Bible Study Acts 12: 1-25

 

Commentary of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Acts 12: 1-25

Text:

An Angel Frees Peter from Prison

12 Now about that time [a]Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to harm them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now [b]it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four [c]squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

6 Now on [d]the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. 7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Rise up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. 8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and [e]put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he *said to him, “Wrap your garment around yourself and follow me.” 9 And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision. 10 And when they had passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him. 11 When Peter came [f]to himself, he said, “Now truly I know that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all [g]that the Jewish people were expecting.” 12 And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. 14 And when she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate. But she ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 15 And they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” 16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were astounded. 17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he recounted to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brothers.” Then he left and went to another place.

18 Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what [h]had become of Peter. 19 And when Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

The Death of Herod

20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. 21 And on an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel and sitting on the judgment seat, began delivering an address to them. 22 And the assembly kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 And immediately an angel of the [i]Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

24 But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul [j]returned [k]to Jerusalem, fulfilling their ministry, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.

Verse by verse commentary:

Verse 1: “Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to harm them.”

Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, ruled from A.D. 37 to 44. After accumulating substantial debt in Rome, he escaped to Israel. He was imprisoned by Emperor Tiberius due to reckless remarks but was eventually freed after Tiberius' death. Subsequently, he was appointed ruler of northern Israel, and his domain expanded to include Judea and Samaria in A.D. 41. To strengthen his precarious relationship with Rome, he sought favor with the Jews by persecuting Christians.

Verse 2: “And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.”

James was killed by the sword and became another martyr in the church, the second one to be named. The fact is stated bluntly.

Verse 3: “And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.”

James met his death by the sword, while Peter was delivered from prison, demonstrating that God's sovereign purpose was fulfilled in the lives of His equally dedicated servants. Since it was in the days of Unleavened Bread, Jerusalem would be full of visitors, and be a good opportunity to make the arrest.

Verse 4: “When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.”

Peter was constantly chained to two guards inside his cell, while two additional guards stood watch outside. The four soldiers were part of a squad that rotated shifts to ensure continuous monitoring of Peter.

Verse 5: “So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

The church prayed earnestly to God for Simon Peter's deliverance, not with a casual or superficial prayer, but with heartfelt sincerity and focus.

Verse 6: “Now on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.”

Peter was able to sleep soundly between two soldiers, just as he had in the Garden of Gethsemane. This suggests that he did not suffer from insomnia or have any trouble sleeping.

Verse 7: “And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Rise up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.”

The angel roused Peter from his deep sleep by tapping him on the side. Even the bright light shining on him had not been enough to wake him. Although they had tightly handcuffed him for security, God miraculously loosened his bonds. Whether the handcuffs fell off his hands or he broke them with Samson-like strength, the result was the same: he was free.

Verse 8: “And the angel said to him, ‘Gird yourself and put on your sandals.’ And he did so. And he *said to him, ‘Wrap your garment around yourself and follow me.’”

The angel commanded Peter to get dressed immediately and follow him, and Peter obeyed. When Peter awoke, he was unsure what to do, but followed the angel's instructions.

(1) He must gird himself; for those who slept in their clothes ungirded themselves, so they only had to fasten their girdles when they arose. (2) He must bind on his sandals to be ready to walk.

Verse 9: “And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but was thinking he was seeing a vision.”

The text explains that when Peter was freed by the angel, he didn't believe it was real, but rather thought he was having a vision. This shows how vivid and convincing heavenly visions can be, making it hard to tell them apart from reality. The text also references Psalm 126:1, drawing a parallel between Peter's disbelief and the feeling of dreaming experienced by the Israelites upon their return from captivity. Peter's reaction emphasizes how incredible and unbelievable the news of his release was.

Verse 10: “And when they had passed the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.”

The south entrance to the Antonian Fortress led to the temple courts. The fortress also had other entrances to the city. It was a citadel built by Herod the Great to protect the Second Temple.

Verse 11: “When Peter came [a]to himself, he said, “Now truly I know that the Lord has sent His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all [b]that the Jewish people were expecting.”

God had saved him, and Peter knew it. There was no doubt. Peter is no longer confused about reality versus visions. 

Verse 12: “And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.”

Mary, the mother of John Mark, was a wealthy woman who owned a large home where the church could gather. Around 150 years after this time, the church did not have its own buildings, so they met at Mary's house to pray for Simon Peter's deliverance.

