What does Acts Chapter 9 mean?
Acts 9 records perhaps the most significant event in the history of the church since the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. Jesus has ascended (Acts 1:6–11). The Jesus-followers have received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–12). The apostles’ teaching that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah has horrified and infuriated the Jewish leadership (Acts 4:1–22; 5:17–42). A deacon named Stephen has defended Jesus, and a mob, unable to refute his logic, has murdered him under the watchful eyes of the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:8—7:60). One of their assistants, a Pharisee-trained young man from Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, watched the murderers’ coats, then won the chief priests’ permission to hunt Jesus-followers in Jerusalem (Acts 7:58; 8:1–3). He imprisoned them, voted that they be executed, and tried to force them to blaspheme (Acts 22:19; 26:10–11). In response, the Jesus-followers fled Jerusalem, scattering over Judea, Samaria, and as far as Syrian Antioch, not too far from Tarsus. Along the way, they discovered that God’s salvation is for more than the Jews; the Holy Spirit came on Samaritans (Acts 8:14–17) and an Ethiopian government official who worshiped the Jewish God (Acts 8:35–38).
When Saul realizes his persecution has caused Jesus’ followers—and their beliefs—to spread, he gains authorization to follow them. Eventually, he travels far north to Damascus to arrest the heretics and bring them back to Jerusalem to stand trial. On his way, however, Jesus shows up, surrounded by the glory of heaven. Jesus reveals to Saul that He is alive. He tells Saul to go into Damascus and wait for a man to tell him what to do. Saul does so, being led by the hand as he has gone blind (Acts 9:1–9).
Meanwhile, Jesus appears to Ananias, one of His followers in Damascus, and tells him where to find Saul. Ananias is understandably nervous as he has heard about Saul’s reputation. Jesus reassures Ananias that Saul is chosen to carry the message of salvation to the Gentiles and also reveals he’s going to suffer while he does it. Ananias finds Saul, participates in restoring his sight, and tells Saul of his mission to the Gentiles. Saul accepts Christ, receives the Holy Spirit, and is baptized (Acts 9:10–19; 22:12–16).
Where days before Saul was bent on destroying Jesus-followers, now he is driven to make more. He goes first to the synagogues, a habit he will continue in his journeys, and declares that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God and the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Messiah. Eventually, the Jewish leadership in Damascus develops a plot to kill Saul, but he escapes the city when his students let him out a window in the city wall in a basket (Acts 9:19–25).
Eventually, Saul returns to Jerusalem. Again understandably, the much-beleaguered church is reluctant to speak to him. Barnabas, a Jesus-follower from Cyprus (see Acts 4:36–37), trusts Saul and acts as his liaison. Soon, Saul is preaching the gospel in and around Jerusalem, especially to his fellow Greek-influenced Jews—the group that killed Stephen. The Hellenist Jews begin plotting to murder Saul, and the church leadership sends him home to Tarsus. With Saul the persecutor converted to a Jesus-follower and Saul the aggressive evangelist safely several hundred miles away, the church in Jerusalem has a period of peace and growth (Acts 9:26–31).
At some point during this time, Peter goes traveling; he eventually comes to the towns of Lydda and Joppa—both now suburbs of Tel Aviv. In Lydda, Peter heals a paralyzed man named Aeneas and in Joppa he raises the good Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:32–43).
The two incidents give a nice break in the drama of the story, but they don’t seem particularly note-worthy. Peter has healed quite a few people in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1–9; 5:12–16). But this sets up Peter for another significant event. While he is in Joppa, a Gentile centurion will ask him to come north to Caesarea. There, Peter will lay the groundwork for Saul/Paul’s future ministry. He will realize and officially validate that Gentiles can follow Jesus, receive forgiveness, and be indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Acts 10). The last step of Jesus’ mandate to be His witnesses “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” will begin (Acts 1:8).
Chapter Context
The murder of the Jesus-follower Stephen has ignited a fierce persecution against the church, led by a young Pharisee-trained man named Saul (Acts 7:54—8:3; 9:1–2). When he realizes Jesus truly is the Messiah, that fervor fuels his own evangelism (Acts 9:3–30). Meanwhile, Peter travels to the coast of Judea. Soon, he will teach a prominent Gentile household about Jesus and discover that Gentiles can be saved (Acts 10). The stage will be set for Saul to spread the saving news of Jesus to ”the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8) under the Greek version of his name: Paul.
Verse by Verse
Verse 1. But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
Saul is a young Jewish man from Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia. He grew up in a predominantly Greco-Roman culture, although he moved to Jerusalem at a fairly young age and trained under the renowned Pharisee Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). In his own words, Saul was a brilliant student, “advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers” (Galatians 1:14). Because of this, he reacted strongly to the teaching that Jesus of Nazareth, whom the Jewish council had executed, was the Jewish Messiah. Saul approved while a mob murdered the Jesus-follower Stephen (Acts 7:58) and started a persecution of the church so fierce most Christians fled Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–3).
Unfortunately for Saul’s plan, followers of Jesus took His message with them. One reason Stephen was killed was because he insisted true God-followers needed neither the temple nor Jerusalem to worship Him (Acts 7:1–53). Now, Saul asks for permission to track the Jesus-followers outside Jerusalem to arrest them and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial, where he will vote that they be executed for blasphemy (Acts 26:10). Ironically, his tactics contradict the guidance given by his mentor. Gamaliel had suggested the Sanhedrin ignore the Jesus-followers; if the movement was of God, they wouldn’t be able to stop it, and if it wasn’t, it would die off naturally (Acts 5:34–39). Saul would rather act.
Saul goes to the high priest because although the entire area is under Roman rule in the civil realm, the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem still has religious authority over those who claim to follow Judaism. The “disciples of the Lord” in this context are not just the Twelve core apostles. They include anyone who follows Jesus. Because of Saul’s own persecution, the good news about Jesus has spread even farther north than Damascus to Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:19–20).
Context Summary
Acts 9:1–9 tells the story of how the lead persecutor of the early church meets Jesus. Saul, who had arrested the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem (Act 7:58; 8:1–3), expands his terror outside of Judea and travels north to Damascus. Jesus stops Saul and reveals He is not only alive, He is glorified by the light of heaven. Saul is stunned—and blinded. His companions lead him into the city where he waits, without food or drink, for three day until Jesus’ messenger comes to tell him what to do. Saul goes into further detail in Acts 22:6–16 and 26:9–18.
Verse 2. and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
The devout young Jew Saul has discovered that when he persecuted the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem, they fled and spread their message. This has reached throughout Judea and Samaria and as far north as Damascus (Acts 8:1–3). What he thought would be a relatively simple job—to destroy the young church—has grown more complicated. He now requests authorization from the high priest to arrest Jesus-followers wherever they may be, as the Sanhedrin has religious jurisdiction over all who follow Judaism.
Damascus is a large city 133 miles from Jerusalem. It was a significant city with good roads north to Syrian Antioch, east to Arabia and Babylon, and south to the Decapolis and Judea, and was the “port” where the desert tribes came to trade. At this time, it’s unclear if it’s controlled by Nabataea, the kingdom east of the Jordan River, Syria, or if it’s semi-independent. Either way, it has ties to Nabataea; Herod Antipas insulted the king of Nabataea when he divorced the king’s daughter to marry his sister-in-law Herodias. When John the Baptist spoke out against Antipas’ marriage, Antipas and Herodias killed him. It’s thought that John’s disciples may have fled to the safety of Nabataea and primed the population for the message of Jesus.
When the Hasmonaeans won Jewish independence in 142 BC, the Romans ordered neighboring states to extradite any Jew in their territory whom the Jewish government demanded. In 47 BC, when Israel was under Roman rule, Julius Caesar affirmed this policy. At this time, the Sanhedrin had the authority to send representatives to bring back Judean fugitives or immigrants to other Roman territories who have broken Jewish law. No matter who controls Damascus, they must extradite Jews who had fled the persecution in Jerusalem.
The synagogues were an important tool in the spread of the gospel. At this time, Christianity was still primarily a Jewish sect. Evangelists, like Stephen, go to synagogues to show how Jesus fulfills the prophecies of the Jewish Scriptures (Acts 6:8–15). Saul, who will later go by Paul, will continue this tradition; as he enters each town, he first preaches in a synagogue or, if the town has too few Jews, wherever the Jews meet (Acts 9:20; 14:1; 16:13; 17:1, 10; 18:4; 19:8).
“The Way” can mean different things. It can refer to Jesus, as “the way, and the truth, and the life” to attain reconciliation with God (John 14:6). It can mean the sect of Judaism that branches off into the religion Christianity (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). The term “Christian” was not applied until later (Acts 11:26).
Verse 3. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.
Saul is a young Jewish man, fiercely against Jesus and anyone who follows Him. He watched with approval when a mob killed Stephen. He persecuted the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem so violently they fled (Acts 7:58—8:3). As Christians spread through Judea, Samaria, and parts north, they taught other Jews how Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah in the Jewish Scriptures. So many more have believed that Saul feels driven to follow and bring every Jesus-follower he can find back to Jerusalem for trial before the Sanhedrin, where he will either force them to deny Jesus or he will vote for their deaths (Acts 26:9–11).
