Book of Common Prayer
Back to Peter
32 As Peter was going through various places among all the believers, he went down to God’s people who lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a paralyzed man named Aeneas who had been confined to bed for eight years.
34 “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus the Messiah heals you! Stand up and fold up your bed!”
And at once he stood up. 35 Everyone who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw it, and they turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, whose name translates as “Dorcas.” She was full of good works and generous deeds. 37 Around that time she fell ill and died. They washed her and laid her in an upper room. 38 Lydda is near Joppa, and the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the urgent request that he shouldn’t delay, but come to them at once. 39 So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upper room, where all the widows were weeping. They showed him the tunics and the other clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40 Peter sent them all out. Then he knelt down and prayed, and turned to the body.
“Tabitha,” he said, “get up!”
She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 He gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then he called God’s people, including the widows, and presented her alive.
42 This became known throughout the whole of Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed on in Joppa for some days, at the house of Simon the tanner.
Division among Jesus’ followers
60 When they heard this, many of Jesus’ disciples said, “This is difficult stuff! Who can bear to listen to it?”
61 Jesus knew in himself that his disciples were grumbling about what he’d said.
“Does this put you off?” he said. 62 “What if you were to see the son of man ascending to where he was before? 63 It’s the spirit that gives life; the flesh is no help. The words that I have spoken to you—they are spirit, they are life. 64 But there are some of you who don’t believe.”
Jesus knew from the beginning, you see, those who didn’t believe, and the one who was going to betray him.
65 “That’s why I said,” he went on, “that no one can come to me unless it is given to them by the father.”
66 From that time on, several of his disciples drew back, and no longer went about with him.
67 Jesus turned to the Twelve.
“You don’t want to go away too, do you?” he asked.
68 Simon Peter spoke up.
“Master,” he said, “who can we go to? You’re the one who’s got the life-giving words of the age to come! 69 We’ve come to believe it—we’ve come to know it!—that you are God’s holy one.”
70 “Well,” replied Jesus, “I chose you twelve, didn’t I? And one of you is an accuser!”
71 He was referring to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. He was one of the Twelve, and he was going to betray him.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.