Acts Chapter 12

From The Open Bible Project

12:1 Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly.

• (1) God gives his Church peace only for a short time.

(a) This name Herod was common to all those that come from the stock of Herod Ascalonites, whose surname was Magnus: but he that is spoken of here was nephew to Herod the great, son to Aristobulus, and father to the Agrippa who is spoken of afterwards.

12:2 He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.

• (b) Violently, his cause not being heard at all.

12:3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread.

• (2) It is an old habit of tyrants to attain the favour of the wicked, with the blood of the godly.

12:4 When he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

• (3) The tyrants and wicked make a gallows for themselves even then when they do most according to their own will and fantasy.

12:5 Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.

• (4) The prayers of the godly overturn the counsel of tyrants, obtain angels from God, break the prison, unloose the chains, put Satan to flight, and preserve the Church.

12:6 The same night when Herod was about to bring him out, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Guards in front of the door kept the prison.

12:7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up, saying, "Stand up quickly!" His chains fell off from his hands.

• (c) Literally, "habitation"; (Ed.).

12:8 The angel said to him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." He did so. He said to him, "Put on your cloak, and follow me."

12:9 And he went out and followed him. He didn't know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

12:10 When they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went out, and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

12:11 When Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from everything the Jewish people were expecting."

12:12 Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

• (5) Holy meetings in the nights of both men and women (when they cannot take place in the day time) are allowable by the example of the apostles.

12:13 When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

• (6) We obtain more from God than we dare well hope for.
• (d) Out of the place where they were assembled, but not out of the house.

12:14 When she recognized Peter's voice, she didn't open the gate for joy, but ran in, and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

12:15 They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she insisted that it was so. They said, "It is his angel."

12:16 But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed.

12:17 But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell these things to James, and to the brothers." Then he departed, and went to another place.

• (7) We may sometimes give place to the rage of the wicked, but yet only in such a way that our diligence which ought to be used in God�s business does not slacken in the least.

12:18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

• (8) Evil counsel in the end results in the hurt of those who devised it.

12:19 When Herod had sought for him, and didn't find him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.

12:20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food.

• (9) A miserable and shameful example of what happens to the enemies of the Church.

12:21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.

12:22 The people shouted, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"

• (10) The flattery of people makes fools glad.

12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn't give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

• (11) God resists the proud.
• (e) Josephus records that this king did not repress the flatterer's tongues, and therefore at his death he complained and cried out about their empty praise.

12:24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

• (12) Tyrants build up the Church by destroying it.
• (s) Those that heard the word of God.

12:25 Barnabas and Saul returned [47] to [See Acts Footnotes 47] Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John whose surname was Mark.