Bible Study Project - Interpretation Assignment

BIBL 104 Name: Adam Cook BIBLE STUDY PROJECT: INTERPRETATION Passage: Acts 9:36-43 A. Summarize: 1. The Author opens the story with their location. They were in the town of Joppa, or Jaffa as it is pronounced now. Joppa is a coastal town on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, Israel. A disciple named Tabitha became ill and died. The people that she loved and cared for washed her body and moved her to an upper room in her home. Because Tabitha did so many good deeds for many underprivileged people and her community, two disciples were sent off to find and get the Apostle Peter after her death. Peter was in the nearby town of Lydda. After hearing of what happened to Tabitha, Peter got up and traveled to Joppa to be with Tabitha. When peter arrived at the house where Tabitha was, he was taken to her in the upper room where her body was laid. Peter dismissed all the widows and people mourning for Tabitha. Peter kneeled down by the body and began to pray over her. After praying for an unknown amount of time, Peter turned “to the body said, Tabitha, arise.” (Ac 9:40) Tabitha opened her eyes and saw peter next to her. He extended his had to Tabitha and she took it and was helped up. Peter presented Tabitha to all the widows. The word spread throughout Joppa about the miracle that Peter had performed. Peter decided to stay in Joppa for some time with Simon the tanner. B. Identify: 1. As you read and examine this passage, it is important to take this life lesson out of it. God has a plan for you. Tabitha became sick and died and because of this, the Apostle Peter came to raise her from the dead. God was giving the Apostles authority to perform miracles in his name. God also used this situation to place Peter a devout Jew in the home of a tanner. This is a big deal because a Tanner works with dead animals and would be considered not kosher or unclean. This is Peter’s transition away from the Jewish customs and into the Christian lifestyles and beliefs. C. Check: 1. In the Moody bible commentary the author points out that: “A pious Jew would have never stayed in the house of a tanner because the handling of dead animals would have ceremonially defiled the person.” ( Rydelnik & Vanlaningham, Pg. 2732) He goes on the say that this is the beginning of Peter’s separating from his past Jewish ceremonial traditions and shifting to of a ministerial mind set. “This was the first such miracle performed through any of the apostles, and it resulted in many new believers.” (Brand, Pg. 727) God used Peter in this way to also spread his message and as a result, several people became believers. Page 1 of 2