This brings Saul to a road outside of Damascus, 133 miles north of Jerusalem, about noon (Acts 22:6). He has heard that Jesus-followers have infiltrated the synagogues there, and he wants to root them out. Suddenly, he’s surrounded by a light from the sky: God’s glory. He falls to the ground, and a voice asks him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 9:4). His companions hear the voice and see the light but can neither see the speaker nor understand the words (Acts 9:7; 22:9).
Though not stated in this verse, Jesus apparently appears in the light. Ananias and Barnabas later affirm Jesus’ appearance (Acts 9:17, 27), and Saul testifies to it (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8; Galatians 1:16).
Verse 4. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
Saul is headed to Damascus with one mission: to arrest anyone who claims Jesus is the Messiah, take them to Jerusalem, and see them tried, convicted, and executed for blasphemy (Acts 9:1–2; 26:10). Instead, on the road outside of the city, he is thrown to the ground by a great heavenly light and a life-changing question.
“Persecute” is from the Greek root word diōkō. It means “to harass, trouble, or mistreat someone” or “to chase after someone as they flee.” Saul has done all these to the Jesus-followers. He watched approvingly while Stephen, one of the first deacons, was murdered by a mob (Acts 7:58). Under the orders of the Jewish council, he searched Jerusalem, house-by-house, to arrest Christians and take them to trial, where he voted that they should be executed for blasphemy (Acts 8:1–3; 26:10). He did everything he could to get them to denounce their faith in Jesus, and he did it all “in raging fury” (Acts 26:11).
Now, Saul is told everything he did to followers of Jesus, he did to Jesus Himself. Jesus warned the disciples of this (Matthew 10:17–23). He told them, “whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God” (John 16:2), but He also prayed, “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:21). And He told the disciples, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me” (Matthew 10:40) and “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).
Saul, indeed, thinks he is defending God’s honor. That has always been his desire. But he was trained as a Pharisee, a sect which valued manmade regulations over a careful consideration of the prophecies and how Jesus of Nazareth might fulfill them. God will use that training to bring an even perspective to the establishment of the Gentiles in the church and He will use Saul’s fervor to push on as he suffers for Jesus’ name (Acts 9:16).
Verse 5. And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
On the road approaching Damascus is a zealous Pharisee, Saul. He has orders from the Jewish council to find every Jewish Jesus-follower he can and bring them back to Jerusalem to be tried for the crime of blasphemy. Although Damascus is nowhere near Judea, the high priests have an agreement with the Roman government: they may enforce the Mosaic law among the Jews no matter where they are. Legally, the Sanhedrin cannot execute apostate Jews, but it appears the Romans may look the other way if the situation is right. Stephen was not well known (Acts 7:54–60), while Jesus was popular enough that His death posed the risk of civil unrest.
Saul is surrounded by a great light from heaven and posed with the question of why he is persecuting the speaker (Acts 9:4). He now asks who the speaker is. Jesus told His followers that they will be persecuted because they follow Him, but everything that happens to them will be as if it happened to Him (Matthew 10:17–23, 40; 25:40). As God the Son came in the authority of God the Father, so Jesus’ followers come in His authority. Saul is beginning to realize that, while he thought he was defending God’s honor, he was attacking God’s people (John 16:2). As Jesus told His disciples, “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16).
This will not be the last time Jesus appears to Saul. On his first trip back to Jerusalem, after preaching that Jesus is the Messiah in the synagogues, Jesus will tell Saul to get out of town and go to the Gentiles (Acts 22:17–21). Jesus will give Saul confidence to continue preaching despite the dangerous situation in Corinth (Acts 18:9–10). And after Saul is arrested, Jesus will tell him he will not die but will teach in Rome (Acts 23:11).
Verse 6. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”
On his way to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers, Saul has been thrown to the ground. He is surrounded by a great light and hears an insistent voice claiming to be that of Jesus, demanding to know why Saul is persecuting Him (Acts 9:1–5). Saul’s traveling companions see the light and hear a noise, but they cannot see the speaker or understand the words (Acts 9:7; 22:9). Saul, however, hears Jesus clearly. Jesus will rescue Saul, a devout Jew (Philippians 3:4–6), from the Jewish leaders and send him to be Jesus’ witness to the Gentiles (Acts 26:16–18). First, Saul must go into the city and wait for Jesus’ messenger.
By the time Jesus is finished, Saul is blind. He takes the hand of one of his companions and enters Damascus where he waits and fasts for three days. A follower of Jesus, named Ananias, comes at God’s command. Saul becomes the very thing he’d hated just days before: a believer that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah (Acts 9:9–19).
It’s interesting how much Saul’s experience parallels Cornelius’ (Acts 10). In both cases, God prepares the two men and tells them what to do (see Acts 10:1–8). Then He prepares His evangelists, Ananias (Acts 9:10–16) and Peter (Acts 10:9–23). Both Ananias and Peter are reluctant, and God reassures them of His plan. Their obedience results in two major steps in the spread of the gospel. Cornelius’ conversion convinces Peter and the other apostles that Gentiles can follow Christ. Saul’s conversion prepares him to be the primary evangelist to the Gentiles.
Verse 7. The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
Saul has been stopped outside of Damascus by a bright light and the voice of Jesus asking why he is persecuting Jesus’ followers. Saul’s traveling companions see the light and hear a noise, but they can’t understand the words (Acts 22:9). This is not unlike the time Jesus asked God the Father to glorify His name and God responded. Some people heard God the Father’s words clearly while others heard only thunder (John 12:28–29). Or the time only Daniel could see a vision, although the men around him fled in fear (Daniel 10:4–7). Only those God chooses can hear Him.
This is drastically different from where Saul thought he would be. Not long ago, he stood proudly, watching over the coats of the men who stoned Stephen, a deacon of the church, to death (Acts 7:58). Then he chased the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem, arrested them, and brought them to trial (Acts 8:1–3). When the Jesus-followers fled, he traveled 133 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus to continue terrorizing the new church (Acts 9:1–2).
Now, he is knocked to the ground. The man his mentors crucified is speaking to him from the midst of the light of the glory of heaven. As Jesus warned His disciples, Saul thought he was doing God’s will by persecuting these upstarts (see John 16:2). He was wrong.
There’s some discrepancy between Luke’s account here, based on Saul’s testimony, and Saul’s later testimony to King Agrippa. In Acts 26:14, Saul says, “And when we had all fallen to the ground…” Did the other men stand (Acts 9:7) or fall (Acts 26:14)? “Stand” is from the Greek root word histēmi and, like the English, can either mean “balance upright on one’s feet” or “to remain fixed in a situation.” So, one option is they fell to the ground and their inability to speak remained through the event. Another is that the men fell and then stood again while Saul stayed on the ground.
Verse 8. Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
The road to Damascus has proved to be more than Saul bargained for. He had been on a mission to enter Damascus armed with the paperwork that authorizes him to search for Jewish Jesus-followers. Upon finding them, he would try to force them to abandon their belief in Jesus and declare He is not the Son of God. If they refused, he would take them to Jerusalem where they would be tried for blasphemy, convicted, and Saul would join others in voting for their execution (Acts 26:9–11).
But something happened he did not expect. Jesus, Himself, appeared, surrounded by the glorious light of heaven. He has ordered Saul to continue his journey to Damascus and wait for further instruction. Saul’s traveling companions are confused: they see the light and hear a noise, but they can’t distinguish any words (Acts 9:1–7).
Meanwhile, Saul is physically blinded because of the brightness of the light (Acts 22:11). Later, when relating Israel’s rejection of Christ, Saul will quote Isaiah 6:10—a passage Jesus quoted in Matthew 13:15: “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them” (see Romans 11:8). Saul had been spiritually blind before his encounter with Christ. Now, unable to see the material world, he will begin to see and understand the truth of who Jesus is.
Verse 9. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Saul, the persecutor of the church (Acts 8:1–3), has met Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–8). Jesus has confronted him with his violence toward His followers, and Saul has become blind because of the great light of heaven. He is now in the house of a man named Judas in Damascus, on Straight Street (Acts 9:11), awaiting further instruction from Jesus. Possibly to clear himself of distractions, he fasts for three days. This was the typical length of time traditionally used to repent or wait for God’s Word.
Undoubtedly, through this time, Saul is thinking over and repenting of his actions. He watched over the coats of the mob while they stoned Stephen (Acts 7:58). He dragged people from their homes and took them to prison (Acts 8:3). He ran people out of town. He tried to make them deny that Jesus is the Son of God, or to say something which he could use to convict them of death (Acts 26:11). He cast his vote for execution when they were convicted (Acts 26:10). And he did it all “in raging fury” (Acts 26:11).
Ananias, the follower Jesus has chosen to lead Saul to faith, is reluctant to meet the man who had come to arrest the Jewish Christians. Jesus tells him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:15–16). Saul’s experiences on the mission field do somewhat mirror what he did to others. He is stoned in Lystra, although he miraculously survives (Acts 14:19–20). He is beaten and imprisoned (Acts 16:22–24). He is run out of town on numerous occasions, including from Damascus (Acts 9:23–25) and Jerusalem (Acts 9:29–30). He is accused of blasphemy (Acts 24:6). He is nearly assassinated by the Jewish council (Acts 23:12–15). Enraged Jews from Thessalonica not only form a mob in their city but, when they find out that Saul/Paul is preaching in a nearby town, they even travel to Berea to agitate crowds against him there (Acts 17:5, 13). Paul gives a list of many of the sufferings he endured in spreading the gospel in 2 Corinthians 11:23—12:10.
