Acts 12

Acts 12:1

Ananias With Saul

After the Lord’s explanation of what will happen to Saul, Ananias goes to the house where Saul is. When he has entered, he lays his hands on him, just as the Lord indirectly told him when He told him about the vision Saul had seen (Acts 9:12). The coming of Ananias confirms Saul’s faith, because Ananias can tell him what happened to him, although he has not left the city.

Ananias lives in Damascus and was on Saul’s list as a candidate to be killed. Now he lays his hands on him, calls him “brother”, and thus repays evil with good. He does not lay his hands on him to consecrate him for his service, not even to give him the gift of the Spirit. He lays his hands on him to accept him as a brother and to declare himself one with him in faith.

It is also a testimony that being a Christian is not a purely individual matter. Christians visit each other and need fellowship. Here two men meet who have never met before, but they are brought together by the Lord after each of them has been informed about the other by Him.

A simple disciple takes care of him who will become the great apostle and lets him experience the first fellowship so characteristic of Christians. Through the hands of this simple disciple – and not of one of the apostles – Saul also regains his sight and is filled with the Holy Spirit. God is sovereign to use whom He wills. In this way, any human presumption in the calling of this special servant is prevented.

Saul spends his first days as a Christian with the disciples in Damascus. By joining them, he also openly testifies that he believes what they believe. He will certainly have been cared for by them and thus have enjoyed the first benefits of the new company to which he has joined. He makes grateful use of the food they give him. In this way he regains strength, which he will use from now on to serve another Lord.

Acts 12:2

Ananias With Saul

After the Lord’s explanation of what will happen to Saul, Ananias goes to the house where Saul is. When he has entered, he lays his hands on him, just as the Lord indirectly told him when He told him about the vision Saul had seen (Acts 9:12). The coming of Ananias confirms Saul’s faith, because Ananias can tell him what happened to him, although he has not left the city.

Ananias lives in Damascus and was on Saul’s list as a candidate to be killed. Now he lays his hands on him, calls him “brother”, and thus repays evil with good. He does not lay his hands on him to consecrate him for his service, not even to give him the gift of the Spirit. He lays his hands on him to accept him as a brother and to declare himself one with him in faith.

It is also a testimony that being a Christian is not a purely individual matter. Christians visit each other and need fellowship. Here two men meet who have never met before, but they are brought together by the Lord after each of them has been informed about the other by Him.

A simple disciple takes care of him who will become the great apostle and lets him experience the first fellowship so characteristic of Christians. Through the hands of this simple disciple – and not of one of the apostles – Saul also regains his sight and is filled with the Holy Spirit. God is sovereign to use whom He wills. In this way, any human presumption in the calling of this special servant is prevented.

Saul spends his first days as a Christian with the disciples in Damascus. By joining them, he also openly testifies that he believes what they believe. He will certainly have been cared for by them and thus have enjoyed the first benefits of the new company to which he has joined. He makes grateful use of the food they give him. In this way he regains strength, which he will use from now on to serve another Lord.

Acts 12:3

Ananias With Saul

After the Lord’s explanation of what will happen to Saul, Ananias goes to the house where Saul is. When he has entered, he lays his hands on him, just as the Lord indirectly told him when He told him about the vision Saul had seen (Acts 9:12). The coming of Ananias confirms Saul’s faith, because Ananias can tell him what happened to him, although he has not left the city.

Ananias lives in Damascus and was on Saul’s list as a candidate to be killed. Now he lays his hands on him, calls him “brother”, and thus repays evil with good. He does not lay his hands on him to consecrate him for his service, not even to give him the gift of the Spirit. He lays his hands on him to accept him as a brother and to declare himself one with him in faith.

It is also a testimony that being a Christian is not a purely individual matter. Christians visit each other and need fellowship. Here two men meet who have never met before, but they are brought together by the Lord after each of them has been informed about the other by Him.

A simple disciple takes care of him who will become the great apostle and lets him experience the first fellowship so characteristic of Christians. Through the hands of this simple disciple – and not of one of the apostles – Saul also regains his sight and is filled with the Holy Spirit. God is sovereign to use whom He wills. In this way, any human presumption in the calling of this special servant is prevented.

Saul spends his first days as a Christian with the disciples in Damascus. By joining them, he also openly testifies that he believes what they believe. He will certainly have been cared for by them and thus have enjoyed the first benefits of the new company to which he has joined. He makes grateful use of the food they give him. In this way he regains strength, which he will use from now on to serve another Lord.

Acts 12:4

Preaching of Saul and an Attack

The effect of true conversion is an immediate confession of the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Saul “immediately” preaches Jesus as the Son of God, which is His personal glory. For confessing this truth, the Lord Jesus was condemned to death (Matthew 26:63-66). He had already been preached by Peter as Lord and Christ, the Messiah (Acts 2:36), and Saul now preaches Him as “the Son of God”.

There is no real conversion if there is no confession that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:12). Jews do believe in the Messiah, but not that He is also God. To them, the Messiah is no more than a man, although a very privileged man. That is what Saul had believed until that moment, and he had fought with fire and sword the confession that this One is the Son of God.

Saul was called by God to preach the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. God wants to reveal His Son in him (Galatians 1:16). It does not say ‘to’ him, but “in” him. This points to the inner and intimate connection that is made between the believer and the Lord Jesus at conversion and continues thereafter. In the name ‘Son’ lies the whole riches of the gospel. It is the content of his very first sermon. He proclaims a Person, not a doctrine. This Person is the eternal Son.

He proclaims Him in the synagogues. This shows what we will find in his service, that he first addresses the Jews and only then the Gentiles. Later on we regularly find that he acts in this way by first visiting the synagogue in a city where he comes.

The change that took place with Saul caused a general surprise. Likewise, any sincere conversion will cause amazement about the change it brings about. The change must be noticed, it cannot be hidden. The change with Saul is that he has joined with the Christians whom he first persecuted and that he brings to the Jews the message that he first tried to eradicate.

After an initially hesitant and cautious action, Saul becomes more and more powerful in his performance. It is possible that he has been in Arabia for three years now (Galatians 1:17), has been taught by God and has now returned to Damascus. He repeats his preaching, but also adds to his preaching that Jesus is the Christ. Not only does he preach this, but he also proves it.

With his thorough knowledge of the Old Testament and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he is extremely able to provide these proofs. This confuses the Jews in Damascus. His public confession makes him grow in strength. Public confession of faith is also one of the conditions to grow in faith today.

When Saul is active for so many days, resistance also increases. The Jews he is trying to convince, join hands and plot to kill him. To them, Saul is an object of their hatred more than any other Christian because he is, in their eyes, an apostate Jew. From his second letter to the Corinthians, we can deduce that the Jews managed to make the ethnarch or governor their ally, probably by presenting Saul as a great danger to society (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).

He soon shares in the fate of the Lord Jesus. It is a quick fulfillment of the words that the Lord spoke to Ananias about the suffering of Saul for the Name of the Lord (Acts 9:16). Their plot, however, became known to Saul. Luke does not tell us how this happened. The plot is reason for him to flee. While the ethnarch or governor has the gates guarded, Saul escapes their attack.

The escape is not spectacular. The Lord could have blinded the guards and opened the gates as He did earlier at the deliverance of Peter and John from prison (Acts 5:19). Saul escapes in a classical way. He now has some disciples. One night they take him to a hole in the city wall through which they lower him in a large basket. In this way he, who will become the great apostle, dangles in a basket along the city wall, depending on his disciples. They let the rope go until he finally lands safely at the bottom of the wall and can make his way, as we may assume, toward Jerusalem.

Acts 12:5

Preaching of Saul and an Attack

The effect of true conversion is an immediate confession of the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Saul “immediately” preaches Jesus as the Son of God, which is His personal glory. For confessing this truth, the Lord Jesus was condemned to death (Matthew 26:63-66). He had already been preached by Peter as Lord and Christ, the Messiah (Acts 2:36), and Saul now preaches Him as “the Son of God”.

There is no real conversion if there is no confession that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:12). Jews do believe in the Messiah, but not that He is also God. To them, the Messiah is no more than a man, although a very privileged man. That is what Saul had believed until that moment, and he had fought with fire and sword the confession that this One is the Son of God.

Saul was called by God to preach the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. God wants to reveal His Son in him (Galatians 1:16). It does not say ‘to’ him, but “in” him. This points to the inner and intimate connection that is made between the believer and the Lord Jesus at conversion and continues thereafter. In the name ‘Son’ lies the whole riches of the gospel. It is the content of his very first sermon. He proclaims a Person, not a doctrine. This Person is the eternal Son.

