The Woman With Two Names
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We are introduced to a woman who’s name was Tabitha. Actually, Tabitha was her name in Aramaic. Dorcas was her name in Greek. It was common in that day for Jews who had social or commercial contact with Gentiles to use two names.
We might say that she was The Woman With Two Names!
Like Dorcas, Mother Goodlow was also a Woman With Two Names, and both of her names carried great significance. For example, the name “Dorothy” means gift of God. (‘Dorotheos’ is similar to ‘Theodore,’ which means the same thing, God-given, but in reverse!) She was known by ‘Goodlow.’ The name “Goodlow” means good lad or good servant. (It was a nickname given to a trusted servant.)
Like Dorcas, Mother Goodlow was a woman with two names, and both carried great significance. For example, the name “Dorothy” means gift of God (Dorotheos). (It’s similar to ‘Theodore,’ which means the same thing [God-given] but in reverse.) We also knew her by ‘Goodlow.’ "Goodlow” means good lad or good servant. It was a nickname given to a trusted servant.
Like Dorcas, Mother Goodlow was also a Woman With Two Names, and both of her names carried great significance. For example, the name “Dorothy” means gift of God. (‘Dorotheos’ is similar to ‘Theodore,’ which means the same thing, God-given, but in reverse!) She was known by ‘Goodlow.’ The name “Goodlow” means good lad or good servant. (It was a nickname given to a trusted servant.)
By using the word “this” the author brings our attention away from where she lived or what she was called, to what she did! And what she did was good works.
In a day where great emphasis is placed on having the right name or brand, it’s good to be reminded that, in the end, what matters most is not where we lived or what we were called, but what we did.
She was full of Good Works
She was full of Good Works
Dorcas wasn’t just full of dreams or plans of doing good; she was full of the actual work of doing good. And she did these works continually. (When the bible says, “She was full of good works,” it’s equivalent to saying, “she was continually doing good works.”
Dorcas wasn’t just full of dreams or plans of doing good; she was full of the actual work of doing good. Therefore, the author includes the words, “…which she did!”
She didn’t wait for someone to give her an opportunity to speak. She used (she gave) what was in her hand!
The same can be said for Dorothy Goodlow. She continually did good works. No one gave of themselves and their possessions more than Mother Goodlow. She didn’t wait on opportunities to speak. She used what was in her hand.
When the bible says that she was “full of good works” it’s equivalent to saying that “she spent all her time” or “she was continually” doing good works. She didn’t just evangelize with her mouth. She used what was in her hand!
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Ecclesiastes 9:10
The same could be said of Mother Dorothy Goodlow. She used what was in her hand. I believe her ‘gift from God’ was to serve, and she served God with her gifts (resources). No one gave of themselves and their possessions more than Dorothy Goodlow!
The same could be said of Mother Dorothy Goodlow. She constantly gave and served others with her gifts. No one had a bigger heart, and no one gave of themselves and their possessions more than Mother Goodlow.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
She was Sick and Died
She was Sick and Died
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Although, Dorcas was “full of good works,” she still got sick and died. Doing good and living right won’t guarantee that you will live long or never get sick.
All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
In other words, sometimes things happen to good men what should happen to wicked men. Why? Is it because the righteous are unjustly punished and the wicked often escape punishment?
Does this mean that the righteous are sometimes unjustly punished? No, when the righteous suffer they’re being chastened, not punished.
No, it means God has given this life to the wicked as their portion. This is all the good they’ll ever receive. This life is not the portion of the righteous.
It means that this life is by and large the portion God has given to the wicked. This is all the life they will ever have. On the other hand, this life is not the portion God has given to the righteous.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
The disciples had hope
The disciples had hope
They could have placed her body in a tomb, but instead they washed and laid it in an upper room. In addition, they sent for the man of God ().
Were they hoping that Peter would come and perform the funeral? No, they were hoping that God would raise her from the dead!
What about us? Do we still have hope that the dead will one day be raised? No, I don’t mean resuscitated like Dorcas. I mean resurrected like Christ!
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
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I’ll be honest, I’ve struggled to understand what Jesus is rerally promising. Is He promising we will be raised to life when we die? Or, is He promising that we will never die? Both. He’s promising to raise us up from death AND He’s promising that there’s a death we will never experience.
I used to struggle to understand what Jesus was meaning when He said, “Whoever believes on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live…he that believes in me shall never die.” What is He promising? Is He promising to raise us up when we die? Or, is He promising that we will never die? Both.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
He’s promising to raise us up when we experience death and He’s promising that there’s a death we will never experience.
We haven’t come today to raise Mother from the dead, but that doesn’t mean that we’re without hope.
John tells the saints in Smyrna that though some of you may die, you will not be hurt by (experience) the second death! Knowing this should give us hope. Such a hope will help us to maintain good works.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
Revelation Even if we succumb to death, we believe (and are confident) that the second death shall not hurt us! Moreover, this hope will help us to maintain good works and combat the temptation to be idle.
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It’s easy to see a person give their entire life to the work of the Lord, get sick and die, and think, “What’s the point?”
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1Corinthians 15:5
Even if we succumb to death, we believe (and are confident) that the second death shall not hurt us!
We should work hard (labor) in everything we do for the Lord, because we know that what we do right now will last forever. Nothing we do is useless when we do it in the Lord (for His purposes). Men may not appreciate or discount what we do, but we can be sure God won’t!
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Hebrews
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.