Acts 12

H. Leo Boles Commentary On Acts 12 OF JAMES Acts 12:1-2 1 Now about that time Herod—“ About that time” was A.D. 44, as Herod’ s death occurred in this year; Barnabas and Saul came from Antioch to Jerusalem after the persecution by Herod near the close of A.D. 44 or the beginning of A.D. 45. “ Herod the king,” this was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great; he was ruler over Palestine from A.D. 42 to A.D. 44; he was the son of Aristobulus, the nephew of Herod Antipas, the brother of Herodias, and the father of Herod Agrippa II. He went to Rome at an early age, was educated at the court of Tiberius, and had become a companion of Caligula. He determined “ to afflict certain of the church.” It had been probably more than eight years since the persecution over the death of Stephen ceased with the conversion of Saul; but the disciples were not popular in Jerusalem with either Sadducees or Pharisees. 2 And he killed James—This James was the brother of John and was closely associated with Peter during the personal ministry of Jesus. Peter, James and John formed the inner circle of the apostles. He was the son of Zebedee, and was one of the first dis¬ciples of Jesus. At one time James and John were ambitious to be nearest Jesus in his kingdom, and James felt sure that he could drink of the same cup of suffering as Jesus (Matthew 20:20-25), and his death shows that he stood the test. James was the first of the apostles to die, and his brother John was the last. The martyrdom of James showed the early disciples that God did not always mean to interpose to deliver the apostles, and also taught them that they were to be partakers of the sufferings of Christ.

It is thought that James was killed about the close of A.D. 43. He was killed “ with the sword.” There were four modes of capital punishment in use among the Jews, namely; (1) stoning; (2) burning; (3) decapita¬tion; (4) strangling. “ Stoning” was authorized by the law of Moses; crucifixion was a Roman punishment, and was not prac¬ticed save under Roman governors. AND OF PETERAct_12:3-19 3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews,—It is likely that Herod had pleased both the rulers of the Jews and the people, because James, one of the leaders of the disciples, had been killed; this encouraged Herod to attempt to destroy other leaders among the Christians; hence, “ he proceeded to seize Peter also.” The Pharisees had always hated the disciples because they taught the resurrection of the dead; the Pharisees, no doubt, had heard of Peter’ s making common with the Gentiles; hence, they would be eager to have Peter destroyed. Luke, the historian, here indirectly locates the time of the year when Peter was arrested; those were the days of unleavened bread. The Feast of the Passover came on the fourteenth day of the first month, Abib, or Nisan; the feast of “ unleavened bread” followed the Passover and continued seven days. (Exodus 12:12-13 Exodus 12:29-30; Leviticus 23:5-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8.) Since the feast of unleavened bread followed the Passover so closely, the same name was applied to both feasts; the Passover was sometimes called the feast of unleavened bread, and the feast of unleavened bread was called the Passover; both came in the first month of the Jewish year, Abib, or Nisan, and correspond to our latter part of March and the first of April. (See Luke 22:1.) 4 And when he had taken him,—It seems that there was some delay in the arrest of Peter; we know not the cause of the delay, but when he was found he was put in prison and they “ delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him” ; that is, he was given to a band of four soldiers on guard at one time, two within, one on each side of Peter, bound one to each of his arms with chains, a third posted outside the door, and a fourth in the passage leading to the outside gate. It was customary to relieve the soldiers from duty every three hours, at each of the watches night and day; hence, sixteen soldiers were responsible for him. In addition to this, the prison doors were fastened and a great iron gate helped to make secure the prisoner. Escape from the prison was humanly impossible. Perhaps Peter was so imprisoned and held secure because they remembered that he at one time escaped from prison (Acts 5:19), and they did not intend that he should get away this time. He was kept in prison until after “ the Passover,” and then he was to be killed. Here we have this feast called “ the Passover,” and in verse 3 it is called “ the days of unleavened bread.” Herod would not execute Peter during the Passover festival, because that would offend the Jews whom he wished to please. “ Bring him forth to the people” is similar to the description of the trial of Jesus. (Luke 22:66.) Herod intended to execute Peter within a week or ten days, but he did not know that his own death was nearer than that of Peter. 5 Peter therefore was kept in the prison:—Peter was in the inner prison or lower ward and would be led to the judgment seat where Herod Agrippa would sit so soon as the festal days were ended. (John 19:13.) There is an emphatic contrast here. Peter was kept in prison, but “ prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.” Here was a battle between the church and the world, the world attempting to destroy Peter and the church praying for him. We have King Herod, soldiers, prison, chains, iron gates on the one side, and a company of Christians praying on the other side; what will be the outcome ? The prayers were made “ earnestly,” without ceasing. (Luke 22:44.) It was a trying time with the church at Jerusalem; the apostle James had been killed and Peter was to be the next victim) hence, the disciples prayed “ earnestly.” This word comes from the Greek “ ektenes,” which means “ strained,” and from “ ekteino,” which means “ to stretch” ; it is the same word as used with respect to the prayer of Jesus (Luke 22:44), and is the same Greek word translated “ fervently” in 1 Peter 1:22. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him forth,—When the time arrived, or the festal days were ended, Herod had in mind to execute Peter the following day; but “ the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers” ; and was bound “ with two chains.” It should be noted that although the time of execution was near, yet Peter “ was sleeping” ; he was not disturbed about his condition. The two soldiers were chained to Peter and Peter was between them. The guards were on duty and standing “ before the door” of the prison; hence, the two guards outside were keeping the door and the two soldiers within were chained to Peter with two chains. Perhaps Peter may have remembered what Jesus had said to him about his death, that he should live to be an old man. (John 21:18.) 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him,—“ An angel of the Lord” is here introduced by Luke with the same phraseology as Luke used with respect to the visit of the angel to the shepherds. (Luke 2:9.) This angel stood by Peter while he was asleep; “ a light shined in the cell” with splendor and attended the presence of the angel; this light did not awaken Peter, so the angel “ smote Peter on the side, and awoke him.” When he was awake the angel said: “ Rise up quickly.” The angel roused Peter, he did not help him to arise, but commanded him to get up. “ His chains fell off from his hands.” The soldier who was appointed to guard a prisoner had the chain fastened to the wrist of his left hand, while the right hand remained at liberty to punish the prisoner if he attempted to escape; but Peter had chains around both hands as he was bound to two soldiers with two chains. 8 And the angel said unto him,—The angel gave further in¬struction to Peter and told him to gird himself and put on his san¬dals. For convenience Peter had unbound his girdle, unfastened his sandals, and was sleeping with his garment loosely over him; when he arose at the angel’ s touch it would fall loosely at his feet, so he would need to gird himself. Peter would need to be clad as he was about to make a journey from the prison; he obeyed at once and the angel commanded him to cast his garment about him and follow him. The sandals worn at that time covered only the soles of the feet and were bound on the foot with a strap. 