Acts 12 · The Lantern

James Killed, Peter Imprisoned

Now at that very time Herod the king put forth the hands to mistreat some of those of the church.

"At that time," of course meaning the time immediately following: for this is the custom of Scripture. And he well says that Herod "the king" (did this): this was not he of Christ's time.

"And at the same time, Herod stretched forth his hands, to afflict some of the church. "King Herod, with wicked presumption, murdered John's brother James, who was preaching the word of the Lord. Seeing that he had pleased the Jews in so doing, he sent Peter to prison as well, setting sixteen soldiers to guard him with great care.

At what "time" was that? During the reign of Emperor Claudius. For the Roman Emperor Claudius appointed Agrippa as king of the Jews, having banished Herod together with Herodias to Lugdunum, a Galilean city. This is the same Herod under whom John suffered, as Josephus and Eusebius recount.

He executed then James the brother of John with the sword.

That Peter is struck, that Stephen is overwhelmed by stones, that James is slain as is a victim at the altar, that Paul is beheaded has been written in their own blood.

So that no one may say that 'for this reason they boldly and without fear rush into death, since God is snatching them away,' therefore He also allows the leaders to be killed, persuading those who kill them that even these things do not separate them and hinder them. [CHRYSOSTOM]

Of the twelve disciples of the Lord, James was the first to suffer. Lest anyone say that the apostles go to meet death so fearlessly and without trembling because God snatches them from its hands, God also permitted that even the foremost among them—Stephen and James—be put to death.

Now having seen that it is pleasing to the Jews, he proceeded to take also Peter — these were now the days of the Unleavened Bread —

whom also having seized, he put in prison, having delivered him to four sets of four soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

Let them recall to their minds also how Peter, the chief of the apostles, "was thrown into prison, and delivered to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; "of whom, when he had escaped by night, and had been preserved out of the hand of the Jews by the commandment of the angel of the Lord, it is said, "As soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what w…

"four squads of four." That is, the total number sixteen; for four times four makes sixteen. Perhaps at each watch, that is, in the third watch, there were four guards. There are four guards called a tri-hour watch, as the twelve hours of the whole night being four watches; in each of which, with four soldiers guarding, all together make the number sixteen.

He commanded four quaternions of soldiers to guard him. This was due both to anger and to fear. The more careful the guard, the more amazing the manifestation of the power of God. And this happened on account of the apostle Peter, who was very well known.

The Rescue of Peter

Indeed therefore Peter was kept in the prison; prayer, however, was fervently being made by the church to God concerning him.

Then when Herod was about to bring him forth, in that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards before the door were watching the prison.

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. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

Peter was neither in agony nor in fear, but slept, having cast everything upon the Lord. [CHRYSOSTOM]

Peter was neither confused nor afraid, but on that very night, when they intended to bring him out of the prison, he slept, having entrusted everything to the will of the Lord. Pay attention also to how thorough the guard was: the guards slept with him as well.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by, and a light shone in the cell. Having struck then the side of Peter, he woke him up, saying, “Rise up with speed.” And his chains fell off the hands.

He says that it shone so that they could both see and hear Peter and not think it a vision. The phrase "quickly [ἐν τάχει]" does not mean making a noise, but persuading not to delay. [CHRYSOSTOM]

And striking the side of Peter, he raised him up. The striking of the side is a commemoration of the passion of Christ, from whose wound our salvation flowed. And to us, too, who are held by the chains of pressures, the apostle Peter himself gives such solace, saying: "Since Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same intention" (1 Peter 4).

But why did a light shine in the prison? So that Peter could both see and hear the Angel and so that he would not think it was an imagination. The Angel even struck him — so soundly was he sleeping. As for the expression "striking Peter on the side," it indicates not the Angel's confusion, but an urging not to delay.

The angel said then to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he says to him, “Wrap around your cloak and follow me.”

And the angel said to him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. Here again it shows, that it was not done of craft: for one that is in haste and wishes to break out of prison, is not so particular as to take his sandals, and gird himself. And he did so. And he said unto him, Put on thy cloak, and follow me.

Gird yourself, and put on your boots. Instead of boots or sandals, as some manuscripts have, in Greek it says sandals. We read in the Gospel that a type of footwear was permitted to the apostles, not without a symbolic mystical sense.

How is it that Peter acted contrary to the command not to take "neither gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, nor a bag for the journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff" (Matt. 10:9–10)? Yet he had both clothing and sandals, although at that time one was supposed to go without sandals, since the particular need for them arises in winter.

And having gone forth, he was following, and did not know that what is happening through the angel is real; he was thinking, however, to see a vision.

