Bible Study series: Acts 9:36-43. Peter prayed first to hear from the Spirit. He then spoke to her and a miracle happened.

Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn. Let’s learn together and apply these truths to our lives.

I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:

biblegateway.com.

At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!

Acts 9

In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.

Let’s begin.

Scripture: Acts 9:36-43

³⁶ Now, in Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She was full of good works and did practical generosity. ³⁷ And it so happened at that time that she became sick and died. They washed and placed her in an upper room. ³⁸ Lydda was near Joppa, and when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him: “Do not delay to come to us!”

³⁹ So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the upper room. All the widows stood by him, weeping and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made when she was with them. ⁴⁰ Peter shooed them outside and took to his knees and prayed. He turned towards the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” Her eyes opened, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹ He extended her a hand and stood her up and called the saints and widows. He presented her alive. ⁴² When it became known throughout all of Joppa, many believed on the Lord.

⁴³ And for many days he lived with a certain Simon the Tanner at Joppa. (Acts 9:36-43)

Comments:

This section of Scripture also holds key lessons for those of us who believe in healing and even raising the dead today—and some Renewalists have seen the dead raised.

36:

Tabitha is her Hebrew name, and Dorcas is her Greek name. Both mean gazelle.

God counts good works in people’s favor, whether they are saved or not (Acts 10:2-4). Most likely Tabitha was saved. She may have heard about the Messiahship of Jesus from Jerusalemite believers who fled the persecution (Acts 8:1).

“practical generosity”: It means “kind act,” then “alms” and “charitable giving.” I translated it in a modern American idiom, because those other older words carry a religious tradition behind them or are unclear. Tabitha-Dorcas was generous in a practical way; she gave away things she made with her own hands. If she had sold the clothing in the marketplace, then she would have given away the money (see v. 39). Either way, generosity of soul that works out practically catches God’s attention.

“disciple”: see v. 1 for more comments.

37-38:

“became sick”: What was her fatal disease? We don’t know. No matter, for she was about to experience a resurrection.

They washed her body according to Jewish custom (see Mishnah Shabbat 23:5).

And here we have another upper room (Acts 1:13). Let’s not make a big thing of it. God knows where you are, regardless of the room or city or nation.

Sometimes you just got to ask. Peter was the lead apostle, so why not go for it? Two men arrived and urged him. The Greek verb is parakaleō (pronounced pah-rah-kah-leh-oh), and it is related to the words discussed v. 31. Here it could also be translated “implored” or “encouraged.”

“disciples”: see v. 1 for more comments.

39:

Peter instantly got up and went with him. No, the text here does not say it explicitly, but we can have no doubt that as he walked to nearby Joppa, he prayed in the Spirit, that is, in Spirit-inspired languages (formerly and archaically called ‘tongues’). Why wouldn’t he? He got it in Acts 2:4, as did the 120, so why would he let it fall into disuse by neglect?  It is a wonderful gift from God, designed to build up your inner person and faith (1 Cor. 14:4, 14-15). God gave it. Don’t sneer or forbid or feel ashamed of it (1 Cor. 14:39).

Click on the link:

Questions and Answers about Spirit-Inspired Languages

It takes a lot of work to weave and knit that many items of clothing. She must have worked for numerous hours a day. All of us have seen women who get things done at church, whether cooking big feasts, organizing picnics, distributing food and clothing, or teaching the Bible, and holding leadership positions in church. They are a marvel to behold.

Tabitha-Dorcas belonged to a group of women who shared something in common: widowhood. Back then, women married young, while the men were older. So nature took its course, and the husbands died earlier than their wives. It makes sense that they would bond and help each other. I have observed that womankind can develop special bonds after they overcome “sizing each other up” barriers. (Men have such barriers too.) But these widows did not feel impeded by silly things.

“weeping”: yes, it was natural for them to weep, but Peter could not allow it just before he was about to pray. He saw Jesus override such displays. Specifically, Jesus was going to heal a girl, but she had just died while he was on the way there. When he got there, he did not allow anyone into Jairus’s house except Peter, James, and John, and the child’s mother and father. Seeing all the people were weeping and wailing, he silenced them. “‘Stop wailing,’ he said, ‘she is not dead, but asleep.’ They laughed at him.” No, sorry. Weeping must stop, for faith to arise. We have to look beyond the circumstances and see the answer, the outcome. In front of a small audience inside Jairus’s house, he commanded the girl: “My child, get up!” (Luke 8:51-56, NIV). She did. They didn’t laugh him to scorn anymore. Peter watched and learned.

Peter also saw Jesus resurrect a widow’s only son. A large crowd followed the dead son and mother out of the town to bury him. Jesus approached the bier on which they carried her son. Jesus’s heart went out to them, and he said, “Don’t cry.” Then he commanded the dead boy: “‘Young man, I say to you, get up!’ The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.” The whole town was filled with awe (Luke 7:11-15).

In Mark 5:41, Jesus raised a little girl from the dead and said to her: “Talitha koum” (“Little girl, get up!”). Here Peter says, Tabitha koum (“Tabitha, get up!”). He commanded, just as his Lord did. He followed Jesus’s example. He did not pray a flowery prayer (see comments on v. 34).

