Acts 12

Acts 12 (New International Version)


Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison
1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists.

8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him.

11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”

12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”

16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Herod’s Death
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.

Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.




Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.1] 'King Herod arrested some...intending to persecute them'- Herod Agrippa I, descended from a line of kings under the Roman Empire known as the Herods, began to persecute the church
  
• The Herods were infamous for their persecution of Christians: (1) it was Herod the Great who had killed the children of Bethlehem in a effort to kill Jesus, (2) his son, Herod Antipas, killed John the Baptist and 'ridiculed and mocked' [Luke 23:11] Christ and (3) his grandson, Herod Agrippa I, now kills James the Apostle
  
• 'James, the brother of John' [v.2] becomes the first of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ to be martyred, beheaded by 'the sword' [v.2]; he had been very intimate with Jesus, often mentioned along with Peter and John who were close to Jesus
  
• This fulfilled what Jesus had spoken to James and John concerning 'the cup' that they would have to drink if they wanted to be his closest followers, which, at the time they had no idea of what that would actually mean, and to which they had plainly responded that they could drink 'the cup', not realizing that it would mean facing intense persecution and possibly losing their lives for Jesus Christ. Jesus' promise of 'the cup' to the two are recounted in Mark 10:35-40:
  35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
  36 “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
  
  37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
  
  38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
  
  39 “We can,” they answered.
  
  Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
  
  
• James became the first to drink this 'cup' of suffering and death; James and John had been seeking the special status of being the Lord's closest followers and instead Jesus grants them suffering which was true glory
  
• How many Christian leaders or pastors out there today have built a special status for themselves but have not even experienced an inkling of suffering ? Is there real glory in big paychecks and big ministries and putting your own face on the cover of books ?
  
• [See v.3] 'he saw that this met with approval among the Jews'- there was clearly a political motivation behind this persecution of Christians; Herod was seeking to gain political power by doing what pleased the people- persecuting the Christians who the Jews disliked and opposed
  
• Q: Why are the Jews suddenly against the church which was highly regarded in the beginning of Acts ?
  
• A: The apostles were no longer as visible and present in Jerusalem as they once were and as a result the lack of signs and wonders might have caused the masses of Jews to lose their fear of God or respect for the apostles. And on top of it, now this message had been preached to the Gentiles which offended most Jews, and which most Jews saw as both a threat to, and a separation from, their native Judaism. In their eyes, this Christian church had to go!
  
• 'proceeded to seize Peter also'- Herod has Peter arrested, hoping this will further increase his political ratings
  
• [See v.4] 'put him in prison...intended to bring him out...after the Passover'- Peter was put in prison but Herod decided that it would be more politically advantageous for him to not bring Peter out in the public during the Passover when pilgrims would flood Jerusalem because: (1) there would be the risk of a possible riot, (2) Herod wanted to show how seriously he observed the Passover to gain the approval of the Jews and (3) Herod wanted to wait until he could have the undivided attention of the people
  
• 'guarded by four squads of four soldiers each'- knowing that Peter had miraculously escaped prison before (Acts 5), Herod assigns a whole team of guards to watch Peter; he couldn't afford to be embarrased politically by having Peter escape
  
• How foolish that Herod believes that by his own powers he could somehow outwit God and prevent the Lord from delivering Peter out of prison
  
• [See v.5] 'Peter was kept in prison...the church was earnestly praying to God for him'- there is a clear contrast here between Herod having his soldiers and prisons and the church having the power of prayer; which do you think would prevail ?
  
• Q: What does it mean to pray 'earnestly' ?
  
• A: To pray passionately with a heart that genuinely cares about the things that we pray for and with words that come out of sincerity and firm belief that indicate how serious we are about what we are praying
  
• There is power in earnest prayer and especially when our prayers are in line with the things God cares about; Jesus said in John 15:7, "7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
  
• [See v.6] 'Peter was sleeping'- apparently Peter isn't too worried or anxious about the upcoming trial and the possible consequences he could face including being executed; God gave Peter rest and comfort despite the fact that he was sandwiched 'between two soldiers', for Psalm 127:2 says, "...for he grants sleep to those he loves."
  
