Rev. Andrew Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 9:32-43.
Having related Saul’s conversion to Christianity, St. Luke now turns our attention once again to the Lord’s work through Peter, particularly as He prepares His apostle for what is about to happen in the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Peter goes about the apostolic ministry by visiting established congregations in Lydda and Joppa. The work of strengthening the saints is important for the life of the Church. In Lydda, Peter meets a paralyzed man named Aeneas, whom Jesus heals. The repetition of the sign that Jesus did in the Gospels and that Peter did in Acts 3 connects to the eternal healing that comes through the forgiveness of sins. Meanwhile, in Joppa, Dorcas, a beloved saint who was full of good works in the love of the Lord, died. The mourning of the church there moved them to send for Peter and the comfort of the Gospel that he would surely bring. Peter prays to the Lord, and the Lord raises His beloved daughter to life again. Peter stays there in Joppa with Simon the tanner. The fact that Peter stays with one whose profession involved ceremonial uncleanness sets the stage for the important events of the following chapter.
“To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things that Jesus continued to do through the ministry of His Church. By the end of the book, the proclamation of the Lord’s Word that began in Jerusalem grows all the way to Rome. By God’s grace, even now, that same Word is proclaimed to us.
