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coram_deo 04-Oct-21, 11:08 |
 Miracles By The ApostlesAfter Jesus’ crucifixion, Resurrection and ascension into Heaven, God used Jesus’ 11 apostles, who were formerly His disciples, to perform miracles, which included raising people from the dead - just as Jesus had done, and just as the prophets Elijah and Elisha had done. In this interesting passage from the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ says God the Father dwells in Him (Jesus) and Jesus credits God the Father for the teaching and miracles in Jesus’ ministry: “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:9-12) In this passage from Acts, which I think I posted in another thread, but it belongs in this one, the Apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples (along with John and James,) raises a devout Christian woman from the dead. “Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord. And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.” (Acts 9:36-43) Here is a brief article on who Tabitha (Dorcas) was and the Apostle Peter’s raising her back to life. From gotquestions.org: Dorcas, or Tabitha, in the Bible lived in the town of Joppa, a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Dorcas was also called Tabitha—Dorcas is a Greek name meaning “gazelle,” and Tabitha is the Aramaic rendering of the same name. Dorcas, or Tabitha, was a charitable person who made things, especially clothing, for the needy in Joppa. The story of Dorcas in Acts 9 is notable because Peter raised her back to life after she had died. Dorcas was known for her good works and acts of love for the poor (Acts 9:36); she was much loved in the community of Joppa. When she became ill and died, the believers who knew Dorcas heard that Peter was in the nearby town of Lydda, and they sent for him. The Bible does not specifically say that the disciples at Joppa were hoping for Peter to resurrect Dorcas, but they did call urgently for him (Acts 9:38). When Peter arrived at the home where Dorcas’ body had been laid out, he went up to see the body. There were many widows there, weeping. They all showed Peter “the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them”—tangible evidence of Dorcas’ loving service (Acts 9:39). What happened next is proof that our God is full of glorious, unrestrained power: “Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:40–42). Bringing Dorcas back from the dead was not done for Dorcas’ sake—Peter knew she was in paradise, with Jesus, and that her life after death was preferable to her life on earth (see Luke 23:43). Peter’s motive, at least in part, for raising Dorcas to life may have been for the sake of the widows and others in Joppa who needed the help Dorcas could provide. The resurrection of Dorcas was also a major reason so many people in Joppa believed. This miracle performed in the name of the Lord led many to faith in Christ. Dorcas is a fine example of how we are to meet the needs of those around us. Christians are to “continue to remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10). Part of “religion that God our Father accepts” is “to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). This was the type of religion Dorcas practiced. We also see in the story of Dorcas how the Body of Christ functions as a whole. We are united in Christ, and the believers in Joppa mourned the loss of Dorcas as a close family member. “There should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25–26). Dorcas was one of their own, and her absence left a huge void in their lives. www.gotquestions.org |
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coram_deo 05-Oct-21, 08:28 |
“And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight. And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed. And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.” (Acts: 20:6-12) Here’s a brief commentary on this miracle that addresses whether Eutychus actually died from the fall or was simply knocked unconscious. (Luke, who wrote the book of Acts and states Eutychus died from the fall, was a medical doctor, as well as the author of the Gospel that bears his name.) From christiancourier.com: The Case of Eutychus By Wayne Jackson As Paul was concluding his third missionary campaign, he, along with eight traveling companions, came to Troas on the western coast of provincial Asia (Acts 20:6). Here they waited for seven days, finally meeting with the saints of that city on Sunday. It may have been early evening when the assembly convened. At some point the brethren ate the Lord’s supper, meditating upon the Savior’s death. Also, the great apostle discoursed to the brethren at length, prolonging his presentation till midnight. Luke, who was in the company, vividly described the scene. He says there were many “lights” (lampas, an oil-burning vessel) where they met in a room that was on the third floor (Acts 20:8). Some have questioned the relevance of this allusion to “lights,” suggesting that it is much too trivial to be worthy of a document that professes to be inspired of God. In response, however, we may observe: • This may provide background information for what follows, i.e., the sleep of the youth who fell and was killed (the fumes perhaps generating drowsiness). • It may serve to inoculate against the false charge, later cited by Tertullian (Apology c.8), that the early Christians met in darkness where they practiced strange rituals. As Paul extended his speech, a young (neanias – signifying between the ages of approximately twenty-four to forty – Arndt, p. 536) man named Eutychus was borne down with “deep sleep.” Suddenly, he fell from the window to the ground below. The Christians rushed down, doubtless to render assistance, but alas, the lad was dead. Or was he? Some Doubt Eutychus Died Some appear to be