Acts, Chapter 12 - Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance

Outbless Weekly

Acts, Chapter 12 - Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance

12 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

- Now about that time

o After amazing miracles happened and revival broke out

o After Agabus delivered the bad news about the famine on the way

o After all the believers contributed to those in urgent need

- Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church

o Notice he laying on hands like the apostles were on the believers

§ Some men use laying on of hands for good

§ Other men use laying on of hands for evil

§ Herod did it to mistreat them (that was his intention; what was in his heart)

- And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword

o Now a 2nd disciple was murdered

o 1st Stephen; now it was James

§ Stephen “that which surrounds”

§ James “He who closely follows, supplanter” (a replacer)

o Stephen was surrounded by men who stoned him

o James was pierced through with a sword

§ Consider the rock

§ Consider the sword

- When he saw that it pleased the Jews

o It brought joy to those against God

- He proceeded to arrest Peter also

o Peter also means “rock” but upon this rock God said He would build His church

o Imagine the fear of the newly minted Christian flock

Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4 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. 5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

- The days of unleavened bread happened before Passover (remember the Jews had to remove levin from their house; a picture of how men must remove sin from their flesh which is God’s house

- When they had seized him (this means taken by force likely under threat of violence)

- He put him in prison

o Delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him

o Each squad will include 6-10 soldiers

§ X 4 = 24 to 40 soldiers

§ That seems like a lot of soldiers to guard one Christian man

- Intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people

§ The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much

§ God hears fervent prayers!

6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

- On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward

o Notice God’s timing (it was timed perfectly by God)

- Peter was sleeping between two soldiers

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