In these three days, Saul will likely contemplate his flawed perspective against God. He seems to quickly notice where he was wrong in his doctrine, and the message he should be preaching (Acts 9:20). However, he almost certainly does not yet suspect how he will fill “up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24; Acts 9:16). For now, while he sits blind, he sees that he has been horribly wrong and that he needs forgiveness from God the Father and the Son. When Ananias comes to offer that forgiveness, Saul takes it. All the passion he used to destroy Jesus’ followers will now be used to multiply them.
Verse 10. Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
Although it was rarely under Jewish control, Damascus was an important city at this time. It is located about 133 miles north and a little east of Jerusalem, right at the crossroads of the trading routes from the east, down through Israel, and on into Egypt.
Ananias is a common name in the book of Acts. This Ananias is neither the husband of Sapphira (Acts 5:1–6) nor the future high priest (Acts 23:2; 24:1). Nor is he the Aeneas who is healed from paralysis (Acts 9:32–34). Later, Saul will describe him as “a devout man according to the law, well-spoken of by all the Jews who lived [in Damascus]” (Acts 22:12).
The man is called “devout” and has a positive reputation among the Jews. He’s likely a Gentile who worships the Jewish God. If so, it’s appropriate that God calls him to lead the future “apostle to the Gentiles” to Christ.
God contacts Ananias in a “vision,” meaning a prophetic experience while he’s awake. This is different from a dream, which happens when the person is sleeping. Several people in the New Testament had visions, but since the compilation of the New Testament, they have become much rarer. Today, it seems God sends visions to those who are looking for Him but do not have access to the Bible—this has been mentioned in some Muslims’ testimony of their conversion to Christianity.
Context Summary
Acts 9:10–19 explains how the greatest earthly enemy of the early church experienced a change of heart. Saul is a Pharisee-trained, Greek-speaking Jew and zealous persecutor of Christians (Acts 8:1–3). He asked for permission to hunt Jesus-followers in Damascus, but found Jesus, instead (Acts 9:1–9). Blinded by Jesus’ glory, he has been waiting in Damascus for Ananias, a Jesus-follower. Ananias arrives and participates as as Jesus heals Saul from both physical and spiritual blindness. Saul is baptized and takes physical nourishment. Saul stays in Damascus for some time and immediately takes his extensive training in Jewish Scripture to argue that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. The Sanhedrin’s hitman is now a target of his former allies.
Verse 11. And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying,
Jesus is speaking through a vision to Ananias, one of His followers in Damascus. Saul, a Pharisee-trained devout Jew, set out for the city to arrest any Jewish Jesus-followers and return them to Jerusalem for trial. Part of the concessions the Roman government gave the Jewish leaders was that they had religious jurisdiction over all who followed their religion; even though Damascus is 133 miles from Jerusalem, Saul has the authority and Ananias knows it.
In addition, Saul is from Tarsus. Tarsus is one of the many cities outside of Italy where those born there receive Roman citizenship. Saul is doubly protected.
Even while still identified as the Judaism-following Saul, the man who will be best known as the Jesus-follower Paul already had a habit of prayer. Prayer will be a significant part of Paul’s ministry, and he will write to the churches about its importance (Romans 12:12; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Even now, after Jesus tells Saul to wait until he is told what to do (Acts 9:6), Saul communes with God and readies his heart for God’s message. He knows that prayer isn’t just for requests. Any time we communicate with someone, we understand them better and, hopefully, grow closer to them. Saul is at a very confusing point in his life, and he needs to stay grounded.
Verse 12. and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”
Ananias is a Jesus-follower in Damascus who knows about the Saul who initiated the violent persecution of the church (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2). Because Saul later refers to him as “devout” (Acts 22:12), he may be a Gentile who worshiped the Jewish God before he became a Christian. He is not the husband of Sapphira (Acts 5:1–6) or the future high priest whom Saul will offend (Acts 23:2; 24:1).
Despite living 133 miles from Jerusalem, Ananias is still nervous that Saul, under the authority of the Sanhedrin, is coming to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers. Now, Jesus is telling him that Saul has reached the city and he needs to find him. On the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul in a blazing light and asked him why he was persecuting Him (Acts 9:1–9). For the last three days, Saul has been in a house, fasting from food and drink, and praying.
What’s more, Saul is blind, and Jesus wants Ananias to heal him. Healing the blind is a miracle that is particularly associated with the Messiah (Isaiah 42:7). Only Jesus is credited with healing of blindness in Scripture—including here, where Ananias acts as something of a surrogate or conduit for Christ’s healing. If Saul has any doubt about who Jesus is, this healing will end it. But Ananias needs more convincing.
Verse 13. But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.
After the murder of Stephen (Acts 7), a young, Pharisee-trained, Greek-speaking Jewish man named Saul asked the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, for authority to track down Jesus-followers. At this point, the vast majority were Jews or proselytes: full converts to Judaism. One of the concessions the Roman government gave to the Jews—considered strange people with their invisible God—was religious authority over their own people. They were not supposed to execute anyone (John 18:31), but they could arrest and punish them.
As Saul’s persecution in Jerusalem increased (Acts 8:1–3), the Jesus-followers fled, taking the news about Jesus into Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:4–40). Saul requested permission to follow them wherever they went, which is why he traveled 133 miles north to Damascus. Before Saul reached the city, Jesus confronted him with his violence against His church. Jesus has now asked Ananias to meet with Saul and finish his conversion from prosecutor to apostle (Acts 9:3–12).
Ananias is unconvinced. He euphemistically describes Saul as “binding” the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem (Acts 9:14). Ananias would have heard from the refugees and known it was much worse. By his own admission, Saul beat them, voted for their execution, chased them in a raging fury, and tried to make them blaspheme (Acts 22:19; 26:10–11).
As much as Ananias trusts Jesus, he’s not sure what can be done against such reckless hate. At this point in the history of the church, Saul of Tarsus is the last person Ananias—or any other Christian—would want to meet.
Verse 14. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”
Ananias is in Damascus, 133 miles north of Jerusalem and the Sanhedrin—the Jewish ruling council. He, apparently, is a Gentile who worshiped the Jewish God before trusting in Jesus (Acts 22:12). Saul, a young Jewish man from the city of Tarsus, gained authority from the Sanhedrin to arrest Jesus-followers in Jerusalem. As his persecution increased, the Christians fled (Acts 8:1–3). Some came to Damascus and told Ananias what had happened.
The Sanhedrin was comprised of elders, priests, and scribes. The position of “chief priest” is not ordained in the Hebrew Scriptures. All qualified descendants of Aaron were to be priests, and there was to be one “high priest” at a time. In the four hundred years between Malachi’s prophecies and the birth of Jesus, the priesthood became more politicized. They still had a single high priest, but other priests who were high ranking and served on the Sanhedrin came to be known as “chief priests.” When Ananias says “chief priests,” he is using shorthand for the entire Sanhedrin.
How did the Sanhedrin get the power over Jews outside of Judea and Samaria? At this time, Damascus belongs to either Syria or Nabataea, or it might possibly be a semi-independent city. When the Hasmonaeans won Jewish independence in 142 BC, the Romans ordered neighboring states to extradite any Jew in their territory whom the Jewish government demanded. In 47 BC, when Israel was under Roman rule, Julius Caesar confirmed this policy. The Sanhedrin had the authority to send representatives to bring back Jewish fugitives or immigrants to other Roman territories who had broken Jewish law. Whether Damascus belongs to Syria or Nabataea or is its own loose conglomeration, as part of the Roman Empire it is legally required to extradite Jews who now follow Jesus.
Verse 15. But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
Jesus is telling a disciple in Damascus, named Ananias, to find a traveler named Saul and heal his temporary blindness. Ananias is dubious; he knows this Saul is on a mission to find all Jewish Jesus-followers, arrest them, and take them back to Jerusalem for trial for blasphemy (Acts 9:1–3).
Jesus reveals why He wants Ananias to go. He had commissioned the apostles to be His “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Saul will help with the “end of the earth” part.
Saul’s primary mission will be to Gentiles, but he will typically start by reaching out to Jews. Luke will record three of his extensive missionary journeys. It’s thought he had a fourth. At each new city, Saul (then going by the Greek version of his name, Paul) goes to the synagogues or, if there are not enough Jews for a synagogue, the place where Jews gather to pray. There, he will explain how Jesus of Nazareth perfectly matches what is written in the Hebrew Scriptures about the Messiah. Some Jews and Gentiles who worship the Jewish God will believe. Others won’t, and Saul will be regularly kicked out of the synagogues.
Saul will speak with several leaders, as well. The first stop of his first missionary trip is to the island of Cyprus, where he will speak with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7–12). After Saul is arrested in Jerusalem, he will willingly tell his story to Governor Felix (Acts 24:10–21). When Felix is replaced by Festus, Saul seems to lose his patience (Acts 25:1–12), but when Festus entertains Herod Agrippa, Saul will happily share Jesus with the king (Acts 26).
