 41), causing many to believe in Jesus. Tabitha’s restoration illustrates what happens when people believe in Jesus. When they come to Christ, they die to sin and are raised to new life in Him (Rom. 6:1-4).
(v. 43) Leather tanner: Peter stayed with a leather tanner named Simon. Tanners were often considered ritually unclean because they worked with dead animals. The fact that Peter was staying with Simon suggests that he was beginning to understand that the gospel is not based on ethnicity or religious rituals.
Stewardship
Christians are under obligation to serve God with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. (See 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Colossians 3:23-24.)
Use a Bible atlas and Bible dictionary to locate and learn about places mentioned in Scripture.
Find the location of Joppa in a Bible atlas. Then use a Bible dictionary to learn more about this location. Take note of any significant facts or events that took place there.