XII: 1, 2. The historian does not follow Barnabas and Saul in their tour through the districts in Judea, but, leaving them for awhile, introduces a very interesting episode concerning events that were then transpiring in Jerusalem. (1) "_ Now, about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hand... [ Continue Reading ]
XII: 1, 2. The historian does not follow Barnabas and Saul in their tour through the districts in Judea, but, leaving them for awhile, introduces a very interesting episode concerning events that were then transpiring in Jerusalem. (1) “_ Now, about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hand... [ Continue Reading ]
3, 4. When a man engages in a wicked enterprise, his conscience makes him timid while left to himself; but the applause of the multitude enables him to drown the voice of conscience, and rush on madly to the end. Agrippa may have hesitated when he found his hands stained with the blood of an apostle... [ Continue Reading ]
5. We have noticed that when Peter and John were dismissed from the Sanhedrim, with a threat of violence if they dared any more to speak or teach in the name of Jesus, they came to their own company, and all united in prayer to God for courage. Now that James has been murdered, and Peter is in priso... [ Continue Reading ]
6. Time wore away in painful suspense until the Passover was gone by. (6) " And when Herod was about to bring him forth, in that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards before the door were guarding the prison. " He was securely kept, according to the mos... [ Continue Reading ]
7-11. Though Peter undoubtedly expected to die the next day, he seems to have slept as soundly as the soldiers to whom he was chained. All was dark and still within the prison until a late hour of the night, when the scene suddenly changed. (7) "_ And behold, an angel of the Lord, stood by, and a li... [ Continue Reading ]
12. When the angel departed, he stood in the street for awhile, reflecting upon the incident, and considering what he should do. In the house of Mary the sister of Barnabas, a number of disciples were at that very hour engaged in prayer in his behalf. He knew nothing of this, but, guided either by t... [ Continue Reading ]
13-16. Although the condition of Peter was the burden of the prayers of these disciples, they were by no means expecting his deliverance, and were most likely praying that he might be enabled to endure with fortitude a death which they regarded as inevitable. (13) "_ And when he knocked at the door... [ Continue Reading ]
17. Apprehensive of a pursuit, Peter did not remain long with the brethren in the house of Mary. (17) "_ But, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison, and said, Tell these things to James and the brethren. And going out, he went to... [ Continue Reading ]
18, 19. The escape of Peter had been altogether unobserved by the soldiers who guarded him. The two who were chained to him in the prison slept on till day, and those guarding the outside changed their watches at the regular hours without suspecting any thing wrong within. (18) "_ Now when it was da... [ Continue Reading ]
20-23. The historian pursues the history of this murderous prince a little further. (20) "_ Now Herod was enraged against the Tyrians and Sidonians. But they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace, because their_ _country was nourished... [ Continue Reading ]
24. It was impossible that this providential and sudden death of Herod, occurring so soon after the murders which he had committed in Jerusalem, should not seriously affect the public mind. We are not surprised, therefore, that Luke adds: (24) "_ But the word of the Lord grew and multiplied. " Once... [ Continue Reading ]
25. This narrative concerning the death of James, the imprisonment of Peter, and the miserable death of Herod, is thrown in between the arrival of Paul and Barnabas on their mission to the poor saints, and their return to Antioch. It is most probable that they were in Jerusalem at the feast during w... [ Continue Reading ]