9 And he went out, and followed;—Perhaps the angel had caused a deep sleep to come upon the soldiers, so they were harm¬less as Peter escaped; Peter went out and followed the angel. The angel was in the form of a man and Peter “ knew not that it was true which was done by the angel” ; he thought that he “ saw a vision.” Peter was puzzled and did not know that the reality of escape was being made; he had had a vision in Joppa (Acts 10:10) which Luke described as an ecstasy. Peter was so surprised that he scarcely knew whether he was asleep or awake. 10 And when they were past the first and the second guard,—The outer guards were stationed one nearer to the inner door of the prison and the other at some greater distance away; so when the angel had led Peter past these guards, “ they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city.” This description, with the words which immediately follow about the street into which they came, indicate that the prison in which Peter was kept was in the midst of the city. When they came to the iron gate it opened “ of its own accord” to them and “ they went out” and “ passed on through one street” and immediately the angel left Peter. The angel had delivered Peter and now Peter could make his way alone. We have no means of knowing just where in Jerusalem this prison was located. 11 And when Peter was come to himself,—“ Come to him¬self” is from the Greek “ heautoi genomenos,” which means “ be¬coming at himself” ; it is the same expression used in Luke 15:17 where the prodigal son “ came to himself,” and means that he came to himself, as if he had been on a trip away from himself. Peter came out of his semidazed condition, and had all of his senses under control. He knew what had occurred— that the Lord had sent his angel and delivered him out of the hands of Herod and “ from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.” The Jews were ex¬pecting Herod to put Peter to death; they were anxious for him to do that so that Christianity would be checked. 12 And when he had considered the thing,—When Peter came to himself and realized that God had preserved him from death, “ he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark.” It is probable that the disciples were accustomed to meeting at the house of Mary, so Peter’ s mind worked rapidly and he decided to go and find protection and companionship there. There are six Marys mentioned in the New Testament; they are as follows: (1) Mary of Cleophas (John 19:25); (2) Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2); (3) Mary the mother of Mark (Acts 12:12); (4) Mary, sister of Lazarus (Luke 10:42); (5) Mary, a Roman Christian (Romans 16:6) ; (6) Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:30). When Peter arrived at the house of Mary he found “ many were gathered together and were praying.” It seems that the praying had been going on all night, and a large number of the disciples were there. At another time the disciples gathered to pray (Acts 4:31) after Peter had told the disciples of the threats of the Sanhedrin. “ The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working.” (James 5:16.) 13 And when he knocked at the door—It is not strange that the door at the house of Mary would be fastened, as it was night and great fear was upon the disciples. Peter came to the door and knocked; this was the outer door, as there was a passage leading from the street to the inner court; just inside was a small room, like a porter’ s lodge, and a door admitting into the room from the court. A damsel by the name of Rhoda came to answer the knock. “ Rhoda” means “ rose.” It was customary to name the daughters of the house after the most beautiful objects, as “ Esther” which means a star; “ Hadassah” which means “ myrtle” ; “ Dorcas” which means “ antelope” ; “ Margarita” which means “ pearl” ; “ Susannah” which means “ lily” ; “ Deborah” which means “ bee” ; and “ Tamar” which means “ palm tree.” “ Damsel” was used of a young female slave, as well as of a young girl; the narrative implies that she was more than a servant. 14 And when she knew Peter’ s voice,—Peter must have been a frequent visitor to Mary’ s house, and a frequent speaker to the disciples, as his voice was familiar even to the damsel. In her ex¬citement and haste, when she recognized Peter’ s voice, she ran back into the house without opening the gate for Peter; she reported to the company that Peter was without and that he stood “ before the gate.” 15 And they said unto her,—The company within did not believe Rhoda; they saw she was excited and said to her: “ Thou art mad.” However, the damsel “ confidently affirmed that it was even so.” She seems to have been so earnest and so sincere that the company was convinced that something had occurred to her; hence, they were ready to say: “ It is his angel.” The Jews be¬lieved in the guardian angel, and they thought that Peter’ s “ angel” had assumed the voice of Peter. (Matthew 18:10.) These disciples perhaps thought that Peter’ s angel had come to make known to them something about Peter. 16 But Peter continued knocking:—The maiden had left the gate unopened and reported in excitement that Peter was at the gate; while she was gone Peter continued to knock for entrance, and when the gate was opened, “ they saw him, and were amazed.” It seems that all heard the knocking and several must have gone to the gate, and when it was opened, they were amazed to find Peter standing there. Surely they were not praying for Peter’ s delivery, or else they would not have been so amazed at an answer to their prayer; they were praying for him, but we do not know the peti¬tions of their prayer. 17 But he, beckoning unto them—The company seems to have been as much excited as the maiden who first heard his voice; however, Peter motioned with his hand for them to keep silent. “ Beckoning” with the hand is from the Greek “ kataseisas tei cheiri,” and literally means “ shake down with the hand” ; the speaker indicated by a downward movement of the hand his desire for silence; Peter was anxious for every precaution to be taken that no noise be made to attract attention to him. While the Lord had protected him from Herod by releasing him from prison, yet Peter does all that he can in righteousness to remain out of the hands of Herod. He told the little company “ how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison.” It seems that James and others of the brethren were not present; there was no place in Jerusalem where all the disciples could meet. It is evident that this James was the Lord’ s brother, and he is now one of the leading men of the church at Jerusalem. (Galatians 1:19.) James is here recognized by Peter as a man of great influence. James was present in Jerusalem when the question of circumcision was decided. (Acts 15:13.) After informing the group at the house of Mary as to how he was released from prison and giving orders to report his release to James and the other brethren, Peter departed “ and went to another place.” We are not told where he went; he may have left Jerusalem. Mary’ s house was too well known for him to remain there if he would escape from Herod. Peter must use all precaution and means of escape, so he may have left Jerusalem. (Matthew 10:23.) 18 Now as soon as it was day,—Early next morning the soldiers discovered that Peter had escaped, and “ there was no small stir among the soldiers.” “ Stir” is from the Greek “ tarachos,” and means “ to agitate;” it is used only twice in the New Testa¬ment, here and in Acts 19:23. Very likely the sixteen soldiers, or “ four quaternions” of soldiers were greatly disturbed over the es¬cape of Peter; they were responsible for the prisoner with their lives. (Acts 16:27 Acts 27:42.) 19 And when Herod had sought for him,—The next morn¬ing, which was the day of execution, Herod sought for Peter, but could not find him. We know not what report the soldiers gave to Herod; Herod, following a custom or law in Rome, “ examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death.” “ Examined” is from the Greek “ anakrinas,” which means “ to sift up and down, to question thoroughly.” (Luke 23:14; Acts 4:9 Acts 28:18.) The soldiers were ordered to be put to death; this was the ordinary Roman routine and not a proof of special cruelty on the part of Herod Agrippa. After this Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and remained there for a time; Herod, like the Roman governor, though his principal residence was at Jerusalem, yet had also a palace at Caesarea; he spent his time in either city as cir¬cumstances required.