Verse 16. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
Saul has committed atrocities against the members of the young church. He arrested, imprisoned, and beat them. He chased them into their homes and hounded them to far-off countries, trying to force them to deny their faith. When they were on trial, he voted for their execution (Acts 8:1–3; 26:9–11). He is on such a mission to Damascus when Jesus meets him, convicts him, and blinds him (Acts 9:1–9). Then, Jesus tells His follower Ananias to find Saul and heal his sight (Acts 9:10–15). Ananias is understandably skeptical.
Jesus assures Ananias He is not mistaken and explains that Saul will be one of His greatest missionaries (Acts 9:15). As Jesus reveals that Saul will suffer, as a deeply committed Christian, Ananias agrees to go.
Saul, who will later adopt the Greek version of his name—Paul—describes his suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:23–29. He will be imprisoned, beaten, lashed, stoned, and even shipwrecked three separate times. Eventually, church tradition says, he will be martyred. But he puts it into perspective, writing to a different church: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your [the church in Colossae] sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24). Jesus’ suffering and sacrifice provided the way of salvation; Paul’s will ensure the offer of salvation reaches the people.
Verse 17. So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Ever since the murder of the Jesus-follower Stephen (Acts 7:54–60), Saul has made it his personal mission to capture other Jewish Christians, seeking to force them to deny their faith or execute them (Acts 26:9–11). To that end, he has traveled 133 miles north of Jerusalem to the trading town of Damascus. Before he reached the city, however, Jesus showed up (Acts 9:1–9). Saul has the theological training of a Pharisee and a zeal that borders on madness; these are characteristics Jesus can use in a missionary. Jesus then sends Ananias to meet with Saul and affirm his new life mission (Acts 9:10–16).
We know next to nothing about Ananias except that he is probably not Jewish; when Saul later calls him “a devout man,” that’s a term that usually describes a Gentile who worships the Jewish God (Acts 22:12). God chooses an unknown follower, over a hundred miles away from the church in Jerusalem, to lead Saul to Him. Saul will spend the next years preaching in Damascus and spending time in the wilderness east of Damascus before returning to Jerusalem (Galatians 1:15–17) where the apostles will doubt his conversion and be reluctant to even meet with him (Acts 9:26).
Saul, later going by his Greek name, Paul, makes it clear in the book of Galatians that he was not commissioned by the apostles or other Christian leaders (Galatians 1:11–12). Ananias was a relative nobody. It seems God didn’t intend Saul, the missionary to the Gentiles, to be a disciple of another man but of Christ, Himself. Saul came to Damascus with the authority of the Sanhedrin (Acts 9:1–2). He leaves with the authority of Christ.
The role of the Holy Spirit changes at the point of Jesus’ ascension; Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would have a more prominent role after He was gone (John 15:26; 16:7). At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit falls on every believer, eternally indwelling them and marking them as saved (Acts 2:1–4; 2 Corinthians 1:22). The filling of the Holy Spirit is different. It is not salvation-based; it is an empowerment for specific work. Bezalel was filled with the Spirit when God commissioned him to make the tabernacle (Exodus 31:2–3). Prophets were regularly filled with the Holy Spirit, including such unlikely candidates as Balaam (Numbers 24:2) and King Saul (1 Samuel 10:10).
The Holy Spirit fills those in the New Testament, too, usually for short amounts of time, although John the Baptist was filled for years (Luke 1:15). When Saul is saved, he is both indwelt and filled by the Holy Spirit.
Verse 18. And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized;
Sight has been used as a metaphor for understanding worldwide throughout history. In Scripture, it’s particularly used, as in Isaiah 6:9–10, with those who should know better. Stubborn people often have all the information about God that they need, but they refuse to act on it. Saul fits this description. He was “educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law” (Acts 22:3). His zeal for the Mosaic law was such that he unquestioningly hunted down Jesus-followers to either return them to orthodox Judaism or see them executed (Acts 26:9–11). His violence and rage against God’s people seem to make him a perfect candidate for God to harden his heart and leave him to his hate.
But Jesus claims him (Philippians 3:12). After a period of physical blindness (Acts 9:9), Jesus removes the scales from Saul’s eyes and heart. Saul knows his sinful character, calling himself the least of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9; Ephesians 3:8), but by the grace of Christ, he is redeemed (Romans 7:24–25) Now, he is called to bring spiritual sight to the Gentiles.
It is customary at the time for a new convert to be baptized immediately (Acts 2:41; 8:12, 36–38; 10:47–48; 16:15, 33; 19:5). It was the cultural signifier that someone had left their previous religion or sect and joined another. Later, Saul will testify that Ananias also told him his mission to bear witness to what is happening to him (Acts 22:15). At another time, Saul says that Jesus gave him the mission to preach, particularly to the Gentiles (Acts 26:16–18). That Ananias reaffirmed Jesus’ message would provide greater validation for both.
Verse 19. and taking food, he was strengthened. For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus.
Saul has had his life completely turned around. Four days before, he was on his way to Damascus to arrest Jewish Jesus-followers and return them to Jerusalem for trial for their blasphemy. Now, he himself is a Jesus-follower. After meeting Christ on the road and temporarily going blind, he fasted and prayed for three days. Ananias arrived and baptized Saul, and the Holy Spirit came and filled him. He can see again; now he’s hungry (Acts 9:1–18).
In the culture, to eat with someone is to affirm a fealty with them. When Saul accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, he was reconciled to God (Romans 5:10). His sins are forgiven, he has no more requirement to fulfill the Mosaic law. But he is also reconciled with other Jesus-followers, and he is on a mission to make more.
Saul’s steps over the next few years are unclear. He does stay in Damascus for “some days,” but after that, he apparently goes to Arabia and then returns to Damascus (Galatians 1:17). This probably doesn’t mean the Arabian Peninsula, which is all desert; he may have just gone east of Damascus into the wilderness, or even toured some of the nearby towns. When he returns to Damascus, we know that he will barely escape from the Jewish leadership and then go to Jerusalem to meet the apostles. Unlike Ananias, however, it doesn’t appear that Jesus warned Peter, John, and James that Saul is coming (Acts 9:20–30).
Verse 20. And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”
The timeline here is a bit confusing, but it appears that Saul is run out of Damascus by the Jewish leaders, then goes to Arabia (Galatians 1:17), which is quite close to Damascus. He is there for “many days,” detailed as three years in Galatians 1:18. He returns to Damascus and the governor under King Aretas apparently threatens him and he escapes through the city wall in a basket again (2 Corinthians 11:32–33). It is possible the threat from the Jewish leaders and the governor is the same. Either way, Saul escapes, and three years after his conversion (Galatians 1:18), makes his way to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26; Galatians 1:18). Luke is often more specific in his timelines, but only when he has exact information to work with or when he is with Saul personally.
Synagogues were established around the time of the Babylonian captivity. The temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed, and the Jews were scattered all over the Babylonian Empire. The term synagogue is from the Greek for “bringing together,” and this is the place people gathered to read from the Hebrew Scriptures—our Old Testament—and discuss what they read.
At this time, most of the Christians are Jews. They believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and worshiping Him is the natural fulfillment of their childhood religion. It makes sense, then, that Saul first goes to the local area’s main meeting place for prayer. That place would be a synagogue, unless there are not enough Jews in the city. Saul, who later goes by his Greek name, Paul, does this in every town he visits (Acts 14:1; 16:13; 17:1–2, 10; 18:4; 19:8). The people are already familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures that prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. Saul’s job is to connect the dots.
Context Summary
Acts 9:20–25 describes what happens right after Saul, the mortal enemy of the young church, becomes a follower of Jesus Christ. He had come to Damascus to arrest Christians; now he is a Christian. Immediately upon his conversion, he goes to the synagogues and explains how Jesus of Nazareth fits the prophecies of the Jewish Messiah. At some point, he will spend time in Arabia, then return to Damascus (Galatians 1:17–18). Finally, he will return to Jerusalem and attempt to introduce himself to a very wary church. Fortunately, although the apostles will be skeptical, Barnabas will take him under his wing (Acts 9:26–27).
Verse 21. And all who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?”
Saul, the passionate Pharisee, has recently converted to follow Jesus (Acts 9:1–19). The first thing he does is start preaching. He goes to the synagogues in Damascus and shows how Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the prophecies of the Messiah in the Jewish Scriptures.
He had originally come to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers, bring them to Jerusalem for trial, and, if they didn’t deny their faith, see them executed for blasphemy (Acts 26:9–11). Apparently, this news is well known among the Jews there. Now, Saul is preaching that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God; when Jesus made this claim, the Sanhedrin had Him crucified for blasphemy (John 19:7).
The phrase alternately translated “made havoc,” “was ravaging,” or “destroyed” is from the Greek root word portheō. In general, it means to wreck or overthrow, and is based on the Greek pertho which means “to sack.” Believers of this era saw Saul as an invading warrior who had come to demolish the church.
