Coachlight Bible Study - Acts Chapter 12
A Fervently Praying Home Church
Ever since the conversion of Paul, we have not heard
of the Jews persecuting the saints at Jerusalem. It might be that they had
heard of Saul's Damascus Road Experience, and thought of Gamaliel’s advice- “to
let those men alone, and see what would be the issue.”
In this chapter we will see Herod Agrippa causing
havoc with the church, to the delight of the Jews, with persecutions and
murders. He proudly kills James and
puts Peter in prison. The Word of God multiplied despite the persecutions, and
Herod dies a terrible death.
I. The martyrdom of James the apostle, and
Peter's imprisonment by Herod Agrippa, king in Judea (v. 1-4).
A. Who was Herod? - from
Josephus
1. Originally of an Edomite
family yet seems to have been a proselyte to the Jewish religion - he was
zealous for the Mosaic rites, a bigot for the ceremonies.
2. He was not only (as Herod
Antipas was) tetrarch of Galilee, but had the government of Judea committed to
him by Claudius the emperor.
3. Lived mostly at
Jerusalem, where he was now.
B. He did three things
1. He stretched forth his hands to vex certain of
the church, (Vs. 1)
a. He began with some of the
not-so-well known , and later came after at the apostles themselves.
b. He began with vexing
them, imprisoning them, fining them, spoiling their houses and goods, etc and
then went to execution.
2. He killed James with the sword, (Vs. 2).
a. Who was James?
1. James the brother of John
2. One of the first three of
Christ’s disciples, one of those that were the
witnesses of his transfiguration and agony left only 11 disciples
3. One of those whom Christ called Sons of thunder
4. One known for his powerful preaching had provoked Herod and those
close to him, like John the Baptist did the other Herod
5. One of those sons of
Zebedee whom Christ told that they should
drink of the cup that he was to drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that
he was to be baptized with, Matthew 20:23
b. What kind of death
1. Slain with the sword - his head was cut off with a sword, - the Romans
thought it was a more disgraceful way than beheaded than with an axe
2. Beheading was not
ordinarily used among the Jews, but when kings gave orders for private and sudden executions, this was the quickest.
3. Herod most likely killed
James, as the other Herod killed John Baptist, while in prison
3. He put Peter in prison
- had heard more about Peter than the other apostles
a. He proceeded further - after James to take Peter
b. He did this because he saw it pleased the Jews
c. It was during Passover - pretending to be zealous for the Law, as Jews came to keep the feast (of deliverance), they were more interested in getting rid of Christians.
d. He had 16 soldiers
guarding Peter so he couldn't escape.
e. Herod’s purpose was, after Easter-(bad translation) (meta to
pascha - after the Passover) to bring
him forth unto the people.
II. Peter's
deliverance in answer to the prayers of
the home church (v. 6-19).
A. Peter's
deliverance happens while the saints pray for him (Vs. 5)
1. Peter was kept in prison well - it was impossible to get him out.
2. Peter's trial delayed
3. Prayer was made without ceasing;
Strongs:
1618 ektenhv ektenes ek-ten-ace’
from 1614; TDNT-2:463,219; adj
AV-without ceasing 1, fervent 1; 2
1) stretched out
2) metaph. intent, earnestly, assiduously
Robertson's Word Pictures:
{Therefore} (men oun). Because of the preceding situation.
{Was kept} (ethreito). Imperfect passive, continuously guarded, waiting for the
feast to be over.
{But prayer was made earnestly} (proseuch de hn ektenwv ginomenh). Probably de here is not adversative (but), merely
parallel (and) as Page argues. It
was a crisis for the Jerusalem church. James had been slain and Peter was to be
the next victim. Hence "earnestly" . In the N.T. only here, Luke
22:44 & 1Peter 1:22) prayer was {going up} (ginomenh, present middle participle, periphrastic imperfect with hn).
It looked like a desperate case for Peter. Hence the disciples prayed the more
earnestly.
Luke 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more
earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down
to the ground.
