Acts 12 NIV It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. …show more content…
Setting the Stage
A. An approximate chronology of Acts:
The Ascension (Acts 1) 30 AD - Matthias chosen by Lot (Acts 1:12)
30 AD - The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost (Acts 2)
30 AD - Peter heals and preaches (Acts 3)
30 AD - Peter and John arrested and released (Acts 4)
30 AD - Believers share all (Acts 4:32)
31 AD - Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)
30 AD - Apostles preach and heal (Acts 5:11)
31 AD - Stephen’s speech, stoning, and death (Acts 6, 7)
31 AD - Saul persecutes the Church (Acts 8)
31 AD - Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:3)
31 AD - Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9)
31 AD - Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26)
34 AD - Saul’s conversion (Acts 9)
37 AD - Peter preaches to the Gentiles (Acts 10, 11)
42 AD - Barnabas sent to Antioch (Acts 11:22)
42 AD - Peter led from prison by the Angel (Acts 12)
44 AD - Herod Agrippa dies (Acts 12:20)
48 AD - Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13)
48 AD - Paul preaches in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14)
48 AD - Paul and Barnabas in Iconium (Acts 14)
48 AD - Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:8)
48 AD - Paul and Barnabas return to Syrian Antioch (Acts 14:21)
48 AD - Return to Syrian Antioch (Acts 14:24)
48 AD - The Council at Jerusalem (Acts
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At age 23, he was deeply in debt and was imprisoned by Tiberius. He was released by his childhood friend, the new emperor Caligula. Orphaned at age 3, he grew up with Caligula in the Roman Imperial Court.
3. Caligula appointed him king over Israel, and eventually over Judea and Samaria as well. In 40 AD, he won favor with the Jews and averted civil war by convincing Caligula to abandon plans to build an idol to himself in the Jerusalem Temple. His reign was marked by excellence and efficiency. During this time Rome found the province to be prosperous and “low maintenance.”
4. We will meet his son, Agrippa II (Acts 25, 26), and his daughters Bernice (Acts 25) and Drusilla (Acts 24).
5. Peter’s arrest took place during the eight day celebration of Passover. Execution was scheduled for Pentecost, 42 AD. This was about 12 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. So far, Peter has been arrested at least three times (Acts 4:3; 5:18; 12:1).
6. The Antonia prison was adjacent to The Temple.
7. The disciples were offering “fervent, intensive, continual” prayer in the house of Mary, who was the mother of Mark and a cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). Tradition asserts this was the site of the Last Supper and was probably the Upper Room. Evidently Mary was a member of Jewish