not so sure as to the reported death of this young disciple. The late William Barclay, who served as Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism at the University of Glasgow, says that when the crowd ran down the stairs, they “found the lad senseless,” but Paul calmed them, asserting that his life was “yet” in him (p. 163). Note the “yet”; it hints that the young man did not actually die. The late F.F. Bruce, of the University of Manchester, in one of his books, wrote the following: “Luke remembered the occasion vividly because a young man of the community in Troas, Eutychus by name, was overcome by sleep while Paul was talking and fell down from the third-floor window-ledge where he had been sitting. He was knocked unconscious by the fall and his friends feared that he was dead, but Paul hurried downstairs and embraced him (perhaps applying some form of artificial respiration) and assured the others, to their great relief, that Eutychus was still alive” (p. 340). Richard Oster is a Bible professor at Harding Graduate School in Memphis, Tennessee. In his work on the latter portion of the book of Acts, Oster describes the fall suffered by Eutychus, and then adds his editorial comment: “... if the youth was in fact dead.” He subsequently mentions that there was a delay caused by Eutychus’ “injury” (p. 108). The comments above either explicitly state, or strongly imply, that Eutychus did not die at all; he merely was injured. Doubts Rooted in Disbelief It likely will remain a mystery as to why some writers feel so disposed to surgically remove certain miraculous elements from the New Testament, or at least to cast doubt on them. The following observations are quite in order. A Doctor Testified Luke, a physician (Col. 4:14) on the scene, unequivocally says that Eutychus was “dead” (v. 9). Was he not, as an eye-witness, in a better position to judge the matter than a modern commentator, some nineteen centuries removed from the event? Don’t Add Words to the Text When Paul addressed the situation, he simply said: “His life is in him.” He did not say: “His life is still in him,” or “His life is yet in him.” To add those words to the sacred text manifests a tampering with the word of God. Alive Again Luke later comments that Eutychus was brought “alive” (Acts 10:12). One usage of this term is to describe “dead persons who return to life, become alive again” (Arndt, p. 336; cf. Mt. 9:18; Mk. 16:11; Acts 9:41,etc.). If the lad had merely been injured, why stress that he was “brought alive”? To merely mention that the youth was brought again to the assembly would have been entirely sufficient. Weren’t they all alive who returned to the upper room? What was special about this youth? He had been dead! Luke Knew the Difference Between Dead and Supposedly Dead When Paul was stoned at Lystra on his first missionary journey, Luke records that the apostle was dragged out of the city. He adds that the Jews were “supposing that he was dead” (Acts 14:19). Here’s the point. Had Luke wanted to present the idea that the saints in Troas merely “supposed” that Eutychus was dead, when in fact he was only injured, he certainly was capable of expressing that concept, as he did in chapter 14. But that is not what he wrote in chapter 20. The resurrection of Eutychus brought “comfort” to the saints in Troas for two reasons: First, it authenticated their religion as genuine. Only God can effect a resurrection. And secondly, it demonstrated that the grave is not the end of human existence. The Creator is able to bring life out of death. www.christiancourier.com And here’s an excerpt from an article about what Christians can learn from Eutychus. From christiantoday.com: What can we learn from him? Well, perhaps we're wondering, "what can we learn from this guy?" After all, he didn't do anything fancy, didn't preach, and died from falling while asleep. That doesn't sound so inspiring, not at all. Still, there are a few things we can learn from him. Here are some of them: 1) Be careful always Just because God is protecting us and keeping us safe from the enemy, that doesn't mean we should be careless. Eutychus was there listening to Paul's message alright, but he died because he sat down somewhere he shouldn't have sat, at a time he shouldn't have sat there. We've got to exercise plain common sense. 2) We've got to balance things As Paul kept speaking to them although already late in the evening, Eutychus felt sleepy. Here's one thing that we should then learn to manage: our health. It's a great thing to prioritize our spiritual health, but we should also balance it with other things like physical and emotional health. The Lord Jesus Himself grew in aspects aside from the spiritual: "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52) Young people in particular need to learn this. Passionate Christians can give so much of their time to church activities or work or service that they neglect their studies, their families, and even their time to rest and be alone with the Lord in prayer. Balance is key. 3) God honors our efforts for Him Alright, Eutychus fell down from that high window because he fell asleep while listening to Paul speak. Does that mean God punished him for sleeping during the service? No, He didn't. God's response actually showed the opposite: That He valued Eutychus' life and drive to have fellowship and break bread with fellow believers, even as it was likely beyond his bedtime. The young man died, but He brought Eutychus back to life through the hands of Paul. God cares about every single thing that we do for Him. 1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." The Lord Jesus Himself said in Mark 10:29-30, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life." Hebrews 11:6 also tells us, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." www.christiantoday.com |