By prof. A. P. Lopukhin
Acts of the Apostles, chapter 12. 1 – 18. Herod persecutes the Church: the killing of James, the imprisonment of Peter and his miraculous launch. 19 – 23. Loss of life of Herod in Caesarea. 24 – 25. The return of Barnabas and Saul to Antioch.
Acts 12:1. At the moment king Herod laid his hand on a few of the church to do them evil,
“At the moment,”–i.e. whereas Barnabas and Saul carried out the fee of the Antiochians (Acts 11:25, 30).
“King Herod”. That is Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and Veronica, grandson of Herod (known as the Nice), who sought to kill the Lord after His delivery and killed the Bethlehem infants as a substitute of Him (Matt. 2:1, 13), nephew of Herod Antipas of Galilee, the assassin of John the Baptist (Matt. 14ff.). Such was this household of murderers, who bloodied their arms with essentially the most valuable blood for Christians…
King Herod was born round 10 earlier than Christ and grew up in Rome. After the accession of Emperor Caligula to the throne, he obtained the tetrarchy of his deceased uncle Philip (Matt. 2:22; Luke 3:1) and the tetrarchy of Lysanius (Luke 3:1) with the title of king. Quickly he united beneath his authority the tetrarchy of his different uncle – Herod Antipas. Lastly, the emperor Claudius, the successor of Caligula, added Judea to his dominions along with Samaria, in order that he, like his grandfather, dominated all Palestine (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XVIII, 7, 2; XIX, 5, 1; 6, 1 ; the Jewish Battle II, 9, 6; 11, 5), through which there was not a separate Roman procurator over Palestine. Died in 44 sl. R. A.D., reigning not more than 4 years, after which Judea was once more made a Roman province.
“He lifted up his arms… to do evil” – both by imprisonment, or by corporal punishment, or by different merciless measures, together with homicide, an instance of which is given additional on.
Acts 12:2. and killed Jacob the brother of John with the sword.
Jacob, the brother of John (Theologian) Zebedee grew to become the second Christian martyr, on whom the Lord’s prediction was precisely fulfilled (Matt. 20:23). Complementing the quick discover of the de-writer about his martyrdom, the church custom tells that the one who accused the apostle was himself transformed to Christ by the accused and was martyred along with him (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical Historical past. II, 9). That is how Saint John Chrysostom exclaims: “not the Jews and never the Sanhedrin, however the king raises his arms to do evil. That is the best authority, essentially the most tough bran, all of the extra so as a result of it was in favor of the Jews”.
Acts 12:3. And when he noticed that this happy the Jews, he additionally seized Peter – then have been the times of unleavened bread –
“Then have been the times of unleavened bread” – the times of unleavened bread started on the day of the Passover and lasted for 7 days. If Herod often resided in Caesarea, the residence of the Jewish rulers on the time, the point out of the times of unleavened bread makes it clear that Herod took benefit of his keep in Jerusalem for the Passover to persecute the Christians and imprison Peter to fulfill the Jews . The bottom calculation that guided him was to please as many individuals as doable together with his actions: fairly Herodian and worthy of these for whose sake the evil was performed.
Acts 12:4. and, seizing him, forged him into jail, and delivered him to 4 quarters of troopers to protect him, considering after the Passover to deliver him earlier than the folks.
“4 quadruple troopers,” i. 4 shifts of 4 folks. Such elevated safety was positioned just for significantly vital criminals, and within the given case it didn’t fulfill its duties fairly as anticipated, for “the extra cautious the guard, the extra superb was the revelation of God’s energy…” ( blessed Theophylact of Ohrid).
“considering after Passover.” On a pageant as nice because the Passover, no sentence of loss of life or execution was allowed, and so Herod Agrippa wished to sentence Peter after the pageant was over.
“to deliver him earlier than the folks” – for a solemn public trial, condemnation and capital punishment. A lover of spectacles, introduced up by the bloody Roman spectacles, the king wished to make a public spectacle out of the condemnation and execution of the primary supreme apostle.
Acts 12:5. And so Peter was stored in jail; and at the moment the church was continuously praying to God for him.
“And at the moment the church was continuously praying to God for him.” From the comment it’s clear that the miraculous deliverance of the apostle was granted primarily by way of the prayer of the Church for him. “They (i.e. the believers) have been now in essentially the most harmful place. They have been horrified each by the truth that he (Jacob) was killed and by the truth that he (Peter) was thrown into jail… However they didn’t get indignant, didn’t increase a commotion, however turned to prayer, resorted to this invincible champion…” (Saint John Chrysostom).
Acts 12:6. And when Herod was about to deliver him out, that night time Peter slept between two troopers, sure with two chains, and guards on the door guarded the dungeon.
