The book of Acts
Peter in Lydda and Joppa
Chapter 9:31 to 43
More than three years had gone by since the beginning of the early church in Jerusalem, and the great persecution that followed it in that city, and the disciples, except the apostles, had spread throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria (chapter 8:1).
The churches now went through a period of peace throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria, the provinces into which the Roman administration had divided the land of Israel. The disciples had been encouraged by the Holy Spirit; they proclaimed the Gospel and the churches grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Peter travelled through all parts of the country, and went to visit the saints who lived at Lydda. This is the third time that the word "saints" is used in Acts: The first time was for the prophets of God (3:21), the second for the members of the Jerusalem church (3:13), and this time, as well as in many other times it is used in the New Testament, the word refers to all those who are sanctified by faith in Christ. It implies the reality of their conversion.
Lydda was a small town on the way from Jerusalem to the seaside town of Joppa (today called Jaffa). There Peter met Aeneas, who could have been one of the saints, bedridden for eight years because of a paralysis. His healing would not have been a new experience for Peter (5:15), because this is one of the "marks of an apostle" (Acts 5:12, 2 Corinthians 12:12).
Note the words: "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you; arise and make your bed". The healing was correctly attributed to Jesus Christ - Peter was only His apostle, or agent. Now Aeneas could make his bed himself and was no more dependent on others, for the healing was immediate. Aeneas then arose, and “all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord." There was no more need for anyone to be convinced of the reality of the Gospel, in contrast to most Jews who witnessed the signs made by the Lord Jesus himself but remained unbelievers.
Peter was later called over to Joppa and now we have the singular account of the resurrection of a disciple named Tabitha who lived there and had just died.
Tabitha is an Aramaic name meaning "gazelle", a graceful animal, whose equivalent in Greek is Dorcas. As a disciple she had been saved by their faith in Christ, and showed her faith by her works (Titus 3:8, James 2:17). Pre-eminence is given here to her works, not words. She was generous, gave alms, but also worked with her hands, sewing clothes and coats for men and dresses for women, which she gave to the needy. They were works of charity, manifesting her love for her neighbours.
Still in full activity, she fell ill and died. Following the local custom, women washed her body and put her in an upstairs room. It was customary among the people to wash the body with warm water, so the patient might recover if there were still some vestige of life in the body. However, it proved that she was dead.
Sometimes we are surprised when a servant of Christ dies in full activity, because we believe that their life in this world is precious to God's work. God, however, has a perfect view, and gathers His servant to His presence at the appropriate time. In the case of Tabitha, exceptionally, her death on that occasion was to be brief.
When the disciples heard that Peter was in the neighbouring town, Lydda, they sent two men to tell him not to delay in coming to them (they may have left before the death of Tabitha had been ascertained, in the hope of a cure, for it does not appear that any dead person had been resurrected yet through the intervention of Peter). Ready to be of service, Peter returned with them and was immediately led to the room where her body lay.
All the widows stood by him weeping, and showed him the clothes that Tabitha had made when she was alive with them. They had no reason to weep for Tabitha, as she would now be with the Lord, but were crying because of the loss they had suffered: They had reason to love her very much for her charity towards them, but already felt that they were going to miss her great contribution for their comfort, and who would replace her? This makes us think: will we also be missed by people around us when we are taken away? This is a measure of how much we obey the Lord's command: "Love your neighbour as yourself" in a general way, as the Lord explained in Matthew 5:43-47.
God uses servants who become prominent, like the apostles, and great preachers, teachers and writers that have a major impact. He also uses servants who have other gifts and activity, like Tabitha, a seamstress who knew how to use her talents for the Lord, giving a testimony of kindness that earned her the esteem of the people around her. Let us make good use of the talents we have, rather than covet others we do not.
Peter put them all out, for he needed quiet to meditate and pray to God about what to do. He was probably moved by the affection shown by those widows, and felt sorry for them. He could remember Lazarus whom the Lord had risen, moved by the compassion He had for his two sisters. He wanted to bring Tabitha back, as he had seen the Lord Jesus do. However, he did not want to be seen by others ... this would be natural, if he was not quite sure it was God’s will!
As the Lord had done, Peter prayed to God. The Son of God had prayed standing, as befitted a son addressing his father, Peter prayed on his knees, begging as a servant of his Lord. Then, filled with faith and courage, Peter spoke to the body of Tabitha (as Jesus had done with Lazarus), saying: "Tabitha, arise". Tabitha opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
The first sign of life of those who are spiritually dead is also opening the eyes of the mind "in order that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in the Lord Jesus" (26:18).
When Peter saw that she was actually alive, he kindly gave her his hand to help her rise to her feet. It would be a gesture of welcome back to the world she had left. Finally, Peter called the saints and widows, and presented them Tabitha alive, to their great surprise and joy. So had Elijah done (1 Kings 17:23), also Elisha (2 Kings 4:36), and the Lord Jesus (Luke 7:15), when the children they raised returned to their mothers.
This extraordinary miracle, witnessed by a large number of people, became known throughout all Joppa. As a result, many were convinced of the truth of the Gospel, accepting that what had been done was by God and not by men, and believed in the Lord. Seeing a great opportunity to evangelize and teach, Peter stayed many days in Joppa until called to go elsewhere.
At Joppa, he stayed in the house of a tanner named Simon (his namesake). It would be a humble, smelly dwelling, and living with a tanner would not be to the liking of most Jews, because tanners worked with dead animals making them ceremonially unclean. According to a rabbi, "It is impossible for the world to be without tanners, but poor is the fellow who is a tanner." At that time a Jewish woman could divorce her husband if she found out he was a tanner. While staying there, Peter was beginning to break down some scruples he had as a religious Jew, and gave an example of humility.
R David Jones
31 Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.
33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.
34 And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed." Then he arose immediately.
35 So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.
37 But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.
39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40 But Peter put 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 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.
43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
Acts chapter 9, verses 31 to 43