Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. [12] With the angel’s disappearance, and having come to his senses (Ac 12:10), Peter sought safety under the cloak of night. He visited the house of a certain Mary, who was apparently wealthy, and whose large home was an established house-church.

2. Mary, not being mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, is identified as the “the mother of John.” John, also called Mark, is introduced into the book of Acts.

3. We find that John Mark is the cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10) and that he was like a spiritual son to Peter (1Pe 5:13). He would be taken along to Antioch by Barnabas and Saul (Ac 12:25). John Mark would also accompany Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey (Ac 13:5). However, John Mark would desert them at Perga (Ac 13:13) which would cause a strong disagreement between Barnabas and Saul. Nevertheless, John Mark would not only be successfully encouraged to be “useful” by Barnabas (2Ti 4:11), but would eventually write the second gospel which bears his name, through the aid of Peter.

B. Church’s Vigilance in Prayer

1. Luke, having shown that prayer was a focal point in Peter’s deliverance (Ac 12:5), related that the church continued in prayer for Peter, though not knowing that he been delivered.

2. Though they often assembled, many were were specifically “gathered together” (sunathroizō, fr. athorizō - many assembled) for intercession on Peter’s behalf. In fact, they “were praying” (imperfect tense - continuous) vigilantly for Peter well in to the night (cf. Ac 12:6).

C. Truthful Circumstance of Peter’s Entrance (Ac 12:13-16)

1. [13] It began at the door of the gate at Mary’s house. A servant girl (paidiskā - female servant or slave) named Rhoda came to answer Peter’s knocking.

2. [14] Naturally, when she asked who was at the door, Peter called out to identify himself. Being overjoyed that the one whom they were praying for was delivered safely to them, she forgot to open the door. Instead of opening, she was more concerned with letting everyone know that Peter was there, or at least standing outside.

3. [15] While the expected response would have been to tell Rhoda to go let Peter in, everyone said that she was “out of her mind.” (mainomai - to be out of one’s mind, insane, mad - Jn 10:20; figurative expression for disbelief or absurdity - Ac 26:24-25; Eng. “maniac”).

4. [16] The account is best brought out by the Greek which depicts simultaneous multiple acts. Rhoda “kept insisting” (imperfect of diischurizomai - firmly maintain) that it was true, everyone in the house “kept saying” (imperfect of legō - to say or speak) it was Peter’s angel, and all the while Peter, in fear for his life, “persisted in knocking” (present of krouō - to knock).

5. When the believers gathered at Mary’s house finally opened the door, the saw Peter in the flesh for themselves and they were “amazed” (existāmi - displaced, beside themselves, astonished). God had indeed answered their prayers while they were praying.

D. Peter’s Angel

1. In regard to the comment concerning “Peter’s angel,” Jewish superstition espoused that everyone has a guardian angel who could assume their appearance (or voice). However, there is no biblical support for this superstition or the idea of personalized guardian angels.

2. Michael was assigned to Israel (Dan 10:21; 12:1), an angel was sent to “shut the mouth” of Daniel’s lions (Dan 6:22), and numerous angels have together been assigned to individuals (2Ki 6:17). But angels are “ministering spirits” who wait in God’s presence to hear God’s command to attend to believers (He 1:14). Not even Mt 18:10 can be used to support the idea of personalized guardian angels. This verse states that the angels are continually in the the presence of God (“continually see the face of my Father in heaven”). The reference “their “angels is a plural pronoun referring to a collective group served by angels in general.

E. Report to the Leaders of the Church (Ac 12:17)

1. [17] For fear for his life and those of the church, Peter motioned that they silence their joyous commotion.

2. Peter related how the Lord (through a ministering spirit (angel) led him out of prison and Herod’s clutches.

3. Peter asked them to report his miraculous circumstances to the leaders of the church, and in particular James. Obviously, he was not referring to the James, the brother of John, who had recently been beheaded (Ac 12:2). The James in question was in all likelihood, James the Lord’s brother (1Co 15:7; Gal 1:19; 2:9) and not James the son of Alphaeus (Lk 6:15; Ac 1:13).

