The Book of Acts | God’s Revelation of Transition

Session 31 | Acts 9:32-10:8

Acts 9:32-43 | Peter at Lydda

• Verse 32 –
  • After the introduction of Saul as one of the disciples, we now move back to Peter.
    • This is evidence that the mystery has not yet been revealed.
    • Further evidence is that the book of Acts has no evidence of the mystery to this point, and none of Paul’s writings five evidence either.
    • Even if there is a mystery revealed at this point, there is an overlap between Paul’s message and Peter’s that lasts through the destruction of the Temple.
  • Peter coms to the saints, who are clearly Jews who believe in Jesus as Messiah. To this point there have been no gentiles (Cornelius being the first, and not until the next chapter).
  • Note that Lydda is the Greek name for what is Lod in the Hebrew. The ancient city of Lod is the site of the Ben Gurion Airport in modern Tel Aviv.
• Verses 33-35 –
  • Peter met Æneas.
    • The Æ is called an “ash” and is carried directly from Latin.
    • It was used in older English (in words like archaeology), though rarely today.
  • Æneas was sick of a palsy, that is, had a weakness of the muscles that kept him from walking, a condition he had had for eight years.
  • Peter (with the keys to the Kingdom), immediately declared him whole.
  • The result was all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron (the plain of Sharon, the general location of Lydda) turned to the Lord, that is, they believed that Jesus was the Messiah offering to them the Kingdom, and they became part of “Peter’s little flock,” which was called the way.
• Verse 36 –
  • The coastal city of Joppa is not far from Lydda. Joppa has been seen three previous times in Scripture.
    • In 2 Chronicles 2:16 cedars from Lebanon are brought for the Temple in Jerusalem by way of the sea and the Joppa port.
    • In Ezra 3:7 we read of the same for the second Temple.
    • In Jonah 1:3, Jonah uses this port to escape his duty. By the days of Peter, the port at Joppa had been overshadowed by the one at Caesarea, built by Herod.
  • Tabitha is an Aramaic word and Dorcas is a Greek word, both meaning doe or gazelle.
• Verses 37-41 –
  • Have you ever heard a verifiable account of this kind of miracle happening in the modern church? If not, why not? Our options:
    • Simply read the story and pretend that there is no variance with today’s Christian experience.
    • Conclude that this Biblical account is myth and never happened.
    • Conclude that the modern church is simply not spiritual enough to see such miracles.
    • Conclude that the era of this miracle was in a different dispensation of God.
  • Clearly, “rightly dividing” the Scripture is the best approach.
• Verse 42 –
  • The fact that many believed in the Lord is not evidence that salvation by grace through faith not of works was being offered or accepted.
  • The people were believing that Jesus was Messiah, risen from the dead, and would come and save them from their sins and their enemies (Lk. 1:71).
• Verse 43 –
  • While it is popular by many preachers to comment that Simon a tanner must have been unclean because he was touching a dead animal, one should remember that John the Baptist wore camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins (Matt. 3:4), and that the straps used by orthodox Jews are leather.
  • Sometimes popular theology is based on repetition of thought rather than research.

Acts 10:1-8 | Introducing Cornelius

• Verses 1-2 –
  • Cornelius was not a Jew (see Acts 11:3) nor was he a proselyte to Judaism (yet).
  • He was a centurion, a soldier who typically led 40-60 soldiers (despite the name and common lore).
  • Though he was not a Jew, God chose him to be the first one of the nations who would be presented the message of the Kingdom.
  • He was chosen, no doubt, because of his devotion to God and his love for the Jewish people (see the promise of Genesis 12:3).
  • Note that the centurion of Tiberius also loved the Jewish nation, and Jesus healed his servant (Lk. 7:1).
• Verses 3-6 –
  • It was the prayers and the alms that came up for a memorial before God and were the impetus for God’s selection of Cornelius.
  • The instruction of the vision was simple: find Simon Peter at Simon the tanners house and learn what thou oughtest to do (words that do not appear in the modern versions).
• Verses 7-8 –
  • Cornelius (a powerful man with servants under his orders) was immediately obedient to the vision.