Acts 9:36-42

There was a disciple in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas*). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.

*The names Tabitha in Aramaic and Dorcas in Greek both mean “gazelle”.

Way back in 1980 and 81, my mom was pregnant with my sister. I must’ve asked 300 times if we could name her Dorcas if it’s a girl, and Moses if it’s a boy.

My parents weren’t havin’ it. They went with Rebekah.

Whatever.

Even as a youngster, I was so impressed with Dorcas after hearing her story in Sunday School.

First off, she is designated mathetria (“woman disciple”), a term reserved only for her, as in, it’s the only time this Greek word is used in the entire New Testament.

Awesomeness.

And how about the one line description of her as a person: She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. Is there a much better legacy in the kingdom of God? What a reputation, what an identity! How wonderful would it be that when your name is brought up, people respond with, “Yeah, she’s always doing kind things and helping people who are down and out.”

What a woman.

Then there’s the whole sewing ministry she had. At her death, there’s all these widows standing around mourning, wearing the clothes that she made for them! What a sight.

And she’s raised from the dead! She was so beloved that the disciples call Peter in who is near Joppa at the time, he comes without question, and via the power of the Holy Spirt brings her back to life. This became widely known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

Amazing.

What an inspiring woman who points us to Jesus.

I can just hope and pray that if our daughters have any girls, they name one Dorcas. Heck, I’d be super happy with the Aramaic Tabitha. Or even Gazelle! Make it a soft G, I don’t care.

Acts 8:26-40

When they came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him anymore, but went on  his way rejoicing.

This is a fantastic story. Philip is prompted by the Spirit, or an angel, to go to this desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza. Philip ran to it and sees this Ethiopian dude reading Isaiah.

No strtegery involved here, just listening to and obeying the Spirit of the Lord.

How Spirit attuned, led, and obedient are you?

What really struck me from this passage was verse 39 you see above. After Philip gives this guy the straight up Gospel, he is convicted and asked to be baptized right there where he sees some water. The Spirit snatches Philip away, not to be seen again by the Ethiopian, YET, he goes on his way rejoicing!

Humanly, you’d think he’d be quite bummed that this man who opened his eyes to the Scriptures and preached Jesus to him was taken away from him. Seems like he would want to bond and hang out and all.

But what we see much of in Acts is this emphasis on the power of the Spirit of God, and the comfort brought, the authenticity of being touched by God through people.

I just think we glorify people so much, that it takes our eyes off God’s Spirit. These new believers in Acts were made new by the Holy Spirit, and were not dependent on people for their joy, they were dependent on the Spirit. Now there were communities–the new church as God’s way of working in the world. This does not take away from that. But the true Gospel as I understand it does not leave us needy and dependent on other humans to prop us up–maybe for periods in which we are weak of course–I’ve definitely experienced that, but not for extended seasons, not for our whole life.

Our rejoicing comes through the Gospel, the Spirit in us, through supernatural means.

Acts 7:59

While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

As Stephen is dying he recites a form of a Jewish bedtime prayer that we read in Psalm 31:5.

What is interesting is that Stephen addresses his prayer not to Yahweh (exactly), as the Psalmist did, but to Lord Jesus. In fact, in the Greek it is “Kyrios Jesus”.

In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint), the name of God, Yahweh, is translated into Kyrios.

You see what is happening here?

Stephen is commending his spirit to Jesus, who will receive him after death, because Jesus is now in the heavenly realm at the right hand of the Father, one with the Father.

The title Kyrios ascribed to Jesus indicates supreme sovereignty  over all creation. He is Lord and Master of the universe.

Sometimes people say you can translate and interpret Scripture in such a way that the authors are not really saying that Jesus is divine, or that Jesus is God, or that it is appropriate to worship him. Some say the proper interpretation is that Jesus was showing us that we are all God already, and we have only to realize it.

Nope.

The authors of Scripture are crystal clear in their affirmation of just who they saw Jesus to be–none other than the Creator of the universe, the mediation reconciling humans to God the Father. This may be rather difficult to comprehend theologically or metaphysically, but it is plain to see just who they were avowing Jesus to be.

And they were willing to die for it.

Acts 6:1-7

Around that time, as the number of disciples increased, the “Hellenists” raised  a dispute with the “Hebrews” because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

It’s somewhat comforting to know that the church has had its problems from the very start.

There’s some things you can just count on as the numbers rise.

You’ll always have people complaining about the church, about something.

You’ll always need people to organize things, like making sure widows are being taken care of, the bathroom has toilet paper, etc.

You’ll always need some in the church who are dedicated to God’s word and prayer without having the responsibilities to “wait on tables” (v.2)–not that they are above some of the daily organizing, but because so much time and energy is required in prayer for the ministry of God’s word to be effective.

And, as the word of God increases, the number of disciples will grow by leaps and bounds (v.7).

Acts 5:3-4

“Why did the satan fill your heart, to make you tell a lie against the Holy Spirit…It isn’t humans that you’ve lied to: it’s God!”

The Holy Spirit is God.

Treat her and pray to her as such.

Never neglect the Holy Spirit.

Bonus Material:

Ruach ha’Kodesh is the Hebrew “Set Apart Spirit” or “Breath” or “Wind”–what we now call the Holy Spirit. And, gasp, it is….feminine! BOOM, one for the ladies.

Acts 4:34-35

For there was no needy person among them, since any who possessed lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sale, and placed it at the feet of the apostles, who then gave to each according to their need.

Here we have an allusion to Deuteronomy 15:4: When the Lord blesses you in your land, there will be no needy person among you. Deut 15:5 states the condition for this blessing: When you obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep all these commandments that I have commanded you this day. The commandments in question had to do with the sharing of possessions (Deut 15:1-18).