“showing on their persons”: the Greek allows for this translation (Bruce, p. 245). In other words, they were wearing the clothing she made.

40:

“shooed”: the Greek verb can even get as strong as “throw out” or “usher out” or “chase out.” I thought about translating it “Peter chased them out of the room,” but skeptics and mockers might over-read it and see Peter as mean. No, he was firm and resolved, just as his Lord was. Sometimes leaders have to take authority over a faithless situation. “He shooed them out” is good enough and gets the meaning across.

“He took to his knees and prayed”: Maybe we have lost such humility. Once again, though the verse does not say it explicitly, we can be sure that a part of his prayer was in the Spirit or in Spirit-inspired languages (archaically and formerly called ‘tongues’). He had this gift, and it builds up one’s spirit and faith. Paul said, “I thank God I speak in Spirit-inspired languages more than all of you” (1 Cor. 14:18). Why would Peter get this wonderful and marvelous and God-ordained gift and not use it throughout his life and ministry? Luke did not need to record such details at every turn. The whole context of Acts demonstrates that the entire church is Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered. He assumed it. See v. 39, near the beginning for references about the benefits of Spirit-inspired languages.

Again, see the link:

Questions and Answers about Spirit-Inspired Languages

For a closer look at praying, see v. 11.

41:

“he took her by the hand”: Jesus did the same thing to the synagogue leader’s, Jairus’s daughter: “He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum!’ (which means ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’ Immediately the girl stood up and walked around” (Mark 5:41-42). So Peter was watching his Lord and modeled his own healing ministry on his, though the sequence is different, which corresponds to the need at the moment. But the point is that he commanded and acted. Why wouldn’t he model the Lord’s ministry? Jesus is the Lord!

“He presented her alive”: Having shooed them out, he called the widows and others back in. It must have been marvelous for the widows, a great time of celebration. Tabitha was alive!

This girl’s resurrection is not the same as Jesus’s resurrection, for his body was transformed and glorified. Her body simply recovered from the dead and when she was older she died, like everyone else of her generation. So we should probably call it a “resuscitation” from the dead.

“saints”: see v. 13.

42:

Of course many in the town believed on the Lord. They witnessed a powerful sign and wonder. Signs and wonders are for the people’s immediate benefit and health, but more so for the glory of God. It shows that he is breaking into the world and putting things right in the physical body.

“believed”: The verb is pisteuō (pronounced pea-stew-oh), and it is used 241 times. It means to “believe, be convinced of something.” In a more specific definition it goes in a direction: “to have faith in Christ or God” (Mounce p. 61). Believing (verb) and faith (noun) is very important to God. It is the language of heaven. We live on earth and by faith see the invisible world where God is. We must believe he exists; then we must exercise our faith to believe he loves us and intends to save us. We must have saving faith by trusting in Jesus and his finished work on the cross.

True acronym:

F-A-I-T-H

=

Forsaking All, I Trust Him

Let’s discuss the verb believe and the noun faith more deeply. It is the language of the kingdom of God. It is how God expects us to relate to him. It is the opposite of doubt, which is manifested in whining and complaining and fear. Instead, faith is, first, a gift that God has distributed to everyone (Rom. 12:3). Second, it is directional (Rom. 10:9-11; Acts 20:21). We cannot rightly have faith in faith. It must be faith in God through Christ. Third, faith in Christ is different from faith in one’s ability to follow God on one’s own. It is different from keeping hundreds of religious laws and rules. This is one of Luke’s main themes in Acts, culminating in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) and Paul’s ministry for the rest of Acts. Faith in Jesus over faith in law keeping. Fourth, there is faith as a set of beliefs and doctrines, which are built on Scripture (Acts 6:7). Fifth, there is also a surge of faith that is poured out and transmitted through the Spirit when people need it most (1 Cor. 12:9). It is one of the nine charismata or manifestations of grace (1 Cor 12:7-11). Sixth, one can build faith and starve doubt by feasting on Scripture and the words about Christ (Rom. 10:17).

Please see my word study on believe and faith:

Word Study on Faith and Faithfulness

43:

We will see what happens to Peter in the next chapter. Tanners were of dubious cleanliness since they dealt with dead animal skins. But Peter stayed with him anyway. Luke often mentions the hosts and occupations: For hosts see 9:11; 21:8, 16; 28:7; for occupations see 8:9, 26; 10:1; 13:6–; 14:13; 16:14, 16; 18:3; 19:24 (HT: Polhill).

Peter is about to get a bigger lesson about clean and unclean things and animals and people that will pleasantly surprise him—or just plain shock him.

GrowApp for Acts 9:36-43

1. Peter followed Jesus in praying for Tabitha. How has Jesus’s ministry influenced your life?

2. Have you seen or heard about miraculous resuscitations, similar to the one with Tabitha? What is your response?

RELATED

Sixteen Characteristics of a Healthy Church

Sixteen Characteristics of an Unhealthy Church

The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts

Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?

SOURCES

For the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:

Acts 9