He proclaims Him in the synagogues. This shows what we will find in his service, that he first addresses the Jews and only then the Gentiles. Later on we regularly find that he acts in this way by first visiting the synagogue in a city where he comes.

The change that took place with Saul caused a general surprise. Likewise, any sincere conversion will cause amazement about the change it brings about. The change must be noticed, it cannot be hidden. The change with Saul is that he has joined with the Christians whom he first persecuted and that he brings to the Jews the message that he first tried to eradicate.

After an initially hesitant and cautious action, Saul becomes more and more powerful in his performance. It is possible that he has been in Arabia for three years now (Galatians 1:17), has been taught by God and has now returned to Damascus. He repeats his preaching, but also adds to his preaching that Jesus is the Christ. Not only does he preach this, but he also proves it.

With his thorough knowledge of the Old Testament and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he is extremely able to provide these proofs. This confuses the Jews in Damascus. His public confession makes him grow in strength. Public confession of faith is also one of the conditions to grow in faith today.

When Saul is active for so many days, resistance also increases. The Jews he is trying to convince, join hands and plot to kill him. To them, Saul is an object of their hatred more than any other Christian because he is, in their eyes, an apostate Jew. From his second letter to the Corinthians, we can deduce that the Jews managed to make the ethnarch or governor their ally, probably by presenting Saul as a great danger to society (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).

He soon shares in the fate of the Lord Jesus. It is a quick fulfillment of the words that the Lord spoke to Ananias about the suffering of Saul for the Name of the Lord (Acts 9:16). Their plot, however, became known to Saul. Luke does not tell us how this happened. The plot is reason for him to flee. While the ethnarch or governor has the gates guarded, Saul escapes their attack.

The escape is not spectacular. The Lord could have blinded the guards and opened the gates as He did earlier at the deliverance of Peter and John from prison (Acts 5:19). Saul escapes in a classical way. He now has some disciples. One night they take him to a hole in the city wall through which they lower him in a large basket. In this way he, who will become the great apostle, dangles in a basket along the city wall, depending on his disciples. They let the rope go until he finally lands safely at the bottom of the wall and can make his way, as we may assume, toward Jerusalem.

Acts 12:6

Preaching of Saul and an Attack

The effect of true conversion is an immediate confession of the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Saul “immediately” preaches Jesus as the Son of God, which is His personal glory. For confessing this truth, the Lord Jesus was condemned to death (Matthew 26:63-66). He had already been preached by Peter as Lord and Christ, the Messiah (Acts 2:36), and Saul now preaches Him as “the Son of God”.

There is no real conversion if there is no confession that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:12). Jews do believe in the Messiah, but not that He is also God. To them, the Messiah is no more than a man, although a very privileged man. That is what Saul had believed until that moment, and he had fought with fire and sword the confession that this One is the Son of God.

Saul was called by God to preach the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. God wants to reveal His Son in him (Galatians 1:16). It does not say ‘to’ him, but “in” him. This points to the inner and intimate connection that is made between the believer and the Lord Jesus at conversion and continues thereafter. In the name ‘Son’ lies the whole riches of the gospel. It is the content of his very first sermon. He proclaims a Person, not a doctrine. This Person is the eternal Son.

He proclaims Him in the synagogues. This shows what we will find in his service, that he first addresses the Jews and only then the Gentiles. Later on we regularly find that he acts in this way by first visiting the synagogue in a city where he comes.

The change that took place with Saul caused a general surprise. Likewise, any sincere conversion will cause amazement about the change it brings about. The change must be noticed, it cannot be hidden. The change with Saul is that he has joined with the Christians whom he first persecuted and that he brings to the Jews the message that he first tried to eradicate.

After an initially hesitant and cautious action, Saul becomes more and more powerful in his performance. It is possible that he has been in Arabia for three years now (Galatians 1:17), has been taught by God and has now returned to Damascus. He repeats his preaching, but also adds to his preaching that Jesus is the Christ. Not only does he preach this, but he also proves it.

With his thorough knowledge of the Old Testament and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he is extremely able to provide these proofs. This confuses the Jews in Damascus. His public confession makes him grow in strength. Public confession of faith is also one of the conditions to grow in faith today.

When Saul is active for so many days, resistance also increases. The Jews he is trying to convince, join hands and plot to kill him. To them, Saul is an object of their hatred more than any other Christian because he is, in their eyes, an apostate Jew. From his second letter to the Corinthians, we can deduce that the Jews managed to make the ethnarch or governor their ally, probably by presenting Saul as a great danger to society (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).

He soon shares in the fate of the Lord Jesus. It is a quick fulfillment of the words that the Lord spoke to Ananias about the suffering of Saul for the Name of the Lord (Acts 9:16). Their plot, however, became known to Saul. Luke does not tell us how this happened. The plot is reason for him to flee. While the ethnarch or governor has the gates guarded, Saul escapes their attack.

The escape is not spectacular. The Lord could have blinded the guards and opened the gates as He did earlier at the deliverance of Peter and John from prison (Acts 5:19). Saul escapes in a classical way. He now has some disciples. One night they take him to a hole in the city wall through which they lower him in a large basket. In this way he, who will become the great apostle, dangles in a basket along the city wall, depending on his disciples. They let the rope go until he finally lands safely at the bottom of the wall and can make his way, as we may assume, toward Jerusalem.

Acts 12:7

Preaching of Saul and an Attack

The effect of true conversion is an immediate confession of the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Saul “immediately” preaches Jesus as the Son of God, which is His personal glory. For confessing this truth, the Lord Jesus was condemned to death (Matthew 26:63-66). He had already been preached by Peter as Lord and Christ, the Messiah (Acts 2:36), and Saul now preaches Him as “the Son of God”.

There is no real conversion if there is no confession that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:12). Jews do believe in the Messiah, but not that He is also God. To them, the Messiah is no more than a man, although a very privileged man. That is what Saul had believed until that moment, and he had fought with fire and sword the confession that this One is the Son of God.

Saul was called by God to preach the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. God wants to reveal His Son in him (Galatians 1:16). It does not say ‘to’ him, but “in” him. This points to the inner and intimate connection that is made between the believer and the Lord Jesus at conversion and continues thereafter. In the name ‘Son’ lies the whole riches of the gospel. It is the content of his very first sermon. He proclaims a Person, not a doctrine. This Person is the eternal Son.

He proclaims Him in the synagogues. This shows what we will find in his service, that he first addresses the Jews and only then the Gentiles. Later on we regularly find that he acts in this way by first visiting the synagogue in a city where he comes.

The change that took place with Saul caused a general surprise. Likewise, any sincere conversion will cause amazement about the change it brings about. The change must be noticed, it cannot be hidden. The change with Saul is that he has joined with the Christians whom he first persecuted and that he brings to the Jews the message that he first tried to eradicate.

After an initially hesitant and cautious action, Saul becomes more and more powerful in his performance. It is possible that he has been in Arabia for three years now (Galatians 1:17), has been taught by God and has now returned to Damascus. He repeats his preaching, but also adds to his preaching that Jesus is the Christ. Not only does he preach this, but he also proves it.

With his thorough knowledge of the Old Testament and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he is extremely able to provide these proofs. This confuses the Jews in Damascus. His public confession makes him grow in strength. Public confession of faith is also one of the conditions to grow in faith today.

When Saul is active for so many days, resistance also increases. The Jews he is trying to convince, join hands and plot to kill him. To them, Saul is an object of their hatred more than any other Christian because he is, in their eyes, an apostate Jew. From his second letter to the Corinthians, we can deduce that the Jews managed to make the ethnarch or governor their ally, probably by presenting Saul as a great danger to society (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).

He soon shares in the fate of the Lord Jesus. It is a quick fulfillment of the words that the Lord spoke to Ananias about the suffering of Saul for the Name of the Lord (Acts 9:16). Their plot, however, became known to Saul. Luke does not tell us how this happened. The plot is reason for him to flee. While the ethnarch or governor has the gates guarded, Saul escapes their attack.

The escape is not spectacular. The Lord could have blinded the guards and opened the gates as He did earlier at the deliverance of Peter and John from prison (Acts 5:19). Saul escapes in a classical way. He now has some disciples. One night they take him to a hole in the city wall through which they lower him in a large basket. In this way he, who will become the great apostle, dangles in a basket along the city wall, depending on his disciples. They let the rope go until he finally lands safely at the bottom of the wall and can make his way, as we may assume, toward Jerusalem.

Acts 12:8

Preaching of Saul and an Attack

The effect of true conversion is an immediate confession of the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Saul “immediately” preaches Jesus as the Son of God, which is His personal glory. For confessing this truth, the Lord Jesus was condemned to death (Matthew 26:63-66). He had already been preached by Peter as Lord and Christ, the Messiah (Acts 2:36), and Saul now preaches Him as “the Son of God”.

