Acts 9:32-42
Dear RTB’ers,
Peter healing one man and raising one woman. My Study Bible pointed out that Jesus had brought three people back from death – Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5), the only son of a widow (Luke 7), and Lazarus (John 11). Peter was with Jesus on each of those occasions; he had witnessed those events. But there is one item particularly significant in Peter raising Dorcas – before he spoke and Dorcas awakened, Peter knelt down and prayed (Acts 9:40). He knew that he was powerless, except in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Now as Peter went here and there among them all… (v. 32) Peter, a modern-day bishop, visiting “congregations” throughout the region… What a remarkable turnaround for the man who had denied Jesus! One interesting item to close today: And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner. (v. 43) A tanner works with dead animals, so Simon the tanner would have been “unclean” every day by Jewish standards. Surely Peter knew this and he was willing to move on from that restriction.
Blessings!