“By that night time,” i. earlier than the day when Herod wished to strive Peter “Peter was sleeping between two troopers”, chained to them with two chains, as was the rule beneath a robust guard (Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, XVIII, 6, 7; Pliny, Er. X, 65 ).
Acts 12:7. And behold, an Angel of the Lord stood, and a light-weight shone within the dungeon. The angel, pushing Peter within the facet, woke him up and stated: stand up rapidly! And the chains fell from his arms.
“A lightweight shone within the dungeon” – φῶς ἔλαμψεν ἐν τῷ οἰκήματι. Within the Slavic translation: “the world shines in xpamine” – maybe not in your complete dungeon, however in that a part of it the place Peter slept.
“as he pushed Petra”. Peter’s sleep in these anxious minutes was so deep that solely a motion might wake him. “You see,” says St. John Chrysostom, “Peter is asleep, he doesn’t give in to despondency or worry.” That night time, after they wished to guide him to loss of life, he slept, surrendering the whole lot to God.”
Acts 12:8. Then the Angel stated to him: gird up your tail and put in your footwear. So he did. Then he says to him: put in your garments and observe me!
“Shut up and put in your footwear.” “Subsequently he ordered him to gird himself and placed on his footwear, to indicate him that he was not an apparition, in order that Peter would get up from his sleep and be satisfied that it was true. Subsequently at that second the chains fell from his arms and he was instructed, “stand up rapidly.” These are phrases whose goal is to not disturb, however to persuade to not delay…” (Saint John Chrysostom).
Acts 12:9. Peter went out and adopted him, and he didn’t know that what the Angel was doing was true, however thought he was seeing a imaginative and prescient.
Acts 12:10. After they had handed the primary and second watch, they got here to the iron enemy, who have been main into the town, and who opened themselves to them: they went out and crossed a avenue, and presently the Angel withdrew from him.
Acts 12:11 Then Peter, coming to himself, stated: now I actually understood that the Lord despatched His Angel and delivered me from the arms of Herod and from the whole lot that the Jewish folks anticipated.
Acts 12:12. And looking out round, he went to the home of Mary, the mom of John, known as Mark, the place many have been gathered and praying.
“John, known as Mark”, who then accompanied Barnabas and Saul to Antioch (Acts 12:25). There are a number of totally different traditions about this John-Mark: in accordance with some, he is identical particular person because the evangelist Mark and Mark, the nephew of Barnabas (Col. 4:10). Others distinguish it from St. Mark and the nephew of Barnabas. Third, distinguishing it from St. the apostle Mark, contemplate him a nephew of Barnabas. This disagreement, after all, can’t converse towards the historic veracity of this account within the e book of Acts.
Acts 12:13. When Peter knocked on the street enemy, a servant woman named Rhoda went to eavesdrop.
Acts 12:14. And, recognizing Peter’s voice, he didn’t open the door for pleasure, however ran and known as that Peter was standing on the door.
Acts 12:15. And so they instructed her: you might be out of your thoughts! However she claimed it was. And so they stated: that is his Angel.
“You’re out of your thoughts!” In Greek: μαίνῃ. Within the Slavic translation: “are you mad?”, i.e. are you loopy So unusual and unimaginable appeared the reported.
“That is his Angel.” As usually occurs when an individual will get confused, confronted with one thing inconceivable and inexplicable, he finds an evidence of what’s taking place that’s no easier and fantastic, and simply as little to clarify the potential for the unimaginable. The instructing concerning the guardian angel and the director of the salvation of each particular person could possibly be based mostly on and confirmed by the instructing of the Lord concerning the angels of infants. This instructing was additionally identified to the apostle Paul (Hebrews 1:14).
Acts 12:16. At the moment, Peter stored knocking. And after they opened it, they noticed it and have been amazed.
“after they opened” – not solely the maidservant, however everybody gathered rushes to the newcomer and opens the door for him.
Acts 12:17. And he, making an indication together with his hand to be silent, instructed them how the Lord had introduced him out of the dungeon, and stated: name Jacob and the brothers about this. And going out, he went to a different place.
“name Jacob,” i. to the superior of the Jerusalem church, brother of the Lord “and to the brothers”, i.e. to the remainder of the believers – to settle down.
“went to a different place”, thereby exhibiting prudent warning, which totally corresponded to the Lord’s instruction (Matt. 10:23). “He didn’t tempt God and didn’t put himself in peril, as a result of they did this solely after they have been commanded…” (Saint John Chrysostom). There may be an historical custom that Peter was in Rome through the first years of the reign of Claudius (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical Historical past, II, 14–15). If that is so, then essentially the most handy time for Peter to make such a journey was exactly that. Possibly the journey occurred in AD 44, after the Jewish Passover, within the fourth yr of Claudius’ reign. After that, the author doesn’t talk about Peter once more till the apostolic council (Acts 15).
