The Boo of Acts 9, Part Two: The Continued Growth of the Church, Vs. 21-43

Can you imagine the reaction if Nancy Pelosi suddenly became Donald Trump's biggest supporter?

        Can you imagine what the reaction would be today, among both Democrats and Republicans, if Nancy Pelosi all of a sudden did an about-face and became Donald Trump’s biggest supporter?  Republicans would be hard-pressed to believe it, and Democrats would want to kill her.  No doubt, “all who heard [would be] amazed”—the reaction to the news that Saul of Tarsus had converted from hard-line Pharisee to disciple of Christ (Acts 9:21).

        But that’s what happened to Saul (it probably won’t happen to Nancy).  He “increased...in strength and confounded the Jews...proving that this Jesus is the Christ” (v. 22).  How did he do that?  Well, Luke doesn’t say here, but no doubt Saul mentioned his own encounter with Jesus, and, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, used the Old Testament Scriptures to verify his message.  Saul’s conversion was an outstanding event.  We’ll read of it again later in the book of Acts.

        Not surprisingly, “the Jews plotted to kill him” (v. 23).  This guy had to be shut up, he was winning too many converts.  As far as Donald Trump is from being a true disciple of Christ, I can’t help but mention the parallel.  Two assassination attempts.  His evil opponents want him silenced, too.

        But Saul learned of the assassination attempt (v. 24), and the disciples helped him escape Damascus by letting him down “through the wall in a large basket” (v. 25).  Paul himself mentions this event in 2 Corinthians 11:32-33, and this is no doubt where Luke got his information—straight from Paul.  Luke did his homework (Luke 1:3).

        I do want to say that I firmly believe Luke, and all the Bible writers, were inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  But, inspiration didn’t always, or necessarily, mean, “Luke, take a letter.”  Inspiration didn’t preclude the author from investigation and research, and the latter only helps confirm the inspiration.  What Luke wrote was history; we know that from other sources.  And he was inspired by God, in whatever manner and means that humanly-incomprehensible event transpired.  We can trust the Bible for more than just one reason.

        Saul then went to Jerusalem, but the disciples were scared of him (v. 26).  Barnabas, however, trusted Saul and introduced him to the apostles (v. 27).  Saul told them of his conversion and preaching of Jesus in Damascus, and soon gained the trust of the disciples in Jerusalem (v. 28).  And he spoke so “boldly” that, once again, the Jews (Hellenists in this case) wanted to kill him (v. 29).  So, the brethren had to help him escape from the city, took him to Caesarea, and then sent him home to Tarsus (v. 30).  We will hear more of this man very soon in Luke’s history.

        Luke’s tale now returns to Peter for a couple of chapters, because an extremely important event happened in chapter 10, and he was in the middle of it.  Verse 31 speaks of a period of growth and peace for the church all through Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.  Their number “multiplied.”

        Peter had left Jerusalem to preach “throughout all parts of the country” (v. 32).  In Lydda, he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years (v. 33).  Peter healed him—or rather, “Jesus Christ heals you” (v. 34), and this led to more growth in the church.  Miracles confirmed the message of the risen Christ—God would not confirm a lie with His signature.  And the good and honest in heart accepted the evidence.  They still do.

        In the city of Joppa, there was a female disciple named Tabitha (also called Dorcas), who was widely known for her “good works and charitable deeds” (v. 36).  But she became sick and died, which greatly distressed the brethren in that city.  Hearing that Peter was in Lydda (near Joppa), the disciples in Joppa sent for him and asked them to come to their city.  The intent was the hope that Peter might be able to revive Dorcas.  And that is exactly what he did (vs. 39-41).  The apostles had the ability to even raise the dead.  It doesn’t happen today, as the word has been confirmed and doesn’t need to continually re-confirmed.  We don’t try murderers over and over again to confirm they actually committed their crime.  Once an event has been proven, it doesn’t need to be continually re-proven.  Once the message of the gospel was confirmed, and then recorded for all posterity, the miraculous confirmation ceased.  The written word today is just as able to produce faith as the spoken and miraculously-confirmed word was in the first century.

        After Dorcas’s healing, “many believed on the Lord” (v. 42).  Peter stayed in Joppa (v. 43), and that sets the stage for the great events of chapter 10.