Acts Chapter 12
CONTENTS
1. King Herod stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. That was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So, when he had arrested Peter, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover (v. 1-4).
2. Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison (v.5-6).
3. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands. Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so, he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.” So, he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people”. (v.7-11)
4. So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many people were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognised Peter’s voice, because of her gladness he did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So, they said, “It is his angel.” (v.12-15)
5. Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place (v.16-17).
6. As soon as it was day, there was no small stir among he soldiers about what had become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there (V.18-19).
7. Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. So, on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God grew and multiplied (v.20-24).
8. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry. They took with them John whose surname was Mark (v.25).
COMMENTARY
1. The Herod who stretched out his hand and harassed some from the church was Agrippa I, the nephew of Herod Antipas who murdered John the Baptist. He was also the grandson of Herod the Great who had the children of Bethlehem put to death in his search for the babe Jesus. Herod was not a Jew but an Edomite. The Jews resented the fact and Herod knew it (ref. Matt. 14:3-12; 2:16-21).
2. Herod killed James the brother of John with the sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also and put him into prison, intending to bring him out to the people after the feast of Passover and execute him. Earnest prayer for Peter was offered to God by the church. An angel appeared and brought Peter out from the prison passing through three gates and four guard posts, so that Peter escaped death. But James was the first apostle to be martyred and it was mentioned that Herod killed him by the sword. It is understood therefore that God’s sovereign will for both these apostles differ and that His power to deliver Peter from the devil and James unto eternal glory was present.
James had previously asked that he and John be seated on the right and left hand of Jesus when He comes in His glory. Jesus said in reply, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Jesus, “We are able.” Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for whom it is prepared.” (Mark 10:35-40). For James to be the first among the apostle to die as a martyr was glorious; he shall have a crown given him on the day of judgment (II Tim. 4:7-8).
3. Peter was delivered to four soldiers and yet was sleeping soundly, bound with two chains between two guards and before two others keeping the prison. It showed his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and faith in Him with which he shall inherit eternal life (I Pet.1:6-8)
4. After the angel delivered him from the prison, Peter came to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where the brethren assembled to pray. Probably the house was the church at Jerusalem who had prayed constantly for Peter when he was in the prison. Initially they did not believe Rhoda who came to the door when Peter knocked, and who announced that Peter stood before the gate, but said to her, “You are beside yourself.” When she insisted that it was so, they said, “It is his angel.” Peter continued to knock, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
Often when we supplicate in prayers for things to be granted by God, we hardly trust that He shall accomplish and answer our petition. Hence when our requests are granted, either we do not believe that He had answered our prayers or doubt that whatever happened had come to pass because of His might and His mercy.
5. After Peter motioned to them to be silent, he told them how the angel of the Lord delivered him from prison. He charged them to tell James, the brother of Jesus who was the elder in Jerusalem. Then he departed and went away. Where did Peter go? It was not mentioned. But he turned up again at the conference of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, held to deliberate whether the Gentiles had to be circumcised when they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and are baptized in His name (Acts 15:1-11). That was a few years after he was delivered by the angel from the prison.
6. Herod the king was very cruel. When he searched and could not find Peter, he commanded the guards to be put to death. He had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, but they came with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country. On the set day Herod arrayed in royal apparel sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. They responded with shouts, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died.
The people of Tyre and Sidon attempted to appease Herod by confessing that he was more than a mortal. Herod, instead of rebuking the address of deity, enjoyed the adulation. He suffered the consequence of such blasphemy. Immediately, an angel struck him. Herod was eaten by worms and died.
TEACHINGS
1. To persecute the church is to persecute the Lord Jesus Christ. To receive the church sent by Jesus is to receive Him (22:4-8; John 13:20).
2. He who persecutes the church and speaks against the word of truth taught by the Holy Spirit kicks against the goads (9:5; 26:14). Pain shall be the result and death the end.
3. Give glory to God always. Never steal the glory which belongs to Him and should be given to God only (3:11-16; 10:25-26; Rev. 22:8-9).
4. Paul and Barnabas were apostles because they personally witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ, performed signs and wonders in His name, and were sent forth by Him into the ministry through the laying of the hands of the prophets and elders of the church at Antioch (Acts 1:21-26; I Cor. 15:4-8; 9:1; II Cor. 12:12; Acts 13:1-3).
There were other apostles in Rome beside the twelve and Paul and Barnabas (Rom. 16:7), who perhaps were among the five hundred men to whom the resurrected Christ appeared during the forty days.
5. Seeking favour and pleasure of those who are leaders such as preachers, deacons, and elders and not of the Lord Jesus Christ shall ultimately not result in exaltation but in destruction and the divine judgment of God (Gal. 1:10; I Pet. 1:17-18; I Tim. 1:19-20).
