Women of the Bible // Dorcas

Hey y’all!  Today is the second study in the Women of the Bible series, and we’re going to be talking about Dorcas from Acts 9.  Now, Dorcas’ story has always been especially exciting to me because Acts 9 was one of the first full chapters I ever memorized.  I memorized it for a Bible quiz competition I was doing with my dad, but then he got pneumonia and we had to back out.  But that’s beside the point.  The important thing is that I hid Scripture in my heart.

ANYWAY, we don’t know as much about Dorcas as we do, say, for Ruth or Esther, who have multiple chapters devoted to their stories, but there are several things in Dorcas’s story that can give us better insight into the life of this generous woman.

Little side note: while studying about her, I found it very interesting that the name “Dorcas” actually means a female antelope, or gazelle!

Dorcas lived in Joppa (modern-day Jaffa), a city which overlooked the Mediterranean Sea.  This city should sound familiar to you, if you recall that Jonah headed down to the bay at Joppa to get a passage on a ship bound for Tarshish (Jonah 1:3).  There are also references to Joppa in 2nd Chronicles 2:16 and Ezra 3:7.

So now that you know a little bit more of the setting, let’s do what we did for Ruth, and highlight a couple characteristics we find in Dorcas.

Dorcas was a disciple.

The first thing we are told about Dorcas is that she was a disciple.  As a disciple, she very well understood Luke 14:27: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”  She was others-focused and lived out her faith with good works (Acts 9:36, 39; James 2:18).  When Peter came and lifted her from the dead with the power of the Holy Spirit, people were pointed towards the Lord (9:42), so in her testimony she probably put an extreme emphasis on the miracle being the Lord’s doing.

Does your life bear the imprint of a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ?

Dorcas was generous.

Again, we see this from verses 36 and 39.  Her generous spirit constantly spouted out good works and gifts for others.  Like the Proverbs 31 woman, she worked with her hands to make things, and faithful reached out to those in need (Prov. 31:19-20).  She seemed to have a soft spot for widows (Acts 9:39), perhaps being one herself.  Because Joppa was situated on the coast, there were probably lots of men who went out to sea, and many times they would never return, so Joppa may have had a large population of widows.

Are you generous?  Do you use your talents and abilities for the Lord, to help others?

Dorcas had a legacy.

When Peter rushed in from Lydda, he was bombarded with weeping widows.  Why?  They were all there, mourning for their dear friend.  They had with them the garments that Dorcas had made for them up until her death.  I am sure that Peter could not help but notice how special this woman -- this disciple -- must have been to them.

If you were to get sick today and die like Dorcas, what legacy would you leave?  What would people remember you being: the grumpy girl daydreaming in the church pews, or the joyful Jesus-follower serving with a smile?  Would they remember your ungrateful spirit and indifference towards others, or your thankful, tender heart?  What about your gifts?  Would they know even know what they are, because you’ve used them so much?

Your life story might not be as lengthy and interesting as Ruth’s, per say; Dorcas probably thought her life seemed pretty normal and quiet and insignificant, too, but yet she made the pages of Bible history.  There is a lot we don’t know about her; she may have been drop-dead gorgeous or could dance like nobody’s business.  But that is not what made her stand out in Bible history.  We know her as a generous Jesus-follower who used her gifts.  That’s the legacy she left.  That’s what is important.

Now let’s hear from you!

What did you take away from Dorcas’ story?

How important do you think generosity is in our lives?

What legacy do you want to leave?
Do you know of any resources on Dorcas?


> Read part one of the Women of the Bible series here.