Back Home From Paradise

Today's Verses -- Acts 9:36-42

Context:
The Church has enjoyed a time of peace and strengthening by the Holy Spirit. Peter has been traveling around the country, healing people and growing the Church.

Text:
36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas[a]), who was always doing good and helping the poor. 37About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"
39Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. 42This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon. (NIV)
Footnotes:
Acts 9:36 Both Tabitha (Aramaic) and Dorcas (Greek) mean gazelle.
There has been quite a bit of controversy in the Church about people who claim to have died, gone to Heaven, then been brought back to Earth. I wish Luke (the presumed author of Acts) had interviewed her about the experience and recorded her story in more detail! Likewise we don't hear what happened to Lazarus during his days of death.

When Jesus was on the cross, he told the thief next to him "Today you will be with me in paradise." Before Christ's death a Jew had to be obedient to the laws of God to get into Heaven. Afterwords we are told that only by believing in Christ, repenting and being baptized will provide entrance to Heaven. We know that Dorcas was a disciple, so it makes sense to suppose that she was a resident of Heaven after her death.

It was wonderful for the followers of Christ to have their dear friend back, and we presume she went back to her acts of love and service for others. And many more believed in Christ as a result of this resurrection.

But I really wonder how she felt about the whole incident. After all, she'd been in paradise! I'm not sure I'd be thrilled to come back to earth after an experience like that.

There were many believers who died ...both for their faith and from illness or old age. Why did Peter bring Dorcas back and not Stephen?

Does God bring people back from the dead in our time?