Neville Goddard on Acts 9:32-43 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Acts 9 in context

Scripture Focus

32And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.

33And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.

34And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

35And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

36Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

37And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

38And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

39Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

40But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

42And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

43And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

Acts 9:32-43

Biblical Context

Peter heals Aeneas of palsy in Lydda and later raises Dorcas in Joppa; these miracles lead many to believe in the Lord, illustrating restoration and new life through faith.

Neville's Inner Vision

Within Neville's reading, Aeneas is not merely a sick man but a consciousness that has long believed itself paled by limitation. Peter is the I AM, the living presence within you that says, 'Jesus Christ maketh thee whole.' When you hear that word, you do not beg for healing; you accept that your being is already complete, and the body simply follows the mind's built-in reality. The command, 'arise, and make thy bed,' becomes your inner directive to align outer life with inner truth: release the old bed of limitation and stand in your true estate. Dorcas (Tabitha) represents your deeds of love—the garments you have woven with kindness and service. Her death and revival show that even cherished works can live again when the mind returns to the living presence of God within. The gathering of saints and widows is the chorus of inner states—humility, faith, and action—that witness the miracle and confirm it. The miracle, in Neville's sense, is not a spectacle in space but a turning of consciousness toward the fact of life here and now, by which many in your life awaken to the Lord inside. The story invites you to believe in your own risen life, here and now.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and step into Peter—the I AM within you—and declare, 'Jesus Christ maketh thee whole' as a present-tense truth. Then visualize Tabitha rising and being presented alive by your inner saints, and feel that wholeness filling you now.