32 Now it happened that as Peter was traveling through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. 33 And there he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Rise up and make your bed.” Immediately he rose up. 35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Peter Raises Tabitha to Life
36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated is called Dorcas). This woman was full of good works and charity which she continually did. 37 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. 38 Now since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, pleading with him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” 39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, crying and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them. 40 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. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. And calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And it happened that he stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon. Acts 9: 32-43 LSB
Acts 9: 32-42 Saints and Their Ministries
…2I said to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from You I have no good thing.” 3As for the saints in the land, they are the excellence in whom all my delight resides. 4Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.… Psalm 16: 2-4
V. 32 To the saints who lived at Lydda - Who are the saints? What is that? It means those set apart, Holy unto God. This would be the believers, those born again, adopted into God's family through Christ. Lydda is a town NW of Jerusalem, and in the area where the Ben Gurion airport is today.
Saints (Acts 9:13, 41)(40)(hagios) is literally a holy one and properly means set apart, separated, distinct, holy. In the Bible hagios describes a man or woman who (when by grace through faith they believe in Jesus) is apart by God and for God. Their eternal position in God's eyes is that they are holy because they are in an unbreakable blood covenant with Christ and are one with Him and identified with Him. the supreme Holy One. The saint's positional holiness is imputed to their "spiritual account" from Christ. As holy ones they are brought near and into God's holy presence as Paul describes in Romans 5:2+ (cf Eph 2:6+). Those who are holy in their position, need to daily seek to be holy in their practice (1 Pe 1:15+). Stated another way, one is proven to be "holy" to an unholy world by his or her holy lifestyle, such a lifestyle ONLY being possible by daily reliance on the supernatural enabling power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf Gal 3:3+, Eph 5:18+, Gal 5:16+). In summary, if you are a genuine believer in Jesus Christ, you are a genuine saint. No church announcement or pronouncement is necessary to make you a saint. St Paul is no more of a saint than you are. We are all on equal footing at the foot of Christ's Cross. So next time you meet with a believer, you might want to surprise them by saying something like "Good morning, saint ____ (their first name)!" Try it! - PA
…6And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being proclaimed all over the world.… Romans 1: 6-8
Vs. 33-35 Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you - Peter gives credit to Jesus; he knows this power isn't of himself, and he doesn't try to palm it off as such.
Steven Cole points out that " Whether God uses us to perform a miracle or to bring a soul to salvation, we cannot rely on our own ability or take any credit for ourselves. We can only say, with Paul, that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves." (Faith in the God of All Power Acts 9:32-43)
V. 36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha - Both Tabitha and Dorcas translate "gazelle".
Now in Joppa (See map) - Joppa is infamous in the OT for it was here that the Prophet Jonah came to and boarded a ship heading to Tarshish to run away from the will of the Lord. Joppa is known today as Jaffa (see Wikipedia article). Most writers agree that the church plant in Joppa was the fruit of Phillip's ministry as he returned to Caesarea by the Sea after ministering to the Ethiopian eunuch. Luke records "Philip found himself at Azotus; and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities (see map showing Lydda and Joppa which would surely be among all the cities), until he came to Caesarea." (Lk 8:38+) - PA
V. 36b - 38 This woman was full of good works and charity which she continually did - Women have had amazing ministries throughout the life of the church. People tend to focus attention on certain positions in the church, especially that of elders and pastors, which is a position forbidden to women by design, but not unaffected by them. Pastors are often married, and every man that is married is one with his wife, the two become one flesh. Every pastor is born of a woman, and women are the greatest influence upon society. This is why the putting down of motherhood in our age has caused nothing but heart ache and feral children. Older women were to teach the younger women, to work alongside deacons in ministering to other widows, and teach children. The affect of not doing these things, of stepping outside of God's design for what we think is "more important", has put many men and women in direct defiance of God. Men refuse to lead, and I am guilty of this, super lazy, I always hoped that my wife would take the kids to church and have them read the Bible while I just went fishing. This woman, Tabitha, has had an obviously great influence upon the saints and people at Joppa through her ministry. They apparently haven't buried her in hopes that Peter can do something about it when he arrives. I hope my life starts to have that kind of meaning, where however small or great the circle I work in is, those that know of me will see my passing as a loss, because I reflected Christ to them while I was alive.
This woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did - Continually did is in the imperfect tense which pictures Dorcas as doing these things over and over, again and again. John G. Butler said, “Oh, that we had more of the faithfulness of Dorcas in our church members. It is so hard to get church members to do anything for an extended period of time, to be faithful day in and day out at their task. They will serve for a short period of time; they will serve in spurts; but seldom will they serve faithfully. That is why so little gets done in the church when much needs to be done.”
Dorcas speaks of the social side of the Church of Jesus Christ. Some evangelicals downplay the social aspect which is a mistake as Dorcas' ministry clearly demonstrates. On the other hand if the Church engages in social activities without in some form offering the Gospel, this is misguided and even disobedient to Jesus' Great Commission. A balanced Christian ministry is always the best Christian ministry! - PA
…29“Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!” 30Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.… Proverbs 31: 29-31
…3Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good. 4In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.… Titus 2: 3-5
…33For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace—as in all the churches of the saints. 34 Women are to be silent in the churches. They are not permitted to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35If they wish to inquire about something, they are to ask their own husbands at home; for it is dishonorable for a woman to speak in the church.… 1 Corinthians 14: 33-35
…11A woman must learn in quietness and full submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, and then Eve.…
…14And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman who was deceived and fell into transgression. 15 Women, however, will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. 1 Timothy 2: 11-15
…2I urge Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you, my true yokefellow, to help these women who have labored with me for the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. 4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!… Philippians 4: 2-4
V. 39 Showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make - Like the woman in Proverbs 31, who got up early, made clothes, sold them in the market, and made warm coats for her family, so this Tabitha has done to clothe her extended family, her eternal family. She took Christ's words seriously.
…35For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, 36I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?…
…38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ 40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’… Matthew 25: 35-40
…26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 27Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1: 26-27
V. 40 Tabitha Arise - And she got up. These are very much like Jesus' miracles, and so the testimony of the Lord continues. Funny that she is in Joppa.
38Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.… Matthew 12: 38-40
Vs. 41-43 He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon - Well, the Scriptures point out that he was a tanner, so what is a tanner? Someone who deals with animal skins, makes leather.
With a tanner named Simon - "The use of para is usual for staying with one (by his side)." (Robertson) This is the amazing statement. According to the laws of that time, a tanner had to live at least 75 feet (25 meters) outside a village because of his constant ritual uncleanness. For a Jewish man to accept the hospitality of a tanner is unthinkable, for fear of being made "unclean." The fact that Peter was willing to stay with Simon and not just overnight but for many days suggests that the Spirit was beginning to work on his heart about the significance of clean and unclean to his Christian walk. Peter was about to have a supernatural show on what God considered clean and unclean!
Ellicott - The Rabbis held that if a tanner about to marry concealed his occupation from his intended wife, the concealment was of the nature of a fraud that invalidated the contract (Schöttgen, Hor. Heb., in loc.). In taking up his abode with one of this calling, Peter must accordingly have been taking one step in advance towards greater freedom. He had learnt, partially at least, the lesson which his Master had taught as to that which alone can bring with it real defilement (Mark 7:17-23), and was thus being trained for a fuller illumination. We have no data for determining the length of time implied in the “many days.” In Acts 9:23, as we have seen, the words covered a period of nearly three years.
A T Robertson on tanner - “The more scrupulous Jews regarded such an occupation as unclean, and avoided those who pursued it. The conduct of Peter here shows that he did not carry his prejudices to that extent” (Hackett). One of the rabbis said: “It is impossible for the world to do without tanners; but woe to him who is a tanner.” A Jewess could sue for divorce if she discovered that her husband was a tanner. And yet Peter will have scruples on the housetop in the tanner’s house about eating food considered unclean. “The lodging with the tanner was a step on the road to eating with a Gentile” (Furneaux). (Acts 9 Commentary)
17 And when He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples were asking Him about the parable. 18 And He *said to them, “Are you lacking understanding in this way as well? Do you not perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and goes to the sewer?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.” Mark 7: 17-23
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