Acts 9:15-40

¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine, to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel;

¹⁶for I will show him how much he must suffer for the cause of my name.”

¹⁷So Ananias departed, and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road when you were coming, has sent me so that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸Immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he received his sight; he arose and was baptized;

¹⁹and he ate and was strengthened. He stayed with the disciples in Damascus for several days.

²⁰Right away he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying that he is the Son of God.

²¹All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who destroyed those in Jerusalem who called on this name? He has come here to take them bound to the chief priests.”

²²But Saul became more and more powerful, and he was causing distress among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

²³After many days, the Jews planned together to kill him.

²⁴But their plan became known to Saul. They watched the gates day and night in order to kill him.

²⁵But his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

²⁶When he had come to Jerusalem, Saul attempted to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how at Damascus Saul had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

²⁸He met with them as they were coming in and going out of Jerusalem. He spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus

²⁹and debated with the Grecian Jews; but they kept trying to kill him.

³⁰When the brothers learned of this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

³¹So then, the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, the church grew in numbers.

³²Now it came about that, as Peter went throughout the whole region, he came down also to the believers who lived in the town of Lydda.

³³There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been in his bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.

³⁴Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,” and right away he got up.

³⁵So everyone who lived in Lydda and in Sharon saw the man and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶Now there was in Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated as “Dorcas.” This woman was full of good works and merciful deeds that she did for the poor.

³⁷It came about in those days that she fell sick and died; when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

³⁸Since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, begging him, “Come to us without delay.”

³⁹Peter arose and went with them. When he had arrived, they brought him to the upper room, and all the widows stood by him weeping, showing him the coats and garments that Dorcas had made while she had been with them.

⁴⁰Peter put them all out of the room, knelt down, and prayed; then, turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.