1.Here followeth new persecution raised by Herod. "You gotta have faith brother! His preaching Christ was the fruit of the Lord's call. And he was eaten with worms and died. 1. Luke recorded the events in this section to illustrate Gods supernatural protection and blessing of the church, even though the Christians suffered increased persecution, and Israels continued rejection of her Messiah. The presence of the Holy Ghost was a new and quite unexampled thing even among believers. A szikrz napsts, sznesbe ltztetett termszet romantikus hangulat eredmnyez, ami kprzatoss varzsolhatja az eskvd is, azonban nem rt nhny krdst feltenned magadnak, vlasztott helysznnel kapcsolatban. Philip, besides being one of the seven, was an "evangelist," as we are told expressly in another part of this very book (Acts 21:8). . Those of his family who cross the pages of the New Testament are as follows. When Peter had knocked at the door of the entrance a maidservant called Rhoda came to answer the door. a. Herod the king: This was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, who ruled in the days of Jesus birth ( Matthew 2:1-16 ). There were four such squads because the day and the night were divided into four watches each of three hours duration; and each squad was on duty for three hours at a time. It was reserved for another of whom we shall read in the next chapter. But for some reason, God did not see fit to deliver James, but allowed James to fall prey to Herod's sword. And they "made great lamentation over him." He did this because he saw it pleased the Jews. Philip had not the discernment to see through him: evangelists are apt to be sanguine. (a) To call (name) by a supplementary (additional, alternative) name, (b) mid: To call upon, appeal to, address. Probably he had put James to death privately, which the people had complained of, not because it was an unjust thing to put a man to death without giving him a public hearing, but because it deprived them of the satisfaction of seeing him executed; and therefore Herod, now he knows their minds, will gratify them with the sight of Peter in bonds, of Peter upon the block, that they may feed their eyes with such a pleasing spectacle. And I don't think the prayers of the church were the deciding factor, because as we noted, the prayers obviously were not prayers of faith.I believe the deciding factor was just the purpose of God, the sovereignty of God. WebVerse 12. "Then had the church rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria." [Note: Bock, Acts, p. Matthew 12:30 14. But he was intending to bring him forth for judgment and, of course, for execution at the end of the Passover period. For indeed he was but man. Three days and nights he neither eats nor drinks. But as we are told here, "When they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women; and Simon himself believed also." Such was the man to whom God was about to send the gospel by Peter. Precautions could go no further. Then we learn another important lesson. A man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the queen of the Ethiopians, was returning after having gone up to Jerusalem to worship. Szeretek a termszetes fnyekkel fotzni, de ha nincs ms megolds, marad TovbbEskv fotzsa Sopronban Egy fergetes buli a hatr mellett, Itt az l plda mirt nem kell ktsgbe esni ha szeszlyes az idjrs.Tbbek kztt azrt sem mert olyan fotid lesznek ami msoknak nincsen. The language of the inspired writers of the New Testament is the expression of that Christian experience, or conscious participation in the blessings vouchsafed through Christ, which the Holy Ghost had shed abroad in their hearts: their idea therefore of a saint, or a believer, being derived from their own spiritual consciousness, must have been the highest of which the words will admit. This I ask in Jesus name, AMEN. Preaching. The importance of closer attention to the text is well shown by Calvin's remarks on this verse. The Spirit puts us in presence of the freedom of the servant, as he pleads with the Lord, for neither man nor even the child of God ever reaches up to the height of His grace. Certain - Some of the church. Conscience would have been searched by the truth of God; and the heart would have been filled with praise at the grace of God. It has indeed been suggested that it was in this very house that the Last Supper was eaten and that it continued to be the meeting place of the disciples in Jerusalem. Thus was the plot laid, and both Herod and the people long to have the feast over, that they may gratify themselves with this barbarous entertainment. Jehovah's house had been left doubly desolate; Jerusalem had this added to her other sins that, when the blessing had come down from heaven, she would not have it. How painful must it be to the Spirit of God if the old pride of Samaria were to rise up against Jerusalem! And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. See Josephus, Antiq., book 19, chapter 5, section 1. The first of the New Testament Herods (see Herodes G2264) is Herod the Great who reigned from about 41 B.C. Then we find Simon struck not so much by an individual's endowment with miraculous power, as by the fact that others received it by the apostles' laying on of hands. 