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The Acts of the Apostles - Chapter 12

Exquisite counterpoint between God’s care of the Apostle and his retribution on the persecutor. A series of reversals demonstrate the power at work in the Messianic movement: Herod seeks to harm the church to please the Jews but is eaten by worms after succumbing to pagan flattery; a Church leader is killed but the Church ends with its leader escaped and the Church flourishing. Luke clearly enjoys the story of Peter’s rescue and tells it beautifully, with the angel’s obsessiveness with Peter’s clothing and gates that open “automatically”, only for Peter to be blocked by the maid-servant and the believers thinking Peter is an angel. But in enjoying the charm of Luke’s story-telling we should not overlook the deliberate parallels with Jesus’ passion: Passover, Herod, laying on of hands, arresting, delivering over, rise, leading forth, announces, thinking he is a ghost - the resurrection of Jesus continues to empower his apostles, Jesus’ work is continued through his Church.
1 It is now Herod, rather than the Jewish temple authorities, who resume persecution, and with the approval of the Jews. This is Herod Agrippa, brother of Herodias who married Herod Antipas who tried Jesus; Herodias caused the beheading of John Baptist. The political scene has changed: now a Jewish Kingdom, set up by the Romans. Herod Agrippa, set up by Claudius, ruled AD 41-44. The Herodian family were long time close to Roman rulers, living mostly in Rome and taking care to be among the first to welcome each new emperor.
2 James Zebedee, brother of John, is the first of the twelve to be martyred, about AD 42-44. This is the James of Compostela, although it seems unlikely that he could have been to Spain and back - and even more surprising that Luke did not mention it if he had! Having made up the Twelve after Judas’ death, there is no further attempt to replace casualties - their eternal role is symbolic as the 12 judges of Israel. Why James, but not Peter?
3 Beheading was the punishment for apostates (Deut 13:15), thus implying that the followers of Jesus were apostates and idolaters, so “pleasing the Jews”. “The Jews” are now increasingly portrayed as hostile, in contrast to the Church who pray unceasingly. Like Jesus, Peter is arrested at Passover time.
4 In view of the precipitate execution of James, delaying until after the Passover seems strange fastidiousness - but it does heighten tension. Mention of the Passover reminds us only of Jesus’ passion, but also of the original Passover, with references to loins girded/fasten your belt and sandals.
5 How can our community prayer become more effective?
6 Luke’s detailed description of the security and of Peter’s clothes adds to a dream-like quality of Peter’s rescue.
7 More accurately, the angel “struck” Peter - just as he later “strikes” Herod, to very different effect (and an angel strikes Tobias). The light is a sign of heavenly presence.
8 After Peter’s experience at Joppa he must have been ready to follow visionary instructions.
11 Peter immediately acknowledges God’s mercy in rescuing him, although not with quite the high poetry used by Moses (Exod 15:1-18). God several times rescues Peter and Paul, which must have made it difficult for the Christians to understand why they were not similarly rescued from Martyrdom in Rome under Nero. “The expectation of he Jewish people” contrasts with their expectation of a Messiah, and underlines the increasing separation and hostility of the Jewish people, who once welcomed the apostolic ministry (2:47, 5:13), and lays further basis for outreach to the Gentiles by the “true Israel”.
12 Unusually the head of the household is Mary: independent and presumably wealthy, and able to accommodate a house church. Luke consistently defines the Christian community as “united in prayer”, and Peter’s rescue shows the power of prayer at work.
13 As once before (Lk 22:56) Peter is confronted with a maid-servant in a courtyard, with a wall and door to the house proper.
14 Rhoda prophetically announces Peter, an example of Peter’s prediction that female servants would prophesy (2:18). The first female voice in Acts, apart from the lying Sapphira. Luke’s humour emphasises how unexpected was Peter’s release: he is left knocking at the door, while the believers argue whether Rhoda was seeing a vision. Like the women after the Resurrection (Lk 24:9), Rhoda “announces” that Peter was outside. Contrast this locked door - or wicket gate with the iron gate that opened by itself (12:10).
15 Like the women after the Crucifixion (Lk 24:10), Rhoda is not believed. Like the Apostles (Lk 24:37), the community thinks Peter may be his angel.
16 The stuff of farce - but while those within continue to argue, Peter is still outside and possibly in danger of recapture. How do we respond when God answers our prayers in unexpected ways, or apparently not at all? Should there be more laughter in church?
17 Like Jesus, Peter is in prison, released/rises, recognises successor, and goes. James, the brother of the Lord, to whom Paul tells us the Lord appeared (1 Cor 15:7), is probably now head of the Jerusalem Church. The Apostles appear to have not taken administrative roles - “not right for us to serve at table” (6:2) - and Peter appears to be the head of the whole Church, visiting where necessary. Not so much a transfer of authority, as a courtesy to the local Church leader. From one commissioned by Jesus, Peter now commissions others. No evidence that Peter went to Rome at this time - well before any significant missionary activities, although St Jerome believed Peter arrived in Rome in 43 AD - just assume he kept out of Herod’s way - and avoided drawing attention to the house where the believers had gathered.
19 The Greek could mean either “put aside/taken away” or “executed”, but either way it underlined Herod’s cruelty and indicates why Paul’s jailor is fearful (16:7).
20 “in a body”: the western text has: “some from both cities presented themselves together before the king”. The king’s chamberlain could have considerable influence. There was a long history of treaties between Judea and Phoenicia involving food being sent to the Phoenician cities in exchange for cedar and other wood (eg 1 Kgs 5:9-12, Ez 27:17). The dispute may have been Herod withholding the food deliveries to Phoenicia because of the famine.
21 The “appointed/set” day may have been for celebrating agreement with the 2 cities. The contents of the king’s speech are not recorded by Luke, and Josephus has the following events take place before Agrippa delivered his speech, responding to the fear and awe his splendid silver clothing, shining in the sun, generates.
23 Before turning to the activities of Paul and Barnabas, Luke describes Herod’s death to indicate how God punishes persecutors: his death is similar to that of other persecutors like Antiochus (2 Macc 9:9). A similar account of Herod’s death is given by Josephus: after being flattered as a god - and not denying it as impious - Herod died of stomach pains after 5 days. Contrast Herod’s failure to acknowledge God as Lord of all with Peter who immediately praised God for his release (v 11).
24 In contrast to Herod, the Church is flourishing. Since unbelieving Jewry stood behind the king, the end of his threat to the Church coincides with the end of her confinement within Judaism.
25 The Greek manuscripts are divided between ex (=from) and eis which could mean either “to” or “in”: the best translation, remembering 11:29 and anticipating Chap 13, is probably “after completing their service in Jerusalem, they returned” - Luke casually omits their destination, as Chap 13 implies it clearly enough. John Mark is cousin to Barnabas (Col 4:10). Assumed to be Paul’s companion, and the evangelist - but it is a common name, and Peter calls him his “co-worker” (1 Pet 5:13).