DEATH OF HEROD AGRIPPA IAct_12:20-2320 Now he was highly displeased with them—Herod was greatly “ displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon.” Tyre and Sidon were on the Mediterranean coast in Phoenicia; we are not informed here why he was so displeased with these cities. Tyre and Sidon were trading seaports, and much of the goods shipped at these ports passed through Galilee; Herod could divert a great deal of it to Caesarea or Joppa. Phoenicia was so populous that it depended on its neighbors for food, and much of that came from Galilee. Herod was in position to do much harm to these cities. However, agreement was reached with each other and they came to Herod. It seems that Tyre and Sidon had made “ Blastus the king’ s chamberlain their friend” ; hence, through him they asked for peace “ because their country was fed from the king’ s country.” The hostility between the Phoenicians and Herod was not an open war, but the representatives of Tyre and Sidon, together with Blastus, prevailed upon Herod to let the supplies be brought to these cities.

Blastus had charge of his master’ s sleeping apartment and, to some extent, of his person. He had the duty of introducng visitors to him and remained in an adjoining room so that he would be ready when the king wanted him. 21 And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel,—The day was one appointed for holding a festival on which to make vows for Caesar’ s safety; Herod arrayed himself in his royal apparel and “ sat on the throne, and made an oration unto them.” We are told a vast multitude assembled to see the festival and games, and before these, the king, in all the pride of high state, appeared on the second day in a robe “ made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment, being illumi-nated by the fresh reflection of the sun’ s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a terror over those that looked intently upon him.” (Josephus, Antiquities, 19:8.) 22 And the people shouted,—When Herod made his speech, the people shouted his praise and said: “ The voice of a god, and not of a man.” They attributed to him the honor of a god, and their praise was tantamount to worship. The crowd repeated their flattering adulation to gain Herod’ s favor; their worship of him was pleasing to his vanity. This flattery was highly acceptable to Herod as he sat on his throne in the presence of a vast assembly Of ambassadors who had come to him as a distinguished ruler with the special purpose of removing his displeasure toward the cities of Tyre and Sidon. 23 And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him,—Luke does not tell us that this angel was visible; his record does imply that Herod’ s death was a judgment from God; he had failed to give God praise; he received the honor which belonged to God; hence, his punishment was considered as divine judgment. “ He was eaten of worms” and died. “ Worm” is from the Greek “ sko lex,” and was used of “ intestinal worms” ; there are several cases recorded in ancient history of such deaths. Josephus says that Herod Agrippa lingered for five days, and says that the rotting of his flesh produced worms; this is in harmony with Luke’ s description. It is recorded that Herod died in August, A.D. 44. Herod died a most revolting death, and much more shocking than a sud¬den stroke of death.

RETURN OF SAUL AND Act_12:24-25 24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.—This statement is given to show the contrast between what man was attempting to do to stop the growth of the church and what God was doing for it. “ Grew and multiplied” is from the Greek “ euxanen kai eplethuneto,” and means “ a very rapid increase;” persecutions did not stop the growth of the disciples, neither did it check the number of converts; in fact, the more bitter and severe the perse¬cution the more rapidly did the church increase. The cause of Christ cannot be destroyed by persecution. The history of the church as revealed in Acts shows that the church multiplied more rapidly under persecution than at other times. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned—Agabus had come from Jerusalem to Antioch and had prophesied of a “ great famine over all the world” (Acts 11:27-28), and the disciples at Antioch de¬termined to send relief to the Jewish brethren in Judea; they did this and sent their contribution by Barnabas and Saul; hence, Barnabas and Saul went to Jerusalem. We left them there as chapter 11 closed. When they had “ fulfilled their ministration” they returned to Antioch and brought with them “ John whose sur¬name was Mark.” Mark was the son of Mary into whose house Peter had gone after his escape from prison. Mark was a cousin of Barnabas. (Colossians 4:10.)

So far the historian, Luke, has narrated the facts of the beginning of the church on Pentecost; then its extension among the Jews and Samaritans. He has touched upon the extension of the church among the devout Gentiles, and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Some attention has been given to the persecution of the early church. Peter has been the central figure in the history of the spread of the church among the Jews; he was the apostle of the circumcision. Now the historian turns attention to the labors of Paul as the apostle to the uncircumcised or Gentiles; Antioch be¬comes the center from which the gospel is extended among the Gentiles “ unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8.)

J.W. McGarvey Commentary On Acts 12Act 12:1-2. The historian does not follow Barnabas and Saul in their tour through the districts in Judea, but, leaving them for awhile, introduces a very interesting episode concerning events that were then transpiring in Jerusalem. (1) “Now, about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hand to afflict certain persons of the Church, (2) and killed James the brother of John with the sword.” The persecutions which we have hitherto noticed were conducted by religious partisans in Jerusalem, without any active assistance on the part of the civil authorities. We are now introduced to one in which the reigning prince is the leader, while the old enemies of the truth are working behind the curtain, if at all. This Herod was a grandson of that Herod by whom the infants of Bethlehem were slaughtered, and a nephew of “ Herod the Tetrarch,” by whom John the Immerser was beheaded. He grew up in Rome, where he wasted what fortune he had inherited in princely extravagance; but while doing so he acquired an intimacy with Caius Cæsar, afterward the famous Caligula of history. When the latter ascended the throne, at the death of Tiberius, he elevated his friend Agrippa, as this Herod was most usually called, to a kingdom, which was subsequently enlarged by Claudius until it embraced all the territory ruled by his grandfather Herod the Great. He was now in the zenith of his power, and living in the utmost magnificence. Why he undertook this persecution it is difficult to tell, unless he was instigated to it by the old enemies of the Church. This appears most probable from Luke’s statement below, that he seized Peter because he saw that the death of James pleased the Jews. A number of brethren suffered in this persecution, though James the brother of John is the only one who is said to have suffered death. He is designated as the “ brother of John” to distinguish him from the other James, who is the author of the epistle bearing this name. He was the first of the apostles to suffer death, and his brother John was the last. In the death of both were fulfilled the words of Jesus, uttered on a memorable occasion, when they asked him for a seat, one at his right hand, and the other at his left. He asked them if they were able to undergo the immersion which he would undergo. They said, “ We are able.” He replied, “ You shall, indeed, drink of my cup, and be immersed in the immersion in which I am immersed; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.” As the sword of the executioner was made bare, and the neck of James laid upon the block, he could but remember these words. He understood, too, far better than when he first made the request, what it is to sit at the right hand of Jesus. Why James was selected for this murderous example, in preference to any other of the apostles, we are not informed; but we have already seen that the brunt of persecution uniformly fell upon those most prominent in the scenes which were the immediate occasion of it. This consideration gives some ground for the conclusion that, though Peter and John had hitherto acted the most prominent part in Jerusalem, at this time James stood in the foreground in the conflict with the unbelieving Jews. Acts 12:3-4. When a man engages in a wicked enterprise, his conscience makes him timid while left to himself; but the applause of the multitude enables him to drown the voice of conscience, and rush on madly to the end. Agrippa may have hesitated when he found his hands stained with the blood of an apostle; but when the people applauded, he hesitated no longer. (3) “And seeing that it was pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. But it was in the days of unleavened bread. (4) And having apprehended him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending, after the Passover, to bring him out to the people.” A public execution during the feast of unleavened bread would have been exceedingly incongruous with the religious solemnities of the occasion: hence this delay. The four quaternions of soldiers who guarded Peter consisted of sixteen men, each quaternion consisting of four. It was enough to keep four men on guard during each of the four watches of the night. They, together with the strength of the prison doors, were deemed sufficient for the utmost security. Acts 12:5. We have noticed that when Peter and John were dismissed from the Sanhedrim, with a threat of violence if they dared any more to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, they came to their own company, and all united in prayer to God for courage. Now that James has been murdered, and Peter is in prison awaiting the same fate, we find the brethren once more unitedly appealing to God. (5) “Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but fervent prayer was made by the Church to God for him.” When we reflect that the circumstances affecting the disciples were calculated in the highest degree to exasperate them against the murderers of their brethren, and stimulate them to active measures for the defense of their own lives, it is exceedingly to their credit that they were engaged in fervent prayer. If they had been taught the modern doctrine that Christians may rightly resist, with violence, the assaults of tyrannical rulers, and, whatever the weakness on their own part, may confidently appeal to the God of battles in vindication of their rights, their feelings, and their conduct, under these circumstances, must have been far different from what they were. If ever there was an occasion on which the boasted first law of nature, the right of self-defense, would justify resistance to oppression, it existed here. But, instead of the passion and turmoil of armed preparation, we hear from the midnight assemblies of the disciples the voice of fervent prayer.