There is no real conversion if there is no confession that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:12). Jews do believe in the Messiah, but not that He is also God. To them, the Messiah is no more than a man, although a very privileged man. That is what Saul had believed until that moment, and he had fought with fire and sword the confession that this One is the Son of God.

Saul was called by God to preach the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. God wants to reveal His Son in him (Galatians 1:16). It does not say ‘to’ him, but “in” him. This points to the inner and intimate connection that is made between the believer and the Lord Jesus at conversion and continues thereafter. In the name ‘Son’ lies the whole riches of the gospel. It is the content of his very first sermon. He proclaims a Person, not a doctrine. This Person is the eternal Son.

He proclaims Him in the synagogues. This shows what we will find in his service, that he first addresses the Jews and only then the Gentiles. Later on we regularly find that he acts in this way by first visiting the synagogue in a city where he comes.

The change that took place with Saul caused a general surprise. Likewise, any sincere conversion will cause amazement about the change it brings about. The change must be noticed, it cannot be hidden. The change with Saul is that he has joined with the Christians whom he first persecuted and that he brings to the Jews the message that he first tried to eradicate.

After an initially hesitant and cautious action, Saul becomes more and more powerful in his performance. It is possible that he has been in Arabia for three years now (Galatians 1:17), has been taught by God and has now returned to Damascus. He repeats his preaching, but also adds to his preaching that Jesus is the Christ. Not only does he preach this, but he also proves it.

With his thorough knowledge of the Old Testament and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he is extremely able to provide these proofs. This confuses the Jews in Damascus. His public confession makes him grow in strength. Public confession of faith is also one of the conditions to grow in faith today.

When Saul is active for so many days, resistance also increases. The Jews he is trying to convince, join hands and plot to kill him. To them, Saul is an object of their hatred more than any other Christian because he is, in their eyes, an apostate Jew. From his second letter to the Corinthians, we can deduce that the Jews managed to make the ethnarch or governor their ally, probably by presenting Saul as a great danger to society (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).

He soon shares in the fate of the Lord Jesus. It is a quick fulfillment of the words that the Lord spoke to Ananias about the suffering of Saul for the Name of the Lord (Acts 9:16). Their plot, however, became known to Saul. Luke does not tell us how this happened. The plot is reason for him to flee. While the ethnarch or governor has the gates guarded, Saul escapes their attack.

The escape is not spectacular. The Lord could have blinded the guards and opened the gates as He did earlier at the deliverance of Peter and John from prison (Acts 5:19). Saul escapes in a classical way. He now has some disciples. One night they take him to a hole in the city wall through which they lower him in a large basket. In this way he, who will become the great apostle, dangles in a basket along the city wall, depending on his disciples. They let the rope go until he finally lands safely at the bottom of the wall and can make his way, as we may assume, toward Jerusalem.

Acts 12:9

Preaching of Saul and an Attack

The effect of true conversion is an immediate confession of the Lord Jesus (Romans 10:9-10). Saul “immediately” preaches Jesus as the Son of God, which is His personal glory. For confessing this truth, the Lord Jesus was condemned to death (Matthew 26:63-66). He had already been preached by Peter as Lord and Christ, the Messiah (Acts 2:36), and Saul now preaches Him as “the Son of God”.

There is no real conversion if there is no confession that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:12). Jews do believe in the Messiah, but not that He is also God. To them, the Messiah is no more than a man, although a very privileged man. That is what Saul had believed until that moment, and he had fought with fire and sword the confession that this One is the Son of God.

Saul was called by God to preach the Lord Jesus as the Son of God. God wants to reveal His Son in him (Galatians 1:16). It does not say ‘to’ him, but “in” him. This points to the inner and intimate connection that is made between the believer and the Lord Jesus at conversion and continues thereafter. In the name ‘Son’ lies the whole riches of the gospel. It is the content of his very first sermon. He proclaims a Person, not a doctrine. This Person is the eternal Son.

He proclaims Him in the synagogues. This shows what we will find in his service, that he first addresses the Jews and only then the Gentiles. Later on we regularly find that he acts in this way by first visiting the synagogue in a city where he comes.

The change that took place with Saul caused a general surprise. Likewise, any sincere conversion will cause amazement about the change it brings about. The change must be noticed, it cannot be hidden. The change with Saul is that he has joined with the Christians whom he first persecuted and that he brings to the Jews the message that he first tried to eradicate.

After an initially hesitant and cautious action, Saul becomes more and more powerful in his performance. It is possible that he has been in Arabia for three years now (Galatians 1:17), has been taught by God and has now returned to Damascus. He repeats his preaching, but also adds to his preaching that Jesus is the Christ. Not only does he preach this, but he also proves it.

With his thorough knowledge of the Old Testament and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he is extremely able to provide these proofs. This confuses the Jews in Damascus. His public confession makes him grow in strength. Public confession of faith is also one of the conditions to grow in faith today.

When Saul is active for so many days, resistance also increases. The Jews he is trying to convince, join hands and plot to kill him. To them, Saul is an object of their hatred more than any other Christian because he is, in their eyes, an apostate Jew. From his second letter to the Corinthians, we can deduce that the Jews managed to make the ethnarch or governor their ally, probably by presenting Saul as a great danger to society (2 Corinthians 11:32-33).

He soon shares in the fate of the Lord Jesus. It is a quick fulfillment of the words that the Lord spoke to Ananias about the suffering of Saul for the Name of the Lord (Acts 9:16). Their plot, however, became known to Saul. Luke does not tell us how this happened. The plot is reason for him to flee. While the ethnarch or governor has the gates guarded, Saul escapes their attack.

The escape is not spectacular. The Lord could have blinded the guards and opened the gates as He did earlier at the deliverance of Peter and John from prison (Acts 5:19). Saul escapes in a classical way. He now has some disciples. One night they take him to a hole in the city wall through which they lower him in a large basket. In this way he, who will become the great apostle, dangles in a basket along the city wall, depending on his disciples. They let the rope go until he finally lands safely at the bottom of the wall and can make his way, as we may assume, toward Jerusalem.

Acts 12:10

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul comes to Jerusalem, he doesn’t seek out his old friends, the Pharisees and chief priests, but wants to join his new friends, the disciples. They are very suspicious, however, and it is not easy for him to join them. They know him as a persecutor and are afraid that he is playing a trick to get among them and then arrest them all. They simply do not believe that he has become a disciple. It seems that they have heard nothing of his conversion. And if they have heard anything about it, they have their reservations about it. Saul does not blame them for this attitude.

The Lord gives an outcome through one of His servants, Barnabas, of whom we have heard before (Acts 4:36-37). He is a true son of consolation who brings people together. He is always present when problems arise and brings a solution to them. He has an eye for the work of God and the work of the enemy.

Barnabas takes Saul with him and brings him to the apostles. He reports on Saul’s conversion because of his meeting with the Lord and that the Lord spoke to him. The proofs of his conversion are also mentioned by Barnabas when he recounts how Saul boldly spoke in the Name of Jesus in Damascus. Then Saul is taken up in their midst.

We are not told where Barnabas got his information, but he is a reliable and ‘good man’, so his testimony is believed. We learn from this that no believer can be accepted based on his own testimony, but on the basis of the conclusive testimony of others who can testify of an encounter with the Lord and give the proof of it. This can be done verbally, as here, but also in writing (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1). Later, Paul will even write a whole letter, the letter to Philemon, in which he encourages others to accept a new convert, for whom there were no warm feelings either (Philemon 1:10-17).

The acceptance of Saul in the Jerusalem church means a lot more than just to celebrate the Supper of the Lord with them. He “is with them, moving about freely”. This indicates that he not only visited the meetings of the Christians, but also participated in the whole church life. How essential it is not to limit our fellowship as Christians to a few gatherings, but to live it constantly. Saul identifies himself completely with them, while still fulfilling his own specific mission. Unity is not uniformity.

Barnabas’ testimony of the frankness with which Saul spoke in Damascus is confirmed by Saul’s performance in Jerusalem. Despite the murderous spirit this evoked among the Jews in Damascus, which forced him to flee that city, Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Through his earlier experience he knows that in Jerusalem his message will encounter even greater resistance. That is what is happening. He focuses especially on the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. He speaks with them and argues with them. In every way he wants to try to convince them of the Name of the Lord. But the truth reveals the hatred of the heart. They try to kill him. Before they can execute their plan, the Lord makes their plan clear to him (Acts 22:17-21) and tells him to leave Jerusalem.