Verse 13: “And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.”

Rhoda, whose name means "rose," was likely a servant girl. In those days of persecution, it was crucial to be cautious, so she went to the door to listen when someone knocked. "Came to answer" refers to this act of listening.

Verse 14: “And when she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate. But she ran in and reported that Peter was standing in front of the gate.”

Distracted by her excitement, she completely forgot to open the gate. Instead of letting him in, she hurried back to the praying group, leaving him waiting outside.

Verse 15: “And they said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, ‘It is his angel.’”

Even though the church prayed for Peter's release and he was indeed freed, they initially doubted it, believing he was dead and what they saw was his ghost.

Verse 16: “But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door, they saw him and were astounded.”

Although the disciples earnestly prayed for Peter's safety and release, mirroring their previous prayer in Acts 4:23-24, they later struggled to accept that their prayer had been answered.

Verse 17: “But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he recounted to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, ‘Report these things to James and the brothers.’ Then he left and went to another place.”

Peter left town after his miraculous release. One might wonder why he didn't stay in Jerusalem, trusting God to protect him as he had delivered him. Couldn't Peter have reasoned, "God freed me from prison, surely He can keep me safe here"? While God is capable of anything, He expects us to exercise common sense. Sometimes, what appears to be great faith can actually be a test of God. Even after experiencing God's wonderful or miraculous acts, we are still expected to use our discernment.

Verse 18: “Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.”

Luke frequently employs understatement to describe significant events. For example, Peter's disappearance caused "no small disturbance" among the guards, suggesting a major disturbance that prompted extensive searches and likely city-wide efforts. Similarly, the conflict in Acts 15 is described as "had not a little dissension," minimizing the seriousness of the early church's internal struggles. In both cases, Luke's mild language downplays the magnitude of these events.

Verse 19: “And when Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.”

Roman law stipulated that a guard would face the same punishment intended for an escaped prisoner. Herod, a ruthless and callous ruler with no respect for life, responded to Peter's escape by executing the guards. This act was a public declaration denying divine intervention and holding his soldiers accountable. Following this brutal display, Herod retreated to Caesarea, a favored coastal resort and Roman headquarters. Unlike King David, Roman officials like Pilate had little affection for Jerusalem. Herod's move to Caesarea suggests a desire for leisure after his harsh actions.

Verse 20: “Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country.”

Herod's displeasure negatively impacted the economies of Tyre and Sidon, who were dependent on trade with him. Consequently, they sought to appease Herod through diplomatic efforts.

Verse 21: “And on an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel and sitting on the judgment seat, began delivering an address to them.”

Herod, inflated by pride and a captivating orator, possessed the charisma of a universally electable politician. Scripture identifies figures like Herod as precursors to the Antichrist, as John notes in 1 John 2:18: "Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared. From this we know that it is the last hour." The populace even revered Herod as a god.

Verse 22: “And the assembly kept crying out, ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’”

God jealously guards His glory and will not share it, as stated in Isaiah 42:8. Herod, failing to glorify God for Peter's miraculous escape, instead accepted the people's worship of him as a god. Consequently, God judged Herod for this act.

Verse 23: “And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.”

Filled with intense pride and spiritual arrogance, he presumptuously sought divine reverence, and invited significant judgment.

Verse 24: “But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.”

While it may seem difficult for us to comprehend today, the early church in the book of Acts often experienced growth and strengthening during times of persecution. The challenges they faced did not diminish their numbers or their faith; instead, they often served to scatter believers, leading to the wider dissemination of the Gospel message. As Christians were forced to leave Jerusalem due to persecution, they traveled to new regions, sharing their faith and establishing new communities of believers. This dispersion, though initially a consequence of hardship, ultimately fueled the rapid expansion of Christianity in the first century. The resilience and growth of the early church under pressure stand as a testament to the enduring strength of the Christian faith and the Providential hand of God working even through difficult circumstances. He is Sovereign even in times of grave trouble. 

Verse 25: “And Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, fulfilling their ministry, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.”

Having finished their task of delivering the Antioch famine relief to Jerusalem (Acts 11:27–30), Barnabas and Saul returned. John, also known as Mark, who may have been the young man who fled during Jesus' arrest (Mark 14:51, 52) and later wrote the Gospel of Mark, joined Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. Mark also traveled with them on their first missionary journey (13:4), going as far as Perga in Pamphylia (13:13).