• [See v.9] 'had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening...thought he was seeing a vision'- as Peter is suddenly awakened by an angel sent by the Lord who instructs Peter to get dressed and to follow him, Peter didn't believe that this was really happening but obeyed anyway; obeying the Lord is not about understanding everything that is happening or about to happen, yet how many of us plan our entire lives beforehand making sure everything is weighed carefully and evaluated before taking the next step ? Isn't that type of mentality not trusting God but rather trusting our own measures of what we should do and not do ?
  
• [See v.10] 'passed the first and second guards'- how is it possible that these two guards are standing right there and are not aware of Peter passing them by ? God supernaturally deadened their senses and consciousness; these men aren't even allowed to see the mighty hand of God as before in previous chapters of Acts- because God's judgment has come and their time for repentance has passed- they were already shown great signs, wonders and miracles and given a chance to repent and believe but they turned away to serve Satan who is now trying to attack the church's leaders in an attempt to destroy the church
  
• 'came to the iron gate...opened for them by itself'- how miraculous that the gate is not just unlocked but literally open; all Peter has to do is to go through it
  
• No obstacle is too great for the Lord to overcome and when we obey the Lord He opens doors in a way that is so plain to see and hard to miss like the towering 'iron gate' that opened in front of Peter
  
• Yet how many of us worry that we will never get through the 'iron gate' as if it was bigger than God when God has made it clear to us that He is with us and behind us and that He will take care of the 'iron gate' and make a way for us ?
  
• [See v.11] 'rescued me from Herod's clutches'- it is only when Peter has escaped the prison and has walked outside on the streets that he realizes that this wasn't just a vision but that it was really happening- God had delivered him from death with His mighty hand
  
• This was not a sneaky escape but outright bold and daring; when 'the chains fell off Peter's wrists' [v.7] it must have been very loud, and instead of bypassing or avoiding the guards somehow, Peter and the angel went by them like they were walking through the main doors
  
• Sneakiness characterizes ones who do wrong but the righteous are characterized by boldness as stated in Proverbs 28:1, " 1 The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion" ;
  
• And the best that the ones who do wrong and evil can do is to pretend to be bold as Proverbs 21:29 says, "29 The wicked put up a bold front, but the upright give thought to their ways"
  
• [See v.18] 'there was no small commotion among the soldiers'- there is widespread panic among the prison guards who know that they are doomed if Herod finds out that Peter has escaped, and to make it worse, they have no explanation because God has kept it from their memories and consciences
  
• [See v.19] 'he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed'- finding no explanation, Herod concludes that this was an "inside job" secretly plotted by the guards and he has them all executed; how ironic that the ones who were supposed to execute Peter have now become the executed and Peter who was condemned has been set free- talk about God turning the tide !
  
• Herod chooses to take many lives for one man but God took one life for billions of people; how preciously God values each life
  
• [See v.22] ' "This is the voice of a god, not of a man" '- the people of Tyre and Sidon praise Herod excessively with false words of kindness hoping that it would please him and calm his fury from the prison incident so that they could gain his favor
  
• [See v.23] 'because Herod did not give praise to God...he was eaten by worms and died'- Herod received this false adoration and worship from the people, which was equal to not giving the glory to God; adoration and worship belong to God only and not men
  
• Herod had dressed in 'his royal robes' [v.21] in order to appear like he was God but he ends up dying the least honorable death of being 'eaten by worms'; his deceitfully divine appearance was masked by his corrupt heart on the inside
  
• God's judgment came down on Herod because he refused to glorify God; thus there was no glory in his death whereas there was great glory in James' death
  
• The church's prayers were answered by God far beyond what they had expected as they thought saving Peter's life was enough to ask for but God removed the opposition completely by killing Herod; even a little faith can go a long way because God is that much greater
  
• [See v.24] 'the word of God continued to spread and flourish'- politics and the ways of man is no match for the power of God as the church is blessed and continues to grow; James' death has only made the church more alive and the opposition has been weakened
  
  

Acts 11

Acts 11 (New International Version)


Peter Explains His Actions
1 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’

15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.





