Chapter Nine –
The
Conversion of Saul of Tarsus
ACTS 9:32-43:
In our last lesson, we left Saul of Tarsus in his home town, which concluded
the events of his conversion, his education by the Lord (Galatians
1:11-12), and first acts as an Apostle of Jesus Christ.
Luke will now return to Peter as the focus of the narrative. In the
remainder of the rest of this chapter, Luke will record a series of miracles
performed at Lydda and Joppa; which will in turn establish the opportunity
to preach the Gospel (the purpose of the miracles – confirm the word,
Mark 16:20).
Text #1:
Acts 9:32-35
“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.”
Lydda:
Referred to as “A village not less than a city”, by Josephus; it was about
30 miles NW of Jerusalem, and was on an important trade route or highway.
Aeneas:
All that is known about this man is described here by Luke. Luke being a
physician describes his paralytic condition as eight years in length.
Jesus
Christ heals you:
Peter’s
statement of the authority behind the miracle coincides with the teaching of
Paul concerning the preeminence of Christ alone, as having authority in all
things (Mathew
28:18) –
Philippians 2:9-11;
Colossians 1:18. It would also serve to introduce, by power, the
focus of the Gospel that was about to be preached at Lydda and Sharon
(Sharon was the coastal plain between Joppa and Mount Carmel, with the
cities of Dor, Lydda, Joppa, Caesarea, and Anitpatris found there).
Turned to
the Lord:
The
illustration of turning to the Lord is in fact the very definition of
conversion. Initially, it was instructed as:
Acts 2:38-41
“Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of
you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39
For the
promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many
as the Lord our God will call.”
40
And with
many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this
perverse generation.”
41
Then those
who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three
thousand souls were added to them.”
The very
next time, Peter would illustrate it this way:
Acts 3:19-21
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be
blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the
Lord,
20
and that He
may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before,
21
whom heaven
must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has
spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
As the
Gospel would continue to spread, Luke would illustrate the act of conversion
as:
Acts 5:14
“And believers were increasingly added to the Lord,
multitudes of both men and women”
We have
addition specific recorded accounts of conversion, such as:
Acts
8:34-39;
9:18; however, whether from the
beginning to here, the term “Turning
to the Lord”, in all its forms, is describing the complete acts of man
in submission to the Grace of God extended through the true Gospel message –
Mark 16:15-16
“And He said to them, “Go into
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16
He who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned.”
Text #2:
Acts 9:36-43
“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 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.”
Joppa:
Joppa was a principle sea port of Judea that is located about 40 miles from
Jerusalem and about 12 miles from Lydda.
Tabitha:
“Tabitha”
is the rendering of her name in Hebrew; then Luke, for the sake of
Theophilus, renders her name in the Greek equivalent (“Dorcas”).
She is referred to by Luke as a disciple, which designates that she was
already a convert and now a practitioner of the teaching of Christ’s
doctrine.
She is
described as a classic example, by her charitable deeds, and good works of
what all women in sound “Bodies of
Christ” should be trying to attain!
Titus 2:3-4
“the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not
slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things –
4
that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their
children.”
Sent for
Peter:
After Tabitha’s subsequent death and the preparation being begun for her
funeral, it was found out that Peter was near; so he was sent for. Now,
there had not been a demonstration of raising the dead since the Lord raised
Lazarus (John
11:38-44). So, it was far more likely that Peter had been sent
for, in order to comfort the brethren.
Peter Put
Them All Out:
This was
not an attempt to hide anything; it was however, for the simple fact that
these brethren were Jews, and there were very specific guidelines for
contact with the dead.
Under the
Law of Moses, that these brethren had been converted out of, but still held
the practices as sacred, a dead person, regardless of the cause of death,
made anyone who contacted them unclean (Numbers
19:22). In addition, anything they then touched was also made
unclean. Even the enclosure where the body was kept was made unclean and all
un-covered vessels inside (Numbers
19:14). Provisions were made to for cleansing of the unclean (Numbers
19:17-19).
Peter used
this tact for expediency, in order to perform this miracle without the
distraction of offending any who were here.
Presented
Her Alive:
Once her
life was restored and the issue of the dead body was no longer a concern,
she is presented to everyone. The result is as it should have been, and word
of this event spread throughout the entire city. This, as it has happened in
every case, also provided the way for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be
preached.
“Many
believed on the Lord”,
is another designation for “Turned
to the Lord”; and as before, is
describing
the complete acts of man in submission to the Grace of God extended through
the true Gospel message; which is also the only way to God (John
14:6;
Acts 4:12) –
Mark 16:15-16
“And He said to them, “Go into
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
16
He who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be
condemned.”
Peter would
stay at Joppa with a tanner, named Simon. A tanner was one who is skilled in
dressing and preserving hides and skins of animals. We will find Peter here
until he will be sent for by Cornelius in the next chapter.
Next: “The First Uncircumcised Gentile Convert!”