“This name” is the name of Jesus. This is not a reference to the letters and sounds that identify Him, but to the entirety of how He is known. It means Christ’s character and reputation, the thoughts and feelings that come to mind when people consider Him. Syllables and sounds are ephemeral. We put our hope and faith in the person of Christ.
Verse 22. But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.
Saul had been trained by a well-respected rabbi of his time (Acts 22:3). He intimately knew every detail of the Hebrew Scriptures—what we now call the Old Testament. As a student of the Pharisees, he believed the Messiah was coming and that the faithful dead would be resurrected.
Many Jewish men had the same education, however, and never came to the realization that Jesus is the Messiah. Saul had the advantage of having listened to Stephen’s testimony. Stephen took his listeners on a trip through Jewish history, showing them that their forefathers had been saved by God before the nation of Israel, the occupation of Jerusalem, the construction of the temple, or the establishment of the sacrifices. And yet, the Israelites constantly rebelled against God, including killing His prophets. In the same way, they killed the prophet Moses had promised would follow him: Jesus (Acts 7).
At the time, Saul was happy to see Stephen murdered by the mob (Acts 7:58). He was incensed that anyone could preach against the temple and the Law and made it his mission to hunt Jesus-followers to extinction (Acts 26:9–11).
All the extensive training and background information made him a formidable evangelist when Saul began preaching that Jesus is the Messiah, but that same education had not initially convinced him of the truth of Jesus. Saul came to Jesus because Jesus chose him (Philippians 3:12). Saul’s conversion shows that God doesn’t let us reason our way to Him (Matthew 13:14–15; 1 Corinthians 1:18–25). Stephen spoke so convincingly, his audience was unable to refute his arguments, so they lied about him and killed him (Acts 6:10–14; 7:54–60). God calls us and rescues us, by grace, through faith, not by our own efforts, whether mental or physical (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Verse 23. When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him,
The timeline here can be difficult to follow. Right after Saul becomes a Jesus-follower, he preaches in Damascus. He also goes to Arabia, which is quite close to Damascus, and returns again to Damascus. This time is described as lasting three years in Galatians 1:17–18. It seems that the Jewish leadership plotted against Paul at some point in Damascus and then later the governor under King Aretas apparently threatens to kill him, or perhaps the Jewish leaders plotted with the help of the governor. In either case, Saul escapes out the wall in a basket (Acts 9:23–25; 2 Corinthians 11:32–33). Finally, he makes his way to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26; Galatians 1:18).
It’s not clear if Acts 9:23–25 describes Saul’s first or second escape from Damascus. Luke is usually more specific in his timelines, but only when he has exact information to work with or he is with Saul personally. It’s possible Saul is forced out of Damascus only once, and both the Jews and the Damascus governor want him gone.
“Jews” is the Greek word Ioudaioi. It does not refer to Jewish citizens or laymen but to Jewish religious leaders and those who follow them. This isn’t the first plot Saul will have to survive in his work for God. In Corinth, the Jewish leaders try to charge him before the proconsul; the proconsul dismisses the case, saying it is a matter of religion, not civil unrest (Acts 18:12–17). When Saul is trying to get back to Jerusalem from Macedonia, he must change his travel plans because of a plot (Acts 20:3). And after his arrest in Jerusalem, some Jews (probably from modern-day Asia Minor) plot with the Sanhedrin to murder Saul on his way to the governor’s estate in Caesarea. Fortunately, Saul’s nephew overhears and tells the centurion who takes precautions (Acts 23:12–35).
Verse 24. but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him,
Saul is a Jewish man born in Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia. He was raised in Jerusalem under the tutelage of Gamaliel, one of the most honored Pharisees at the time (Acts 22:3). Saul’s devotion to the Mosaic law drove him to lead a campaign against the very early church (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2). Much to his surprise, on his way to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers and bring them to trial in Jerusalem, Saul meets the risen Jesus. Saul converts, becoming the thing he hated, and immediately puts his Pharisee training into practice by going to the synagogues and showing how Jesus of Nazareth fulfills the prophecies of the Jewish Messiah (Acts 9:1–22).
Taking 2 Corinthians 11:32–33 and Galatians 1:15–17 into consideration, it’s apparent that Saul left Damascus at some point, and went into the Arabian wilderness, with a total span covering three years. It’s thought he used this time to either refine his understanding of Christianity, or to study the relation between following Jesus and Judaism. It’s unclear if Acts 9:23–25 records his first or second exit from Damascus.
Throughout Saul’s ministry spreading the news about Jesus, he will make several close escapes. Among these, he will flee from Iconium (Acts 14:4–7), survive a stoning in Lystra (Acts 14:19), and be forced to leave Berea by his own people for his own safety (Acts 17:13–15). The Bible does not promise that we will always escape danger, even that which we encounter serving God. But God promises to give us what we need to fulfill the purposes He has for us. For Saul, that means escaping a city wall in a basket (Acts 9:25).
Verse 25. but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.
Saul came to Damascus to arrest the Jesus-followers and either force them to blaspheme the man they consider their Messiah or extradite them so he could vote for their execution (Acts 26:10–11). Before he reached the city, however, Jesus met him. Saul realized he was completely in the wrong—Jesus is the Messiah from the Jewish Scriptures. Saul converted and used his religious training to try to reach other Jews with the news that the Messiah had come. He will soon be known by his Greek name, Paul, and become the early church’s greatest missionary (Acts 13:9).
Not all the Jews in the city care to listen to Saul’s perspective. The Jewish leadership in Damascus conspire to kill him (Acts 9:23). Saul hears about the plot and makes his escape through the city wall (Acts 9:24).
Walls in cities at this time are so deep some families have their homes built into the wall (Joshua 2:15). “Basket” is from the Greek root word spyris; it is the same word used in Matthew 15:37 when Jesus fed more than four thousand people. The timeframe is uncertain; apparently after his conversion, Saul went into the Arabian wilderness for three years before returning (Galatians 1:15–17). It’s unclear if this is the first or second time he leaves Damascus.
In Damascus, Saul flees Jewish rulers who had been ready to help him complete his mission of eradicating the Jesus-followers. Now, he is on his way to Jerusalem to meet the apostles who started the movement. Because of his reputation, they will not be any more comfortable with him than the people of Damascus (Acts 9:26).
Verse 26. And when he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.
Saul is a Jesus-follower. Before he was a Jesus-follower, he was the leading persecutor of the church (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2). He imprisoned and beat Jesus-followers, tried to get them to blaspheme, and voted for their execution if they didn’t (Acts 22:19; 26:10–11). But on his way to Damascus to hunt down more Jesus-followers, Saul met Jesus. He accepted that he was completely wrong, and immediately started preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Now, he is ready to return to Jerusalem and meet the leaders of the faith he has spent over three years learning about (Acts 9:1–25; Galatians 1:15–18). In time, he will go by his Greek name, Paul, and become the greatest missionary of the early church (Acts 13:9).
Saul quickly learns that three years is not a very long time, when one’s reputation is so strong. The church leaders know very well who he is. They haven’t heard about him for years, but with his return their fear is renewed.
It’s very likely this event stays with Saul. Years later, he will write to the church in Corinth about a sinful but unrepentant Jesus-follower, telling them the church needs to remove him from their fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:1–5). Later, it appears the man repents, but the church isn’t ready to forgive. Saul will tell them: “Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow” (2 Corinthians 2:5–7). Fortunately, one of the earliest church leaders believes Saul’s story and takes him under his wing. Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement,” introduces Saul to Peter and James, Jesus’ half-brother (Galatians 1:17–19). Some time later, Barnabas will call for Saul to teach the new believers in Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:25–26). After successfully growing the church, they will take their first missionary trip together throughout modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 13:1–3).
Context Summary
Acts 9:26–31 draws a curtain on the persecution of the church at the hands of the Pharisee-trained Saul. The young man who ”[breathed] threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1) has chosen to follow Jesus instead. He has spent several years learning more about how Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and sharing his new-found understanding at synagogues in Damascus. Now, he returns to Jerusalem—not to the Sanhedrin who gave him his orders, but to the leaders of the church he once tried to destroy.
Verse 27. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.
Saul, the violent, driven persecutor of the church has become Saul, the intense defender of Christianity. Later, he will go by his Greek name, Paul (Acts 13:9). Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, about 133 miles north of Jerusalem. Where once he had used his training as a Pharisee and his complete devotion to destroy the church, he now shows Jews how Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Jewish Messiah. After teaching in Damascus, he has come to Jerusalem and is ready to meet the leaders of the church. But the apostles are scared. They know who he is and what he has done, and they’re not ready to trust a conversion they didn’t witness (Acts 9:1–26).
Barnabas is one of the first members of the church. His given name is Joseph, but he goes by a name which means “son of encouragement,” which fits him very well (Acts 4:36–37). He is from the island of Cyprus, but apparently heard about Jesus while traveling to Jerusalem and quickly became fully devoted.
“Bold” is a good word to describe Saul’s ministry. On his first mission trip, when he and Barnabas go to Cyprus and speak to the proconsul, Saul will tell a Jewish magician, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10). When he is presented with a chance to speak with King Agrippa, he does so eagerly (Acts 26). And when Peter stops eating with Gentile Christians for fear of disappointing legalistic Jewish Christians, Saul reprimands him in public (Galatians 2:14).