Having passed through then a first guard and a second, they came to the iron gate which is leading into the city, which opened to them by itself. And having gone out, they went on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

And Peter, having come to himself, said, “Now I truly know that the Lord has sent forth His angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod and all the expectation of the people of the Jews.”

Having considered it also, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John who is called Mark, where many were gathered together and praying.

This also the presbyter [John] said: Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ.

"who was called Mark." In order to show that he does not mean John, who was always with them, he names his mother and gives his distinguishing nickname, for he says, "who was called Mark." This man was the same who wrote the Gospel according to Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, concerning whom Paul writes to Timothy: "Take Mark and bring him with you when you come, for he is useful…

Upon reflection, he saw that he should not simply continue on his way, but rather give thanks to the Benefactor. This John was perhaps not the one who constantly remained with the apostles.

Then when he was knocking at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer;

and having recognized the voice of Peter, from the joy she did not open the gate, but having run in she reported Peter to have been standing before the gate.

And they said to her, “You rave.” But she was insisting it to be so. And they were saying, “It is his angel.”

Thus, too, does the angel, the witness of baptism, "make the paths straight" for the Holy Spirit, who is about to come upon us, by the washing away of sins, which faith, sealed in (the name of) the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, obtains.

"It is his angel." From this it is clear that each one of us has an angel. But they expected this from the time. For he says, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matt. 18:20) Where Christ is, there must be angels as well, and all the powers.

This is correct, because everyone has an Angel. With every believer in the Lord an Angel constantly abides, unless we drive him away by evil deeds, for just as smoke causes bees to depart and as a foul smell drives away doves, so the stinking and much-tear-causing sin distances the Angel from us.

But Peter was continuing knocking; and having opened it then, they saw him and were amazed.

Having made a sign to them then with the hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said then, “Report these things to James and to the brothers.” And having gone out, he went to another place.

Now when day was coming, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers, what then has become of Peter.

For if the Angel had brought out the soldiers also, along with Peter, it would have been thought a case of flight. Then why, you may ask, was it not otherwise managed? Why, where is the harm? Now, if we see that they who have suffered unjustly, take no harm, we shall not raise these questions. For why do you not say the same of James? Why did not God rescue him?

"Now when day was come, there was no small stir among the soldiers," etc. Now when day was come, a great argument arose among the prison guards as to how Peter had escaped so many watches of men and so many chains. When Peter could not be found, Herod became violently angry with the guards, whom he ordered to be put on trial. Herod himself went down to Caesarea and Judea.

Herod then, having sought after him and not having found him, having examined the guards, he commanded them to be led away to death. And having gone down from Judea to Caesarea, he was staying there.

Descending from Judea into Caesarea. Although it seems according to the situation of the places to refer to Caesarea Philippi, which like Tyre and Sidon is a city of Phoenicia, Josephus nevertheless teaches that this was done in Caesarea of Palestine, which was once called Tower of Strato, and is situated on the shore of the Great Sea, at the border of Phoenicia and Palestine.

That the release of Peter should harm no one, Herod is not permitted to punish the guards.

For God it was possible to deliver the guards along with Peter. But if the Angel had led out the soldiers together with Peter, the event would have been considered a flight. And what grieved Herod more was that he had been mocked, just as his grandfather, who was deceived by the Magi, was also more tormented by the fact that he had been deceived.

The Death of Herod

Now he was furiously angry with the Tyrians and Sidonians; with one accord then they were coming to him, and having gained Blastus who was over the bedchamber of the king, they were seeking peace, because of their region being nourished by the king’s.

Now on the appointed day, Herod, having put on royal apparel and having sat on the throne, was making an address to them.

And the people were crying out, “This is the voice of a god and not of a man!”

Immediately then an angel of the Lord struck him in return for that he did not give the glory to God, and having been eaten by worms, he breathed his last.

We can point you also to the deaths of some provincial rulers, who in their last hours had painful memories of their sin in persecuting the followers of Christ. Vigellius Saturninus, who first here used the sword against us, lost his eyesight.

Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him. Consistently also according to Josephus: "While he did not shudder at the wickedness of illicit adulation, shortly after, looking, he sees an angel standing over his head; and immediately he felt him as the minister of his destruction, whom he had previously known as the provider of good things." And shortly after: "Indeed, tortured…

Josephus says that Herod, at the arrival of the following day, came to the theater dressed in a royal garment remarkable in its weaving, made entirely of silver.

But the word of God was continuing to grow and was being multiplied.

Barnabas then and Saul returned to Jerusalem, having fulfilled the mission, having taken with them John, the one having been called Mark.

Acts12

James Killed, Peter Imprisoned

The Rescue of Peter

The Death of Herod