14 When she recognized Peters voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and By means of this discipline, they having been separated from the society whose overt acts were contrary to their Christian profession, the apostle, not being endowed with the divine prerogative of inspecting the heart, was compelled to take the rest at their profession, and to deal with them as real Christians so long as there was no visible, tangible proof to the contrary . - Pastor David Jetts daily prayer: Lord, SPEAK to me today SEARCH me today SHOW me today SEND me today. - The saint who advances on his knees never retreats. (Jim Elliot) - Be sure that no time is so well spent as that which a man spends on his knees. (J.C. Ryle) - Pray without ceasing. ( 1 Thessalonians 5:17) I quote from the original edition (Edinburgh, 1807): "Acts 11: 31. Verse Acts 12:1. Simon can only answer, "Pray ye to the Lord for me." If the blood of his saints, much more the blood of apostles, is precious in his eyes, and therefore, we may be sure, is not shed but upon a valuable consideration. Great workman as Peter was, he required the intervention of God in a vision to send him to do a work that these unnamed brethren undertook in their confidence of His grace, without any vision or sign whatsoever. . There were two exceptional occasions on which one or more of the apostles so acted, but at times of more general interest and importance nothing of the sort was heard of. That the gifts mentioned in the chapter were, for the most part, extraordinary, and in process of time were to cease, makes no difference as regards the argument; for it is the essential character of Christian worship, not the particular vehicle of its expression, that is the point now under consideration" (pp. Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and the truths that it contains. So he came in like a shining god, making this speech to the people and, of course, the people began to cry, "It's the voice of a god, not of a man!" but they came with one accord to him, because they had made a friend of Blastus the king's chamberlain, and they desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country [or by Palestine]. [Alas! whom they slew and hanged on a tree: him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly" (not to all the people, but) "unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. Rengeteg kivl tterem alkalmas a nagy nap lebonyoltsra. Observe that, although the next words are beyond a question scriptural, and so far the case differs from verse 37 referred to in the last chapter, the last clause of verse 5 and the first of verse 6 belong properly speaking to two other chapters (Acts 22:1-30, Acts 26:1-32) rather than to this. WebActs 12 One Martyred, One Rescued A. James the apostle dies as a martyr. He began with vexing them only, or afflicting them, imprisoning them, fining them, spoiling their houses and goods, and other ways molesting them; but afterwards he proceeded to greater instances of cruelty. Then we find that if the church at Jerusalem had become impoverished, the Gentiles minister of their carnal things to them. stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church: Herod, not unlike politicians of today, must have been checking the popularity polls when he learns it will make him politically popular to oppress the Christians (verse 3); therefore, he takes it upon himself to bring a violent attack upon the Lords church. The saints in Jerusalem not only suffered as a result of the famine, they also suffered because Jewish and Roman governmental opposition against them intensified as time passed. Thus on the great Gentile occasion, as before on the Jewish at Pentecost, the medium of man completely disappears. Now according to their law, during the times of the Feast of Passover, they could not have any trial, and so he determined to bring him forth at the end of the Feast of Passover. "Herod the king" was Herod Agrippa I whom the Roman emperor Gaius appointed king over Palestine in A.D. 37. I've never really tried it, but I can imagine it would be difficult to run in a robe. He said to him, "Wrap your cloak round about you and follow me." The facts were notorious; but of this we may be sure, that never had they been put together before the mind of the Ethiopian as then, never connected with the living Word and His grace. "And he commanded them to be baptized.". Notice is taken of the time when Herod laid hold on Peter: Then were the days of unleavened bread. A. 12:1-17. The reading sanctioned by the best and most ancient authorities is the singular not the churches, but "the church." The Vatican