Acts 12:1
Outline:
I. \\#Acts 1:1-8:4\\ God’s Work in Jerusalem
A. \\#1:1-3\\ The Introduction
B. \\#1:4-26\\ Jesus’ Departure
1. \\#1:4-8\\ The Command
2. \\#1:9-11\\ The Ascension and Promised Return
3. \\#1:12-26\\ The Wait for the Holy Ghost
C. \\#2:1-8:4\\ The Holy Ghost’s Coming
1. \\#Acts 1:1-4\\ The Holy Spirit Comes
2. \\#Acts 2:5-8:4\\ The Power of the Holy Spirit
a. \\#Acts 2:5-13\\ The Power of Languages
b. \\#Acts 2:1-36\\ The Power of Preaching
c. \\#Acts 2:37-41, 47\\ The Power of Salvation
d. \\#Acts 2:42-47\\ The Power of Fellowship
e. \\#Acts 2:44-45\\ The Power of Giving
f. \\#Acts 3:1-11\\ The Power of Healing (miracles) and
more preaching \\#Acts 3:12-26\\
g. \\#Acts 4:1-31\\ The Power of Suffering
h. \\#Acts 4:32-5:42\\ The Power of Chastening
i. \\#Acts 6:1-7:50\\ The Power of Leadership (salvation,
preaching, persecution)
j. \\#Acts 8:1-4\\ The Persecutions Intensify
II. \\#Acts 8:5-12:24\\ God’s Work in Judea and Samaria
A. \\#8:4-40\\ The Ministry of Philip
1. \\#5-25\\ Philip Called to Samaria
2. \\#26-39\\ Philip’s Called to the Desert
3. \\#39-40\\ God Moved Him Toward Caesarea
B. \\#9:1-31\\ The Salvation of Saul
1. \\#9:1-9\\ The Power at Saul’s Conversion
2. \\#9:10-22\\ The Power after Saul’s Calling
3. \\#9:23-31\\ The Consequences of His Conversion
C. \\#9:32-11:18\\ The Ministry of Peter
1. \\#9:32-35\\ At Lydda
2. \\#9:36-43\\ At Joppa
3. \\#10:1-48\\ At Caesarea
4. \\#11:1-18\\ At Jerusalem
5. \\#11:19-30\\ (An update on the church and Paul)
6. \\#12:1-25\\ Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance
III. \\#Acts 13:1-28:31\\ God’s Work in Uttermost Parts of the World
I. \\#12:1-25\\ Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance
A. Images
1. The Herods
2. Their Domains
3. Tyre to Sidon
B. \\#1-4\\ Peter’s Arrest
1. \\#1\\ "Herod the king" - There were several Herods.
a. Herod the Great was alive when Jesus was born.
b. Herod Antipas was his son. He beheaded John
\\#Luke 9:9\\ and examined Jesus \\#Luke 23:7\\.
c. Herod Agrippa I
(1) The grandson of Herod the Great, born through his
daughter \\#Acts 12:1, 24\\.
(2) He basically ruled Israel, regaining the
territory of his grandfather, Herod the Great.
2. "vex certain of the church" - Why Agrippa turned against
the Christians is not revealed, but it is worthy to note
that this persecution is NOT against the Jews. Jews and
Christians are being seen as separate.
3. \\#2\\ "he killed James the brother of John" - James and
John were called "the sons of thunder" by Jesus
\\#Mr 3:17\\.
4. \\#3\\ "because he saw it pleased the Jews" - "the Jews"
might mean only the Jewish leaders; but more likely,
since the Christians were having dealings with the
Gentiles, it refers to the Jewish people at large, as
seems to be indicated in \\#4, 11\\.
5. "he proceeded further to take Peter also" - Peter had
returned to Jerusalem after his visit with Cornelius.
Agrippa arrested Peter.
6. \\#3\\ "Then were the days of unleavened bread"
…"Easter" \\#4\\ - This was the season of Passover,
Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.
a. The word for Easter is translated 28 times "Passover."
This is the only occasion where it is translated
"Easter." Why? Apparently it was the preference of
the translators probably because to them the church’s
resurrection was more important than the Jewish
Passover.
b. This would be around the anniversary of Christ’s death
and resurrection, but we are not told how long it had
been. Again, because of the death of Agrippa in 44
AD, it is likely the 14 year anniversary.
7. \\#4\\ Agrippa arrested Peter, put him in prison, and
assigned "four quaternion" of soldiers to guard him.
a. That would make 16 soldiers, probably 4 per shift,
with Peter being chained to two of them \\#12:6\\. .
b. Why so many guards? Perhaps it was remembered how
that the Lord delivered the apostles from the Jewish
prison so many years before \\#Acts 5:17-20\\.
c. Agrippa would keep Peter until after the Jewish
Passover and then let the people have a part in
determining his fate, much like Pilate had done with
Jesus.
C. \\#5-19\\ Peter’s Deliverance
1. \\#5\\ "prayer was made without ceasing" - From an earthly
perspective, prayer was the tool used to set Peter free.
2. \\#6\\ "And when Herod would have brought him forth, the
same night" - We do not know when Peter was arrested but
God let Peter stay in prison across the Passover.
