Written by: John Marshall - Saltmine Trust

Acts 9 v 26-27
When Saul went to Jerusalem, he tried to join the group of followers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he was really a follower. But Barnabas accepted Saul and took him to the apostles. Barnabas explained to them that Saul had seen the Lord on the road and the Lord had spoken to Saul. Then he told them how boldly Saul had preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

Notes
Who would you get to write a reference for you? Saul had been the source of so much persecution and hurt for Christians. They were still afraid of him – even though he said his encounter with Jesus had been life-changing. Now he realised how wrong he had been and wanted acceptance from the very people to whom he had been opposed. I think I would share their suspicions.

Who could he get as a reference? On job applications we might use a previous employer. That’s where Barnabas was useful. ‘I’ve seen him in Syria. He really has changed. His preaching shows he’s on our side,’ to quote the testimonial Barnabas took to the church leaders. I expect he finished it, ‘I have no hesitation recommending him to you.’ If Barnabas had not been so courageous I wonder if early church history might be significantly different. Saul (as Paul) was to become such an influential apostle.

Our heads say an encounter with the risen Christ can change anyone. Sometimes we just don’t believe the Gospel is that revolutionary. Barnabas had confidence in the power of God. He had to live up to his name (which means the encourager). He was prepared to accept and affirm; in short to put his head above the parapet. That’s when he saw God at work in another’s life. If God’s calling us to be encouragers, don’t duck it. We may miss out on witnessing His power to save.

Acts 9 v 28-31
And so Saul stayed with the followers, going everywhere in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. He would often talk and argue with the Jewish people who spoke Greek, but they were trying to kill him. When the followers learned about this, they took Saul to Caesarea and from there sent him to Tarsus.
The church everywhere in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had a time of peace and became stronger. Respecting the Lord by the way they lived, and being encouraged by the Holy Spirit, the group of believers continued to grow.

Notes 
It’s good for our ego if we think we’re indispensable. If we’re not there, the office ought to grind to a halt; the church should cease its usefulness; in fact God’s work in this world will just not happen.

Saul went around Jerusalem, preaching boldly. Christians, once suspicious, were now impressed. The Jewish authorities for whom he had once worked, now wanted him permanently removed (v29). The church decided the best thing to do was to send him home to Tarsus for a while. In his absence the work just went on, and got stronger. The church was strengthened, encouraged and it grew in numbers and the knowledge of God (v31).

Sometimes we just need to step to one side to allow other people’s talents and gifts to be used more fully by God. The jobs will not be completed in the same way as we might have done them. They may even be better.

Perhaps it was God’s way to prepare Christians in Jerusalem for the wider work God intended for Saul. If Saul had thought he was indispensable to the church in Jerusalem, the message of Christ may not have reached Europe!!

Acts 9 v 32-35
As Peter was traveling through all the area, he visited God’s people who lived in Lydda. There he met a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had not been able to leave his bed for the past eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Stand up and make your bed.” Aeneas stood up immediately. All the people living in Lydda and on the Plain of Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

Notes
Christians are called saints in v32. The New Testament never uses that word in the singular. That’s no co-incidence. The most effective way for faith to be built up is within a Christian community.

I am sure that the church had often prayed for the healing of poor old Aeneas. After being bed-ridden for eight years they may have been close to giving up. All sorts of questions would have been asked;
Why isn’t our faith strong enough?
What’s God trying to say?
Does God hear our prayers?

Peter’s journey takes him to Lydda. He visits Aeneas. ‘Jesus Christ heals you’ (v34) was his message and immediately the paralytic was well. The words of v34 indicate that it was not faith that brought about the healing. It came as a gift from God in the name of Jesus. It was not delivered indiscriminately but with compassion and at exactly the right time.

Faith grew (v35) as God moved in power. It should encourage us to share each other’s problems and to persist in prayer – even if God seems to be taking years to answer. God hasn’t finished with us yet. 

Acts 9 v 36-38
In the city of Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha (whose Greek name was Dorcas). She was always doing good deeds and kind acts. While Peter was in Lydda, Tabitha became sick and died. Her body was washed and put in a room upstairs. Since Lydda is near Joppa and the followers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two messengers to Peter. They begged him, “Hurry, please come to us!” 


Notes
Tabitha (Aramaic) or Dorcas (Greek) both mean gazelle. Anyone named after such a delicate and athletic animal must have been very active. This passage tells us that Dorcas put the energy to good use. She was ‘always doing good and helping the poor’(v36). I imagine her quietly and gracefully supporting those for whom life was a struggle. She would be the first to make contact, offering help where it was needed. A visit from Dorcas meant hope.