and all others, uncial and cursive (as far as collated and known), support the error. Finally, when the angel left and Peter was standing on the street, he said, "Hey, it wasn't a dream. But the word of God grew and multiplied. In this case Peter had God's own direct warrant in the vision, not of the church (for this was not the meaning of the sheet let down from heaven), but decidedly of the call of the Gentiles. Why is it so important to love God and place Him first in Ha klnlegesre s egyedire vgysz, ltogass el az oldalamra. Josephus, the Jewish historian, describes how, on the second day of the festival, he entered the theatre clad in a robe of silver cloth. This brought the question to a simple issue; but here again, let it be noticed that the gift of the Holy Ghost belongs to those that believe. Therefore, the more godly Cornelius was, the less would he dare to put forth his hand for the blessing before the Lord told him to stretch it out. Fergeteges lagzi volt tnyleg, a kemny mag is aktvan tncolt, gondoskodtak a j hangulatrl. Ennek a hobbinak a digitlis vilg elg nagy lehetsget nyjtott. He would make a spectacle of him. ( Acts 12:3 ). He is the Herod of Matthew 2:1-23, who was in power when Jesus was born, who received the Wise Men from the East and who massacred the children. If you don't have faith, God's not going to answer your prayers. 20 Prayer Points With Bible Verses | PRAYER POINTS - prayerguide There are just a lot of Herods in the Bible and it is a little difficult to keep them all straight. Where man chooses for human things, we have the Lord recognising it. Legtbb ismersm s jmagam is egy ltszlag teljesen idegen szakterletrl rkeztnk. It is always thus in the ways of God. During his lifetime James was not a supporter of Jesus. 378.) Take, as the most solemn moment of all, the day of Pentecost. Three things we are here told he did--. 1Ki 21:1 Near King Ahabs palace in Jezreel there was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth. Prayers To Get A Permanent Job 15. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomons Colonnade. A menyasszony ton a fodrszhoz s a sminkeshez, a vlegny pedig felkszl a nagy napra testben s fejben. Acts 11:18), Herod took advantage of an opportunity to please his subjects by mistreating some believers and by executing the Apostle James, the brother of John (cf. He was a staunch friend of the Jews and was no doubt influenced by them to make the move to destroy Christianity. In due time follows the further development of the truth as to Christ in testimony. I. He would do this after Easter, meta to pascha--after the passover, certainly so it ought to be read, for it is the same word that is always so rendered; and to insinuate the introducing of a gospel-feast, instead of the passover, when we have nothing in the New Testament of such a thing, is to mingle Judaism with our Christianity. But the Lord said unto him, "Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. And he was highly respected by the Jews. And they said, "You're crazy!" See the notes on Matthew 2:19. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. . But this was not enough for God. He caused the chains to fall from his wrists, kept the guards asleep, and opened the iron gates (vv. This can't be real; it's just a dream. They gained the ear of Blastus the king's chamberlain and sued for peace because their country was dependent for its sustenance on the king's territory. Unreal!" Note what the Christians were doing. ], The supernatural deliverance of Peter 12:1-19, "Peters rescue from prison is an unusually vivid episode in Acts even when simply taken as a story about Peter. There followed also such signs, or outward powers; but the Holy Ghost was given Himself, according to the Lord's word the promise of the Father, a promise which, as all know, was in the first instance assured to those who were already believers, and which was made good to them because they were believers, not to make them so. And although its character had to be yet more brought out by another and far greater witness of divine things who was still in the blindness of Jewish unbelief at this very moment himself taking his own miserable part, though with a good natural conscience, in the death of Stephen, all told powerfully upon the Jews, but lacerated their feelings to the utmost. Note, Those make themselves an easy prey to Satan who make it their business to please men. It was a action that you would take in order that you might have greater freedom of movement. It is of interest to see, and should be better known, that among the Gentiles were not wanting such as worshipped no idols but served the true and living God. Israel had the truth presented to them as it was afterwards to all. What was most sweet soon became bitter, as it often is in the things of God. Society's edition of his Comm. He is mentioned in Matthew 2:22. And if anybody should try to take them, they can call down fire from heaven and consume them. The people of Tyre and Sidon, anxious to ensure a constant food supply from Herods territory, had tried to win his favour with a show of extravagant flattery. Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. As a rule, a prisoner was chained, his right hand to the left hand of the guard. When they would gird themselves, and the purpose of it is they would wear these long robes kind of things. Why so much haste and impatience? It was now guilty of resisting unto blood, not merely as their fathers had done, but the heavenly testimony of Jesus. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) Little did the great apostle of the circumcision anticipate what was before him as he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. The profound moral work of God proceeded in that converted heart. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. Among the Gentiles we know that they were installed, as we shall see a little later, by apostolic choice. Not that one would deny that a mighty work was then wrought in Cornelius. (vi) To complete the list we may note that Herod Agrippa ( G67) , was the father of (a) Agrippa the Second, before whom Paul was examined and before whom he made his famous speech ( Acts 25:1-27; Acts 26:1-32). It is scarcely credible that he should lay hands on any of them himself in person; but it is very likely he encouraged his soldiers, or his servants, to abuse them, reproach them, strike and buffet them, as they met with them in the streets; or when at worship, might disturb them, and break them up. With the apostles becoming more involved with matters outside Jerusalem, James the brother of Jesus was now the most prominent leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; Acts 15:13; Galatians 1:18-19; Galatians 2:9,Galatians 2:12). It is not the church of Judea, the church of Galilee, and the church of Samaria, but the churches of Judea, etc. Mark 6:3; John 7:5), and was a foundation member of the Jerusalem church (Acts 1:14). III. Lord give me the spirit of humility to say SORRY when I am wrong,23:1-5. Kaptam egy felkrst, miszerint lakodalom van a mi utcnkban, mit is mondhattam volna, termszetesen elvllaltam, lveztem a hazai plya elnyeit. It was of the greatest importance that unity should be kept up practically, not merely that there should be proclaimed the truth that there is unity, but that there should be the maintenance of it in practice. When the matter is rehearsed, the great argument is this, "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" Settle it invariably that God is wiser than we. But at this point a still more important step was about to be taken; and the Lord enters on it with due solemnity, as we shall see in the following chapter. When Peter escaped the soldiers were led away to execution because it was the law that, if a criminal escaped, his guard should suffer the penalty the prisoner would have suffered. Thereon Philip is invited to come up and sit with him, Isaiah 53:1-12; Isaiah 53:1-12 being, as we know, the portion in question; and the eunuch asks of whom the prophet spoke these words "of himself or some other man?" He was led of God. It was of all moment to keep up the links practically between a work which might have looked to many there, as now, not a little irregular. They were not about to let that happen again. The gift of the Spirit is not at all the same thing as the gifts. Then follows another grave fact. In verse five we read thatprayerwas made: 2. And so it was. Christ's suffering servants are thus trained up by less troubles for greater, that tribulation may work patience, and patience experience. No believer could be so ignorant of God and His ways of old as to imagine there ought to be any doubt about those who nevertheless were full of anxieties and troubles, and through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. That, to me, is very interesting how close the spiritual world was to these men. The Church neither preaches nor teaches, but Christ sends those who evangelize the world and teach the Church. Now the reason, as it appears to me, why divine wisdom led to this striking difference at Samaria, was the necessity of hindering that independence to which even Christians are so liable. All this confirms its having a Jewish aspect, regarded as a type, and was very natural in James and Peter, who had to do specially with the circumcision. Of course, they were seeking to flatter him in order that they might gain his favor and his help. Clom a teljesen giccsmentes fotzs, megfizethet ron, online galrival. They have power to shut up heaven, that it does not rain during this period of their prophecy. 