1 “Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict certain of the church. 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. 3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. 4 And those were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in the prison; but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him. 5 And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the door kept the prison. 6 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell; and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up quickly. 7 And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 8 And he went out, and followed; and he wist not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision. 9 And when they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him. 10 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth His angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 11 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were praying. 12 And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. 13 And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate. 14 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel. 15 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. 16 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. 17 And he departed, and went to another place.”
Golden Text.—“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” Ps. 34:7.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) While Barnabas and Saul were laboring in Antioch, Syria, what did Herod do in Jerusalem? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) What special act of cruelty is recorded? Verse 2. (3) What other apostle was arrested, and why? Verse 3. Note 2. (4) What did the king design to do with Peter? Verse 4. Note 3. (5) While Peter was kept in prison, what was being done by the church? Verse 5. Note 4. (6) How closely was Peter guarded? Verse 6. (7) What occurred on the night before Peter was to have been executed? Verses 7-9. Note 5. (8) What further indicates the supposed security of Peter’s imprisonment? Verse 10. Note 6. (9) What did Peter realize when he was left to himself? Verse 11. (10) To whose house did he go? What was going on there? Verse 12. (11) Who answered Peter’s knock at the gate? Verse 13. (12) What did she do when she recognized his voice? Verse 14. (13) How was her report received by the company? Verse 15. (14) What was their feeling when they found that it was really Peter? Verse 16. Note 7. (15) What report did Peter make? What request did he add before leaving? Verse 17. Note 8.
Besides the notes, read the article of the same title as the lesson, in the fore part of paper.
NOTES.
1. “Herod the king” was Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great. He made a great display at Caesarea a short time afterward, dressed in “royal apparel” and “made an oration.” The people praised him as a god, and an angel smote him. He died in great agony, being “eaten of worms.” See verses 20-23 of lesson chapter.
2. To please the Jews had been a marked policy with Herod. He was appointed by Emperor Claudius, who succeeded Caligula. He was in part a Jew by birth; he lived in Jerusalem, and secured the loyalty of the Pharisees by punctually observing the traditions of the fathers. It is said that at one time, at the Feast of Tabernacles, he took the reader’s stand and read the whole of the book of Deuteronomy, which greatly pleased the Jews.
3. Keeping Peter till after the Passover was a part of Herod’s policy to regard the traditions of the Jews. These were averse to executions during the Passover week. James had been put to death before the Passover. Incidentally this reminds us that in their desperate anxiety to have Jesus condemned, the Jews had not scrupled not only to violate the law, but even to disregard their own traditions, when they clamored for His death on the very day of the Passover. The Common Version has “Easter” instead of “Passover,” which is a grievous error, an utter perversion of the original. The Greek is pascha, passover.
4. “But.”—The disjunctive is very striking in this sentence. Peter was kept in prison, “but prayer was made earnestly of the church.” Thus the superiority of the power of prayer over the power of the prison is made very emphatic by a single word, and that a monosyllable.
5. “Awoke Him.”—Apparently Peter was not worrying over the situation, else he would not have been sleeping soundly under such unfavorable circumstances. Such is true faith. It will obey God rather than men (ch. 4:19; 5:29), and leave the consequences with God.
6. Peter was supposed to be very securely confined. The Jews had not forgotten that he had at one time been released from their prison (ch. 5:17-20); and no doubt Herod was made aware of this fact. The apostle was evidently in an inner cell of the tower, fastened between two soldiers by a chain on each hand. Then there were sentinels at two outer posts, and outside of these an iron gate, opening into the city. To all human appearances escape was impossible.
7. The prayer of faith had been answered. The amazement of the company at the house of Mary was not that prayer should be heard, but that Peter should appear to them at such an hour. Evidently their hope had been for some favorable turn in the mind of the king, that would result in the prisoner’s release.
8. James, to whom Peter desired to have the fact of his release communicated, was the brother of Christ (Gal. 1:19), and was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was also president of the council held in Jerusalem over the question of circumcision for Gentile converts. Ch. 15:12-21. Paul also recognized him as the leader of the church in Judea, Gal. 2:11, 12.