However, the night before he would have been brought
before Agrippa….
3. \\#7-8\\ "the angel of the Lord came" - God sent an angel.
What did the angel do?
a. "a light shinned in the prison"
b. "smote Peter on the side" - To wake him.
c. "raised him up" - He helped Peter up. Apparently,
there was a need for speed.
d. He spoke.
(1) "Arise up quickly." Still indicating the need to
rush.
(2) \\#8\\ "Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals"
(3) "Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me" -
It is good to note that the angel did not do for
Peter what he could do for himself.
e. \\#7\\ "his chains fell off"
4. What did the guards do during this time? The Bible does
not say but I would guess the Lord had put them in a deep
sleep.
5. \\#9\\ Peter followed but "thought he saw a vision."
6. \\#10\\ Together…
a. They past through two "wards." Apparently, these were
separate sections within the prison.
b. They walked through the outside gate "which opened to
them of his own accord."
c. "and passed on through one street" - Apparently, they
crossed the street together.
d. Then "the angel departed."
7. \\#11\\ Once the angel departs, Peter realized that he was
not having a vision but rather that he was free.
8. \\#12\\ He goes to "the house of Mary, the mother of John,
whose surname is Mark."
a. This is the Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.
b. "where many were gathered together praying" - The
early church apparently met in Mark’s home.
c. We will see Mark again in the next chapter.
9. \\#13-17\\ Rhoda, the Church, and Doubt
a. \\#13-14\\ Peter knocked on the gate, which must have
been locked. Rhoda came to see who it was but was so
excited to see Peter, she dashed off before she
unlocked it, perhaps leaving Peter to think that she
had to fetch the key to unlock the gate.
b. \\#15\\ The church’s disbelief to the news that it was
Peter is a bit surprising.
(1) "Thou art mad" or crazy was their first thought;
but soon Peter resumed knocking at the gate and
they had to acknowledge something was out there.
(2) "It is his angel" or spirit or ghost they finally
concluded.
c. \\#16\\ But at last someone—with a key—just went to
the door and let Peter inside!
(1) The people were "astonished."
(2) All of this means that while faith is a great aid
to help in getting prayers answered, lacking of
it does not doom the request. Pray with
whatever faith you have and seek to believe God
all the more!
d. \\#17\\ Peter realized he would be in danger to stay
with the believers—as would they, so….
(1) He sought for them "to hold their peace."
(2) He "declared unto them how the Lord" had
delivered them.
(3) He instructed them to "shew these things unto
James, and to the brethren."
Note - Mentioning James, the half brother of Jesus, by name confirms
what Paul indicated in Galatians, namely that James was a leader in
the church. \\#Gal 1:19\\ called him an apostle and in \\#Ga; 2:9\\,
Paul gave his name before Peter and John as those who seemed to be
pillars in the Jerusalem church.
(4) Then "he departed …into another place,"
probably leaving the city.
10. \\#18-19\\ When the sun arose, there was a great commotion
as to what happened to Peter. When Herod Agrippa could
not find him, he had the guards put to death then
traveled sixty miles to Caesarea.
D. \\#20-23\\ Herod’s Death at Caesarea
1. \\#20\\ "Herod was highly displeased with Tyre and Sidon"
a. Tyre was almost 60 miles north of Caesarea and Sidon
around 20 miles beyond that. Both were apart of the
Syrian province.
b. There was some problem between Agrippa and these two
cities.
2. "Tyre and Sidon …came with one accord to him" - King
Agrippa probably held a counsel or court while in
Caesarea.
a. "Blastus, the king’s chamberlain" - Tyre and Sidon
made friends with one of the king’s servants who
was somehow their liaison in settling the matter.
b. "desired peace; because their country was nourished by
the king’s country." - Tyre and Sidon had desired to
end the conflict for their own benefit.
3. \\#21-22\\ And on a "set day," the king gave a speech to
those of Tyre and Sidon.
a. They must have thought the wagon needed more grease
for they shouted, "It is the voice of a god, and not
of a man."
b. Agrippa was not the Caesar and so was not worshipped
as a god, but he probably liked what he was hearing
and took it to heart as true.
4. \\#23\\ "And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him"
a. While many have done the same things without judgment
from God, on this day, God held Agrippa accountable
for his arrogance and blasphemy.
b. "and he was eaten of worms and gave up the ghost"
(1) Not only so, but as a visual sign that this man
was cursed, his body was eaten by worms.
(2) Was this man eaten alive by worms? That is
certainly the indication that the Bible gives.
(3) But even if he was not, it was obvious that the
hand of God was against Herod for a king’s body
should have been cared for quickly; yet before
his could be, worms got it.
c. The date history gives for Herod Agrippa’s death is
44 AD.
E. \\#24-25\\ An Update on Paul and Barnabas
1. \\#24\\ But the word of God grew and multiplied." - Even
while Agrippa and some of the Jews made things difficult,
souls were still being saved.
2. \\#25\\ "Barnabas and Saul returned" to Antioch from
Jerusalem after their mission was accomplished, no doubt
staying for the holy days and perhaps longer.
3. "and took with them John" - And John Mark went with them.
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