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 praying. This scene does show the stranger discovering the predicted Messiah in Jesus of Nazareth the Messiah suffering, no doubt, but accomplishing atonement. He spent some thirty years of his early life in Rome, but then came back and loved living in Jerusalem and was seeking to curry the favor of the Jews, living as the Jews lived. There are accessaries ex post facto--after the fact; and those will be reckoned with as persecutors who take pleasure in others' persecuting, who delight to see good men ill used, and cry, Aha, so would we have it, or at least secretly approve of it. At this point we come to the history of the call of another and yet more honoured witness of divine grace and Christ's glory. But what a rebuke is this to those that would make the church to be merely a creature of government, or in any wise to be of man's will, which is still worse, How blessed to see that it is a real organic whole, not only a living thing, but that He who is the spring of its life is the Holy Ghost Himself a divine person, who cannot but answer to the grace of the Lord Jesus whom He is come down to glorify. Which shows that he was planning to put Peter to death. Loving Father, thank You for the hope of our resurrection and rapture knowing that the Lord Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. . Festus did not have any charges to send with Paul, and so he had asked Herod Agrippa II, the son of this Herod Agrippa I, to hear Paul's case in order that they might develop charges against him to send to Nero when he was sent there. Apparently a primary word; a 'mother'. I have already touched upon the practical effects, and therefore will not enlarge on these now. Could it be otherwise, when, spite of proud unbelief and conceit of distinctive privilege, they were forced to feel that they were none the less the constant resisters of the Holy Ghost like their fathers, who had been guilty themselves, and suffered the consequence of their guilt in their prostration to the Gentiles; to feel now that they themselves were no better, but rather worse; that there was the same unbelief bringing out its effects even more tremendously; that they were guilty of the blood of their own Messiah, who was now risen and exalted in the highest seat of heaven? Undoubtedly the cruelty of this mad man was restrained and bridled by the secret power of God. How all-important for our souls that we should have Christ before us, and that we should have no desire but for His glory! "But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ." 407-8, for a brief biography of Herod Agrippa I.] The persecutor died but the church continued to grow (24-25). Faith never rests on any other ground than God's word. Furthermore, forasmuch as he had said that the word was preached at the beginning only by the Jews, and he meant those who, being banished out of their own country, did live in Cyprus and Phenice, correcting this exception, he saith that some of them did teach the Grecians. They served in three-hour shifts around the clock in guarding the prisoner. Even his conduct in the arrest of Peter shows his desire to conciliate the Jews. But they said unto her, [You're crazy.] It was not so with Cornelius. He was led into no small perplexity by the reading current in his day, and, to the shame of Christendom, still tolerated as the received reading. All these things were pressed home by Stephen; indeed, I have simply touched on a very small part of his most telling address. After this wonderful working of God the church had rest. And so the Jewish Passover usually coincides closely with our Easter season. There is a certain mystery about him. He wished to gain fresh influence, not to lose his old: why not, by this new method, if possible, turn things to his own account? Luke calleth this games which was slain the brother of John, that he may distinguish him from the son of Alpheus. Philip acts at once, with alacrity hears the eunuch read the prophet Isaiah, and puts the question whether he understood what was read. Hence the great importance of discipline. It was at the feast of the passover, when their celebrating the memorial of their typical deliverance should have led them to the acceptance of their spiritual deliverance; instead of this, they, under pretence of zeal for the law, were most violently fighting against it, and, in the days of unleavened bread, were most soured and embittered with the old leaven of malice and wickedness. "In proportion to the apparent simplicity of the question, would be his surprise to hear it affirmed that he is mistaken, and that, in addressing a Christian society as a congregation of Christians, St. Paul merely regards it as a society of men professing the same faith, and participating outwardly in the same sacraments (it being immaterial to the idea whether they possess saving faith or not); a society invested with spiritual privileges, but not necessarily realizing those privileges, and that, consequently, we must lower the import of the terms, 'saints' and 'faithful in Christ Jesus,' to signify outwardly dedicated to God, and professing with the lips the doctrines of Christianity .