1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in
obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see
that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
A. When the king’s commandment
drew near
is when Peter was delivered. -
1. It was like Esther 9:1
Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
2. It was when he was bound with two chains, between two soldiers;
so that if he was to stir he wakes them; and with the prison doors locked still
the keepers before the door kept the
prison, that no one could rescue Peter.
3. It was while Peter's soul is at ease - even though death
was imminent - even in prison, between two soldiers, God gives him sleep.
Psalms 27:3 Though an host
should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise
against me, in this will I be confident
B. An angel was sent from heaven to rescue him – Three word pictures
Psalms 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about
them that fear him, and delivereth them.
1. The angel of the Lord came upon him; 2186 efisthmi ephistemi ef-is’-tay-mee - stood over him. - and a light shined in the prison
{Stood by him} (epesth). Ingressive second aorist active
indicative of efisthmi, intransitive. This very form occurs in Luke
2:9 of the sudden appearance of the angel of the Lord to the shepherds. Page
notes that this second aorist of \ephistêmi\ occurs seven times in the Gospel of Luke, eight times in the Acts, and
nowhere else in the N.T.
Luke 2:9 And, lo,
the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone
round about them: and they were sore afraid.
2. and he smote Peter on the side, pat-as’-so - 3960 patassw patasso
pat-as’-so
Old word, but
only here in the N.T. {He smote Peter on the side} (pataxav thn pleuran tou petrou). More exactly, "smote the side of Peter." Strongly enough to wake Peter
up who was sound asleep and yet not rouse the two guards.
3. A powerful arise, 450 anisthmi anistemi an-is’-tay-mee
{Rise
up} (anasta). Short form
(_Koiné_) of anasthyi, second aorist active imperative of anisthmi,
intransitive. Ephesians 5:14.
Ephesians 5:14
Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.
Which was a paraphrase of Isaiah's Prophecy about the
Gentile rise and ministry:
Isaiah 60:1-2
1 Arise, shine;
for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold,
the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD
shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the
Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
This miracle was necessary if Peter was to escape
without rousing the two guards. (Robertson's Word Pictures)
4. His chains fell off from his hands
5. He knew not that it was true which the angel did, it just happened
to him, but he thought he saw a vision; -
if he did, it was not his first vision (Acts 10:10) - it was like he was
dreaming.
Psalms 126:1
When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like
them that dream.
C. Peter went to his
friends at the home church
1. He considered the thing (v. 12),
a. He had been very close to
death
b. He had a great
deliverance
c. Herod would be looking
for him
2. He went directly to a
friend’s house, - the house of Mary, a sister of Barnabas, and mother of John
Mark, - a home church.
3. There he found many that were gathered together praying,
a. At the dead time of the
night,
b. Praying for Peter's
deliverance - the next day would be his trial
And it shall come to pass,
that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will
hear.
1. A damsel came to hearken; not to open the door till she knew who was
there
2. She knew Peter’s voice,
a. She had often heard him
pray, and preach
b. She did not let him in - opened not the gate.
c. She did not want to open
the gate - it could have been the enemy.
3. They said, "Thou art mad; it is impossible it
should be he, for he is in prison.’’
4. She said, It is his angel, v. 15. - angelos
can mean angel or often signifies no more than a messenger. Luke used it that way at least twice:
a. It is used of John’s
messengers
- Luke 7:24 & 27
24 And when the messengers
of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning John, What
went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
27 This is he, of whom it is
written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall
prepare thy way before thee.
b. It is used of Christ’s messengers - Luke 9:49-52
49 And John answered and
said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him,
because he followeth not with us.
50 And Jesus said unto him,
Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.
51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,
52 And sent messengers
before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans,
to make ready for him.
53 And they did not receive
him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and
rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not
come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another
village.
5.
Finally
they let him in (v. 16): as he continued
knocking
6. Peter gave them an account of his deliverance
6.
Go, show these things to
James, and to the brethren with him,
8. Peter is still not
supreme over the church - seemed to be one of the three pillars:
Galatians 2:9 And when
James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was
given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they
unto the circumcision.
