Acts 12
Big idea: A king with the sword meets an assembly with prayer: Herod kills James and jails Peter, but an angel of the Lord walks Peter out past every guard — and the same angel-verb ends Herod, who accepts a god's acclaim and 'didn't give God the glory.' Luke's verdict on the whole collision: 'But the word of God grew and multiplied.'
The stage is struck for ch. 13: Herod is dead, Peter has gone 'to another place,' and Barnabas and Saul — their relief service fulfilled — take John Mark with them. At Antioch the Holy Spirit will say, 'Separate Barnabas and Saul for me,' and Acts pivots from Peter and Jerusalem to Paul and the nations.
12:1–5 — The sword and the prayer
About that time King Herod stretches out his hands to oppress some of the assembly: he kills James, the brother of John, with the sword, and — seeing that it pleases the Jews — seizes Peter during the days of unleavened bread, jailing him under four squads of four soldiers for a public showing after the Passover. Luke sets the scene in a single contrast: Peter kept in the prison, 'but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.'
1 Now about that time, King Herod stretched out his hands to oppress some of the assembly. 2 He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This was during the days of unleavened bread. 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. 5 Peter therefore was kept in the prison, but constant prayer was made by the assembly to God for him.
12:6–11 — Walked out by an angel
The very night before Herod means to bring him out, Peter sleeps between two soldiers, bound with two chains. An angel of the Lord stands by him in light, strikes his side — 'Stand up quickly!' — and the chains fall off his hands. Dressed on command, Peter follows, thinking he sees a vision, past the first and second guard, through an iron gate that opens by itself. Only when the angel departs does he come to himself: 'Now I truly know that the Lord has sent out his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod.'
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. 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 his hands. 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.” 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. 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. 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.”
12:12–17 — The knock at Mary's gate
Peter comes to the house of Mary, mother of John called Mark, where many are gathered praying. Rhoda, a servant girl, recognizes his voice and — for joy — leaves him standing outside while she announces him. The praying church answers, 'You are crazy!' and then, 'It is his angel'; Peter keeps knocking. Opening, they are amazed; he recounts how the Lord brought him out, says, 'Tell these things to James and to the brothers,' and departs to another place.
12 Thinking about that, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. 13 When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. 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. 15 They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.” 16 But Peter continued knocking. When they had opened, they saw him and were amazed. 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.
12:18–23 — Herod's end
Daylight brings 'no small stir' among the soldiers; Herod examines the guards, commands their death, and withdraws to Caesarea. Tyre and Sidon, needing the king's country for food, win an audience through Blastus; on an appointed day Herod, in royal clothing on the throne, gives a speech, and the people shout, 'The voice of a god, and not of a man!' Immediately an angel of the Lord strikes him, 'because he didn't give God the glory' — and eaten by worms, he dies.
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. 19 When Herod had sought for him and didn’t find him, he examined the guards, then commanded that they should be put to death. He went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there. 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. 21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them. 22 The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!” 23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory. Then he was eaten by worms and died.
12:24–25 — But the word grew
Against the whole chapter — sword, prison, executed guards, a dead king — Luke sets one line: 'But the word of God grew and multiplied.' Barnabas and Saul, having fulfilled their relief service, return, taking with them John who was called Mark.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25 Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John who was called Mark.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).