At that time, people living in one city, knew very little of what was going on in others at a distance; and the war between Herod and Aretas, would naturally have cut off even the usual communication between Jerusalem and Damascus. If the Chief Priests and other members of the Sanhedrim, had heard any rumour of Saul's wonderful conversion, they would of course try to keep such a matter secret. These things account for the fact, that the Apostles in Jerusalem had never heard of the change that had taken place in Saul, whom they remembered as consenting to the death of Stephen, and then going to Damascus to persecute the believers. Three years had now passed since that time, and the Apostles probably thought that during that period, Saul had been actively employed in trying to prevent the spreading of the Gospel.
"And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed (or attempted) to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple." Barnabas, however, in some way had become acquainted with the circumstances concerning Saul: he therefore "took him, and brought him to the Apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus." This was sufficient; on the testimony of Barnabas, the Apostles gladly received Saul as a fellow labourer, and from that time "he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus," especially endeavouring to convince the Grecians, or foreign Jews. But instead of listening to Saul, "they went about to slay him"; which, when the "brethren knew, they brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus," his native place in Cilicia. The removal of Saul at this time, seems to have had a good effect; for we read, "then had the churches rest throughout all Judæa and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."
Leaving the history of Saul for awhile, the Book of Acts gives us some account of Peter's labours: he went from place to place, spreading the knowledge of the Gospel everywhere. At Lydda, a very large village not far from Joppa, "he found a certain man named Æneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately," the palsy leaving him and his strength returning, as Peter spake these words.
The news of what had happened at Lydda soon reached Joppa; and the disciples who dwelt there, sent unto Peter, desiring that he would not delay to come to them. The cause of their sending for the Apostle, was the death of a certain disciple, a woman "named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did": her kindness and charity had made her to be loved by all, and her death therefore caused great grief to those who had benefited by her kindness. Peter obeyed the summons of the messengers; he "arose and went with them. When he was come" to Joppa, "they brought him into the upper chamber," where they had laid the body: "and all the widows stood by, weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them." But Peter put them all out of the chamber, and then "kneeled down, and prayed." After this, turning to the body, he 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," in Whose name, and by Whose power, Peter had worked this great miracle.
It has been said of this Tabitha, that "by interpretation her name was Dorcas." This good woman was a Grecian, or foreign Jewess, and as such, her name was Tabitha, which means an "antelope"—a very graceful animal of the deer kind, having very beautiful eyes. It was a common practice amongst the Arabs, and other nations of Asia, to give to female children the names of such animals as were particularly admired. The Jews, instead of calling Tabitha by what was to them & foreign name, called her Dorcas; because that word, in their language, meant antelope. Therefore, Dorcas was the Jewish interpretation of Tabitha.
Peter did not leave Joppa again immediately after the restoration of Dorcas; on the contrary, "he tarried many days in Joppa, with one Simon a tanner."
The Gospel had by this time been preached freely to the Jews in Jerusalem, and throughout Judæa, Samaria, and Galilee; and the time was now come for it to be preached to the Gentiles also. Peter was accordingly chosen by God to begin this work, about a.d. 40. We are told, "There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." The Italian band, was a company of a thousand Roman soldiers, acting probably as a guard to the Roman governor of Judæa, whose usual residence was at Cæsarea, a city of great importance.
Cornelius was one of the centurions, or captains, of the Italian band: he was a Gentile, who had already given up idolatry, and become a sincere worshipper of the God of Israel: but as he had not observed all the forms and ceremonies required by the Law, the Jews did not look upon him as one of themselves. Such persons were called "Proselytes of the Gate"; and although they were allowed to dwell among the Jews, they were looked upon as unclean.