What does Acts 9:41 mean?

Peter has just raised Tabitha from the dead. She is a generous, devout Jesus-follower from the town of Joppa—today known as Jaffa near Tel Aviv (Acts 9:36–40). Luke doesn't give us a detailed timeline of events before he starts traveling with Saul. This is after the establishment of the church in Jerusalem and after Saul's conversion on the Road to Damascus. But we don't know how long after Pentecost (Acts 2) this is. When Paul, then known as Saul (Acts 13:9), persecuted the church, the new believers fled Jerusalem and spread out into Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and at least as far as Syrian Antioch (Acts 8:1–3; 11:19–20). We don't know if the believers in Joppa had learned about Jesus from the apostles in Jerusalem or if this church was established by Philip as he traveled up the coastline from Azotus to Caesarea Maritima (Acts 8:40).

We do know that they have extraordinary faith. When Tabitha died, two men immediately set out to Lydda, about ten miles away, to get Peter and bring him back that day. Jews typically buried their dead before sunset; to touch the dead meant someone was unclean for seven days (Numbers 19:11), and since the day began at sunset it made sense to take care of the body before incurring another day's obligation. There seems to be no lack of faith here, just genuine mourning by people who loved Tabitha very much (Acts 9:36–40).

Their faith is rewarded. Peter raises her, through the power and authority of Jesus, and presents her to the other Jesus-followers and the widows who had benefited from Tabitha's kindness. Such fulfilled hope has a great effect as the news spreads and even more from Joppa believe in Jesus (Acts 9:42).