Just as in Damascus, there are believers in Jerusalem who help him to flee. Again, ordinary means are used to escape an attack. The fact that they want to kill him in Jerusalem must have been a great disappointment for him. However, the Lord is in the process of carrying out His plan with him and in doing so He makes use of the enemies of the gospel. While Jerusalem wants to get rid of the presence of the preacher of Christ, just as they have got rid of Christ Himself, God uses this to send him to the nations.

Jerusalem thus loses its status as the center of world evangelism. This center is moved to Antioch, as we will see later (Acts 13:1-3). Accompanied by the “brothers” – a beautiful word of fellowship – he comes to Caesarea, from where they send him to Tarsus. God uses the brothers to take him to the next station in his service to his Lord. In this way Saul lets himself be led by the Lord and by the brothers.

Acts 12:11

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul comes to Jerusalem, he doesn’t seek out his old friends, the Pharisees and chief priests, but wants to join his new friends, the disciples. They are very suspicious, however, and it is not easy for him to join them. They know him as a persecutor and are afraid that he is playing a trick to get among them and then arrest them all. They simply do not believe that he has become a disciple. It seems that they have heard nothing of his conversion. And if they have heard anything about it, they have their reservations about it. Saul does not blame them for this attitude.

The Lord gives an outcome through one of His servants, Barnabas, of whom we have heard before (Acts 4:36-37). He is a true son of consolation who brings people together. He is always present when problems arise and brings a solution to them. He has an eye for the work of God and the work of the enemy.

Barnabas takes Saul with him and brings him to the apostles. He reports on Saul’s conversion because of his meeting with the Lord and that the Lord spoke to him. The proofs of his conversion are also mentioned by Barnabas when he recounts how Saul boldly spoke in the Name of Jesus in Damascus. Then Saul is taken up in their midst.

We are not told where Barnabas got his information, but he is a reliable and ‘good man’, so his testimony is believed. We learn from this that no believer can be accepted based on his own testimony, but on the basis of the conclusive testimony of others who can testify of an encounter with the Lord and give the proof of it. This can be done verbally, as here, but also in writing (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1). Later, Paul will even write a whole letter, the letter to Philemon, in which he encourages others to accept a new convert, for whom there were no warm feelings either (Philemon 1:10-17).

The acceptance of Saul in the Jerusalem church means a lot more than just to celebrate the Supper of the Lord with them. He “is with them, moving about freely”. This indicates that he not only visited the meetings of the Christians, but also participated in the whole church life. How essential it is not to limit our fellowship as Christians to a few gatherings, but to live it constantly. Saul identifies himself completely with them, while still fulfilling his own specific mission. Unity is not uniformity.

Barnabas’ testimony of the frankness with which Saul spoke in Damascus is confirmed by Saul’s performance in Jerusalem. Despite the murderous spirit this evoked among the Jews in Damascus, which forced him to flee that city, Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Through his earlier experience he knows that in Jerusalem his message will encounter even greater resistance. That is what is happening. He focuses especially on the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. He speaks with them and argues with them. In every way he wants to try to convince them of the Name of the Lord. But the truth reveals the hatred of the heart. They try to kill him. Before they can execute their plan, the Lord makes their plan clear to him (Acts 22:17-21) and tells him to leave Jerusalem.

Just as in Damascus, there are believers in Jerusalem who help him to flee. Again, ordinary means are used to escape an attack. The fact that they want to kill him in Jerusalem must have been a great disappointment for him. However, the Lord is in the process of carrying out His plan with him and in doing so He makes use of the enemies of the gospel. While Jerusalem wants to get rid of the presence of the preacher of Christ, just as they have got rid of Christ Himself, God uses this to send him to the nations.

Jerusalem thus loses its status as the center of world evangelism. This center is moved to Antioch, as we will see later (Acts 13:1-3). Accompanied by the “brothers” – a beautiful word of fellowship – he comes to Caesarea, from where they send him to Tarsus. God uses the brothers to take him to the next station in his service to his Lord. In this way Saul lets himself be led by the Lord and by the brothers.

Acts 12:12

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul comes to Jerusalem, he doesn’t seek out his old friends, the Pharisees and chief priests, but wants to join his new friends, the disciples. They are very suspicious, however, and it is not easy for him to join them. They know him as a persecutor and are afraid that he is playing a trick to get among them and then arrest them all. They simply do not believe that he has become a disciple. It seems that they have heard nothing of his conversion. And if they have heard anything about it, they have their reservations about it. Saul does not blame them for this attitude.

The Lord gives an outcome through one of His servants, Barnabas, of whom we have heard before (Acts 4:36-37). He is a true son of consolation who brings people together. He is always present when problems arise and brings a solution to them. He has an eye for the work of God and the work of the enemy.

Barnabas takes Saul with him and brings him to the apostles. He reports on Saul’s conversion because of his meeting with the Lord and that the Lord spoke to him. The proofs of his conversion are also mentioned by Barnabas when he recounts how Saul boldly spoke in the Name of Jesus in Damascus. Then Saul is taken up in their midst.

We are not told where Barnabas got his information, but he is a reliable and ‘good man’, so his testimony is believed. We learn from this that no believer can be accepted based on his own testimony, but on the basis of the conclusive testimony of others who can testify of an encounter with the Lord and give the proof of it. This can be done verbally, as here, but also in writing (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1). Later, Paul will even write a whole letter, the letter to Philemon, in which he encourages others to accept a new convert, for whom there were no warm feelings either (Philemon 1:10-17).

The acceptance of Saul in the Jerusalem church means a lot more than just to celebrate the Supper of the Lord with them. He “is with them, moving about freely”. This indicates that he not only visited the meetings of the Christians, but also participated in the whole church life. How essential it is not to limit our fellowship as Christians to a few gatherings, but to live it constantly. Saul identifies himself completely with them, while still fulfilling his own specific mission. Unity is not uniformity.

Barnabas’ testimony of the frankness with which Saul spoke in Damascus is confirmed by Saul’s performance in Jerusalem. Despite the murderous spirit this evoked among the Jews in Damascus, which forced him to flee that city, Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Through his earlier experience he knows that in Jerusalem his message will encounter even greater resistance. That is what is happening. He focuses especially on the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. He speaks with them and argues with them. In every way he wants to try to convince them of the Name of the Lord. But the truth reveals the hatred of the heart. They try to kill him. Before they can execute their plan, the Lord makes their plan clear to him (Acts 22:17-21) and tells him to leave Jerusalem.

Just as in Damascus, there are believers in Jerusalem who help him to flee. Again, ordinary means are used to escape an attack. The fact that they want to kill him in Jerusalem must have been a great disappointment for him. However, the Lord is in the process of carrying out His plan with him and in doing so He makes use of the enemies of the gospel. While Jerusalem wants to get rid of the presence of the preacher of Christ, just as they have got rid of Christ Himself, God uses this to send him to the nations.

Jerusalem thus loses its status as the center of world evangelism. This center is moved to Antioch, as we will see later (Acts 13:1-3). Accompanied by the “brothers” – a beautiful word of fellowship – he comes to Caesarea, from where they send him to Tarsus. God uses the brothers to take him to the next station in his service to his Lord. In this way Saul lets himself be led by the Lord and by the brothers.

Acts 12:13

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul comes to Jerusalem, he doesn’t seek out his old friends, the Pharisees and chief priests, but wants to join his new friends, the disciples. They are very suspicious, however, and it is not easy for him to join them. They know him as a persecutor and are afraid that he is playing a trick to get among them and then arrest them all. They simply do not believe that he has become a disciple. It seems that they have heard nothing of his conversion. And if they have heard anything about it, they have their reservations about it. Saul does not blame them for this attitude.

The Lord gives an outcome through one of His servants, Barnabas, of whom we have heard before (Acts 4:36-37). He is a true son of consolation who brings people together. He is always present when problems arise and brings a solution to them. He has an eye for the work of God and the work of the enemy.

Barnabas takes Saul with him and brings him to the apostles. He reports on Saul’s conversion because of his meeting with the Lord and that the Lord spoke to him. The proofs of his conversion are also mentioned by Barnabas when he recounts how Saul boldly spoke in the Name of Jesus in Damascus. Then Saul is taken up in their midst.

We are not told where Barnabas got his information, but he is a reliable and ‘good man’, so his testimony is believed. We learn from this that no believer can be accepted based on his own testimony, but on the basis of the conclusive testimony of others who can testify of an encounter with the Lord and give the proof of it. This can be done verbally, as here, but also in writing (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1). Later, Paul will even write a whole letter, the letter to Philemon, in which he encourages others to accept a new convert, for whom there were no warm feelings either (Philemon 1:10-17).

