College Notes
The Acts
Chapter 12
Peter Imprisoned
(12:1-24)
James Killed
(12:1-2)
vs. 1
Arrest of Peter
Herod Agrippa I
vs. 2
James (the brother of John).
Note: 1 of original 12 and first to be killed.
Peter Jailed, Delivered (12:3-17)
vs. 4
"Easter" -
mistranslation. Comes from
Anglo-Saxon version.
Should read
Passover.
"Quaternions" - 4 groups of 4 men.
vs. 6
In 2nd ward (see vs.
l0). Took no chances with
Peter!
vs. 8
Took off with nothing
on.
vs. 10
Point: What you can do for yourself God
doesn't need to do for you and vice-versa.
vs. 12
John Mark. Same one that fled down the street
naked.
vs. 15
See also Hebrews
1:14.
Note: Angels do intervene in our lives.
Point: They had a perception of angels.
vs. 17
James the Lord's
brother.
Reaction (12:18-20)
vs. 19
"examined" probably
means whipped. Rome was brutal.
Herod's Death (12:21-24)
vs. 23
Josephus states: Herod was smitten in one day and
died five days later (44 A.D.)
In Wars of The Jews, Josephus
relates:
"After this the distemper seized his whole body, and greatly
disordered all its parts with various symptoms; for
there was a gentle fever upon him,
and an intolerable itching over all the surface of his body, and
continual pains in his colon, and dropsical tumours about his feet, and an
inflammation of the abdomen,
and a putrefaction of his privy member, that produced worms. Besides which he had a
difficulty of breathing upon him, and could not breathe but when he sat
upright, and had a convulsion of all his members; insomuch that the
diviners said those diseases were a punishment upon him for what he had
done to the rabbins.
Yet did he struggle with his numerous disorders, and still had a
desire to live, and hoped for recovery, and considered several methods of
cure."
Bk.I, Ch. XXXIII, Par.5
The account of Josephus continues to
reveal more of the character of Herod in the account of his death:
"He
then returned back and came to Jericho, in such a melancholy state of body
as almost threatened him with present death, when he proceeded to attempt
a horrid wickedness; for he got together the most illustrious men of the
whole Jewish nation, out of every village, into a place called the
Hippodrome, and there shut them in.
He then called for his sister Salomc and her husband Alexas, and made his speech to them:-'I know
well enough that the Jews will keep a festival upon my death; however, it
is in my power to be mourned for on other accounts, and to have a splendid
funeral, if you will but be subservient to my commands. Do you but take
care to send soldiers to encompass
these men that are now
in custody, and slay them
immediately upon my death,
and then all Judea,
and every family of them, will weep at it whether they will or
no."...So, Herod, having survived the slaughter of his son five days
died... Now before the
soldiers knew of his
death, Salome and her husband
came out and dismissed those that were in bonds, whom the king had
commanded to be slain, and told them he had altered his mind, and would have every one of them
sent to their own homes."
Par.6-8
vs. 24
Word of God grew and multiplied (see
16:5)
First Evangelistic
Tour (12:25-15:35)
Calling of Barnabas (12:25-13:3)