Peter Goes to Lydda and Joppa
As Peter
traveled around the country, he went to visit God’s people in Lydda. There he
found a disabled man named Aeneas. For eight years the man had spent most of
his time in bed. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up!
Take care of your mat!” So Aeneas got up right away. Everyone who lived in
Lydda and Sharon saw him. They turned to the Lord. In Joppa there was a believer
named Tabitha. Her name in the Greek language was Dorcas. She was always doing
good and helping poor people. About that time she became sick and died. Her
body was washed and placed in a room upstairs. Lydda was near Joppa. The
believers heard that Peter was in Lydda. So they sent two men to him. They
begged him, “Please come at once!” Peter went with them. When he arrived, he
was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him crying. They
showed him the robes and other clothes Dorcas had made while she was still
alive.
Peter sent
them all out of the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. He turned
toward the dead woman. He said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes. When
she saw Peter, she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.
Then he called the believers and the widows. He brought her to them. They saw
that she was alive. This became known all over Joppa.
Many people
believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time. He stayed with
Simon, a man who worked with leather.
Lydia Becomes a Believer
At Troas we
got into a boat. We sailed straight for Samothrace. The next day we went on to
Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony. It is an
important city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there several days. On the
Sabbath day we went outside the city gate. We walked down to the river. There
we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the
women who had gathered together. One of those listening was a woman named
Lydia. She was from the city of Thyatira. Her business was selling purple
cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to accept Paul’s
message. She and her family were baptized. Then she invited us to
her home. “Do you consider me a believer in the Lord?” she
asked. “If you do, come and stay at my house.” She succeeded in getting us to
go home with her.
Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison
One day we
were going to the place of prayer. On the way we were met by a female slave.
She had a spirit that helped her to tell ahead of time what was going to
happen. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. The woman
followed Paul and the rest of us around. She shouted, “These men serve the Most
High God. They are telling you how to be saved.” She kept this up for many
days. Finally Paul became upset. Turning around, he spoke to the spirit. “In
the name of Jesus Christ,” he said, “I command you to come out of her!” At that
very moment the spirit left her.
The female
slave’s owners realized that their hope of making money was gone. So they
grabbed Paul and Silas. They dragged them into the market place to face the
authorities. They brought them to the judges. “These men are Jews,” her owners
said. “They are making trouble in our city. They are suggesting practices that
are against Roman law. These are practices we can’t accept or take part in.”
The crowd
joined the attack against Paul and Silas. The judges ordered that Paul and
Silas be stripped and beaten. They were whipped without mercy. Then they were
thrown into prison. The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he
received his orders, he put Paul and Silas deep inside the prison. He fastened
their feet so they couldn’t get away.
About
midnight Paul and Silas were praying. They were also singing hymns to God. The
other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a powerful
earthquake. It shook the prison from top to bottom. All at once the prison
doors flew open. Everybody’s chains came loose.
The jailer
woke up. He saw that the prison doors were open. He pulled out his sword and
was going to kill himself. He thought the prisoners had escaped.
“Don’t harm
yourself!” Paul shouted. “We are all here!” The jailer called out for some
lights. He rushed in, shaking with fear. He fell down in front of Paul and
Silas. Then he brought them out. He asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They
replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus. Then you and your family will be saved.”
They spoke the word of the Lord to him. They also spoke to all the others in
his house.
At that
hour of the night, the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds.
Right away he and his whole family were baptized. The jailer brought them into
his house. He set a meal in front of them. He and his whole family were filled
with joy. They had become believers in God.
Early in
the morning the judges sent their officers to the jailer. They ordered him,
“Let those men go.” The jailer told Paul, “The judges have ordered me to set you
and Silas free. You can leave now. Go in peace.”
But Paul
replied to the officers. “They beat us in public,” he said. “We weren’t given a
trial. And we are Roman citizens! They threw us into prison. And now do they
want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and personally lead
us out.”
The
officers reported this to the judges. When the judges heard that Paul and Silas
were Roman citizens, they became afraid. So they came and said they were sorry.
They led them out of the prison. Then they asked them to leave the city. After
Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house. There they
met with the believers. They told them to be brave. Then they left. (NIRV)
This reading is taken from 30
Scripture Readings on Great Women from the Bible. The complete book can be
found here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZK5H96/ref=nosim?tag=hudsonbcom-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549
HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL READER'S VERSION®. NIV®.
Copyright© 1994, 1996 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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