The acceptance of Saul in the Jerusalem church means a lot more than just to celebrate the Supper of the Lord with them. He “is with them, moving about freely”. This indicates that he not only visited the meetings of the Christians, but also participated in the whole church life. How essential it is not to limit our fellowship as Christians to a few gatherings, but to live it constantly. Saul identifies himself completely with them, while still fulfilling his own specific mission. Unity is not uniformity.

Barnabas’ testimony of the frankness with which Saul spoke in Damascus is confirmed by Saul’s performance in Jerusalem. Despite the murderous spirit this evoked among the Jews in Damascus, which forced him to flee that city, Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Through his earlier experience he knows that in Jerusalem his message will encounter even greater resistance. That is what is happening. He focuses especially on the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. He speaks with them and argues with them. In every way he wants to try to convince them of the Name of the Lord. But the truth reveals the hatred of the heart. They try to kill him. Before they can execute their plan, the Lord makes their plan clear to him (Acts 22:17-21) and tells him to leave Jerusalem.

Just as in Damascus, there are believers in Jerusalem who help him to flee. Again, ordinary means are used to escape an attack. The fact that they want to kill him in Jerusalem must have been a great disappointment for him. However, the Lord is in the process of carrying out His plan with him and in doing so He makes use of the enemies of the gospel. While Jerusalem wants to get rid of the presence of the preacher of Christ, just as they have got rid of Christ Himself, God uses this to send him to the nations.

Jerusalem thus loses its status as the center of world evangelism. This center is moved to Antioch, as we will see later (Acts 13:1-3). Accompanied by the “brothers” – a beautiful word of fellowship – he comes to Caesarea, from where they send him to Tarsus. God uses the brothers to take him to the next station in his service to his Lord. In this way Saul lets himself be led by the Lord and by the brothers.

Acts 12:14

Saul in Jerusalem

When Saul comes to Jerusalem, he doesn’t seek out his old friends, the Pharisees and chief priests, but wants to join his new friends, the disciples. They are very suspicious, however, and it is not easy for him to join them. They know him as a persecutor and are afraid that he is playing a trick to get among them and then arrest them all. They simply do not believe that he has become a disciple. It seems that they have heard nothing of his conversion. And if they have heard anything about it, they have their reservations about it. Saul does not blame them for this attitude.

The Lord gives an outcome through one of His servants, Barnabas, of whom we have heard before (Acts 4:36-37). He is a true son of consolation who brings people together. He is always present when problems arise and brings a solution to them. He has an eye for the work of God and the work of the enemy.

Barnabas takes Saul with him and brings him to the apostles. He reports on Saul’s conversion because of his meeting with the Lord and that the Lord spoke to him. The proofs of his conversion are also mentioned by Barnabas when he recounts how Saul boldly spoke in the Name of Jesus in Damascus. Then Saul is taken up in their midst.

We are not told where Barnabas got his information, but he is a reliable and ‘good man’, so his testimony is believed. We learn from this that no believer can be accepted based on his own testimony, but on the basis of the conclusive testimony of others who can testify of an encounter with the Lord and give the proof of it. This can be done verbally, as here, but also in writing (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1). Later, Paul will even write a whole letter, the letter to Philemon, in which he encourages others to accept a new convert, for whom there were no warm feelings either (Philemon 1:10-17).

The acceptance of Saul in the Jerusalem church means a lot more than just to celebrate the Supper of the Lord with them. He “is with them, moving about freely”. This indicates that he not only visited the meetings of the Christians, but also participated in the whole church life. How essential it is not to limit our fellowship as Christians to a few gatherings, but to live it constantly. Saul identifies himself completely with them, while still fulfilling his own specific mission. Unity is not uniformity.

Barnabas’ testimony of the frankness with which Saul spoke in Damascus is confirmed by Saul’s performance in Jerusalem. Despite the murderous spirit this evoked among the Jews in Damascus, which forced him to flee that city, Saul also speaks boldly in the Name of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Through his earlier experience he knows that in Jerusalem his message will encounter even greater resistance. That is what is happening. He focuses especially on the Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. He speaks with them and argues with them. In every way he wants to try to convince them of the Name of the Lord. But the truth reveals the hatred of the heart. They try to kill him. Before they can execute their plan, the Lord makes their plan clear to him (Acts 22:17-21) and tells him to leave Jerusalem.

Just as in Damascus, there are believers in Jerusalem who help him to flee. Again, ordinary means are used to escape an attack. The fact that they want to kill him in Jerusalem must have been a great disappointment for him. However, the Lord is in the process of carrying out His plan with him and in doing so He makes use of the enemies of the gospel. While Jerusalem wants to get rid of the presence of the preacher of Christ, just as they have got rid of Christ Himself, God uses this to send him to the nations.

Jerusalem thus loses its status as the center of world evangelism. This center is moved to Antioch, as we will see later (Acts 13:1-3). Accompanied by the “brothers” – a beautiful word of fellowship – he comes to Caesarea, from where they send him to Tarsus. God uses the brothers to take him to the next station in his service to his Lord. In this way Saul lets himself be led by the Lord and by the brothers.

Acts 12:15

The Church Has Peace and Increases

After the persecutions, a time of peace began in the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria. The gospel was preached there and as a result several churches were formed. Yet Luke speaks of the church and not of churches. [The fact that Luke does not do this here does not mean that it does not happen at all, see Galatians 1:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:14.]

In this way he emphasizes the unity of the one church, even though in practice we see that there are several local churches. Each local church is – at least it should be – a reflection of the total church.

According to the word of the Lord Jesus (Acts 1:8) the gospel has been brought to those regions, including Galilee, and the church is founded there. Before we leave that area to follow the work of the Spirit to the ends of the earth, Luke tells us some beautiful characteristics of the church in those regions. We can pray that the Lord will cultivate such characteristics in the local or regional church also today. The peace of the churches will have been the result of the conversion of Saul, which stopped the engine of persecution.

This peace will relate not only to the outward circumstances, but also, and above all, to the inward, to the peace in the heart of believers. This time and mind of peace gives the opportunity for spiritual growth, for being built up through the teaching of God’s Word.

Times of peace must also in our days be used well by believers to build themselves up in their most holy faith (Jude 1:20). Teaching that is truly ingrained in the heart will, as it were, automatically result in a walk in the fear of the Lord. Walking in the fear of the Lord is not a walk in anxiety for the Lord, but a walk in reverence for the Lord.

The result of this in turn is the increase of the church. A walk in reverence for the Lord attracts people. When people come to conversion and are added to the church, it is the work of the Holy Spirit. That work is presented here as “comfort”.

Acts 12:16

Healing of Aeneas

After Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, described Saul’s conversion and his first activities as a Christian, he again turns our eyes to Peter and his service. The two histories that follow at the end of this chapter stand between the conversion of Saul and that of Cornelius. The conversion of Saul is the beginning of the great harvest of which Cornelius is the beginning. The question could then arise: Has Israel come to an end? We see the answer in Peter’s two wonders from which we can learn that God has not rejected His people forever.

Peter travels everywhere to strengthen and encourage the new churches. On his itinerary he also visits the saints who live in Lydda. The church there may have come into being through the work of the evangelist Philip, who has traveled through the country from Asdod to Caesarea, proclaiming the gospel to all the cities (Acts 8:40). Here the believers are called “saints” again, as in Acts 9:13; 41. The saints are the special company of people who no longer belong to the world, but to the Lord Jesus. They form a new and separate company in the world that has a new object of love: the glorified Christ.

Among the saints, Peter encounters a man named Aeneas who has been lying paralyzed in bed for eight years. We can see in him a picture of Judaism that has no power of itself to do what God asks in His Word. Peter speaks to the cripple as he did to the lame at the door of the temple (Acts 3:6).

He mentions his name and points to Jesus Christ Who heals him. Peter has no power to heal anyone. Only the Lord Jesus can do that. Peter also does not say ‘will heal you’, but ”heals you”. Peter is only the instrument of the Lord’s power. The power comes through Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. The Lord Jesus guarantees immediate and perfect health.

Peter commands him to get up and make his bed. Aeneas responds immediately and gets up. His healing is a clear testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus. The result of his healing is that all who live in Lydda and Saron and see Aeneas turn to the Lord. The wonder works that hearts are turned to the Lord and not to people.

Saron is a fertile coastal plain that stretches from Lydda to Mount Carmel. The fertility turns out to affect not only the soil, but also the spiritual fruit that can now be found there through the turning to the Lord. Here we find a spiritual pre-fulfillment of the word of Isaiah: “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks” (Isaiah 65:10a).

Acts 12:17

Healing of Aeneas

After Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, described Saul’s conversion and his first activities as a Christian, he again turns our eyes to Peter and his service. The two histories that follow at the end of this chapter stand between the conversion of Saul and that of Cornelius. The conversion of Saul is the beginning of the great harvest of which Cornelius is the beginning. The question could then arise: Has Israel come to an end? We see the answer in Peter’s two wonders from which we can learn that God has not rejected His people forever.