Commentary/Significant points of discussion:

• [See v.3] ' "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them" '- upon returning to Jerusalem, Peter is criticized by the many Christian Jews who are offended that a "fellow Jew" would associate with Gentiles
  
• Jews looked down on Gentiles and believed that they were superior to them because they were God's chosen people and had all the privileges that no one else had; it's plain to see that their hearts have not yet been changed like Peter's and they still consider Gentiles to be 'uncircumcised men' who have no right to be God's people
  
• [See v.4] 'Peter told them the whole story'- Peter repeats his account of how God had led him to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and how also the Gentile to whose home he had been sent had also been prepared by God to receive the message from Peter that would bring them salvation through Jesus Christ
  
• Telling the story of your experience as a witness is often more powerful than stating the facts or knowledge about God or Jesus which can seem vague and confusing to the layperson who may not know anything about Christianity
  
• [See v.15] ' "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them" '- God had approved of Peter's ministry in preaching to the Gentiles; the Jews had criticized Peter for doing this without their approval but who were they to 'stand in God's way' [v.17] ?
  
• It's important to sense and recognize where God is working and in what direction He is heading just as Peter had so that we may stay on the path God has for us and not become lost in our own ways
  
• [See v.18] 'they had no further objections and praised God'- a change in the hearts of the Jewish believers is evident as they allow God's work to overcome their prejudices and traditions; how glorious!
  
• [See v.19] 'Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews'- initially, the gospel had only been preached to Jews by the Christians scattered over the Roman Empire, but now, for the first time, it was being brought to the Gentiles in the Roman city of 'Antioch'
  
• [See v.21] 'The Lord's hand was with them...great number...believed and turned to the Lord'- because God's hand was with this ministry in Antioch, God blessed and multiplied their efforts; clearly, you cannot turn people to the Lord without the hand of the Lord, i.e. you can turn people to church, to counselors, to friends, etc., but only the Lord can turn a person to Him
  
• Q: What does 'The Lord's hand was with them' mean to you ?
  
• A: The human hand does most of our work, so in that respect, God was doing a lot.
  
• A: God's anointing was with them, evidenced by His signs and wonders.
  
• A: God's hand reached down and directly intervened to save them.
  
• [See v.23] 'saw what the grace of God had done'- Barnabas becomes a witness to God's amazing grace in Antioch; grace is something we don't deserve but receive, what was it about Antioch that made them so undeserving of that grace ?
  
• Antioch was the third largest Roman city only behind Rome and Alexander and was highly sophisticated for its times and culturally rich, but it was also morally depraved
  
• 'encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord'- as a leader of the early church, Barnabas took great care of all the believers growing in the Lord so that they were strengthened and equipped to serve, causing 'a great number of people' [v.24] to turn to the Lord and continuing the growth of the church
  
• It is important not only to show hospitality to outsiders coming into the house of God but also to continue to encourage them and help them to grow spiritually
  
• The race only begins when people start their walk with God and as leaders we are called to pick them up when they fall down or to give them a hand if they are struggling because if no one does, then they may be just left alone, with no one to help them and then they see all those people far ahead of them and say, "I give up"; the church is called a "body" and in a body all the different parts need to work together and be on the same page in order for the body to properly function
  
• [See v.26] 'Barnabas and Saul...taught great numbers of people'- after 12 years in quiet ministry and preparation in Tarsus where Saul had fled to escape persecution, Barnabas finds him and upon reuniting they work together to continue to grow the church in Antioch
  
• 'disciples were called Christians first at Antioch'- here the historical origin of the name "Christian" as a follower of Jesus is revealed; soldiers in the Roman army would add -ian after their general's name to identify themselves, and in the same way, people who followed Christ came to be called "Christians"
  
• [See v.28] 'predicted that a severe famine would spread'- a prophet by the name of Agabus predicts through the Holy Spirit that there will soon be bad harvests and food shortages throughout the Roman Empire
  
• [See v.29] 'as each one was able, decided to provide help'- in preparation for this difficult time the people of the church gave what they could to those that would need the surplus to survive when the famine would come; God blesses anything we can give as long as it's done out of true generosity to help those that need it