After meeting with the apostles, Saul will continue to preach boldly in Jerusalem—to the point that the Greek-speaking Jews take notice. This is the same group that found Stephen so hard to debate that they murdered him (Acts 6:8–15; 7:54–60). And the same group that will eventually have Saul arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21:27–36).
Verse 28. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.
Saul is a Greek-speaking Jewish man who was trained to be a Pharisee but, after violently persecuting the church, accepted that Jesus of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah and Savior. After his conversion in Damascus, and about three years in Arabia and Damascus (Galatians 1:17–18), he travels 133 miles south to Jerusalem to meet the leaders of the church he had tried to destroy. At first, they are wary, but Barnabas takes the chance, gets to know Saul, and introduces him to the apostles (Acts 9:1–27).
Now, Saul continues what he started in Damascus: showing Jews how the Messiah they are waiting for has already come in the person of a carpenter from Nazareth who was crucified and rose again.
Speaking the Word of the Lord boldly was always the apostles’ goal (Acts 4:29). Saul seems fearless, but he makes the conscious effort to be strong and faithful and asks others to pray for him (Ephesians 6:19).
Saul is a Jew, both ethnically and by religion. However, he’s from Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, on the southeastern shore of modern-day Asia Minor. He was born a Roman citizen and speaks Greek and understands Greek philosophy and literature. He was also educated in Jerusalem and studied under the noted Pharisee Gamaliel (Acts 17:22–28; 22:3, 27–28). He is teaching at the synagogues of other Hellenist Jews (Acts 9:29)—possibly the very synagogues where Stephen taught, and the very people responsible for Stephen’s death (Acts 6:8–15; 7:54–60).
Saul will soon face the same dilemma Stephen did: continue preaching or escape with his life. The apostles make the choice for him and send him back home to Tarsus (Acts 9:29–30).
Verse 29. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.
“Hellenist” is from a term referring to an ancient Greek. “Hellenist” is used as a generic adjective to describe someone or something culturally Greek. So, a “Hellenist Jew” is a Jewish person who was born in an area highly influenced by Greco-Roman culture. This would contrast with Jews born and raised in Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Perea, or other areas near Jerusalem. Hellenist Jews typically spoke Greek as their first language and generally didn’t have a problem with the Roman Empire. Theologically, many adopted the Greek rejection of a resurrection. They had their own synagogues in Jerusalem and those who didn’t live near Jerusalem did not attend all the required feasts, although they still venerated Jerusalem and the temple.
Hellenist Jews often moved to Jerusalem when they grew older, as they wished to die and be buried near the City of David. It was these widows who received insufficient support from the mostly-Hebrew-cultured Jewish Jesus-followers. The apostles’ solution was to appoint deacons to distribute the food; considering their names, it’s thought all the deacons were Hellenists (Acts 6:1–6).
Stephen was one of those deacons, but he was also a powerful apologist who preached that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah to the Hellenist synagogues in Jerusalem (Acts 6:8–15). The Jews strongly opposed Stephen, in part because he preached the resurrection of the dead and probably in part because he seemed to disrespect the religion these men followed even in the hostile, pagan cities in which they lived. When they couldn’t refute Stephen’s arguments, they accused Stephen of blasphemy and then murdered him while a young man named Saul looked on (Acts 7).
Saul is also a Hellenist; he is from the city of Tarsus on the coast of modern-day Asia Minor, although he went to school in Jerusalem (Acts 22:3). All the apostles are Jewish, from Galilee, so it’s natural that Saul concentrated on the Hellenist Jews. Unfortunately, he received the same reception as Stephen. Jesus has already told him he will be the missionary to the Gentiles (Acts 26:16–18); now, while praying at the temple, Jesus tells him to leave Jerusalem because he won’t be accepted (Acts 22:17–18).
All is not in vain, however. There were some Hellenist Jews listening to Peter and the other apostles before Saul’s conversion. When Saul started persecuting the church, they fled north to Syrian Antioch where they not only spread the message to other Jews, they told Gentiles. Soon, Barnabas will travel to Antioch to validate the Gentiles’ conversion. He will find such a need of teachers he will send for Saul, who has returned to Tarsus (Acts 11:19–26).
Verse 30. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.
The last recorded time a Christian teacher irritated the Greek-speaking Jews in Jerusalem, they killed him (Acts 7:54–60). The apostles are afraid Saul will face the same fate. He is a Hellenist Jew from Tarsus, the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, but educated in Jerusalem by the famous Pharisee Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). For years, Saul zealously persecuted the church, but has since come to realize that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised in the Jewish Scriptures (Acts 9:1–19). Since then, he has doggedly proved his point, first in Damascus and now in Jerusalem (Acts 9:20, 28). Like in Damascus, some of the faithful Jews are less than receptive to his point of view and want to kill him (Acts 9:23, 29). Both the apostles and God (Acts 22:17–18) are telling him it’s time to go.
While much of Saul’s religious training was completed in Jerusalem, his hometown of Tarsus is known as a significant center of philosophy and academia; the teachers of both Augustus and Tiberius were from there. Tarsus is on the southeastern coast of modern-day Asia Minor, facing south into the Mediterranean. It’s possible Saul converted his family at this point, as we know he was later on good terms with his sister’s son (Acts 23:16–17).
There are several cities named “Caesarea” as naming a city after the Emperor was a good way to get into his graces. This one is Caesarea Maritima on the coast of Samaria and was dedicated by Herod the Great for Caesar Augustus. In AD 6, it became the home of the Roman procurators of Judea and Samaria. Since it is one of the few good ports in the district, it’s a fairly easy sail up the coast to Tarsus. Later, Saul will be held there before going to Rome (Acts 23:31—26:32).
Verse 31. So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
A few short years before, the Pharisee-trained Saul made it his mission to destroy the church. Now, he has become one of the most talented defenders of the gospel: the understanding that Jesus of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah and the Savior of the world. Unfortunately, his fervor has attracted the attention of Greek-speaking Jews in Jerusalem, and for his own safety he is sent home to Tarsus in modern-day Asia Minor (Acts 9:1–30).
With Saul out of reach, the apostles have a short break from persecution. For believers, the “fear of the Lord” combines a deep respect for God with the understanding that He hates sin. “Comfort” is from the Greek root word paraklēsis, meaning “solace and refreshment.” The calm the church in Judea and Samaria are witnessing are the direct work of the Holy Spirit.
As a result of Saul’s first wave of persecution, the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem fled, taking the message of Jesus with them (Acts 8:1–3). Some will go west, to Lydda and Joppa, near modern-day Tel Aviv, where Peter will visit them (Acts 9:32–43). From there, Peter will be called to Caesarea Maritima to visit a Roman centurion named Cornelius. He will learn that Jesus is from the Jews and for the Jews, but not exclusively. As God promised Abraham (Genesis 22:18), He chose the Jews to provide a blessing to the world. Peter witnesses this as an entire household of Gentiles comes to faith in Jesus (Acts 10).
Peter’s work with the Gentiles in Caesarea provides the foundation for Saul’s ministry. Some of the Jewish Christians from the island of Cyprus have taken Jesus’ message to Gentiles in Syrian Antioch, nearly 500 miles north. The church there will grow so quickly, the apostles will send Barnabas to make sure the teaching is correct, and Barnabas will ask Saul to come and help him (Acts 11:19–30). The mission-driven church at Antioch will send Barnabas and Saul off to the Greek-speaking world (Acts 13:1–3). Saul will change his name to the Greek variant—Paul (Acts 13:9)—and spend his life reaching Hellenist Jews and Gentiles with the message of Jesus.
Verse 32. Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.
After the murder of Stephen (Acts 7:54–60), a young Jew named Saul requested authority from the Sanhedrin: the ruling religious council of the Jews. His request was to actively seek out Jesus-followers and either force them to blaspheme against Christ or face possible execution (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2; 26:10–11). At the time, the message of Jesus hadn’t traveled much beyond Jerusalem, but Saul’s persecution drove the Jesus-followers away, as far as Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:19–20), and they took Jesus’ message with them.
Saul expanded his reach, eventually traveling to Damascus to arrest Jesus-followers there and bring them to Jerusalem for trial. Before he arrived at Damascus, however, Jesus appeared and confronted him. Saul quickly realized he had been completely and horribly wrong. After being baptized, he became a powerful preacher, going to the synagogues and explaining how Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah promised in the Old Testament (Acts 9:1–22). Eventually, he will go by the name Paul (Acts 13:9) and become the greatest missionary of the early church.
Now that Saul and the Sanhedrin are no longer a threat, Peter travels to spread the gospel. Lydda is 9 miles southeast of modern-day Tel Aviv and 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. In the Old Testament, it was the city of Lod (1 Chronicles 8:12). Peter is continuing the work he had done in Jerusalem: spreading the news about Jesus and performing miracles to authenticate his God-given message.
“Saint” is from the Greek root word hagios which literally refers to a holy person. In the Bible, it means any born-again believer in Jesus Christ. To be holy is to be set apart or sanctified. Every Jesus-follower is set apart by God for His redemption and His work.