Suddenly everything changed. The carer needed care. Dorcas fell ill. Whatever her friends tried to do – nothing helped. Steadily she slipped away. The whole church mourned as her body was prepared for burial. An urgent ‘Come at once’ message reached Peter who was about twelve miles away. It may be that the church wanted support in a time of pastoral difficulty. It may be that they recognised the possibility of a miracle. Either way Peter, too, represented hope.

The Bible makes it clear that, as people with a future, all Christians should be people who bring hope into the lives of others. After all, the God of all hope (Romans 15v13) is our God.

Acts 9 v 39-43
So Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room where all the widows stood around Peter, crying. They showed him the shirts and coats Tabitha had made when she was still alive. Peter sent everyone out of the room and kneeled and prayed. Then he turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, stand up.” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and the widows into the room and showed them that Tabitha was alive. People everywhere in Joppa learned about this, and many believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for many days with a man named Simon who was a tanner.

Notes 
There are three occasions in the Bible when Jesus raised people from the dead;
Jairus’ daughter had just died (Luke 8v51-55)
The widow of Nain’s son was about to be buried (Luke 7v11-15)
Lazarus had been dead at least four days (John 11)
Peter had been with Jesus on all these occasions.

Now….Peter finds himself following Jesus. He’s been called to the house where Dorcas has died. The way he deals with the mourners, his actions and the words he says were exactly as Jesus had done in Jairus’ house.

Have you noticed the coloured woven wristbands with the four letters WWJD embroidered along them? The letters stand for ‘What would Jesus do?’ It seems that Peter consciously asked that question here at Joppa. As he followed Christ’s example he saw God move. Dorcas was restored and as a result, ‘many people believed in the Lord’ (v42).

Before we can live like Christ, we have to discover what that means. There is no substitute for reading the Gospels when asking WWJD? That way we can become imitators of God (Ephesians 5v1) and see him use our lives.

Acts 10 v 1-4
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, an officer in the Italian group of the Roman army. Cornelius was a religious man. He and all the other people who lived in his house worshiped the true God. He gave much of his money to the poor and prayed to God often. One afternoon about three o’clock, Cornelius clearly saw a vision. An angel of God came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
Cornelius stared at the angel. He became afraid and said, “What do you want, Lord?”
The angel said, “God has heard your prayers. He has seen that you give to the poor, and he remembers you. 

Notes
Caesarea was the Roman army’s HQ in Palestine. Cornelius was a senior officer stationed there. Many people lived with respect for him. Surprisingly whenever we read of fear in this passage it is Cornelius who is fearful – of God (v2) and of divine activity (v4).

The fear of the Lord sounds heavy. It’s the stuff that brutal preachers use to beat their congregations. It’s a puzzle to hear about fearing a God who is also described as love, especially when the Bible says that perfect love abolishes fear (1 John 4v18). 

The confusion comes because we equate being fearful with being afraid. When the Bible writers ask us to fear God it means to be so overwhelmed by him that we live in awe of him. God shows us he is utterly different to us. His beauty and holiness leave us speechless. That’s the fear of the Lord.

Cornelius experienced that when an angel of God spoke through a vision. The best response was to accept God’s Lordship (v4). As a Roman Officer he was well placed to recognise legitimate authority.

Our passion and adoration of God should be an outworking of our proper fear of God. Obedience is a natural follow on. Psalm 112 v1 goes further. ‘Blessed is the man who fears the Lord.’ And that’s good advice however high our standing in society.

Acts 10 v 5-8
Send some men now to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is also called Peter. He is staying with a man, also named Simon, who is a tanner and has a house beside the sea.” When the angel who spoke to Cornelius left, Cornelius called two of his servants and a soldier, a religious man who worked for him. Cornelius explained everything to them and sent them to Joppa.

Notes
God has just spoken directly to Cornelius through an angelic vision. Now though, Cornelius is instructed to send men to Peter at Joppa (v5). It would have been possible for God to continue to act directly, without human assistance. He could prompt Peter to travel to Caesarea. In fact God could have revealed the Good News of Jesus Christ directly to Cornelius without Peter’s help at all. Yet God chooses to use people.

God continues to choose people to bring his blessings to me. That’s my experience and I’m sure it must be yours. It may be a smile or an appropriate word or an act of kindness. If our spiritual antennae are operating we will recognise his divine presence.

More challenging still, God wants to impact other people’s lives through us. He has no better plan when it comes to sharing his compassion with a hurting world. It is said that there are five Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and us. Most people only read the last.

The calling is for us to be the people God wants us to be, so that we take his message where he wants it to go.


word-on-the-web uses the Scripture text taken from the Youth Bible, New Century Version (Anglicised Edition) copyright 1993 by Word Publishing Milton Keynes