[Mon, 10 June] Acts 9:32-10:8 (857 words; 4/16)

Peter goes down from Jerusalem to Lydda to visit the believers there. We are given another remarkable miracle story but the details are scarce. Luke says that Peter found Aeneas, not that Aeneas was brought to him. Was he in the home of a believer? Did he meet him on a street? Was he himself a believer? The way Luke words v. 34 makes me think of the lame beggar at the temple in ch. 3. In 3:6, it says this: 

"But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”" 

The fact that Peter in 9:34 says, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!”, makes it sound like Peter is saying a name (Jesus Christ) that Aeneas has not heard before, and Peter wants to make it clear who is to credit for what is about to happen. The effect is that all the locals and those in the surrounding area of the plain of Sharon saw this man now healed and turned to the Lord. So, although Peter went obstensibly to see the local Christians, he finds an opportunity to glorify the name of Jesus and takes it. 

But while he is there, the residents of Joppa (which is on the coast), take the opportunity to plead that he come to see Tabitha, who has just died. They ask him to come without delay, probably because she would be buried before sundown. Joppa is over 11 miles away, approximately a 4 hour walk for the messengers to get to Lydda, and then another 4 to bring Peter back. So they do not have much time. 

Tabitha was obviously well regarded. Verse 36 says she was devoted to good works and charity, and in v. 39 the widows showed Peter some of the clothes that she had made. That is a rather touching detail. Perhaps they were demonstrating that she was a 'worthy' person (cf. Lk 7:4-5). Or, perhaps they were just showing what she meant to them, how she helped this community. 

Peter's actions are very simple: he puts everyone out of the room, kneels down, and prays. Then, he simply tells Tabitha to get up. Peter takes her by the hand, and shows her to the saints and widows (cf. Mk 5:40-41). Once again, many in Joppa who heard of this became believers.

The simplicity of the story almost makes the reader overlook the incredible nature of it. But this is the power that has been unleashed with the start of the mission of Jesus, when the Spirit has been poured out in these last days. 

These two miracles stories which have seen Peter move from one location to another are part of Luke's set up for the next big event in Acts, the acceptance of the Gentiles. Peter stays on in Joppa, and up the coast is Caesarea, where Cornelius lives. As Peter was requested from Lydda, so shortly he will be requested from Joppa. Later, especially in Paul's travels, we will see a mixture of human planning and divine providence move them around, to open doors, but also to sometimes violently shove them on to another region or need. We have already seen the Holy Spirit direct and then 'kidnap' Philip in his ministry! 

It is interesting that Peter stays with a tanner because this trade worked with unclean animals, and Peter is about to have a dream about unclean animals. The process smelt absolutely terrible, and rabbis allowed the wife of a tanner to divorce him if she could no longer endure the stench!

Caesarea had been built up and so-named by Herod the Great, and was the seat of the Roman governor for Judea (Paul will be imprisoned there in chs. 23-26). The troops there were auxiliaries recruited from Syria. Cornelius would have been one of these, and either he had taken this Roman name, or he was actually a Roman citizen. Regarding Judaism, he is a 'God-fearer', who is not a full convert to Judaism (i.e he is still uncircumcised). But he is devout and fears God; he gives alms and prays constantly (10:2). Indeed, the note in v. 3 that he receives a vision of an angel at 3pm shows that Cornelius was praying at one of the appointed times (i.e. the evening sacrifice—remembering that sunset was the end of the day cf. 3:1). Prayers did eventually replace the sacrifices once the temple was no more. But here Cornelius' prayers (and charity) are received like a sacrifice, as the angel says, “Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God." (see Lev 2:2 cf. Rom 12:1-2). 

The angel gives Cornelius a command which is instantly obeyed. His men go south down the coastline to Joppa to retrieve Peter. The Gospel is about to cross over to the Gentiles, and, as the Bible commentator Craig Keener pointed out, it is a remarkable irony that Jonah, in order to avoid preaching to Gentiles, went to Joppa to find a ship for Tarshish (Jon 1:3)!