Context Summary
Acts 9:32–35 is a short story about Peter healing a paralyzed man near the western slope of the coastal range of Judea. It is also the beginning of an account, running through Acts 11:18, of Peter opening the doors for the apostle Saul’s mission to reach the Gentiles for Christ. Saul has become a Jesus-follower and will soon go by the name Paul. The immediate, intense threat to the church is greatly eased. Peter is traveling, possibly visiting the churches that were started by those who fled from Saul’s persecution (Acts 8:1–3). Soon, he will witness and validate that Gentiles can be saved and receive the Holy Spirit. The last phase of Acts 1:8 will begin in earnest.
Verse 33. There he found a man named Aeneas, bedridden for eight years, who was paralyzed.
Peter is in the city of Lydda, about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Saul is now a Jesus-follower (Acts 9:13–18) and no longer persecuting the church (Acts 8:1–3). Other persecution has also decreased (Acts 9:31), so Peter has freedom to travel around Judea, encourage those who have received Christ in Jerusalem, and share the gospel with those who haven’t heard yet.
In his travels, he meets a man who is paralyzed. Peter had seen Jesus heal the paralyzed before (Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 5:17–26; John 5:2–9), and Peter had performed many miracles in Jesus’ name since His ascension (Acts 5:12–16). In the Bible, God equips His messengers to perform miracles to validate the fact that He sent them. God’s healing, however, is not a universal right. When Adam and Eve sinned, the world was no longer the “very good” creation of God (Genesis 1:31). Injury and illness became a part of life. Sometimes, God does choose to heal. Other times, He chooses to work in the injured or ill person’s life to bring them closer to Him.
Sometimes God uses that person to reach the world. Joni Eareckson Tada was paralyzed in a diving accident in 1967. Despite chronic pain and several bouts with cancer, she has changed the way people see the disabled. She was one of the driving forces behind the Americans with Disabilities Act, and she is a strong advocate for helping the disabled have full and meaningful lives.
Peter heals Aeneas, and in response, the residents of Lydda and the nearby Plain of Sharon come to a saving faith in Jesus (Acts 9:35). Because of Joni Eareckson Tada’s injury, millions have a better life. Putting our trust in God always results in life.
Verse 34. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed.” And immediately he rose.
When Saul, with the full support of the Sanhedrin, first started persecuting the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–3), the Jesus-followers made the reasonable decision to leave town, but they took their faith with them. One of these refugees was a deacon named Philip. Philip first headed north to Samaria, where he shared Jesus’ message with the Samaritans. When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard, they sent Peter and John to see what was going on. They validate Philip’s message and the Samaritans’ faith (Acts 8:4–8, 14–17).
Next, the Holy Spirit told Philip to head back south into Judea and speak with a court official of the Ethiopian queen. He worshiped the Jewish God and was reading from the book of Isaiah. Philip explained that the passage was talking about Jesus of Nazareth. The official put his faith in Jesus, as well. The Holy Spirit carried Philip to Azotus, the old Philistine city on the coast of the Mediterranean. From there, Philip traveled north to Caesarea Maritima, preaching as he traveled (Acts 8:26–40).
Two of the possible towns on his route were Lydda and Joppa. Now that Saul is a Jesus-follower and is no longer persecuting the church, Peter is traveling, building up the new believers and preaching to those who haven’t heard. He finds himself in Lydda and heals a man named Aeneas who has been bedridden for eight years with paralysis. This healing, credited to the power of Christ, is instantaneous. As a result, the people of the town and the plain north of Lydda, between the mountains and the sea, become followers of Christ (Acts 9:35).
Verse 35. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
Peter is in the town of Lydda, 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem. In the name of Jesus, he has healed a man there named Aeneas who had been confined to bed with paralysis for eight years. God gives the apostles the ability to perform miracles to authenticate them so people would know their message is from God. It works: the people of Lydda and Sharon accept Peter’s words about Jesus, and they are saved (Acts 9:32–34).
Sharon is a plain between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea from Lydda northward to around Caesarea. Lydda is called Lod in the Old Testament and today; it is about 25 miles northwest of Jerusalem and 9 miles southeast of modern-day Tel Aviv. It’s very likely Philip visited Lydda on his trek between Azotus and Caesarea (Acts 8:40).
From Lydda, Peter will go to Joppa, modern-day Jaffa. There, he will bring a disciple named Tabitha back to life (Acts 9:36–43). While Peter is staying with a tanner named Simon, messengers will come from Caesarea, about 40 miles north. A Roman centurion, a devout follower of the Jewish God, wants to know more about the God he worships. Peter will come to his house and share Jesus’ story. While Peter is still speaking, the Holy Spirit will come on Cornelius, his family, his servants, and the friends who have come to listen. Without Peter laying hands on them or baptizing them, a large group of Gentiles will be saved (Acts 10). God’s promise to Abraham, that his descendant would bless the world, will come true (Genesis 22:18). Peter will be stunned. The other church leaders will be incredulous (Acts 11:1–18). And the way will be paved for the apostle Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles.
Verse 36. Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.
After Stephen’s death (Acts 7:54–60), the Sanhedrin commissioned a passionate young Pharisee-trained Jew named Saul to track down Jesus-followers and bring them to trial. In Saul’s zeal, he hunted the Jesus-followers and beat them. If they didn’t blaspheme against Jesus, he voted for their execution (Acts 22:19; 26:10–11). In the wake of his fury the Jesus-followers scattered (Acts 8:1–3).
One of these Jesus-followers was Philip. After spending some time in Samaria, Philip preached about Jesus from the town of Azotus, up the coast to Caesarea Maritima (Acts 8:40). Today, Joppa is Jaffa, the seaport of Tel Aviv. In Peter’s time, Joppa is a short detour off the coastal highway. It’s possible that Philip established the church in Joppa, but it’s equally possible that Tabitha learned about Jesus in Jerusalem and was, herself, a refugee.
“Tabitha” is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic tabhyetha, which means “gazelle.” “Dorcas” means “gazelle” in Greek. Tabitha’s good works included making clothing for the local widows (Acts 9:39). The responsibility to take care of widows is firmly established in the Mosaic law (Deuteronomy 24:19; 27:19). Before Philip escaped Jerusalem and started his life as an evangelist, he was one of the first deacons, designated to make sure the Greek-speaking widows received enough food (Acts 6:1–6).
Context Summary
Acts 9:36–43 describes Peter raising a disciple named Tabitha—or Dorcas in Greek—to life. He has been in Lydda, about 15 miles southeast, where he healed Aeneas from paralysis and taught the people of the city about Jesus (Acts 9:32–35). Soon, he will receive a request to travel 40 miles north to Caesarea Maritima where he will meet a Roman centurion. Peter will share the story of Jesus, and a houseful of Gentiles will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 10). Given his upbringing, Peter might think of Gentiles being saved as a greater miracle than Tabitha coming back to life!
Verse 37. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
The Mosaic law doesn’t give instructions for burial, and it’s thought the practice was dictated by local custom more than a more universal ceremony. Because of the warm climate and the law that said touching the dead made one unclean (Numbers 19:11), burial was typically performed quickly after death.
The “upper room” may have been a shed on the roof. In the Old Testament, a Shunammite woman made a room on the roof for the prophet Elisha. When her son died, she placed him on Elisha’s bed until she could call on him in hopes he could raise her son (2 Kings 4:18–37). Something similar happens here.
When Jesus died, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus had very little time to bury Jesus before the Sabbath began, so they hastily wrapped His body in linen with myrrh and aloe (John 19:38–40). The women who followed Jesus intended to finish the preparations after the Sabbath (Luke 23:55–56). Considering Tabitha sits up when Peter tells her to, she was likely not prepared for burial: itself an act of faith that Peter would come and God would raise her.
Once again, God empowers His disciple to perform a miracle of healing to validate the disciple’s message about Jesus. In today’s world, this likely would not work as well. When presented with a miracle, half the people would find a scientific reason to explain it away. The other half would believe too quickly and accept even fake miracles or sleight of hand. Since we have the completed Bible, we have another way to determine if a teacher’s message is from God: compare it to what God said.
Verse 38. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.”
Peter is in the town of Lydda, modern-day Lod near Tel Aviv. He is traveling, checking in on the Jesus-followers who fled Jerusalem when Saul persecuted the church. In Lydda, Peter healed a paralyzed man, but in nearby Joppa, a respected Christian woman, Tabitha—Dorcas in Greek—has died, so disciples from her church have gone to ask Peter to come (Acts 9:32–37).
Although Jews believed the soul stayed for three days, they typically buried their dead before sundown on the day the person died. One reason is that the climate is generally warm, and the Jews didn’t embalm their dead. However, they did wrap them with fragrant plants (John 19:38–40), so the smell would be less horrible (John 11:39). Also, the Mosaic law states that “Whoever touches the dead body of any person shall be unclean seven days” (Numbers 19:11). That means anything they touch is unclean and every time they touch the body, the clock resets to seven days. They need to get Peter quickly, before Tabitha is buried.