Where prayer is, acceptable prayer, there is no passion, no thirst for revenge, or purpose of violence. These men were disciples of the Prince of Peace. Acts 12:6. Time wore away in painful suspense until the Passover was gone by. (6) “And when Herod was about to bring him forth, in that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards before the door were guarding the prison.” He was securely kept, according to the most ingenious method of the Roman army. Besides the prison-doors, and the guards without, his arms were pinioned by two chains, each to the arm of a soldier on the right and left, so that he could not move without disturbing one or both. If Herod was actuated, in adopting these precautions, by a desire to prevent a rescue, he ought to have known that Peter’s brethren never fought with carnal weapons, even to save the life of a brother. Or if he feared a miraculous escape of his prisoner, and intended that the guards should kill him upon the first movement of that kind, he ought to have remembered that all the twelve had once walked out of a prison in that city without hindrance either from the iron doors or the armed soldiers. But wicked men are prone to forget the warnings of the past, and continue to repeat, in endless succession, the blunders of their predecessors. Acts 12:7-11. Though Peter undoubtedly expected to die the next day, he seems to have slept as soundly as the soldiers to whom he was chained. All was dark and still within the prison until a late hour of the night, when the scene suddenly changed. (7) “And behold, an angel of the Lord, stood by, and a light shone in the prison; and striking Peter on the side, he raised him up, saying, Rise up quickly. His chains fell from his hands. (8) And the angel said to him, Gird yourself, and bind on your sandals. He did so. And he said to him, Cast your mantle about you and follow me. (9) And he followed him, going out, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. (10) But having passed through the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and going out, they went forward one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. (11) Then Peter, coming to himself, said, Now I know in reality that the Lord has sent his angel, and delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” It is not at all strange that Peter thought, at first, that he was dreaming; for the deliverance was entirely unexpected, and was effected in the most wonderful manner, and amid the bewilderment usual upon being suddenly aroused from deep sleep. When he found himself alone in the street, and had collected his senses, he knew that it was a reality, and felt like one waking from a singular dream. Acts 12:12. When the angel departed, he stood in the street for awhile, reflecting upon the incident, and considering what he should do. In the house of Mary the sister of Barnabas, a number of disciples were at that very hour engaged in prayer in his behalf. He knew nothing of this, but, guided either by the proximity of the house, or the well-known character of its inmates, he turned in that direction. (12) “When he understood the matter, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.“ Acts 12:13-16. Although the condition of Peter was the burden of the prayers of these disciples, they were by no means expecting his deliverance, and were most likely praying that he might be enabled to endure with fortitude a death which they regarded as inevitable. (13) “And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to hear who it was. (14) And recognizing the voice of Peter, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told that Peter was standing before the gate. (15) But they said to her, You are mad. But she positively affirmed that it was really so. Then they said, It is his angel. (16) But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.”When we remember that these disciples were so familiar with miracles, it is rather surprising that the deliverance of Peter should have caused so much astonishment. It shows that they were still disposed, like ourselves, to estimate the probabilities of even what God may do, by the difficulties of the execution. This is really judging of God by the standard of human ability.

While we are compelled to approach the unknown through the known, we will, perhaps, never rise above this weakness. Still, it should not, even in the most difficult cases, check the fervency of our prayers. They undervalued the power or the willingness of God to grant their desires, in the day of miracles, as we undervalue his power to work without miracles; yet their prayers were none the less fervent or persistent. When Rhoda insisted that it was Peter at the gate, and the disciples said, It is his angel, they undoubtedly had allusion to the popular superstition of their day, that a man’s guardian angel sometimes assumed his form. Before this, the twelve had twice imagined that they saw a disembodied spirit; once when they saw Jesus walking on the water, and once when he miraculously entered a closed room where they were sitting. These facts show how strong a hold the popular superstitions had upon their minds. But while the conception that angels sometimes assumed the forms of those whom they guarded, and that disembodied spirits were sometimes visible, was superstitious, we must not forget that beneath this superstition there was a solemn reality. Jesus says, “ Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.” Paul asks, “ Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who shall inherit salvation?” And David, under the old economy, says, in his own poetic style, “ The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them who fear him.” In view of these statements, we can not doubt that the ministration of angels in behalf of the saints is still a reality. Acts 12:17. Apprehensive of a pursuit, Peter did not remain long with the brethren in the house of Mary. (17) “But, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and said, Tell these things to James and the brethren. And going out, he went to another place.” Whether this other place was a place of concealment in the city, or an entirely new field of labor, is not known. The prominence given to the name of the surviving James, in this speech of Peter, shows that he already occupied a prominent position among the brethren. We will, hereafter, see that he continued to occupy this position. Acts 12:18-19. The escape of Peter had been altogether unobserved by the soldiers who guarded him. The two who were chained to him in the prison slept on till day, and those guarding the outside changed their watches at the regular hours without suspecting any thing wrong within. (18) “Now when it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. (19) And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Cæsarea, and abode there.” The military law of the Romans required that guards who allowed the escape of a prisoner, and rendered no satisfactory account of it, should be put to death. But it is impossible to believe that on this occasion Herod was governed by an honest sense of military duty. He must have known that the escape of Peter was miraculous, and the execution of the guards was an act of insane fury. A conscience stained by the blood of an apostle and of sixteen faithful soldiers could not find rest in the place where the deeds were done; and doubtless this had much to do with the removal of his residence to Cæsarea. Acts 12:20-23. The historian pursues the history of this murderous prince a little further. (20) “Now Herod was enraged against the Tyrians and Sidonians. But they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace, because their country was nourished by that of the king. (21) And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration to them. (22) And the people cried out, The voice of a God, and not of a man. (23) And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory, and being eaten by worms, he expired.” Josephus says of the “ royal apparel” in which he was arrayed, that it was woven wholly of silver threads, the glittering of which, in the morning sun, suggested the idolatrous exclamation of the multitude. He also relates that Herod was seized with pains in the bowels, so violent that he had to be carried into the palace, and lingered five days in excruciating torments from the worms also mentioned by Luke. This historian mentions some circumstances of a superstitious character in connection with this terrible event, but his account agrees substantially with that of Luke. Thus was the righteous judgment of God, which is chiefly reserved for the future state, displayed even in the world, for the terror of wicked men and the encouragement of the righteous. Acts 12:24. It was impossible that this providential and sudden death of Herod, occurring so soon after the murders which he had committed in Jerusalem, should not seriously affect the public mind. We are not surprised, therefore, that Luke adds: (24) “But the word of the Lord grew and multiplied.” Once more the efforts of men to crush the cause of Christ resulted in the extension of its triumphs. Acts 12:25. This narrative concerning the death of James, the imprisonment of Peter, and the miserable death of Herod, is thrown in between the arrival of Paul and Barnabas on their mission to the poor saints, and their return to Antioch. It is most probable that they were in Jerusalem at the feast during which Peter lay in prison. (25) “Now Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John who was surnamed Mark.” This is the first appearance in public life of the evangelist Mark, whose education in the house of Mary his mother, and whose subsequent familiarity, first with Barnabas and Saul, and afterward with Peter, very happily fitted him for the gospel narrative which we have from his pen. We will have more to say of him hereafter.

“ACTS OF THE "

Chapter Twelve IN THIS CHAPTER

1. To note the martyrdom of James, and the miraculous release of Peter from prison

2. To review the untimely death of Herod, and the continued success of the word of God

SUMMARY This chapter records the efforts by King Herod to harass the church in Jerusalem. This Herod was Agrippa I, son of Herod Antipas (who beheaded John the Baptist, M att 14:1-12), and grandson of Herod the Great (who slew the infants at Bethlehem, Matthew 2:1-16). Successfully killing James the brother of John with the sword, Herod had Peter arrested and imprisoned, intending to bring Peter before the people after the Passover. Herod’s plans were thwarted when an angel of the Lord freed Peter from prison. After meeting with brethren at the home of Mary, mother of John Mark, Peter sent word to James and the brethren of his miraculous release. When Peter was not found in the prison, Herod had the guards examined and executed. Herod then went down to Caesarea (Acts 12:1-19).

While at Caesarea, the people of Tyre and Sidon came to Herod to appeal for peace. When he gave them an oration, the people praised his speech as “the voice of a god and not of a man.” Failing to give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck Herod and he died. The word of God, however, grew and multiplied. Barnabas and Saul, having completed their ministry to the saints in Judea (cf. Acts 11:29-30), returned from Jerusalem to Antioch accompanied by John Mark. At this point in Luke’s narrative of the history of the church, the focus turns from the ministry of Peter to the ministry of Paul (Acts 12:20-24).