Peter travels everywhere to strengthen and encourage the new churches. On his itinerary he also visits the saints who live in Lydda. The church there may have come into being through the work of the evangelist Philip, who has traveled through the country from Asdod to Caesarea, proclaiming the gospel to all the cities (Acts 8:40). Here the believers are called “saints” again, as in Acts 9:13; 41. The saints are the special company of people who no longer belong to the world, but to the Lord Jesus. They form a new and separate company in the world that has a new object of love: the glorified Christ.

Among the saints, Peter encounters a man named Aeneas who has been lying paralyzed in bed for eight years. We can see in him a picture of Judaism that has no power of itself to do what God asks in His Word. Peter speaks to the cripple as he did to the lame at the door of the temple (Acts 3:6).

He mentions his name and points to Jesus Christ Who heals him. Peter has no power to heal anyone. Only the Lord Jesus can do that. Peter also does not say ‘will heal you’, but ”heals you”. Peter is only the instrument of the Lord’s power. The power comes through Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. The Lord Jesus guarantees immediate and perfect health.

Peter commands him to get up and make his bed. Aeneas responds immediately and gets up. His healing is a clear testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus. The result of his healing is that all who live in Lydda and Saron and see Aeneas turn to the Lord. The wonder works that hearts are turned to the Lord and not to people.

Saron is a fertile coastal plain that stretches from Lydda to Mount Carmel. The fertility turns out to affect not only the soil, but also the spiritual fruit that can now be found there through the turning to the Lord. Here we find a spiritual pre-fulfillment of the word of Isaiah: “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks” (Isaiah 65:10a).

Acts 12:18

Healing of Aeneas

After Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, described Saul’s conversion and his first activities as a Christian, he again turns our eyes to Peter and his service. The two histories that follow at the end of this chapter stand between the conversion of Saul and that of Cornelius. The conversion of Saul is the beginning of the great harvest of which Cornelius is the beginning. The question could then arise: Has Israel come to an end? We see the answer in Peter’s two wonders from which we can learn that God has not rejected His people forever.

Peter travels everywhere to strengthen and encourage the new churches. On his itinerary he also visits the saints who live in Lydda. The church there may have come into being through the work of the evangelist Philip, who has traveled through the country from Asdod to Caesarea, proclaiming the gospel to all the cities (Acts 8:40). Here the believers are called “saints” again, as in Acts 9:13; 41. The saints are the special company of people who no longer belong to the world, but to the Lord Jesus. They form a new and separate company in the world that has a new object of love: the glorified Christ.

Among the saints, Peter encounters a man named Aeneas who has been lying paralyzed in bed for eight years. We can see in him a picture of Judaism that has no power of itself to do what God asks in His Word. Peter speaks to the cripple as he did to the lame at the door of the temple (Acts 3:6).

He mentions his name and points to Jesus Christ Who heals him. Peter has no power to heal anyone. Only the Lord Jesus can do that. Peter also does not say ‘will heal you’, but ”heals you”. Peter is only the instrument of the Lord’s power. The power comes through Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. The Lord Jesus guarantees immediate and perfect health.

Peter commands him to get up and make his bed. Aeneas responds immediately and gets up. His healing is a clear testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus. The result of his healing is that all who live in Lydda and Saron and see Aeneas turn to the Lord. The wonder works that hearts are turned to the Lord and not to people.

Saron is a fertile coastal plain that stretches from Lydda to Mount Carmel. The fertility turns out to affect not only the soil, but also the spiritual fruit that can now be found there through the turning to the Lord. Here we find a spiritual pre-fulfillment of the word of Isaiah: “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks” (Isaiah 65:10a).

Acts 12:19

Healing of Aeneas

After Luke, led by the Holy Spirit, described Saul’s conversion and his first activities as a Christian, he again turns our eyes to Peter and his service. The two histories that follow at the end of this chapter stand between the conversion of Saul and that of Cornelius. The conversion of Saul is the beginning of the great harvest of which Cornelius is the beginning. The question could then arise: Has Israel come to an end? We see the answer in Peter’s two wonders from which we can learn that God has not rejected His people forever.

Peter travels everywhere to strengthen and encourage the new churches. On his itinerary he also visits the saints who live in Lydda. The church there may have come into being through the work of the evangelist Philip, who has traveled through the country from Asdod to Caesarea, proclaiming the gospel to all the cities (Acts 8:40). Here the believers are called “saints” again, as in Acts 9:13; 41. The saints are the special company of people who no longer belong to the world, but to the Lord Jesus. They form a new and separate company in the world that has a new object of love: the glorified Christ.

Among the saints, Peter encounters a man named Aeneas who has been lying paralyzed in bed for eight years. We can see in him a picture of Judaism that has no power of itself to do what God asks in His Word. Peter speaks to the cripple as he did to the lame at the door of the temple (Acts 3:6).

He mentions his name and points to Jesus Christ Who heals him. Peter has no power to heal anyone. Only the Lord Jesus can do that. Peter also does not say ‘will heal you’, but ”heals you”. Peter is only the instrument of the Lord’s power. The power comes through Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah. The Lord Jesus guarantees immediate and perfect health.

Peter commands him to get up and make his bed. Aeneas responds immediately and gets up. His healing is a clear testimony of the Name of the Lord Jesus. The result of his healing is that all who live in Lydda and Saron and see Aeneas turn to the Lord. The wonder works that hearts are turned to the Lord and not to people.

Saron is a fertile coastal plain that stretches from Lydda to Mount Carmel. The fertility turns out to affect not only the soil, but also the spiritual fruit that can now be found there through the turning to the Lord. Here we find a spiritual pre-fulfillment of the word of Isaiah: “Sharon will be a pasture land for flocks” (Isaiah 65:10a).

Acts 12:20

Resurrection of Dorcas

In Joppa, about nineteen kilometers from Lydda, there is also a church. That church had the privilege to have sister Tabitha in their midst. Her Aramean name means ‘gazelle’, just like the translation of her name in Greek, Dorcas. She was “a disciple”, which means that she was a follower of the Lord Jesus. That she was truly worthy of that name was evidenced by the testimony given of her. She was characterized by “labor of love” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). They were works of faith, the proof that she had faith. She was the opposite of Aeneas.

While she was engaged in her “labor of love”, she became ill and died. Busy with things that are pleasing to the Lord does not mean immunity to sickness and death. What seemed to be a blow for the church and for those she served with her good works and blessings becomes a testimony to the Lord.

In the first place, we see faith in those who took care of her after she died. They wash her and then lay her in an upper room. Normally, after she had been washed, she would have been anointed and buried immediately afterward. Yet they don’t do that, but put her in an upper room. Perhaps they thought of two Old Testament resurrections in which the dead were also laid in an upper room (1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 4:21).

In any case, they show faith in the possibility that Tabitha will arise, because the disciples send two men to Lydda to fetch Peter. They are two men to underline the reliability of the question (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:1). They get the message to tell Peter to come immediately.

Luke does not mention that they have to tell Peter the reason of their request. We know that it was not to attend the funeral, but to prevent it. We also don’t read that Peter has to speak to the Lord about it first. He sees in the request a clear instruction from the Lord to go along. He lets himself being ordered to come and goes along.

As soon as he has arrived, he is brought into the upper room. There are all the widows that Tabitha has been serving. They have suffered a great loss because of her death. What they show to Peter are the proofs of true religion (Isaiah 58:7), the opposite of pious talk without providing for need (James 2:15-16). Through what the widows show of Tabitha’s works, we see that her works follow her (cf. Revelation 14:13).

Peter knows what to do. To do so, he must be alone with the Lord, without anyone to distract him. Only with the body and the Lord does Peter kneel down and pray. This gives him the conviction of the will of God that he can speak the word of authority to Tabitha to arise. For this he turns to the body. After his commanding words to arise, Tabitha opens her eyes. She sees Peter and sits up. Tabitha arises by prayer and the word of power.

Only when she sits, Peter gives her his hand and raises her up. Then he calls the saints and the widows and presents her alive. Through being raised, she is able to serve again. It is an indication that our ability to serve God is not limited to this life, but that it continues forever after the resurrection (Revelation 22:3-5). This is because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Eternity is full of activity, there will be no boredom.

The result of the resurrection of Tabitha is that “many” in Joppa believe in the Lord. In Lydda, after a smaller wonder, “all” who lived in Lydda and Saron turn to the Lord. The wonder of the revival of Tabitha is bigger, but the number of conversions is smaller, because there are “many”, not “all”.