Throughout this time (a number of years) he was fairly in a position to make the supposed journey – each for better security and due to his zeal to evangelise Christ within the very heart of the lifetime of the world at the moment.
Acts 12:18. As he doubted, there was no small confusion among the many troopers, what had grow to be of Peter.
Acts 12:19. And Herod, in search of him and never discovering him, investigated the guards and ordered them to be put to loss of life. After that he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and there he lived.
“He went all the way down to Caesarea.” It was the then ordinary residence of the Roman governors of Judea. The Passover was over and Herod might go away Jerusalem. Furthermore, it was now inconvenient for him to stay within the metropolis, as a result of he was ashamed of that a part of the folks, headed by the Sanhedrin, to whom he had promised a gratuitous spectacle of the apostle’s execution.
Acts 12:20. Herod was indignant with the Tyrians and Sidonians; and so they talked collectively, got here to him and, having persuaded the king’s bed-bearer Vlasta to their facet, begged for peace, as a result of their nation was fed from the king’s territory.
By describing Herod’s loss of life instantly after the story of Peter’s launch, the scribe desires to current this loss of life as God’s punishment for Herod due to the persecution towards Christ’s church.
“Herod was enraged” – for what purpose is unknown.
“the king’s bedspread Energy” – τὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ κοῦῶνος τοῦ βασιλέως. That is the chief servant of the king, the guardian of his life and treasures. Such officers fairly often grew to become excessive dignitaries of the state, having fun with nice affect over the king and state affairs (cf. Acts 8:27).
“begged for peace”. Pleasant relations have been particularly mandatory given the hazard of hunger (St. John Chrysostom). The Phoenicians obtained most of their grain wheat from Palestine, as they themselves have been primarily a buying and selling fairly than an agricultural folks. Subsequently, with out warfare, Herod might do them an excessive amount of hurt, which pressured them to beg him for peace.
Acts 12:21. On the appointed day, Herod placed on a royal gown, sat on the throne, and spoke to them;
The reception of the envoys occurred on a specifically designated day of a solemn public viewers.
“clothed himself in a royal garment” – in accordance with Josephus’ account “woven of silver”.
Acts 12:22. and the folks shouted: that is the voice of God, and never of man.
Acts 12:23. However all of the sudden an Angel of the Lord smote him, as a result of he didn’t give glory to God; and he, eaten by worms, died.
The Jewish historian Josephus tells in adequate element concerning the circumstances of Agrippa’s loss of life, with some particulars and variations (Jewish Antiquities, XIX, 8, 2; cf. Acts 18:6, 7) with a common similarity to the author. In line with Josephus, the king was current in Caesarea on the video games in honor of Caesar; on one among lately, the reception of the king’s envoys might have taken place. His magnificent, silver-woven robes shone within the solar with dazzling brilliance; this gave purpose additionally to the flatterers for essentially the most immeasurable praises, through which they known as him a god and entrusted themselves to his favor. The king, it appears, was heartened by such flattery, which instantly drew upon him the wrath of God: seeing an owl above him, he fell right into a superstitious worry, and on the identical time felt such a pointy ache in his abdomen that he was instantly carried in his arms into the palace, the place after 5 days of agony he died.
Agrippa’s worry of the owl is defined by the truth that in Rome a soothsayer predicted that he would die when he noticed an owl above him for the second time. When this occurred, Agrippa fell ailing, remembering with horror the prediction. This clarification doesn’t exclude the opposite, extra critical, one of many author, who says that the trigger and starting of the illness is the invisible defeat of Herod by an angel. The 2 narrators additionally don’t contradict one another in indicating the length of Herod’s torments – Josephus instantly states 5 days, and Luke is much less particular, saying: “eaten by worms, he died.”
The account of Herod’s loss of life is vital due to its chronological date (44), which permits us to find out the time of earlier and subsequent occasions within the lifetime of the church.
Acts 12:24. And the phrase of God grew and unfold.
Acts 12:25. Barnabas and Saul, having fulfilled the fee, returned from Jerusalem (to Antioch), taking with them John, known as Mark. Cf. Acts 11:28–30.
Supply in Russian: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all of the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Previous and New Testaments: In 7 volumes / Ed. prof. A. P. Lopukhin. – Ed. 4th. – Moscow: Dar, 2009, 1232 pp.
Illustration: A uncommon icon of oil-painted St. Peter on gilt background with intricate tooling and adorned with a border of stippled flowers. Oil and gilt on wooden panel. 48.2 x 38.3 cm (19 x 15 1/8 in.). Guilded picket body, nineteenth century.