OUTLINE I. THE BY HEROD THE KING (Acts 12:1-19) A. JAMES KILLED WITH THE SWORD (Acts 12:1-2)1. Herod begins to harass some from the church 2. He killed James the brother the John

B. PETER , FREED BY AN ANGEL (Acts 12:3-19)1. Peter seized during the days of Unleavened Bread a. Since Herod saw that it pleased the Jews b. Intending to bring Peter before the people after Passover 2. Peter released by an angel a. Constant prayer was being offered by the church b. Though bound with chains between two guards, with more before the door c. An angel stands before Peter, along with a shining light d. The angel strikes Peter on the side, and raises him; chains fell off e. Told to gird himself, tie his sandals, put on his garments, and follow f. Thinking it was a vision, Peter follows the angel past the guards and into the city 3. Peter rejoined with his brethren a. He realizes that the angel has delivered him from Herod b. He comes to the house of Mary, mother of John Mark, where many are praying c. He is first left standing at the door by Rhoda, then astonishes the brethren when they come to the door d. He relates what happened, sends word to James and the brethren, and departs 4. Peter’s release causes a stir a. Herod is unable to find Peter b. Herod examines the soldiers and has them put to death c. Herod leaves Judea and goes to Caesarea

II. THE DEATH OF HEROD THE KING (Acts 12:20-25) A. HIS LAST ORATION (Acts 12:20-22)1. The people of Tyre and Sidon appeal for peace to Herod through Blastus, the king’s aide 2. On a set day, in royal apparel and on his throne, Herod gives them an oration 3. The people praise him as having the voice of a god and not of a man

B. STRUCK DOWN BY AN ANGEL (Acts 12:23)1. An angel of the Lord strikes him immediately because he did not give glory to God 2. He is eaten of worms and dies

C. WORD OF GOD (Acts 12:24-25)1. The word of God grows and multiplies 2. Barnabas and Saul return from Jerusalem with John Mark, fulfilling their ministry

REVIEW FOR THE CHAPTER

1. What are the main points of this chapter?- The persecution by Herod the King (Acts 12:1-19)

• The death of Herod the King (Acts 12:20-25)

2. How did Herod begin to harass the church? (Acts 12:1-3)- By having James the brother of John killed with the sword

• By having Peter put in prison

3. When was Peter imprisoned? When did Herod intend to present him to the people? (Acts 12:3-4)- During the Days of Unleavened Bread

• After Passover

4. How did the church respond to Peter’s imprisonment? (Acts 12:5)- They offered constant prayer to God in his behalf

5. How was Peter bound, the night before Herod intended to bring him before the people? (Acts 12:6)- With two chains between two soldiers, and guards before the door of the prison

6. As the angel freed Peter and led him out of the prison, what was Peter thinking? (Acts 12:7-9)- That he was seeing a vision

7. After the angel led Peter into the city and then left, what did Peter come to realize? (Acts 12:10-11)- The Lord had sent His angel to deliver him from Herod and the expectation of the people

8. Where did Peter first go? What were the people there doing? (Acts 12:12)- The house of Mary, mother of John Mark

• Praying

9. Who answered the door? How did she react? (Acts 12:13-14)- A girl named Rhoda

• She recognized Peter, but in her excitement left him standing at the door

10. What did the people think she had seen at the door? (Acts 12:15)- Peter’s angel

11. After they finally went to the door and let him in, what instructions did Peter give? (Acts 12:16-17)- To tell what happened to James and the brethren

12. When Peter was not found in the prison on the next day, what happened? (Acts 12:18-19)- There was a big stir among the soldiers

• Herod had the guards examined, then executed

13. Where did Herod then go? Who came with an appeal for peace? (Acts 12:19-20)- From Judea down to Caesarea

• The people of Tyre and Sidon

14. When Herod gave them an oration, what did the people say? (Acts 12:21-22)- “The voice of a god and not of man!”

15. What happened to Herod? Why? (Acts 12:23)- An angel of the Lord struck him, so that he was eaten by worms and died

• Because he did not give glory to God

16. Despite Herod’s effort to harass the church, what was the result? (Acts 12:24)- The word of God grew and multiplied

17. Who returned from Jerusalem, and whom did they bring with them? (Acts 12:25)- Barnabas and Saul, having fulfilled their ministry