After the resurrection of Tabitha, Peter does not return to Lydda, but stays in Joppa for a considerable time. Servants do not always have to be on the road. Especially after a ‘successful’ service it is necessary to be alone with the Lord, to think and pray and wait for new directions from Him.

For his stay in Joppa, Peter, the great apostle of circumcision, takes up residence with a simple man, a tanner. The profession of tanner was considered impure by the Jews. Such a man was engaged in the processing of skins, especially to make leather water bags from them. Does Peter’s stay with this man suggest that God can turn something impure into something pure, such as a leather bag containing pure water?

Acts 12:21

Resurrection of Dorcas

In Joppa, about nineteen kilometers from Lydda, there is also a church. That church had the privilege to have sister Tabitha in their midst. Her Aramean name means ‘gazelle’, just like the translation of her name in Greek, Dorcas. She was “a disciple”, which means that she was a follower of the Lord Jesus. That she was truly worthy of that name was evidenced by the testimony given of her. She was characterized by “labor of love” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). They were works of faith, the proof that she had faith. She was the opposite of Aeneas.

While she was engaged in her “labor of love”, she became ill and died. Busy with things that are pleasing to the Lord does not mean immunity to sickness and death. What seemed to be a blow for the church and for those she served with her good works and blessings becomes a testimony to the Lord.

In the first place, we see faith in those who took care of her after she died. They wash her and then lay her in an upper room. Normally, after she had been washed, she would have been anointed and buried immediately afterward. Yet they don’t do that, but put her in an upper room. Perhaps they thought of two Old Testament resurrections in which the dead were also laid in an upper room (1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 4:21).

In any case, they show faith in the possibility that Tabitha will arise, because the disciples send two men to Lydda to fetch Peter. They are two men to underline the reliability of the question (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:1). They get the message to tell Peter to come immediately.

Luke does not mention that they have to tell Peter the reason of their request. We know that it was not to attend the funeral, but to prevent it. We also don’t read that Peter has to speak to the Lord about it first. He sees in the request a clear instruction from the Lord to go along. He lets himself being ordered to come and goes along.

As soon as he has arrived, he is brought into the upper room. There are all the widows that Tabitha has been serving. They have suffered a great loss because of her death. What they show to Peter are the proofs of true religion (Isaiah 58:7), the opposite of pious talk without providing for need (James 2:15-16). Through what the widows show of Tabitha’s works, we see that her works follow her (cf. Revelation 14:13).

Peter knows what to do. To do so, he must be alone with the Lord, without anyone to distract him. Only with the body and the Lord does Peter kneel down and pray. This gives him the conviction of the will of God that he can speak the word of authority to Tabitha to arise. For this he turns to the body. After his commanding words to arise, Tabitha opens her eyes. She sees Peter and sits up. Tabitha arises by prayer and the word of power.

Only when she sits, Peter gives her his hand and raises her up. Then he calls the saints and the widows and presents her alive. Through being raised, she is able to serve again. It is an indication that our ability to serve God is not limited to this life, but that it continues forever after the resurrection (Revelation 22:3-5). This is because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Eternity is full of activity, there will be no boredom.

The result of the resurrection of Tabitha is that “many” in Joppa believe in the Lord. In Lydda, after a smaller wonder, “all” who lived in Lydda and Saron turn to the Lord. The wonder of the revival of Tabitha is bigger, but the number of conversions is smaller, because there are “many”, not “all”.

After the resurrection of Tabitha, Peter does not return to Lydda, but stays in Joppa for a considerable time. Servants do not always have to be on the road. Especially after a ‘successful’ service it is necessary to be alone with the Lord, to think and pray and wait for new directions from Him.

For his stay in Joppa, Peter, the great apostle of circumcision, takes up residence with a simple man, a tanner. The profession of tanner was considered impure by the Jews. Such a man was engaged in the processing of skins, especially to make leather water bags from them. Does Peter’s stay with this man suggest that God can turn something impure into something pure, such as a leather bag containing pure water?

Acts 12:22

Resurrection of Dorcas

In Joppa, about nineteen kilometers from Lydda, there is also a church. That church had the privilege to have sister Tabitha in their midst. Her Aramean name means ‘gazelle’, just like the translation of her name in Greek, Dorcas. She was “a disciple”, which means that she was a follower of the Lord Jesus. That she was truly worthy of that name was evidenced by the testimony given of her. She was characterized by “labor of love” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). They were works of faith, the proof that she had faith. She was the opposite of Aeneas.

While she was engaged in her “labor of love”, she became ill and died. Busy with things that are pleasing to the Lord does not mean immunity to sickness and death. What seemed to be a blow for the church and for those she served with her good works and blessings becomes a testimony to the Lord.

In the first place, we see faith in those who took care of her after she died. They wash her and then lay her in an upper room. Normally, after she had been washed, she would have been anointed and buried immediately afterward. Yet they don’t do that, but put her in an upper room. Perhaps they thought of two Old Testament resurrections in which the dead were also laid in an upper room (1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 4:21).

In any case, they show faith in the possibility that Tabitha will arise, because the disciples send two men to Lydda to fetch Peter. They are two men to underline the reliability of the question (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:1). They get the message to tell Peter to come immediately.

Luke does not mention that they have to tell Peter the reason of their request. We know that it was not to attend the funeral, but to prevent it. We also don’t read that Peter has to speak to the Lord about it first. He sees in the request a clear instruction from the Lord to go along. He lets himself being ordered to come and goes along.

As soon as he has arrived, he is brought into the upper room. There are all the widows that Tabitha has been serving. They have suffered a great loss because of her death. What they show to Peter are the proofs of true religion (Isaiah 58:7), the opposite of pious talk without providing for need (James 2:15-16). Through what the widows show of Tabitha’s works, we see that her works follow her (cf. Revelation 14:13).

Peter knows what to do. To do so, he must be alone with the Lord, without anyone to distract him. Only with the body and the Lord does Peter kneel down and pray. This gives him the conviction of the will of God that he can speak the word of authority to Tabitha to arise. For this he turns to the body. After his commanding words to arise, Tabitha opens her eyes. She sees Peter and sits up. Tabitha arises by prayer and the word of power.

Only when she sits, Peter gives her his hand and raises her up. Then he calls the saints and the widows and presents her alive. Through being raised, she is able to serve again. It is an indication that our ability to serve God is not limited to this life, but that it continues forever after the resurrection (Revelation 22:3-5). This is because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Eternity is full of activity, there will be no boredom.

The result of the resurrection of Tabitha is that “many” in Joppa believe in the Lord. In Lydda, after a smaller wonder, “all” who lived in Lydda and Saron turn to the Lord. The wonder of the revival of Tabitha is bigger, but the number of conversions is smaller, because there are “many”, not “all”.

After the resurrection of Tabitha, Peter does not return to Lydda, but stays in Joppa for a considerable time. Servants do not always have to be on the road. Especially after a ‘successful’ service it is necessary to be alone with the Lord, to think and pray and wait for new directions from Him.

For his stay in Joppa, Peter, the great apostle of circumcision, takes up residence with a simple man, a tanner. The profession of tanner was considered impure by the Jews. Such a man was engaged in the processing of skins, especially to make leather water bags from them. Does Peter’s stay with this man suggest that God can turn something impure into something pure, such as a leather bag containing pure water?

Acts 12:23

Resurrection of Dorcas

In Joppa, about nineteen kilometers from Lydda, there is also a church. That church had the privilege to have sister Tabitha in their midst. Her Aramean name means ‘gazelle’, just like the translation of her name in Greek, Dorcas. She was “a disciple”, which means that she was a follower of the Lord Jesus. That she was truly worthy of that name was evidenced by the testimony given of her. She was characterized by “labor of love” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). They were works of faith, the proof that she had faith. She was the opposite of Aeneas.

While she was engaged in her “labor of love”, she became ill and died. Busy with things that are pleasing to the Lord does not mean immunity to sickness and death. What seemed to be a blow for the church and for those she served with her good works and blessings becomes a testimony to the Lord.

In the first place, we see faith in those who took care of her after she died. They wash her and then lay her in an upper room. Normally, after she had been washed, she would have been anointed and buried immediately afterward. Yet they don’t do that, but put her in an upper room. Perhaps they thought of two Old Testament resurrections in which the dead were also laid in an upper room (1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 4:21).

In any case, they show faith in the possibility that Tabitha will arise, because the disciples send two men to Lydda to fetch Peter. They are two men to underline the reliability of the question (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:1). They get the message to tell Peter to come immediately.

Luke does not mention that they have to tell Peter the reason of their request. We know that it was not to attend the funeral, but to prevent it. We also don’t read that Peter has to speak to the Lord about it first. He sees in the request a clear instruction from the Lord to go along. He lets himself being ordered to come and goes along.