The mention of two men is consistent with the Mosaic law. Two or three witnesses are required for conviction (Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15), except for the case of rape outside the city where no one can hear, the expectation being a woman who was being attacked would always cry for help (Deuteronomy 22:25–27). Jesus sent disciples out in twos (Luke 10:1). He also spoke of bringing one or two others along when confronting an unrepentant brother who has sinned against you (Matthew 18:15–20). Saul affirms that accusations against a church member or leader must be brought forward by two or three witnesses (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19). In the end-times tribulation, God will send two witnesses to Jerusalem (Revelation 11:1–13). Even when Philip was preaching in Samaria, Peter and John came to validate his ministry together (Acts 8:14).
It’s unclear why Peter seems to be alone here, but it’s possible he is accompanied by someone Luke didn’t feel was relevant enough to explicitly mention. He will be accompanied by others, presumably from Joppa, when he goes to Caesarea (Acts 10:45).
Verse 39. So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.
Since Saul left his chosen profession of destroying the church and every Jesus-follower, and became a Jesus-follower himself, things have quieted down for the church—so much so that Peter is traveling, building up those who escaped Saul’s wrath in Jerusalem and sharing Jesus’ message to those who haven’t heard (Acts 9:1–32). He makes his way to Lydda, called in the Old Testament and today “Lod,” and heals a paralyzed man (Acts 9:32–35). While he is still there, two men from the nearby town of Joppa arrive and quickly explain that a devout, respected Jesus-follower named Tabitha has died. They urge Peter to come, believing he can raise her (Acts 9:36–38). They must go quickly, however, because Jews bury their dead before sundown.
There are some interesting contrasts to the stories of Tabitha and Jairus’ daughter in Mark 5:35–43. The family of the girl and friends of Tabitha love them deeply. Both groups have faith that Jesus can heal their loved one. The mourners, however, are very different. In the case of Jairus’ daughters, professional mourners arrived, causing “a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly” (Mark 5:38). Their feelings were insincere—when Jesus told them the girl was not dead, they laughed at Him. Jesus had to remove them and take only her parents, Peter, James, and John into the room.
Peter now meets a very different group. Widows from the community are genuinely distraught. They show him evidence of Tabitha’s generosity, as if trying to prove she deserves to be raised. It’s a striking example of how a rule-based culture can devolve into an insincere display of works; the community that truly has faith in Jesus is characterized by love and hope.
Verse 40. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
Peter has come to the town of Joppa, near modern-day Tel Aviv, to resurrect a respected Jesus-follower named Tabitha. When he arrives, he is swarmed by widows, mourning Tabitha’s loss and showing off the garments she made for them (Acts 9:26–39).
The scene parallels that of Jairus’ daughter in Mark 5:35–43. Jesus came to Jairus’ house after his daughter had died. The house was filled with weeping and wailing. Like Peter, Jesus removed the mourners to provide a quieter space. And both simply told the dead to “arise.”
There are distinct differences, as well. The professional mourners in Jairus’ house were insincere actors: their job was to go to the homes of the newly dead and make a great show, with great commotion. Tabitha’s friends were genuinely distraught. Tabitha’s friends also had great faith in Jesus’ healing power. Peter had been in Lydda that morning, about ten miles away. Tabitha’s friends needed him to come before she would be buried—before sundown—so they rushed up to Lydda and rushed back with Peter; the “mourners” at Jairus’ house told him his daughter was dead and there was no hope.
The crowd at Jairus’ house practiced a religion that did not value hope. They did not understand that their Messiah was standing in front of them. The crowd at Tabitha’s house had great hope that Jesus would raise their sister through His apostle Peter. Their hope was rewarded.
The other, obvious, similarity between the two stories is that when Jesus raised the little girl, He said, “Talitha cumi” (Mark 5:41) while Peter said “Tabitha, arise.” Talitha is Aramaic for “maiden” or “little girl.” It’s thought that Mark included the Aramaic to prove that Jesus didn’t use some kind of magic spell. “Tabitha” is the woman’s name; it is the Greek transliteration for the Aramaic word that means “gazelle,” which in Greek is Dorcas. Cumi or koumi is Aramaic for “arise” while Luke records Peter using anistēmi which is Greek for “arise.” It’s likely that Peter spoke Aramaic and Luke translated his words to Greek for Theophilus (Acts 1:1).
Verse 41. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
Peter has just raised Tabitha from the dead. She is a generous, devout Jesus-follower from the town of Joppa—today known as Jaffa near Tel Aviv (Acts 9:36–40). Luke doesn’t give us a detailed timeline of events before he starts traveling with Saul. This is after the establishment of the church in Jerusalem and after Saul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus. But we don’t know how long after Pentecost (Acts 2) this is. When Paul, then known as Saul (Acts 13:9), persecuted the church, the new believers fled Jerusalem and spread out into Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and at least as far as Syrian Antioch (Acts 8:1–3; 11:19–20). We don’t know if the believers in Joppa had learned about Jesus from the apostles in Jerusalem or if this church was established by Philip as he traveled up the coastline from Azotus to Caesarea Maritima (Acts 8:40).
We do know that they have extraordinary faith. When Tabitha died, two men immediately set out to Lydda, about ten miles away, to get Peter and bring him back that day. Jews typically buried their dead before sunset; to touch the dead meant someone was unclean for seven days (Numbers 19:11), and since the day began at sunset it made sense to take care of the body before incurring another day’s obligation. There seems to be no lack of faith here, just genuine mourning by people who loved Tabitha very much (Acts 9:36–40).
Their faith is rewarded. Peter raises her, through the power and authority of Jesus, and presents her to the other Jesus-followers and the widows who had benefited from Tabitha’s kindness. Such fulfilled hope has a great effect as the news spreads and even more from Joppa believe in Jesus (Acts 9:42).
Verse 42. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
This is a seemingly innocuous verse with a heavy theological consideration behind it. Peter has just raised Tabitha from Joppa from the dead. Her resurrection gives authentication to Peter’s message about Jesus. Many are saved.
The question that arises is, did God cause Tabitha to die so that Peter could raise her and people would be saved? This is a nuance of the so-called “problem of evil,” which considers whether God ever causes suffering for the sake of a better good.
Certainly, God does redeem suffering. Our assurance is the perhaps overused but no less true Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Whatever a Jesus-follower experiences, no matter how horrible, can be used for good if we trust God.
But does God cause suffering so that He can use it for good, or does He just allow suffering to happen because of the free will of humanity? That depends on the situation. Certainly, God disciplines His own, which is unpleasant and may involve suffering (Hebrews 12:5–11). In other situations, He allows humans, or demons (Job 1:6, 12; 2:6; Ephesians 6:12), to cause suffering because we do have a measure of free will. This must be exercised as an expression of our nature as humans. This is the difference between the permissive will of God—that all things are under His control—and the efficacious will of God, by which He directly dictates what will happen. All things are under His sovereign will.
The story of Tabitha seems an innocuous setting for such a heavy debate. She is raised from the dead, her friends are happy, and God is glorified as people listen to Peter’s message about Jesus. The situation is much different when the dead are not raised, or a wound is not healed, or a wrong is not righted in our lifetime. Romans 8:28 only brings comfort for those who “love God” and “are called according to his purpose.” It also goes on to explain a large portion of what God’s purpose is: that those who are His be “conformed to the image of His Son” (see Romans 8:29–30). If we trust God enough to value His perspective over our own, we will see the good. That doesn’t mean we won’t suffer. It does mean we can find comfort in the suffering and ultimately justice, peace, and full healing in eternity (see also 2 Corinthians 4:7–18; James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:3–9).
Verse 43. And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.
Luke’s understated account of Peter’s travels belie the importance of what is about to happen. Saul, the violent persecutor of the church (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–2), has defied his Pharisaical upbringing and become a Jesus-follower (Acts 9:13–19). His defection has angered the Jews—particularly those, like him, from the Greek culture (Acts 9:29), but it has given temporary freedom for the Jewish Jesus-followers to spread their message (Acts 9:31). Peter has taken advantage of the calm to visit two insignificant towns near the western border of Judea and Samaria. For the people in those towns, the news and grace of Jesus changes their lives for eternity. In the bigger picture, God has placed Peter there to change the world.
Tanners typically lived on the outskirts of town. Their trade involved stripping, soaking, and drying the hides of animals, which produces a notable stench. Simon lived by the Mediterranean Sea (Acts 10:6). In Judaism, tanners were ceremonially unclean as they dealt with dead animals all day. But Jesus taught His disciples to stay at the first house they were offered until they left town (Mark 6:10); even if someone with nicer accommodations offered, Peter would need to stay with whomever invited him first.
It is to this house that a Roman centurion named Cornelius will send two servants and one soldier to find Peter. Cornelius is a “devout man,” meaning a Gentile who faithfully worships the Jewish God. Peter will go to his house and share the message of Jesus to a houseful of Cornelius’ family, servants, and friends. Before Peter can lay hands on them or baptize them, the Holy Spirit will fall on them all. The promise God gave to Abraham is fulfilled, the world has been blessed through his line, and Jesus comes to the Gentiles (Genesis 22:18).
Most of the rest of the book of Acts records the mission of Paul, formerly Saul (Acts 13:9), to spread the news of Jesus to the Gentiles. As Jesus promised Ananias, Paul will suffer greatly (Acts 9:16). But it’s likely Tabitha, who was known for making clothing for widows, is amazed that she had such a part in spreading the gospel to the world.
End of Chapter 9.
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