So we have here a physical practical side as well as a mystical aspect of having no needy among us.

Tangibly, Yahweh Yireh, the God who provides, has graciously provided plenty for all 7 billion of us on planet earth. All we need to do is share with those who are truly in need. I say “truly” in need, because I don’t feel the guy who is four months behind on his mortgage due to the recently purchased RV, hot tub, motorcycle, and gun collection is truly in need of our sharing of possessions. He is definitely in need, but of a different kind.

Mystically speaking, once we have met the Messiah, and have been transformed from the inside out, we lose our kung fu-like grip on our possessions, and easily release what we “have” to those in front of us  (and even far away) in true and dire need–especially within the family of the church.

With a heart for God, this will not be difficult, but natural…supernatural you could say, because we now have the actual Life of God flowing through our souls.

Acts 3:14-15

The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob–the God of our ancestors–he has glorified his child Jesus, the one you handed over and denied in the presence of Pilate, although he had decided to let him go.

But you denied the Holy One, the Just One, and requested instead to have a murderer given to you; and so you killed the Prince of Life. But God raised him from the dead, and we are witnesses to the fact.

It’s interesting to note that we find no substitutional atonement in Luke’s writing here, no notion that Jesus Christ had to die to satisfy some divine requirement for justice. The explanation for Jesus’ death given in Acts is simply human perversity.

There is little theology of the cross like we find in Paul’s writings. The cross for Luke is a scandalous sign of the rejection of God’s anointed One by those he came to save. When confronted by God’s Messiah, humanity got together and did what it often does when faced with Truth–violence and crucifixion.

God responded to humanity’s action with his own–resurrection. Thank God!

There’s a German theologian who has really helped me rethink Jesus’ death and its profundity. This is not to take away anything from what Paul has written, or from substitutional atonement, but rather to shine light upon another aspect of Jesus’ death for us all.

Here’s some intense thoughts to chew on:

God did not will Jesus’ death. Humans brought it about, caused it. Jesus’ opponents wanted to eliminate what they profoundly hated. And Jesus, in his obedient, absolute self-surrender, gave all of himself, dying for the solution–the reign of God he preached so much about–the Life of God made available to all, not just a select few like in the Old Testament. In the reign (kingdom) of God, everyone is supernaturally, selflessly for the almighty Other, and for others.

Jesus’ death was pretty much unavoidable because people don’t want what God wants. Human beings want themselves. “Anyone who speaks and acts entirely in the name of God and desires nothing for herself or himself, but only what God wills, such a one will be hated”, says theologian Gerhard Lohfink.

So God didn’t kill Jesus.

Nor does it seem from Scripture that it was God’s desire.

Jesus’ death was the inevitable result of his living every moment in full surrender to the Father, and in absolute selflessness.

And it is the means by which we are made one with God, ultimately forgiven, and the channel through which God’s Life may flow into and through us.

It is so much!!!

Acts 2:4, 42-43

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit…They all gave full attention to the teaching of the apostles and to the common life, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Great awe fell on everyone, and many remarkable deeds and signs were performed by the apostles.

As one views modern congregations, many with their hectic rounds of activities…one suspects that socialization is being substituted for the gospel, warm-hearted busyness is being offered in lieu of Spirit-empowered community. One wonders if the church needs to reflect again that when all is said and done “one thing is needful” (Luke 10:42), namely to embody, in the church’s unique way, the peculiarity of the call to devote ourselves “to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers”.

~William Willimon

Acts 1:6-14

So when the apostles came together, they put this question to Jesus. “Master,” they said, “is this the time when you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

“It’s not your business to know about times and dates,” he replied. “The father has placed all that under his own direct authority.  What will happen, though, is that you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth.”

They all gave themselves single-heartedly to prayer, with the women, including Mary, Jesus’ mother, and his brothers.

It’s a waste of time trying to figure out the Lord’s timetable, His incomprehensible plans for the universe.

It is not a waste of time to give yourself single-heartedly to prayer and waiting upon the filling of the Holy Spirit.

John 21:11

So Simon Peter went and pulled the net onto the shore. It was full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all. The net wasn’t torn, even though there were so many.

Why does John tell us that they caught 153 fish? Such specificity.

Well, it could simply be that they counted up their catch, and he’s giving a matter-of-fact report on the number.

But could there be more? As we’ve mentioned before, John writes on two levels, inviting us to look below the surface.

Interestingly, St, Jerome noted that Greek zoologists knew of just 153 kinds of fish at this point in history.

Hmmm…

Many scholars feel John is telling us something spiritual here, something beyond the literal number of fish these guys caught (though not taking away the fact that they did haul in a plethora of fishies).

Jesus called His followers to be fishers of people. It is quite likely that John is saying that followers of Jesus will catch every single kind of person. That they’re (we’re) being sent out to everybody. That though not every individual will accept, every kind  of person will become a follower of Jesus.

Hopefully, this is an encouragement to be bold in our witness, because all types (literally every type) of people will be “caught.”

Yes, even Trump-supporting conservatives.

Yes, even progressive liberals.

Yep, even Catholics…and Baptists!

And mega church attendees.

And homeless people,

Rich people,

Illiterate people,

Convicted felons,

Annoying people,

Gun owners,

Tree huggers,

etc.

So be bold. Be confident in Jesus. Be faithful in John’s subtle message at the end of his gospel account.

Be trusting in the truth that casting your net where Jesus tells you to will result in catching all types of people. Not just many kinds of people, but every kind of person.

Please note that this is one theory behind the significance of the number of fish being 153. But even if this is not what John intended, I believe the message of catching people in abundance and all types still stands.