Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Tabitha - Acts 9:32-43

Focus on Peter’s ministry

During the time that Saul was in Arabia, following his conversion at Damascus, the church in Jerusalem was enjoying relative peace. The saints there were able to function as a church should, for the most part. Scripture does not say one way or the other, but persecution probably was at a minimum as the energy of the persecutors was likely spent in looking for Saul and doing damage control on their own reputations.

Peter was able to take this time to travel throughout Judea to check in on the well-being of the other saints in outlying areas. His travels took him to the coastal city of Joppa and a neighboring city, Lydda. In these two cities, Peter performs two miracles, or “signs and wonders.” The healing acts that Peter performed were not generic; they were to specific people and for specific purposes

Read the passage

Aeneas was a faithful saint who was bedridden

not much else is known about him

he was not only a cripple, but paralyzed and had been for 8 years

unable to help himself, and apparently unwilling to seek pity, because he did not even ask for healing

the Lord, in His goodness, determined to heal Aeneas

Tabitha was a faithful saint who had died

This is certainly not a passage on spiritual gifts to parallel Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4; or 1 Peter 4; but one hardly needs to stretch to see this woman utilizing her spiritual gift. Barnabas certainly had the gift of exhortation; Philip, the gift of evangelism; Saul, the gift of teaching; and here we see Dorcas practicing the gift of helps or service (Rom. 12:7). She was a “do-gooder” in the very best sense of that word, especially since she focused her ministry on the poor. If Dorcas was a single woman (the text does not tell us), we have a wonderful demonstration of a life given to service. It certainly would appear that she had special standing with the widows (v. 39) and, therefore, may well have been a widow herself.

her ministry included good works and acts of charity

what she did was irreplaceable and so was she, so the widows and other disciples mourned her death with great emotion

They both served the Lord, but the Lord had placed them in a position of hardship

Aeneas’ hardship afflicted him

Tabitha’s hardship afflicted others

Both were healed, but why them? Why not others?

surely there were other people who died or were paralyzed in that region, but why were they healed and not others?

God, in His sovereignty, chooses to heal some for His glory, and to cause some to suffer for His glory. This may be the only answer we ever receive to that question

The Miracles

Peter was merely the vessel through which the Lord healed them

Peter told Aeneas, “Jesus Christ heals you.”

he did not claim the power as his own

He was giving the credit to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

it was by His power and no one else’s that Aeneas was healed

this was essentially the same thing he said to the crippled man at the temple in Acts 3: “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk”

this is similar to saying “by the power vested in me by God”

He healed in the manner that Jesus did

he told Aeneas to pick up his bed

this indicates he is now to be on the move, no longer sedentary

the healing was immediate and complete

he went into the upper room and sent everyone else out of it when he healed Tabitha

Why would they send everyone out of the room?

death is a very personal thing, but also it is irreversible. To undo death’s grip requires much prayer and faith, and Peter did not want the attention to be on him as he implored the Lord to release Tabitha from death’s grip

in dissimilar fashion to what Jesus did, Peter knelt down beside the bed and prayed

while Jesus often prayed to the Father for guidance, intercession, blessing, and even for a change of plans, he did not pray for the Father to give Him power or strength, because He already possessed that power and authority

in all 3 cases where Jesus raised someone from the dead, only once does He pray to the Father, and that was to thank Him for hearing Him, and it was done for the benefit of those observing

Jarius’ daughter (Mark 5:3)

The widow’s son (Luke 7:11)

Lazarus (John 11:38-44)

but Peter knelt down and prayed to the Lord. After this was accomplished, he turned to the body of the woman and said, “Tabitha, arise.” and she immediately opened her eyes and sat up

it was not the words of Peter that bore the power

but it was the words of the Lord Jesus who spoke to her soul

how can a dead body hear the words of another person?

in this same manner, how can the dead soul of a person hear the words of life unless they are called to hear by the One Who gives new life?

Ephesians 2:1 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins”

many times Jesus cried, “He that hath an ear, let him hear!”

how can anyone hear if they be dead? ONLY BY THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST!

In both cases, the whole town/village believed on Jesus

in the healing of Aeneas, “all that dwelt at Lydda and Sharon...turned to the Lord.”

surprisingly, “all” may not mean ALL

in much the same way that we might say “all of Faulkner County turned out for Toad Suck Daze,” this word “all” is used as hyperbole to indicate a great number, perhaps even a vast majority

However, in Joppa, “many believed in the Lord” after “all Joppa” heard what had happened to Tabitha

This is a trend that began on the Day of Pentecost, when scores of people believed and were converted after witnessing the power of the Lord

speaking in tongues

Philip at Samaria (“they all gave heed”)

Saul in Damascus (“all that heard him were amazed”)

the power of God has always been revealed for one reason, and that is so people will see and believe

they were already faithful to God, but did not yet believe in the Son

the signs were never given to the wicked and unbelieving (Matt. 16:4)

but they were given to those who had ears to hear (i.e. who the Father had given to the Son) so they would believe

There has also never been a “healing service”

ALL healings were done BY Jesus or in the NAME of Jesus

While we may have a dearth of miraculous and dramatic healings in the present age, let it be known it is not for lack of the power of God!

As stated previously, sometimes the Lord chooses not to heal our physical ailments. He sometimes chooses not to raise our dead spirits. But if you will “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ...thou shalt be saved,” and He will do as 1 John 1:9 states:

1 John 1:9 ESV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.