SUMMARY
Peter goes to Lydda where he heals Aeneas, a man who had been paralyzed for eight years, and then to Joppa where he raises Dorcas from the dead.
ANALYSIS
This passage marks the first time in Luke-Acts that anyone other than Jesus raises another human being from death. The passage dramatically reinforces the point that God’s power to save is granted to Jesus’ followers by Jesus through the Spirit. It also establishes Peter as the most trustworthy leader in the community. In scenes to come, Peter will make the critical first move to include Gentiles as full partners in the Christ-believing baptized community that eats and prays together.
This story is also notable for its portrait of Tabitha (Aramaic)/Dorcas (Greek). She is explicitly identified as a “discipleA disciple is a person who accepts and follows the pronouncements of a teacher. Jesus chose twelve disciples (also called "apostles" in some of the Gospels) to follow him and bear witness to his message Anyone who (like them) follows Jesus is engaged in Christian... More” and especially esteemed for her “good works and acts of charity,” not least on behalf of needy widows. She also appears to be a valued leader among the believers in Joppa, perhaps the head of the “house churchIn the early days of Christianity, the social and political climate was not always favorable to followers of Jesus and they could not meet publicly. Rather some would gather in homes of fellow Christians to break bread, give thanks to God, and sing psalms and... More” there.