4. With the parting of Peter, he is only mentioned one other time in the book of Acts (Ac 15:7ff).

II. THE ACCOUNT OF HEROD’S DEATH

A. The Execution of the Soldiers (Ac 12:18-19)

1. [18] All of this took place at night. But when morning came, there was “no small disturbance.” Luke used a rhetorical device called litotes (understatement) to emphasize the scene.

2. The soldiers tried to figure out what happened to Peter indicating that the angel and Peter miraculously walked by them unnoticed (Ac 12:10).

3. [19] Then Herod conducted his own investigation which resulted in the soldiers on duty being “led away” (apagō - led, or led away by force resulting in punishment, cf. Lk 22:66; 23:26) to execution. Such action was prescribed by the Roman Law (Justinian Code 9.4.4).

4. This gives further support to the resurrection of Christ. The only reason that the soldiers guarding the tomb were not executed was that the chief priests promised to keep them out of trouble if they would propagate a lie (cf. Mt 28:11-15).

B. The Pompous Pride of Herod (Ac 12:20-22)

1. [20] Having gone to Caesarea, Herod was met by the people of Tyre and Sidon, who were seeking peace with him. Not only was Herod brutal to Christians, but he was hostile (“very angry” - thumomacheō - enraged, highly angered) and tyrannical to other regions of people.

2. In the time of famine, predicted by Agabus (Ac 11:28), Herod’s supply of food was adequate and perhaps abundant. He used these resources as a tool for advantage over desperate regions.

3. If it were not for Blastus, the king’s “chamberlain” (koitōn - personal attendant over sleeping quarters), Tyre and Sidon would not have had the king’s audience.

4. [21] According to Josephus (Ant 19:343), an appointed festival was held for the Emperor Claudius in Caesarea. On the second day of the festival, in pompous pride, Herod arraigned himself with “royal apparel” made wholly of silver, which reflected the “sun’s rays” (Ant 19:344). He sat down at the “rostrum” (bema - Bema seat) and began to make a speech.

5. [22] During Herod’s speech, the people cried out, perhaps to quell their hunger pains, “the voice of a god and not of a man.”

C. The Demise of Herod (Ac 12:23)

1. [23] In Herod’s insolent pride, he “neither rebuked them, nor rejected their impious flattery” (Ant 19:346). Wherefore, Luke records that an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a terrible stomach affliction because “he did not give God the glory.”

2. Though some have suggested Herod’s cause of death, we rely on the words of the the inspired physician, that having been worm eaten (skōlākobrōtos), he died. Josephus recorded that Herod suffered violent and terminal pain for “five days.”

III. THE CONTINUATION OF THE CHURCH

A. The Continuation of the Word (Ac 12:24)

1. The “word of the Lord” could not be stifled or overthrown though Herod made war on Christianity.

2. The reason the church grew was because of the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord is “living and active” and powerful (He 4:12).

B. The Continuation of the Missions (Ac 12:25)

1. Barnabas and Saul had fulfilled their mission in distributing contributions to the Jerusalem church that was affected by the famine.

2. They would return to Antioch and would begin what is called “Paul’s First Missionary Journey.” John Mark would play an integral part.

IV. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Pray with vigilance and faith

1. The church indeed showed their vigilance in prayer. Yet it is surprising to see how long it took them to be convinced of the answer to their prayers.

2. Jesus teaches us not only to be vigilant in our prayers, but to be believing when we pray (Mt 21:22).

B. Give glory to God

1. Satan shows the origin of pride when he stated in Is 14:14 that he “will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High (El Elyon).”

2. Herod’s inward motivation of pride was revealed and judged by the angel. Such pride is characteristic of the world which refuses to give glory to God (Ro 1:21).

3. But even as believers, we must be careful to give God the glory and thanks for all things such as our gifts, talents, knowledge, provisions, and answered prayer.

C. The Word of God is the key to growth

1. The “word of the Lord” continued to grow. Jesus said that He would build His church and the gates of Hades would not over power it (Mt 16:18). Even through a powerful tyrant like Herod Agrippa would the church be stopped.

2. The church grows through the continual sharing of the gospel and the continual teaching of the Scriptures. This is the primary and biblical mandate for church growth.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516