The Sunday School

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 8, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 14.

The Sunday School

International Series.

Lesson IV.—Sunday, April 25, 1897.

Peter Delivered from Prison

Note.—The death of the emperor Caligula freed the Jews from the dread of their temple’s desecration, and left them free to turn their attention to the work which the Christians were doing. The result of this was the renewal of that persecution which the church suffered at the time of the dispersion. The lesson section includes the entire chapter, with the exception of the last verse. Claudius, who succeeded Caligula as emperor of Rome, was a different type of man from his predecessor, who sought to establish his own worship in the temple at Jerusalem; and Herod, willing to please the Jews, killed James and imprisoned Peter. Commit verses 7 to 9.

Lesson Scripture, Acts 12:5–17, R. V.

5 “Peter therefore was kept in the prison; but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him. 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. 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. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 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. 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. 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. 11 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. 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. And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid came to answer, named Rhoda. 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. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened, they saw him, and were amazed. 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.”

Golden Text.—“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” Ps. 34:7.

Suggestive Questions.

(1) What was done with Peter? Verse 5, first clause. Note 1. (2) What did the church do for his release? Ib., last part. (3) What did Herod purpose to do with Peter? Verse 6, first clause. Note 2. (4) What is said of the security with which Peter was guarded? Ib., last part. (5) Who was sent to deliver Peter? Verse 7, first clause. (6) What did the angel do and say? Ib., second part. (7) How was Peter released from his chains? Ib., last clause. (8) What instruction did the angel give to Peter? Verse 8. (9) In spite of the barred cell, what did they do? Verse 9, first part. (10) At this time how did Peter regard what he saw and participated in? Verse 9, last part. (11) What obstacles did they pass unmolested? Verse 10, first part. Note 3. (12) How were they enabled to pass the iron gate that placed them entirely outside the prison? Ib., second part. Note 4. (13) How long did the angel continue to openly conduct Peter? Ib., last part. Note 5. (14) What conclusion did Peter arrive at after the departure of the angel? Verse 11. (15) After considering the matter, where did Peter go? Verse 12, first part. (16) What was taking place there during all that night? Ib., last clause. (17) Who came to the gate in answer to Peter’s knock? Verse 13. Note 6. (18) What did Rhoda do when she knew who was at the gate? Verse 14. (19) How did those within receive her announcement? Verse 15, first part. (20) As she persisted in her assertion, what conclusion did they come to? Ib., last part. (21) How did the praying ones feel when they looked upon Peter? Verse 16. Note 7. (22) What did Peter declare unto them? Verse 17, first part. (23) What command did he give to them? Ib., second part. Where did he go? Ib., last clause. Note 8.

Notes.

1. Was kept in prison.—Herod, seeing that the murder of James had pleased the Jews, took Peter, intending to put him to death also; but immediately after Peter’s arrest the feast of the Passover (not “Easter,” as in our common version, Acts 12:4) took place, and Peter’s execution during that time would have been contrary to their religious traditions. He was, therefore, kept in prison during that feast, to be executed immediately after its expiration.

2. Herod.—It is well to know which Herod this is who was guilty of the death of James, and desired the death of Peter. His name is Herod Agrippa. His uncle, Herod Antipas, murdered John the Baptist; and his grandfather, Herod the Great, was the one who slaughtered the children at the birth of Christ.

3. First and second ward.—These were evidently the rooms occupied by the guards, who were probably sleeping when Peter and the angel passed through.

4. The iron gate . . . which opened . . . of its own accord.—The description of the opening is probably given as Peter saw it; that is, there was no visible force brought to bear upon it. The same power which caused the chains to fall off caused the gate to swing back upon its hinges. It is not at all likely that the angel which Peter saw was the only one present at his deliverance.

5. The angel departed from him.—If this was Peter’s guardian angel which accomplished his deliverance from the power of Herod, we must understand the departure to have been a vanishing from Peter’s sight, and that the angel in an invisible form continued with him. If, however, it was an angel specially commissioned to do that work, we will, of course, understand the departure in its literal sense.

6. A damsel came to hearken.—Peter was knocking upon the door at the entrance to the courtyard, which was always kept fastened, and it was the universal custom at that time to ascertain who was at the gate before it would be opened. For this reason it is stated that she came to “hearken,” rather than that she came to open the gate.

7. They were astonished.—Not that their prayers had been answered, as some have supposed, but at the way in which the answer came. They had probably calculated among themselves how it would be done. There had been no royal decree of pardon, there had been no demonstration, but, as silently and as unseen as the growth of a blade of grass, the power of God worked for Peter’s deliverance.

8. And went into another place.—God had set him free from the power of Herod, and Peter reasoned that it was God’s design for him that he should keep out of that power and continue his work. The parents of Christ fled to Egypt for a similar reason. Herod expected to accomplish the death of Peter, but Peter lived many years after the death of Herod.