• John Mark

Verse 1 A comparison of the last verses of Acts 11 and this chapter (Acts 12) suggests that Barnabas and Paul made that trip to Jerusalem with relief for the victims of the famine at about the time of the events given in Acts 12, this being in 44 A.D., a date determined by the death of Herod Agrippa I. That monarch had succeeded in putting together the whole domain of his grandfather Herod the Great, and had also been given the title of king by Claudius. He was a staunch friend of the Jews and was no doubt influenced by them to make the move to destroy Christianity. He martyred James, seized and imprisoned Peter, planning to execute him publicly after the Passover festivities. Nowhere in the New Testament does the intervention of Almighty God on behalf of his church appear any more timely and dramatic than in this chapter. With their friend on the throne, the Jewish hierarchy decided to exterminate Christianity; and there was no reason why they could not have succeeded, except for the intervention of the Father in heaven. When the earthly fortunes of the Christians seemed the most precarious, however, providential events took place with sudden finality, lifting the threat completely. At the precise instant when one apostle was already dead, another imprisoned and condemned, and the entire Twelve proscribed by an all-powerful ruler acting as a Jewish deputy in the whole procedure, out of a desire to please his subjects, at that very moment God sent an angel to release Peter and shortly thereafter struck Agrippa dead. The same event doomed secular Israel. The Encyclopedia Britannica has this regarding Herod’s death: His sudden death in 44 A.D. … at Caesarea during games in honor of Claudius was a disaster for Jewry, because with all his faults of sycophancy and ostentation he had successfully kept the balance between Rome and the Jews and shown that the two could co-exist to the advantage of both.[1]It is ironic that the Jews who had, in the elevation of Herod Agrippa I, achieved for themselves tolerance and accommodation, should at the same time have refused so adamantly to extend the same to Christians; and that God’s thwarting of their campaign against the body of Christ, by the summary execution of Herod, also by that same event removed the one man who could have preserved their own toleration by Rome. The final result of what took place when God sent an angel to destroy Herod Agrippa was realized some 20 years later when Titus and Vespasian destroyed Jerusalem. The finger of God is clearly seen in this chapter. ENDNOTE: [1] Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 11, p. 512. Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church. (Acts 12:1) About that time … means about the time of Saul and Barnabas’ journey to Jerusalem with relief for the victims of the famine. Stretched forth his hands to afflict … This vigorous and fatal movement of the supreme authority in the land against the young church was exceedingly serious. The motivation was clearly that of pleasing the Jews (Acts 12:3); and, if Herod Agrippa had proceeded indefinitely with that policy, there could never have been any end of it except the total destruction of Christianity. For a discussion of the ten Herod’s mentioned in the New Testament, see my Commentary on Mark, underMark 6:17. Verse 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And those were the days of unleavened bread.Only seven words in the Greek, translated by eleven in English, recount the martyrdom of the first apostle; and such restraint by the sacred historian shows how different are the words of inspiration from those of ordinary writers. It should be noted that the New Testament records no appointment of a successor to James. Why? He is still an apostle, still “reigning over the twelve tribes of (spiritual) Israel” as Jesus promised (Matthew 19:28). Death never removed an apostle. It was not death but transgression that removed Judas (Acts 1:25). As Wesley said, “So one of the brothers went to God the first, the other the last, of the apostles."[2] This has been viewed by some as a kind of mystical fulfillment of the desire of James and John to sit “one on the right hand, the other on the left” of the Lord in his kingdom. Days of unleavened bread … This refers to the great annual Passover feast of the Jews; and, as it was at Passover that our Lord suffered, Peter must have associated his own imprisonment and impending death with the events of our Lord’s Passion. ENDNOTE: [2] John Wesley, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House), in loco. Verse 4 And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.Quarternions … This was the name of a group of four soldiers, and four quaternions would be sixteen men appointed to guard Peter. After the Passover … This refers not to Passover day, but to the whole celebration of Passover which lasted eight days. Intending to bring him forth … Herod planned a public execution of Peter, an event which the Jewish hierarchy and the Jerusalem rabble would have celebrated with the utmost enthusiasm. Things looked very bleak for the Christian faith at that moment. Verse 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him.Prayer … for him … Webster and Wilkinson’s Greek Testament declares that “The Greek intimates that it was incessantly kept up, always going on."[3] Thus it was a kind of perpetual prayer meeting that the church organized on behalf of Peter. If it is wondered why this was not done for James, answer probably lies in the suddenness with which he was executed almost as soon as he was apprehended, giving no time for such an effort as this on behalf of Peter. With regard to all the snide remarks commentators have made about the church’s praying for Peter’s release and their total surprise when it occurred, two things are pertinent: (1) It is not declared that they prayed for Peter’s release. It could be that they were praying that Peter’s faith would not fail, as it had so conspicuously failed when he denied the Lord. (2) If they were praying for his release, this being not at all unlikely, then the surprise would have been at the dramatic suddenness and manner of it. ENDNOTE: [3] Ibid. Verse 6 And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the guards before the door kept the prison.PETER’S WAS A TYPE OF SINMany of the old commentators allegorized this remarkable episode; and despite the fact that the New Testament does not refer to it as an allegory, there are undeniably elements of an astounding allegory in this event. Just as Paul allegorized the history of Abraham and his two wives in Galatians, we shall allege an allegory here, but at the same time receiving the episode as history. The visit of the wisemen to the infant Jesus (Matthew 2:1) has been allegorized for ages, as more particularly noted in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 2:1. The deliverance of Peter in this chapter was declared by Matthew Henry to “represent our redemption by Christ, which is not only the proclaiming of liberty to the captives, but the bringing them out of the prison house.[4]Of course, this making of Peter’s condition a fitting allegory, or illustration, of the terror, helplessness, and shame of man’s condition in sin, should not be read as applicable to Peter’s character. He was not only free from any unusual degree of sin, but he was a worthy member of the sacred Twelve, one of the most glorious characters earth ever knew. It was his condition in Herod’s prison that is referred to here. Note the following: Peter was a captive … all sinners are captives of Satan (2 Timothy 2:24-26). He was guarded … Satan likes to stand watch over his victims to prevent their escape. Every Bible teacher knows that as soon as some young person has learned enough to obey the gospel and is ready to be baptized, someone over in another part of town will elect him president of a Sunday school class he hasn’t attended in a year. It is the old strategy of Satan to post a guard and set a watch to keep a man from obeying the gospel even when he has already made up his mind to do it. He was bound with two chains … Everyone in sin is bound with chains, even if they are nothing but the chains of habit. Procrastination from day to day becomes at last a chain stronger than iron. He was asleep … Sleep is a state of insensitivity, inactivity, insecurity, and illusion. In the spiritual sense, every sinner is asleep (Romans 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:6). He was in darkness … Like the night of sin, the blackness of midnight had settled over Herod’s prison. He was naked … Peter had cast off his garment in order to be relieved of the suffocating heat of the dungeon. All sin and spiritual deficiency are nakedness (Revelation 3:17-18). He was condemned to death … This is the state of every unredeemed sinner on earth (John 3:18). Thus, Peter’s condition in that dungeon of Herod is remarkably suggestive of the sin-condition of every unredeemed person on earth. It is likewise true that his deliverance had overtones of applicability to the soul’s conversion from sin. ENDNOTE: [4] Ibid. Verse 7 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.Several things entered into Peter’s deliverance. (1) There was a prayer meeting, mentioned later in Luke’s narrative here, but already going on, and for days previously. (2) There was a messenger, in this case an angel of the Lord; but always there is a messenger when people are to be saved. “How shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). (3) There was light in that prison. The angel delivered the word of God to Peter; but the word of God is always light (Psalms 119:105); and like the “light” delivered to every sinner by faithful preachers of the word of God, it consisted of a command to arise and act. “Why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16). (4) Here the angel commanded Peter to get up and put on his sandals, and follow. He smote Peter on the side … Older readers of these lines will recall the manner of Pullman porters on passenger trains who always awakened their charges in exactly the same manner as here, striking them gently on the side, through the curtains, there never having been devised a better way of doing it without startling or frightening the sleeper. Thus, in an infinitesimal detail such as this, one sees the glorious truth of the word of God. Verse 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.And he did so … Peter’s response to God’s message was exactly what it should have been. If the apostle had been like many today who are commanded to obey the word of God, he might have said, “Sh-sh-sh, Angel, don’t wake up the guard!” Or he might have said, “Well, thanks, Angel, I’ll think about it! Some other time, I just might do what you say.” Still another possible response was, “Well, Angel, I won’t promise you anything. You know how it is. I’d like to get out of here all right; but you know we might wake somebody up, and that would be bad. The jailer would not like that!” Are not the excuses which men make ridiculous? (5) The fifth thing that entered into Peter’s deliverance was the falling off of his chains. They fell off when he rose to obey the word of the angel. The application is in this, that men’s chains of sin will fall off when they arise and are baptized into Christ; and they will never fall off until this is done. (6) Then Peter followed the angel. See next verse. Verse 9 And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.Think of the importance of following. Peter’s chains had fallen off, but he was still in Herod’s dungeon; and his deliverance would be meaningful only when the iron gates closed behind him as he went out. Verse 10 And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him.That great iron gate stands for death in this allegory. No man is safe from the fury of the evil one until death has ended his probation. To leave off following the Lord before death is to die in Satan’s dominion and under his control. That is why an apostle said, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Revelation 14:13). Peter did not leave off following the angel until the iron gate opened and closed behind him. That gate took twenty-five men to open and close it.

