One Year Journey Through the New Testament
Acts 12
Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!
Herod’s Violence to the Church
1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. 2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. 4 So when he had arrested him, 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.
(Acts 12:1–4, NKJV)
Points to Ponder:
- Herod entered a phase of persecuting some in the church. His actions even reached to James the brother of John.
- He saw that the Jews were happy, so he also captured Peter and put him in prison under heavy guard. His intentions were to shame Peter after Passover.
Peter Freed from Prison
5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. 6 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. 7 Now 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. 8 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.” 9 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. 10 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.
11 And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I 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.”
12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. 15 But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
16 Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 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.
18 Then, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 But 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.
(Acts 12:5–19, NKJV)
Points to Ponder:
- Peter was held in prison and was in chains. The church prayed diligently for him. The night before Herod was to bring him out to shame him before the Jews, an angel appeared, woke Peter, told him to get dressed, and made his chains fall off.
- Peter thought he saw a vision, but after he made it outside the prison, he realized that God had delivered him.
- He went to Mary’s house where the disciples had gathered to pray. He knocked at the door, and a servant girl announced that Peter was at the door. They dismissed her, but Peter kept knocking.
- When they realized he was really there, they welcomed him in and celebrated his deliverance. He told them to keep silent and tell the other disciples what God had done.
- He left Judea for Caesarea to avoid Herod for a while.
Herod’s Violent Death
20 Now 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.
21 So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. 22 And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 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.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
(Acts 12:20–24, NKJV)
Points to Ponder:
- Tyre and Sidon were on the bad side of Herod, but his aide befriended them, and they asked for peace.
- Herod appeared before them in royal garb, and they called him a god. He did not stop them, but accepted their praise.
- He was immediately struck dead, because he took the glory meant only for God. He was eaten by worms and died.
- I love this simple last sentence in this section of the chapter, “But the word of God grew and multiplied.” Nothing can stop the word of God.
Barnabus and Saul Appointed
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.
(Acts 12:25, NKJV)
Points to Ponder:
- Finally, Barnabus and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having evangelized fully, and then took John Mark with them on their missionary journey.
- This was beginning of Saul(Paul)’s full-fledged ministry to the Gentiles around the known world.
__________________________________________________________________________
All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.
Devoted To You 