As soon as he has arrived, he is brought into the upper room. There are all the widows that Tabitha has been serving. They have suffered a great loss because of her death. What they show to Peter are the proofs of true religion (Isaiah 58:7), the opposite of pious talk without providing for need (James 2:15-16). Through what the widows show of Tabitha’s works, we see that her works follow her (cf. Revelation 14:13).

Peter knows what to do. To do so, he must be alone with the Lord, without anyone to distract him. Only with the body and the Lord does Peter kneel down and pray. This gives him the conviction of the will of God that he can speak the word of authority to Tabitha to arise. For this he turns to the body. After his commanding words to arise, Tabitha opens her eyes. She sees Peter and sits up. Tabitha arises by prayer and the word of power.

Only when she sits, Peter gives her his hand and raises her up. Then he calls the saints and the widows and presents her alive. Through being raised, she is able to serve again. It is an indication that our ability to serve God is not limited to this life, but that it continues forever after the resurrection (Revelation 22:3-5). This is because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Eternity is full of activity, there will be no boredom.

The result of the resurrection of Tabitha is that “many” in Joppa believe in the Lord. In Lydda, after a smaller wonder, “all” who lived in Lydda and Saron turn to the Lord. The wonder of the revival of Tabitha is bigger, but the number of conversions is smaller, because there are “many”, not “all”.

After the resurrection of Tabitha, Peter does not return to Lydda, but stays in Joppa for a considerable time. Servants do not always have to be on the road. Especially after a ‘successful’ service it is necessary to be alone with the Lord, to think and pray and wait for new directions from Him.

For his stay in Joppa, Peter, the great apostle of circumcision, takes up residence with a simple man, a tanner. The profession of tanner was considered impure by the Jews. Such a man was engaged in the processing of skins, especially to make leather water bags from them. Does Peter’s stay with this man suggest that God can turn something impure into something pure, such as a leather bag containing pure water?

Acts 12:24

Resurrection of Dorcas

In Joppa, about nineteen kilometers from Lydda, there is also a church. That church had the privilege to have sister Tabitha in their midst. Her Aramean name means ‘gazelle’, just like the translation of her name in Greek, Dorcas. She was “a disciple”, which means that she was a follower of the Lord Jesus. That she was truly worthy of that name was evidenced by the testimony given of her. She was characterized by “labor of love” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). They were works of faith, the proof that she had faith. She was the opposite of Aeneas.

While she was engaged in her “labor of love”, she became ill and died. Busy with things that are pleasing to the Lord does not mean immunity to sickness and death. What seemed to be a blow for the church and for those she served with her good works and blessings becomes a testimony to the Lord.

In the first place, we see faith in those who took care of her after she died. They wash her and then lay her in an upper room. Normally, after she had been washed, she would have been anointed and buried immediately afterward. Yet they don’t do that, but put her in an upper room. Perhaps they thought of two Old Testament resurrections in which the dead were also laid in an upper room (1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 4:21).

In any case, they show faith in the possibility that Tabitha will arise, because the disciples send two men to Lydda to fetch Peter. They are two men to underline the reliability of the question (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:1). They get the message to tell Peter to come immediately.

Luke does not mention that they have to tell Peter the reason of their request. We know that it was not to attend the funeral, but to prevent it. We also don’t read that Peter has to speak to the Lord about it first. He sees in the request a clear instruction from the Lord to go along. He lets himself being ordered to come and goes along.

As soon as he has arrived, he is brought into the upper room. There are all the widows that Tabitha has been serving. They have suffered a great loss because of her death. What they show to Peter are the proofs of true religion (Isaiah 58:7), the opposite of pious talk without providing for need (James 2:15-16). Through what the widows show of Tabitha’s works, we see that her works follow her (cf. Revelation 14:13).

Peter knows what to do. To do so, he must be alone with the Lord, without anyone to distract him. Only with the body and the Lord does Peter kneel down and pray. This gives him the conviction of the will of God that he can speak the word of authority to Tabitha to arise. For this he turns to the body. After his commanding words to arise, Tabitha opens her eyes. She sees Peter and sits up. Tabitha arises by prayer and the word of power.

Only when she sits, Peter gives her his hand and raises her up. Then he calls the saints and the widows and presents her alive. Through being raised, she is able to serve again. It is an indication that our ability to serve God is not limited to this life, but that it continues forever after the resurrection (Revelation 22:3-5). This is because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Eternity is full of activity, there will be no boredom.

The result of the resurrection of Tabitha is that “many” in Joppa believe in the Lord. In Lydda, after a smaller wonder, “all” who lived in Lydda and Saron turn to the Lord. The wonder of the revival of Tabitha is bigger, but the number of conversions is smaller, because there are “many”, not “all”.

After the resurrection of Tabitha, Peter does not return to Lydda, but stays in Joppa for a considerable time. Servants do not always have to be on the road. Especially after a ‘successful’ service it is necessary to be alone with the Lord, to think and pray and wait for new directions from Him.

For his stay in Joppa, Peter, the great apostle of circumcision, takes up residence with a simple man, a tanner. The profession of tanner was considered impure by the Jews. Such a man was engaged in the processing of skins, especially to make leather water bags from them. Does Peter’s stay with this man suggest that God can turn something impure into something pure, such as a leather bag containing pure water?

Acts 12:25

Resurrection of Dorcas

In Joppa, about nineteen kilometers from Lydda, there is also a church. That church had the privilege to have sister Tabitha in their midst. Her Aramean name means ‘gazelle’, just like the translation of her name in Greek, Dorcas. She was “a disciple”, which means that she was a follower of the Lord Jesus. That she was truly worthy of that name was evidenced by the testimony given of her. She was characterized by “labor of love” (1 Thessalonians 1:3). They were works of faith, the proof that she had faith. She was the opposite of Aeneas.

While she was engaged in her “labor of love”, she became ill and died. Busy with things that are pleasing to the Lord does not mean immunity to sickness and death. What seemed to be a blow for the church and for those she served with her good works and blessings becomes a testimony to the Lord.

In the first place, we see faith in those who took care of her after she died. They wash her and then lay her in an upper room. Normally, after she had been washed, she would have been anointed and buried immediately afterward. Yet they don’t do that, but put her in an upper room. Perhaps they thought of two Old Testament resurrections in which the dead were also laid in an upper room (1 Kings 17:19; 2 Kings 4:21).

In any case, they show faith in the possibility that Tabitha will arise, because the disciples send two men to Lydda to fetch Peter. They are two men to underline the reliability of the question (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:1). They get the message to tell Peter to come immediately.

Luke does not mention that they have to tell Peter the reason of their request. We know that it was not to attend the funeral, but to prevent it. We also don’t read that Peter has to speak to the Lord about it first. He sees in the request a clear instruction from the Lord to go along. He lets himself being ordered to come and goes along.

As soon as he has arrived, he is brought into the upper room. There are all the widows that Tabitha has been serving. They have suffered a great loss because of her death. What they show to Peter are the proofs of true religion (Isaiah 58:7), the opposite of pious talk without providing for need (James 2:15-16). Through what the widows show of Tabitha’s works, we see that her works follow her (cf. Revelation 14:13).

Peter knows what to do. To do so, he must be alone with the Lord, without anyone to distract him. Only with the body and the Lord does Peter kneel down and pray. This gives him the conviction of the will of God that he can speak the word of authority to Tabitha to arise. For this he turns to the body. After his commanding words to arise, Tabitha opens her eyes. She sees Peter and sits up. Tabitha arises by prayer and the word of power.

Only when she sits, Peter gives her his hand and raises her up. Then he calls the saints and the widows and presents her alive. Through being raised, she is able to serve again. It is an indication that our ability to serve God is not limited to this life, but that it continues forever after the resurrection (Revelation 22:3-5). This is because of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Eternity is full of activity, there will be no boredom.

The result of the resurrection of Tabitha is that “many” in Joppa believe in the Lord. In Lydda, after a smaller wonder, “all” who lived in Lydda and Saron turn to the Lord. The wonder of the revival of Tabitha is bigger, but the number of conversions is smaller, because there are “many”, not “all”.

After the resurrection of Tabitha, Peter does not return to Lydda, but stays in Joppa for a considerable time. Servants do not always have to be on the road. Especially after a ‘successful’ service it is necessary to be alone with the Lord, to think and pray and wait for new directions from Him.

For his stay in Joppa, Peter, the great apostle of circumcision, takes up residence with a simple man, a tanner. The profession of tanner was considered impure by the Jews. Such a man was engaged in the processing of skins, especially to make leather water bags from them. Does Peter’s stay with this man suggest that God can turn something impure into something pure, such as a leather bag containing pure water?