1.There was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
2. Houses were searched in
vain for Peter (v. 19)
3. Herod sought for him, and found him not. - Just like the Lord hid
Jeremiah and the scribe Baruch
Jeremiah 36:26 But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of
Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to
take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.
4. Herod found out that they could not give an account how Peter got
away; he commanded that they should be
put to death, according to the Roman law:
1 Kings 20:39, If by any means he be missing, then shall
thy life go for his life.
III. The
cutting off of Herod in his pride (v. 20-23)
A.
The death of Herod. - God dealt with him, for James' death, and intent to kill
Peter
1. Herod was "fighting
Mad" at Tyre & Sidon
a.
The
men of Tyre and Sidon had evidently, offended Herod.
1.
They
were now under the Roman rule
2.
They
had been guilty of something that Herod did not like.
b.
Phoenicia
belonged to Syria and Herod Agrippa had no authority there.
1.
The
quarrel may have been over commercial matters.
2.
Tyre
was a colony of Sidon and had become one of the chief commercial cities of the
world because of the Phoenician ships.
c. Tyre and Sidon were equal
residents of the Romans with Gallilee - Herod could not make war with them
d. Because their country was nourished by the king’s country
1.
Tyre
and Sidon were trading cities, and had little land belonging to them
2.
They
were always supplied with corn from the land of Canaan; Judah and Israel traded in their market, with wheat, and honey, and
oil, Eze. 27:17.
e. They made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, probably
with bribes - wanting to make peace with Herod
f. He made a political
speech to Tyre and Sidon – they said: It is the voice of a god, and not of a man,
v. 22. .
B. These praises went to
his head so that he was full of pride.
1. Herod appeared in all the
pomp and grandeur he had: He was arrayed
in his royal apparel (v. 21), and sat
upon his throne.
Josephus gives an account of
this splendid appearance in his Antiquities:
"Herod at this time
wore a robe of cloth of silver, so richly woven, and framed with such art, that
when the sun shone it reflected the light with such a luster as dazzled the
eyes of the spectators, and struck an awe upon them."
2. He gave not God the glory
- it was his destruction
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth
before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
3. Nebuchadnezzar had been a
very bloody man, and a great persecutor; but
Daniel. 4:30-31.
30 The king spake, and said,
Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by
the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
31 While the word was in the
king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to
thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
4.His sin was punished: Immediately (v. 23) the angel of the Lord smote him and he was eaten of worms above ground, and gave up the ghost. He was dealt with
a. For vexing the church
b. Killing James
c. Imprisoning Peter
d. His pride.
5. This story of the death
of Herod is given by Josephus:
"That Herod came down to Cesarea, to celebrate a festival in honor of Caesar; that the second day of the festival he went in the morning to the theatre, clothed with that splendid robe mentioned before; that his flatterers saluted him as a god, begged that he would be propitious to them; that hitherto they had reverenced him as a man, but now they would confess to be in him something more excellent than a mortal nature. That he did not refuse nor correct this impious flattery (so the historian expresses it); But, presently after, looking up, he saw an owl perched over his head, and was at the same instant seized with a most violent pain in his bowels, and gripes in his belly, which were exquisite from the very first; that he turned his eyes upon his friends, and said to this purpose: ’Now I, whom you called a god, and therefore immortal, must be proved a man, and mortal.’ That his torture continued without intermission, or the least abatement, and then he died in the fifty-fourth year of his age, when he had been king seven years.’’
IV. Barnabas
and Saul's return to Antioch (v. 24, 25).
1. The word of God grew and multiplied, as seed sown, which comes up
with a great increase, thirty, sixty, a hundred fold; wherever the gospel was
preached, multitudes embraced it, and were added to the church by it, v. 24.
After the death of James, the word of God grew; - The more the church, was
afflicted, the more it multiplied.
2. Barnabas and Saul
returned to Antioch When they had fulfilled their ministry,
they returned from
Jerusalem.
3. Took with them John, whose surname was Mark, - his mother’s house (sister to
Barnabas) fervently praying Church House of verse 12.