Saul’s Ministry Begins, the Church Prospers, and Peter Goes to Joppa

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Acts 9:20-43

 

Acts 9:31

Then the ^[c]churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified.^[d] And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

(NKJV)

 

Saul has had a dramatic conversion from persecutor of the Church to one converted to Christ. The believers in Damascus remain skeptical, fearing this may be a scheme to gather them in one place so Saul can arrest them. However, as Saul begins to preach Christ and suffers persecution himself, he finds acceptance. When others begin to see the change in our lives after accepting Jesus as our savior, some may want to know what has happened in our lives, allowing us to share Christ with them.

 

Immediately after his conversion, Saul began preaching about Jesus, preaching that He is the Son of God (Acts 9:20). All who heard Saul preach were amazed because they remembered he had come to Damascus to round up Christians and arrest them (Acts 9:21). Saul became stronger with his teaching confounding the Jews by proving Jesus is the Christ, leading to plotting by the Jews to kill him (Acts 9:22-23). The Jews plotting to kill Saul would wait day and night at the gates to kill him, but Saul learns of their plot and is let down by night through the wall in a large basket (Acts 9:24-25).

 

Saul then goes to Jerusalem and tries to join with the disciples there, but he meets with resistance because they did not believe his conversion was genuine (Acts 9:26). Barnabas then takes Saul to the apostles and tells them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road to Damascus and preached boldly about Jesus in Damascus (Acts 9:27). After this, Saul was able to come and go with the disciples in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of Jesus, disputing with the Hellenists who tried to kill him (Acts 9:28-29). The brethren then sent Saul out to Caesarea and then out to Tarsus (Acts 9:30). The church has peace and multiplies, with the disciples walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:31).

 

The scene now shifts to Peter who is going through all parts of the country, going down to the saints in Lydda (Acts 9:32). When in Lydda, Peter found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden eight years and who was paralyzed (Acts 9:33). Peter told Aeneas that Jesus the Christ heals him and told him to arise and make his bed, which he did immediately (Acts 9:34). When those living in Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas, they turned to the Lord (Acts 9:35).

 

Meanwhile, in Joppa, a disciple named Tabitha, a woman who did many good works and charitable deeds, became sick and died (Acts 9:36-37). Since Lydda was near Joppa, they sent men to get Peter, telling him not to delay in coming to Joppa (Acts 9:38). Peter immediately arose and went to Joppa and was taken to the room where they had laid Tabitha (Acts 9:39). Peter told the widows mourning her death to leave, knelt down, and prayed, and then told Tabitha to arise with her opening her eyes and sitting up (Acts 9:40). Peter then took her and presented her alive to the saints and widows (Acts 9:41). When this miracle became known, many believed on the Lord and Peter remained in Joppa for many days, staying with Simon, a tanner (Acts 9:42-43).

 

Many are skeptical of Saul's conversion, but as he begins to preach about Jesus, he finds acceptance. Understandably, the believers would be skeptical at first because Saul had a history of persecuting Christians. His sudden conversion could have been viewed as a deception designed to bring everyone together so he could round them up and take them to Jerusalem. However, as he began to preach about Jesus (Acts 9:21-22) and confounded the Jews, causing them to plot to kill him (Acts 9:23), they began to believe his conversion was genuine and rescued him (Acts 9:24-25). Peter also thrived in his ministry, performing miracles of healing (Acts 9:32-35) and even raising the dead (Acts 9:40). Peter is now in Joppa, where he will receive a vision from the Lord, and the gospel will go out to the Gentiles (Acts 9:43).

 

While the message of the gospel is life-transforming, not everyone who hears it will be receptive, but we must not allow that to hinder our carrying out the mission (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). As the time of Christ’s return nears, Jesus told us there would be deception, wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes (Matthew 24:3-8). Since God does not want any to perish (2 Peter 3:9), it is even more vital that the church stay on its mission of spreading the Gospel so more people come to Christ and do not perish.

 

Each person reading this post has a decision to make: do I reject the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and continue in my life of sin, or do I do as Paul did and accept Christ? If you are reading this and choose to follow Jesus Christ in your life and turn from your sins, I invite you to pray with me now.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

This prayer is not a magical prayer, but must be a genuine expression of your heart. If that is why you prayed, rest assured, your sins are completely forgiven, and you have eternal life. I now encourage you to let someone know of your decision. I also urge you to find a church of truth that teaches from the Bible and is empowered by the Holy Spirit, so you can grow in your faith. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.