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Bible Study Project: Interpretation Assignment
Steven Galasso
Liberty University
Bibl - 104 Survey of Old and New Testament
Professor Tims
September 19, 2022
Passage: Acts 9:36-43
A. Summarize: Determine the author’s main point. In 1-2 paragraphs (200-400 words) explain
what you think the author is trying to communicate in this passage. Remember two things. First,
this passage is made up of both action and dialogue. Thus, this passage is both showing and
telling us something. Second, words like <I,= <We,= <Us,= and <Our= are application words and
not interpretation words. Thus, they should not be used in your answer for this question.
Interpretation is about <then and there= and not <here and now.= We were not there so the
passage is not about us. Our <part= in the passage is the application or how we will respond to
God’s Word.
The story of Dorcas Restored to Life takes place in the town of Joppa, which is near
Lydda. According to the Blue Letter Bible organization, The book of Acts is put in chronological
order around 36 A.D. Luke the Evangelist, the person who is said to author the Book of Acts, is
communicating to his readers the miracles of God through his apostles by way of divine
revelation. While Acts 9:36-43 illustrates the way Peter unexpectedly raised Dorcas from the
dead as she laid in the upper room; the story also starts with the greatest tragedy of them all
which is death. <Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the
remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.= (Micah
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7:18) No matter how bleak and dire tragedy and other events in one9s life may seem to be, repent
to God and he will forgive your sins. Once one9s sins are absolved by the Lord, one can move
forward with a clear head to do extraordinary things for the betterment of society. <Trust in the
Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. (Psalm 37:3)
B. Identify: Based on your answer above, write out one principle from this passage. You should
be able to express this principle in 1-3 sentences. Please remember that words like <I,= <We,=
<Us,= and <Our= are application words and not interpretation words.
As stated in the answer to question one, the author Luke the Evangelist is conveying a
message of tragedy, hope, and resurrection. Dorcas dies and Peter is sent for, once Peter arrives
he performs a miracle by raising Dorcas from the dead.
C. Check: Consult at least one scholarly resource in order to offer support for the principle
that you believe the passage is teaching. In 1-2 paragraphs (200-400 words), cite and interact
with this scholarly resource in order to demonstrate that it supports your interpretive conclusion.
Please consult the <Commentaries= as well as the <Bible Dictionaries & Handbooks= tabs
found on the research guide provided by the Jerry Falwell Library in order to access academic
and scholarly resources. The research guide can be found by following the link below:
https://libguides.liberty.edu/c.php?g=564126&p=3884087
While the story of Dorcas from Acts 9:36-43 can be interpreted differently depending on
the reader, a miracle is performed through divine revelation. <Divine revelation is where God, if
there is a God, acts to give some form
of
self-disclosure. Where
this
succeeds
8revelation9 is
taken to mean that the relevant acts lead to some knowledge of God. The word 8revelation9 has
roots in notions of an unveiling of what has been previously been hidden= (King, R., 2012)
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Based on the scholarly source9s definition, there is evidence of God injecting himself through
Peter to resurrect Dorcas. Furthermore the type of revelation we see in the story is special.
<Special revelation is where God acts to 8speak9 in some way, or to confirm by various acts that
indeed he has spoken, or to make his presence and activity manifest, particularly where these
acts are embedded in a wider narrative about God9s dealings with the world, usually associated
with prophetic claims to speak authoritatively on God9s behalf. A group of people or humanity in
general, is understood to be addressed.= (King, R., 2012) God performs the special revelation of
resurrection through Peter. Also another sign that this was a special revelation is because Peter
addresses the crowd and presents the resurrected Dorcas.
Bibliography
Gateway, B. (2022). Acts 9: 36-43 NLT . Acts 9: 36-43 NLT - - bible gateway. Retrieved
August 31, 2022, from
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2B9%3A%2B36-43&version=NLT
Gateway, B. (2022). Acts 9: 36-43 ESV . Acts 9: 36-43 ESV - - bible gateway. Retrieved
August 31, 2022, from
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2B9%3A%2B36-43&version=ESV
<Acts and the Epistles Chronology - Study Resources.= Blue Letter Bible. Accessed
August 31, 2022. https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/pnt/pnt02.cfm.
King, R. (2012). Divine revelation. Philosophy Compass, 7(7), 495-505.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-9991.2012.00497.x