It was the gate of a fortress so impregnable that soldiers were not even stationed to guard it. It did not need it. They just locked it and left it, unlocking it only as needed, and leaving it unattended the rest of the time. Which opened unto them of its own accord … The gate of death opened for Stephen who saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God (7:56); and every true Christian may expect the Lord to bless him in the hour of death. Its iron gates will open of their own accord (Psalms 23). It should be noted that Peter was destined to go through that iron gate in one of two ways. Had he passed through it the next morning it would have been in custody of Herod’s soldiers on the way to his execution; but to go through it with an angel of God was a far different thing. So also, every Christian and every man will pass through the iron gate of death; but for some, alas, it will be the gate to everlasting sorrow; and for others it will be the gate of everlasting joy. Verse 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and all the expectation of the people of the Jews.As in the sacred records throughout the New Testament, God left here a nail where the unbeliever can hang his hat. “When Peter was come to himself …” Ah, does not that mean that this event never really happened, but that Peter dreamed it? Not at all; but what is meant is that Peter’s deliverance was so fantastic and contrary to all natural things that he found it nearly impossible to believe it himself until the press of events brought him to the full realization of what had happened, yes, . Profane history records Peter’s deliverance thus: Herod Agrippa I was popular with his subjects, and his brief reign marked the peak of their material felicity. He did all in his power to crush the nascent Christian church, and after executing James the son of Zebedee, he arrested Peter, WHO ESCAPED FROM PRISON![5]The only explanation of that escape from prison is that of Luke in this chapter. The stupid and unreasonable conclusion by Herod that his own soldiers had released Peter was the only alternative to such a supernatural deliverance as actually occurred; and Herod’s execution of his own guard proves only how determined that evil ruler was to deny the true explanation of Peter’s escape. Not very long after this, God would deliver another message to Herod which he would find no way to deny. ENDNOTE: [5] Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 11, p. 512. Verse 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying.When he had considered the thing … Peter no doubt recalled that when the angel had released him and the other apostles, he was commanded, not to leave Jerusalem, but to continue preaching in the temple. Peter honored that instruction here by not fleeing for safety, but by taking his place with the praying disciples. Where many were gathered … This cannot mean that the entire church were gathered in a single residence, but that the place mentioned was one among many such gatherings throughout the city. The church at this time numbered many thousands of faithful Christians. The choice of Mary’s residence as the place where Peter went might have turned on the deep personal attachment of the apostle to John Mark, who in time, after a long companionship with Peter, would write the apostle’s gospel under the title of MARK. Verse 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda.The scene that emerges here is one of affluence, if not wealth. Mary’s was a house large enough to contain a gathering for prayer meeting, having a courtyard and a gate attended by a servant. From Mary’s example, we may conclude that there were many who had not sold all their possessions during those occasions mentioned earlier in Acts. Verse 14 And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in and told that Peter stood before the gate.It is of interest that class distinctions did not exist in the primitive church. This serving girl was as happy to see Peter as were any the others; and, in her joy, she forgot to open the gate. Verse 15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel.For reasons underlying the surprise of the church that their prayers had been answered, see under Acts 12:5. It is his angel … This verse proves that in the apostolic church the Christians believed that every person has a guardian angel; but it is uncertain what deductions should be made from this fact. Jesus apparently justified such a view by his reference to the angels of little children in Matthew 18:10, as being angels of the highest rank. See in my Commentary on Matthew, under Matthew 18:10 , and in my Commentary on Hebrews, Hebrews 1:14. The thinking of those who said this seems to be that “Since Herod has already killed Peter, it must be his personal angel who is knocking at the gate.” Peter kept on knocking, however; and the stunned hearers finally let him in. Verse 16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.This verse reveals emphatically that there had been no plot by the Christians to aid Peter in a prison break; for they were astounded by his appearance and unwilling, at first, to believe it. Verse 17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place.The Lord had brought him forth … An angel, actually, had done this, but he had acted as God’s servant; hence it was altogether correct to say that the Lord had done it. Unto James and the brethren … This is not James the son of Zebedee, already slain by Herod (Acts 12:2), but James the Lord’s brother, one of the church leaders in Jerusalem, and the author of the book of James. The brethren … has reference to the Christians throughout the city, assembled in just such places as that in view here, and who were also praying for Peter. Went to another place … The instructions just given by Peter regarding informing James and the brethren seems to indicate that Peter did not himself undertake such a task, but that he went to a place of greater security. Verse 18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and tarried there.Examined the guards … Anyone familiar with how such examinations were conducted must know that if any of those men had really been involved in Peter’s escape, there could have been no way for them to conceal it. That sixteen men died to cover the blame of a few of these is incredible, as is also the monstrous notion that all sixteen were involved in it. No! The Lord delivered Peter, as Luke related. To Caesarea … There at Caesarea, God would terminate the ability of Herod to harass and persecute the church. Claudius the emperor of Rome and personal friend of Herod had just returned from a journey to Britain, an event celebrated widely throughout the ancient empire, Herod presiding over extensive games and ceremonies honoring the emperor at Caesarea in 44 A.D. In the midst of those festivities, Herod was cut down, as revealed in the next paragraph. Verse 20 Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. And upon a set day, Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people shouted, saying, The voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.This judgment of Herod is confirmed in its entirety by Josephus, although Luke needs no corroboration from him. The following is taken from Josephus: When Agrippa had reigned three years over Judaea, he exhibited shows in honor of Caesar; on the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, truly wonderful, and came into the theater early in the morning, the silver of his garment reflecting the sun’s rays, spreading a horror over those that looked …. His flatterers cried, from one place, and another, that he was a god, adding, Be merciful to us; for, although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature …. Presently a severe pain arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner …. Herod said, “I whom you call a god am presently commanded to depart this life …. I am bound to accept what Providence allots."[6]If we may depend on what Josephus says, to the effect that Herod disapproved of the blasphemous compliments of his flatterers, then we have new light on what Luke means by: He gave not God the glory … This means that he would not give God the glory for releasing Peter, a refusal that could have originated in nothing else than his pride and stubbornness. Given the nature of the prison and the extent of Peter’s guard, Herod knew that God had delivered him; but he would not give God the glory, putting sixteen innocent men to death in order to emphasize his denial. This was exactly the same kind of conduct as that of the Pharisees who decided to kill Lazarus to prevent people from believing in Jesus who had raised him from the dead. ENDNOTE: [6] Flavius Josephus, Antiquities and Wars of the Jews, translated by William Whiston (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston), p. 582. Verse 24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.This wonderful verse was a favorite of the late R.B. Sweet who preached a great sermon from it. Over against all human interference, infidelity, unbelief, and opposition, there is opposed this divine “BUT.” But the word of God grew and multiplied. The success of God’s plans is never in question. All that God intended shall surely come to pass. Verse 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministrations, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.This is a reference to the same journey mentioned in Acts 11:30; but here is the additional word that John Mark accompanied them. See under Acts 11:30. Fulfilled their ministration … This means that they accomplished the purpose of their journey, delivering to the elders in Jerusalem the bounty provided by the generosity of the Christians to relieve the victims of that famine in the reign of Claudius. The year 44 A.D. was the time of these events, this being one of the points at which Acts touches firm dates in the secular history of the first century. John whose surname was Mark … Just as Stephen’s martyrdom was made the occasion, by Luke, of mentioning Saul of Tarsus, here is the introduction of another character who would figure prominently in Luke’s subsequent chapters of Acts, John Mark. If Luke had ever seen Mark’s gospel, this would have been a “must” occasion for his mentioning it; and therefore the silence of Luke here concerning the gospel of Mark is a strong suggestion that he knew nothing of it. With the conclusion of this chapter, Luke had set the stage for the world-wide program of evangelism among the Gentiles; and he would at once move to the narrative of Paul’s first missionary journey.

Questions by E.M. Zerr For Actrs Chapter 121. What wicked ruler is introduced? 2. Was he the first ruler of that name? 3. Identify this one. 4. What was his general intention now ? 5. On whom did he first make an attack ? 6. Why did he intend to take Peter also ? 7. At what time of the year was this ? 8. Into what place was Peter placed? 9. Describe the means taken to secure him. 10. Why was he not executed immediately ? 11. How did the church conduct itself at this time? 12. By whose services was Peter released ? 13. Relate the demonstration of the gates. 14. Repeat Peter’ s expression of confidence. 15. To what house did he go? 16. What was going on there ? 17. What custom did he observe for admittance? 18. Who answered his call? 19. Describe her emotions. 20. What did she do about it? 21. State impressions of the group. 22. What being did they think it was? 23. State what Peter was doing all the while. 24. Describe effect when the door was opened. 25. With what means did Peter silence them? 26. State the declaration he made them. * 27. What did he then bid them do? 28. Why special mention of James? 29. What did Peter then do ? 30. State the condition at break of day. 31. Explain the cause of it. 32. Whom did Herod examine? 33. What would this be for? 34. Were the soldiers to blame? 35. What was commanded about them? 36. Where did Herod go? 37. Why to this place? 38. With whom did he have trouble? 39. Locate these cities. 40. State their nationality. 41. Which side made advances for peace? 42. Through whom did they work ? 43. What concession did they make to Herod? 44. Did he give them a favorable hearing? 45. In what setting did he appear to them? 46. State the rash words of the crowd. 47. Whom did the worms attack ? 48. Why him and not the crowd? 49. How did the Word of God fare? 50. What trio now returns from Jerusalem?

