Answers for A Study in the Book of Acts: Chapter 12

“Answers For A Study in the Book of Acts” is a weekly post in addition to the regular “Case for the New Testament” posts on the weekend. The original questions are posted on the bottom of the Case for the New Testament” post the weekend before, and the answers appear here mid-week. This gives you time to do your own research and then check your answers here. Keep in mind these will be basic answers with a little depth, but you can go much deeper if you’d like.

Note: The answers will focus on what the text of the Bible says, and commentaries and speculative answers will be noted as such. There are many scholarly commentaries out there but it will be important, as students of the Bible, to keep the text of the Bible as our first source. Commentaries can be used, keeping in mind that they are human thoughts about God’s Word.

Bible Study

Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

Read Acts Chapter 12: Then, to the best of your ability, answer the following questions.

NOTE: The New American Standard Version (NASB) is the Bible being used here, unless otherwise noted. Questions are taken directly from the chapters, and answers should be found and cited from the Scripture text in order to be Biblically accurate (unless asked to summarize in your own words). Study Bibles, commentaries and your own thoughts can be used for “Discussion” or “Going Deeper” questions. Cite sources to share with your group.

James’ death; Peter’s arrest and deliverance

1. Read Chapter 12:1-19 with your table group

In the main part of this chapter, we find persecution continuing, and now the Apostles are threatened:

a. Who is James; what happened to him and when (v. 1-2)? Who is the other James mentioned in this chapter ( v.17)? Cross-reference by reading Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3; and Galatians 1:18-19.

“Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.”

Acts 12:1-3

The James in verses 1-2, is one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus, the brother of John – interesting note: James and his brother John had asked Jesus for special recognition in His Kingdom, but Jesus told them that they would have to suffer as He did (Mark 10:35-40), and they did.
King Herod had James put to death with the sword – this was the first Apostle of Jesus’ inner twelve (excluding Judas Iscariot who hanged himself) to be martyred for the faith.
This happened during the “days of Unleavened Bread:” The Feast of Unleavened Bread is to start on the 15th day of Nisan, the same month as Passover, at twilight. Passover begins at twilight on the 14th day of the first month. It is immediately followed by Chag HaMatzot, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This commemorates the Exodus from Egypt.
Verse 17 speaks about another James we see in Scripture – this is the half-brother of Jesus who becomes the leader of the early Church, and the author of the Epistle of James – he is spoken of in Mt. 13:55, Mk. 6:3 and Gal. 1:18-19.

b. What happened to Peter and why? How did Peter escape and where did he go?

“When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.” “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. So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.”

Acts 12:3-5

Herod saw that killing James had pleased the Jew (the Jewish leaders) so he arrested Peter and planned to do the same thing to him after Passover was complete.
Note: Since this was Passover it would seem reasonable that it was at least the next year after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

“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, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and second guard, 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. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” 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.”

Acts 12:7-12

An angel of the Lord miraculously rescued Peter from the jail and took him outside to the street.
When Peter realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark (John-Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark and traveling companion of Paul and Barnabus) where many of the disciples were gathered.

c. What were the other believers doing at this time? How did they react when Peter came to the door?

The believers were gathered together praying for Peter (and the situation at hand).

“When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. 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.” But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place.”

Acts 12:13-17

They did not believe it was Peter! The story is comical because Rhoda leaves Peter standing outside instead of letting him in! But when they realized it was him they were in shock (amazed).
It is interesting to note that they were praying for Peter, but then acted like it was impossible for God to have answered their prayers when they saw him!

d. Discuss: What is the importance of prayer in a believer’s life, and do you think there are right or wrongs ways to use it?

Prayer is the most important thing in the life of the believer – Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)
Jesus’ modeled prayer for us in His life and ministry (see John 17 or Matt. 6:9-13 for examples) – Note: There is no magical formula or incantation, only models from Jesus and other places in Scripture (like the Psalms).
It would be wrong to think prayer is a magical way of asking for things, like God is a “Santa Claus” or “Jeanie in the bottle.” However, there is no wrong way to talk to God if we come to Him with an open heart and honesty in our petitions, even when we have doubts and questions, we should take them to God in prayer.
The goal is to get ourselves in line with God’s will, and to ask Him to help us accomplish that in all things we pray for, trusting that He knows what is best for us, that He loves us, and that He will be with us through both the good and the bad.

2. Read Chapter 12:19-25 with your table group

In the last part of this chapter, we read of the fate of Herod:

a. What happened to Herod, and why? Going Deeper: Research what Josephus (the Jewish historian) has to say about the details of what happened to this Herod. Contrast that with what verse 24 says was happening for the Word of God?

Death of Herod

“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. On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died”.

Acts 12:20-23

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

Acts 12:24

Herod died because he did not give God the glory; but the contrast is apparent when we read that the “word of the Lord continued to grow and be multiplied.” God is in control over all situations!
Josephus, the Jewish historian, gives us more detail on this death of Herod:

From Biblehistory.com:

“Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Caesarea […] There he exhibited shows in honor of the emperor […] On the second day of the festival, Herod put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a truly wonderful contexture, and came into the theater early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment was illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it. It shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him. At that moment, his flatterers cried out […] that he was a god; and they added, ‘Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.’

Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But as he presently afterward looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and he fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, ‘I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots, as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.’

After he said this, his pain was become violent. Accordingly he was carried into the palace, and the rumor went abroad that he would certainly die in a little time. But the multitude presently sat in sackcloth, with their wives and children, after the law of their country, and besought God for the king’s recovery. All places were also full of mourning and lamentation. Now the king rested in a high chamber, and as he saw them below lying prostrate on the ground, he could not himself forbear weeping. And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign.”

(Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 19.343-350).

b. Going Deeper: Who was this Herod and how was he related to the other Herods we know about in Scripture?

This was Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great (the Herod at the time of Jesus’ birth), and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. His uncle was Herod Antipas (the one who killed John the Baptist). His siblings were Mariamne III, Herod V, Herodias and Aristobulus Minor. His children were Herod Agrippa II (Paul went before him in Acts 26), Berenice II, Mariamne VI, and Drusilla.

c. At the end of this chapter, we find an introduction for the rest of the book Acts. Who are main characters we read about in verse 25 and what do we already know about them?

“And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.”

Acts 12:25

Barnabus: Accompanies Paul on his first missionary trip and later takes John-Mark, after a fallout with Paul, and goes on separate missions – they reconcile later on.
Saul (his Hebrew name): Begins his missionary journeys as the Apostle Paul (his Gentile name) and becomes the greatest Apostle for Jesus, writing at least 13 of the New Testament Epistles.
John-Mark: Author of the Gospel of Mark. Companion of Peter; accompanies Paul on his first missionary journey, but abandons them before they are done. Later he accompanies Barnabus after the fallout over his abandoning them. They reconcile as Paul asks for him at the end of his life (2 Tim. 4:11).

d. Discuss: Write down and share two or three things that you think are important to remember about chapter twelve.

The Apostles were now experiencing persecution, and James was the first of the original twelve to be martyred for his faith. This caused Peter great difficulty as he was to be next, but God miraculously saved him because he still had more to do for the Gospel.
We learn about James, the half-brother of Jesus, who becomes the leader of this early Church as Peter moves on in his ministry – and the rest of the book of Acts will now focus on the ministry and missionary trips of the Apostle Paul.

Please continue to join us in making our “A Case for the New Testament” along with a study in the book of Acts, and share it with others!

Note: Class presentation, videos, reflections and Bible study question are posted on the weekend – Bible study answers (like these) posted mid-week.

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Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15