Acts 9: 32-43

(Acts 9: 32-43)

And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.  Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.  And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.  Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.  But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.  And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.  And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord. And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

 

While great things were happening to Saul, the Bible tells what the apostle Peter was doing. 『And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. "At that time" here refers to the time when Saul was converted, preached the gospel, passed through Damascus and Jerusalem, and returned to his hometown, Tarsus. At that time, the Bible records that Peter went down to the Saints living in Lydda. Why did Peter go down? The reason is unknown, but we can infer that the Holy Spirit led Peter to Lydda in order to fulfill the Lord's will to heal Ania through the incident of healing Ania from a paralytic in Lydda.

"And there he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy." Eight years must have been a time of unspeakable pain for Annie lying in bed and her family who must care for him. The moment he saw Ania at Lydda, Peter preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to Ania. 『And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. Peter said to Ania, "Jesus Christ has healed you, so get up." And right after that, he said, "Get up and make up your seat."

The Lord healed Ania's paralysis and told them to clear the spot. Arranging the place in Ania's life meant the same thing as curing Ania's physical illness. Perhaps we must remember that what must be done together with the healing of the body is to clear the place of his life. If the physical illness is healed, but the mind is still the same as when lying with a paralysis, the healing of the physical illness cannot be a true cure. Maybe the bigger problem than the physical illness is the mental illness. The problem with the heart is that the spirit comes to life.

Subsequently, Peter crossed over to Joppa, near Lydda. At this time, Peter said, “Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. The reason Peter crossed over to Joppa was that Tabida, the female disciple in Joppa, died.

Peter went to Joppa to bring the dead Tabitha back to life. 『But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 』Tabida was a man who had a great deal of good deeds and relief. When Tabitha (Dorga) died, those who mourned his death showed Peter the underwear and outerwear that Tabitha had made alive during his lifetime.

Peter healed Ania of Lydda and saved Tabida of Joppa. Lydda's Ania was different from Joppa's Tabitha. First, Tabida of Joppa introduces her as a female disciple, whereas Ania of Lydda does not have such an introduction. He may be a person without faith, and even if he has faith, he may not be the owner of zealous faith. In addition, Tabida of Joppa was a man who was eager to do good deeds and relief, whereas Ania of Lydda did not have such an introduction. It is a fact that those who experienced the history of healing through Peter did not have the basis for the healing themselves.

The basis for healing was that it was only through the grace of Jesus Christ, not from human good works or faith. And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord, through Ania of Lydda and Tabida of Joppa. 』The Bible records that wherever the history of returning to the Lord and the number of people who believe in the Lord took place, the Lord was with them.