Acts 12:1

1 Act 12:1. This was Herod Agrippa, I, the grandson of Herod the Great. After a career of “ups and downs” with various powers, he was finally placed in a ruling position over Palestine by authority of the Roman Emperor. His idea in vexing persons of the church was to win the favor of the Pharisaic Jews. (See verse 3.)

Acts 12:2

2Act 12:2. This James was one of the sons of Zebedee (Matthew 4:21).

Acts 12:3

3Act 12:3. Peter was not slain but was put into prison. Days of unleavened bread denotes it was the time of the feast of the Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8).

Acts 12:4

4Acts 12:4. A quaternion consisted of four soldiers, and four of them would make 16 soldiers charged with the guarding of the prison, changing their shifts every three hours. Two of the ones on duty were with the prisoner and two watched the gate. Easter is from PASCHA. Thayer defines it, “The paschal festival, the feast of Passover.” It has no connection with Easter as that term is used today.

Acts 12:5

5Acts 12:5. Without ceasing is from the Greek word EKTENES, and Thayer defines it, “Intent, earnest, assiduous [persistent].” The prayers were continuous and earnest.

Acts 12:6

6Acts 12:6. Sleeping between two soldiers. (See the notes at verse 4.)

Acts 12:7

7Acts 12:7. An angel of the Lord would be given supernatural power, by which he could perform this service to Peter unknown to the soldiers. (See Hebrews 1:13-14.)

Acts 12:8

8Acts 12:8. Peter had taken off his sandals and outer garment when he was preparing for sleep. The angel meant for him to resume them, tightening his belt about him.

Acts 12:9

9Acts 12:9. Wist [knew] not that it was true. The last word is from ALETHES, which Thayer defines with the same word used in the text, and adds by way of explanation, “an actual occurrence.” Peter thought he was in a trance and was seeing a vision only.

Acts 12:10

0Acts 12:10. First and second ward were the two soldiers stationed some distance apart to guard the prison. (See notes at verse 4.) The same supernatural power that loosened the chains unknown to the soldiers in the prison (verse 7), enabled them to pass these other soldiers unseen. The iron gate was what closed the outer wall of the entire prison structure. Opened of his own accord. The Lord was still working in the case and miraculously removing all the barriers to Peter’s freedom. Passed through one street. The angel remained with Peter until they were safely out of reach of the prison officers and guardsmen, then disappeared.

Acts 12:11

1Act 12:11. Come to himself. After the angel disappeared, Peter observed that he was on one of the streets of the city, out of the vicinity of the prison. He knew that to be there it was necessary to escape the two soldiers lying by him, and the two near the gate, likewise get through the iron gate in the prison outer wall. This is what caused him to come to himself and to conclude that his experience was not “only a dream.”

Acts 12:12

2Act 12:12. Considered the thing. The last two words are not in the original. The phrase means that after Peter had come to himself he considered the whole situation and decided to call at the home of one of the disciples. It was at the home of Mark’s mother, where a prayer service was being conducted on his behalf.

Acts 12:13

3Act 12:13. Door of the gate. The last word refers to the porch in front of a house, and the first is the smaller opening through which to pass into the porch. Came to hearken means to inquire or to ask, “who is it?”

Acts 12:14

4Acts 12:14. When Peter answered her question she recognized his voice. She was so joyously surprised she seemed to forget to open the door. She left Peter standing and knocking and went to tell the group that Peter was at the gate.

Acts 12:15

5Acts 12:15. We are not told just what the church said in its prayer for Peter. If it was a scriptural prayer, the disciples placed their request on condition “if the Lord will.” The favorable answer to the prayer was so gladdening that they thought it was “too good to be true.” The girl was so positive about her report they thought some explanation should be resorted to that would harmonize all the phases of the situation. Their solution was that it was his angel. After his definition of the Greek word for angel, Thayer explains that “guardian angels of individuals are mentioned in Matthew 18:10; Acts 12:15.” Funk and Wagnalls Standard Bible Dictionary says the following: “There was a popular idea that each person had assigned to him a special guardian angel, and it is to this that Jesus refers in Matthew 18:10. Peter’s escape from prison (Acts 12:15) is an illustration of the thought that when such guardian angel appeared on earth he took the form of the person guarded.” Luke does not say anything for or against such a theory, since in the present instance the experssion was that of the astonished group, and their statement had no authority in the nature of inspiration.

Acts 12:16

6Acts 12:16. The continual knocking made it necessary to open the door. Their amazement caused them to make some kind of clamor. (See next verse.)

Acts 12:17

7Acts 12:17. Peter indicated with his hand that he wished them to be quiet and listen. He then rehearsed the manner in which he was released from prison. He asked them to tell the good news, first to James and then to the other brethren. This was James the Lord’s brother, and the writer of the epistle that bears his name. Special mention is made of him because of his prominence in the work at Jerusalem. (See chapter 15:13; 21:18; 1 Cortinthians 16:7; Galatians 1:19 Galatians 2:9 Galatians 2:12.) After giving the group his request, Peter went into another place. That meant some spot in Jerusalem, for in chapter 15:7 we find him in the city and speaking to the assembly on the issue before it.

Acts 12:18

8Acts 12:18. By the aid of the angel, Peter had escaped prison unseen by the soldiers, hence the confusion over his absence, but we know that the soldiers were innocent.

Acts 12:19

9Acts 12:19. Examined is from , and Thayer defines it, “To hold an investigation; to interrogate, examine, the accused or witnesses.” The keepers would not be able to give Herod any information as to the escape of their prisoner, hence they were condemned to a death they did not deserve. Caesarea “was the official residence of the Herodian kings,” according to Smith’s Bible Dictionary, hence we have the statement that Herod went there and abode.

Acts 12:20

0Acts 12:20. Highly displeased is from , which is defined in Thayer’s lexicon, “to carry on war with great animosity; to be very angry, be exasperated.” Adjoining countries frequently have trouble with each other; we do not know what was the cause of Herod’s displeasure. But the country of Tyre and Sidon became anxious for peace because it depended on Palestine for necessary products. (See 1 Kings 5:11; Ezekiel 27 Ezekiel 17.) A chamberlain is an intimate servant to a king, and the people of Tyre and Sidon induced this one to use his influence with his master. As a result, Herod agreed to drop hostilities and fixed a date when he would grant a hearing to the interested partisans.

Acts 12:21

1Act 12:21. When the set day arrived, Herod put on his royal garments and made a speech (of conciliation) to the people, which aroused them to making foolish compliments.

Acts 12:22

2Act 12:22. In their wild joy the people said that Herod was a god.

Acts 12:23

3Act 12:23. Josephus, Antiquities, Book 19, Chapter 8, Section 2, says that Herod did not rebuke the people for their flattery. Our passage merely states that Herod was eaten of worms and died. But the passage in Josephus cited above says, “A severe pain arose in his abdomen, and began in a most violent manner. . . . When he had said this, his pain was become violent. . . . And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his abdomen for five days, he departed this life.”

Acts 12:24

4Acts 12:24. The significance of this verse is that in spite of all the disturbances going on between rival countries, the word of God gained many adherents.

Acts 12:25

5Acts 12:25. Fulfilled their ministry. Acts 11:29-30 shows this mission was to take the contribution collected at Antioch for the famine-stricken disciples in Judea. When they came back to Antioch they brought with them Mark, who is the writer of the book that bears his name.