v.1-5
Peter put in Prison & the Church prays
v.6-11
An Angel releases him from prison
v.12-18
The church struggle to believe his release
v.19-23
Herod's Death
v.24-25
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
v.1-5
Peter put in Prison & the Church prays
v.1
It
was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged
to the church, intending to persecute them.
v.2
He
had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.
v.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.
v.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.
v.5
So
Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying
to God for him.
[Passage
Synopsis: Yet again,
for a third time, Peter is put in prison [see 4:3 stayed in overnight,
and 5:18 when an angel let them out].
v.6-11
An Angel releases him from prison
v.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.
v.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.
v.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.
v.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.
v.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.
v.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.”
[Passage
Synopsis: Herod
has already had James executed and intended a public trial for
Peter and again an angel releases him. What is amusing about this
incident is the detail of the angel waking him etc., and then,
below, the church being unable to believe the answer to their
prayers.
v.12-18
The church struggle to believe his release
v.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.
v.13
Peter
knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came
to answer the door.
v.14
When
she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back
without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”
v.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.”
v.16
But
Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw
him, they were astonished.
v.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.
v.18
In
the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as
to what had become of Peter.
[Passage
Synopsis: After
this escape, Peter leaves town.]
v.19-23
Herod's Death
v.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.
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
v.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.
v.21
On
the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne
and delivered a public address to the people.
v.22
They
shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”
v.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.
[Passage
Synopsis: Herod
departs for his other home in Caesarea and when he foolishly receives
the accolade of the people he dies.]
v.24-25
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
v.24
But
the word of God continued to spread and flourish.
v.25
When
Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from
Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
[Passage
Synopsis: Barnabas
and Saul return from Jerusalem to Antioch.
It
might at this stage be helpful to identify the structure of the
recent chapters:
Ch.9
- Saul comes to the Lord and is taken by Barnabas to Jerusalem.
Meanwhile Peter is preaching around Judea.
Ch.10
– Peter is called to Caesarea to meet Cornelius and the Gentiles
become part of the church
Ch.11
– The church in Antioch in the north is established and grows
Ch.12
– Peter is imprisoned and miraculously released (again!). Barnabas
and Saul return to Antioch.
The
scene is thus set for the church to burst out of the area, in
the form of Saul and Barnabas being sent out from Antioch (ch.13)
on what becomes their first missionary journey and the book ceases
to follow Peter and now will follow Saul who will be renamed Paul
(Acts 13:9). Peter will only be mentioned once more in the Council
at Jerusalem (Acts 15).]