ACTS Prayers (Adoration, Confession, T 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 ). "Luke doth at length declare that certain of them brought this treasure even unto the Gentiles. Archclaus, being accused of cruelty, was banished by Augustus to Vienna in Gaul, and Judea was reduced to a province, and united with Syria. . How these elders were appointed, if indeed they were so formally, does not appear. Finally, after the call of Saul of Tarsus, Peter himself (as well for other reasons as in order to cut off the semblance of discord in the various instruments of His grace) is brought in to show the perfect balance of divine truth and the wonderful harmony of His ways. As the Christian Jews became increasingly offensive to their racial brethren (cf. God would cut off the very appearance of this. Hogy egy prat emltsek: termk-reklm, glamour, portr, csald, prfot. I mean, they woke up and here Peter was gone, and you can imagine the stir that this must have created among these guards to find Peter gone. Settle it invariably that God is wiser than we. They had not those powers only, but this divine person given to them. Mi sem egyszerbb, meghvunk minden bartot s bulizunk egy jt. There are just a lot of Herods in the Bible and it is a little difficult to keep them all straight. It was no longer simply a cleaving to a God of goodness who could not deceive and would not disappoint the soul that hoped in His mercy, "but the conscious joy of knowing his sins all one, and himself distinctly put on the ground of accomplished redemption as a known present thing for his own soul in this world. On believing they were baptized, as we are told in Acts 8:1-40; but they received the Holy Ghost after an interval, through the action of the apostles. Accordingly, among the train of those that received the gospel and were baptized, Simon is found. 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. 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. 4. Supplicate, worship. he would probably, without hesitation or difficulty, reply, that a Christian Church as it appears, for example, in St. Paul's epistles is a congregation or society of faithful men or believers, whose unseen faith in Christ is visibly manifested by their profession of certain fundamental doctrines, by the administration and reception of the two sacraments, and by the exercise of discipline. Paul and Barnabas had fulfilled their errand of mercy to the Church at Jerusalem and so returned to Antioch, taking with them John Mark. King Herod persecutes the Christians, kills James, and imprisons Peter; whom an angel delivers upon the prayers of the church. And he did not know that what was happening through the angel was real but thought that he was seeing a vision, They went through the first and the second guard and they came to the iron door that led into the city and it opened to them of its own accord. Web1. He handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard, for he wished to bring him before the people after the Passover Feast. And you say, "Well, Jesus was tried during the Feast of Passover." In due time follows the further development of the truth as to Christ in testimony. Philip acts at once, with alacrity hears the eunuch read the prophet Isaiah, and puts the question whether he understood what was read. Male facta male factis tegere ne perpluant--One evil deed is covered with another, so that there is no passage through them. When Peter had recovered his faculties he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and rescued me from the fate that the people of the Jews looked forward to for me.". 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). He is mentioned, under the name of Philip ( G5376) , in Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:19. 'Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria,' etc. (v) Herod the Great had another son called Aristobulus (see Aristoboulos G711) ; his mother was Mariamne, a princess who was descended from the great Maccabaean heroes. Then we learn another important lesson. So Peter was continuously guarded in prison. The next chapter (Acts 11:1-30) shows us Peter having to give an account of himself before those who had not witnessed the effects of the mighty power of God in the house of Cornelius. Kedves Ltogat! Szereted az j dolgokat, vagy egyszeren ms kell, mint a tbbi embernek? Then we find that if the church at Jerusalem had become impoverished, the Gentiles minister of their carnal things to them. This remained; but he preached Him rather in His own personal glory, not as the Son of David, the servant, which was the great burden of Peter's preaching, made Lord and Christ; not that He was the Son of man in heaven, as Stephen witnessed; but that this Jesus, the Christ, is the Son of God, clearly therefore more particularly bound up with the divine nature, or godhead glory of Himself. After a brief visit to assure the Christians he was free again, Peter fled to a safer place (12-19).Herod, by contrast, suffered a horrible death. Acts 7:54-60). But it was not merely one who departed to be with the Lord, which was far better; it was by the act of the Jews in the infuriate spirit of persecution. The finger of God is clearly seen in this chapter. Peter prayed before he raised Dorcas from the dead (Acts 9:3643), 8. . Surely He is always wise and consistent with Himself. It is not merely that the absence of it operates injuriously upon the tone and standard of piety within the Church; it affects the claims of the society as such to be a legitimate member of the visible Church Catholic. But the moment I have accomplished that purpose of God and plan for my life, then God's going to take me home.In the book of Revelation, chapter 11, we read concerning the two witnesses that come to bare witness during the tribulation period upon the earth. . But for himself and his household, what could he do but pray till the rich blessing came? First, there are saints, or men in whom Christ is formed by an invisible operation of His Spirit, whose origin, however, is not unknown; then these saints proceed to execute their appointed mission" (p. 272). Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular, Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. "When Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple." They were praying. "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the very same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." This Is the Day 12 Prayer Points as Released by The Redeemed Christian Church of God Directorate of Prayer. WebThe following are prayer points for personal revival and spiritual awakening that you can use to pray and bring back the fire of the Spirit into your life, church and community. IDEAL OPORTUNIDAD DE INVERSION, CODIGO 4803 OPORTUNIDAD!! Nincsenek jl bevlt helyszneim, helyette keresem az jabb helyeket, gy biztosan egyedi fnykpeitek lesznek. he cried, and hears, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." 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. From oikos; properly, residence, but usually an abode; by implication, a family. It is we who by confounding matters lose consequently the blessedness and beauty of the truth of God. Not a ray of the light of Christ had entered the heart of Simon, and so Peter at once detects the false heart. Now when Peter was come to himself, he said, I know of a surety, that the Lord has sent his angel, and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews ( Acts 12:10-11 ). . And interestingly enough, Jesus, after His resurrection, did appear unto James as Paul tells us in I Corinthians Acts 15:7 . And in the present case this requirement is the more reasonable from the circumstance that the Apostles uniformly identify themselves, as regards their Christian standing and hopes, with those to whom they write. In fact, I don't expect you to keep them all straight. . was from Jesus. 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?" And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he did not give God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and he died ( Acts 12:23 ). There is a mistake, not only in our vernacular Bible, but also in the common Greek text which is equally faulty as the authorized version. He seems to have lost sight of the words of the Lord Jesus that he was told by Jesus risen from the dead to preach the gospel to every creature. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. It is a perilous mode of reasoning and likely to lead to universal scepticism, to maintain, for the sake of theoretical consistency, that the visible fruits of the Spirit do not possess a sufficiently distinctive character to enable us to pronounce where they are and where they are not: not to mention that the sin of denying the evident operation of the Holy Spirit is spoken of by our Lord in terms far too awful not to make us tremble at the thought of verging towards it. All descendants of Herod the Great down to the fourth generation, who were identified with the government of Palestine and are mentioned in the New Testament, are known in history by the surname Herod; Herod Archaelaus, Herod Antipas, Herod Philip II, Herod Agrippa I, and Herod Agrippa II (470). Acts 12:1-17. Surprised by Prayer: Reading Acts 12 Realistically BJU Seminary But just as the great apostle of the Gentiles was the one that wrote the final word of testimony to the Christian Jews in the epistle to the Hebrews, so the great apostle of the Jews was the one sent to fling open the door to the Gentile. 1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. So from experience we know there is many a man that you cannot doubt to be truly looking to the Lord, yet far from resting in the peace of God. Lets all Pray through Romans 12 and 13 this week Before the gospel was preached to every creature, a new nature was communicated to many a soul; but till then there was not and could not be peace. II. It is always thus in the ways of God. Observe, The Jews made themselves guilty of the blood of James by showing themselves well pleased with it afterwards, though they had not excited Herod to it. [Alas! "In the opening chapters of the Acts of the Apostles, the Christian dispensation is seen in actual operation; for that with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost that dispensation properly commences will probably be admitted by all parties. Now about that time - That is, during the time that the famine existed, or the time when Barnabas and Saul went up to Jerusalem. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him ( Acts 12:4 ); Now a quaternion was actually four soldiers. He was a thoroughly bad ruler and was deposed and banished. SERMON POINTS Acts 12:1-19 records an example of how the Lord answered the fervent prayers of His people and shows us how we too can pray effectively. But the Risen Christ made a special appearance to James ( 1 Corinthians 15:7). Thus, although the others no doubt had the same Saviour taught them by the Holy Ghost, still there was not in every case the same measure of entrance or appreciation. Ha csak nem kritek kln, nem viszlek titeket msok ltal annyira kedvelt s elcspelt macskakves tra, ahol ti lenntek az ezredikek, akik ilyen fotval bszklkednek. The tradition that they have in the Romish church, that this James had been before this in Spain, and had planted the gospel there, is altogether groundless; nor is there any certainty of it, or good authority for it. 422. He was the ruler of Galilee and Peraea. Philip is told by the angel of the Lord to arise and go towards the south towards "Gaza, which is desert." They went out and proceeded along one street; and thereupon the angel left him. The word of God increased and was multiplied. So Peter came to the house where the prayer meeting was being held. But the word of God grew and multiplied. But now finding himself eclipsed, like a wily man, his object was to avail himself of this superior energy if it were possible. Israel had the truth presented to them as it was afterwards to all. The angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." The fruits of the Spirit, whether they be produced within our own inclosure or beyond it, are always the same, and always to be recognized; otherwise our Lord would never have given us the simple test whereby we are to distinguish false from true prophets 'by their fruits ye shall know them.' 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. How not to pray is prayer just for the sake of prayer. But it was a thoroughly illegal trial. Contrariwise, we see that which outwardly looks exceedingly weak; but this was the man that was in another day to say that he gloried in his infirmities. It was enough. B. . This is just a vision, it's not really happening." It was their responsibility now as ever to accept the gracious offer of God. Warning: array_slice() expects parameter 1 to be array, null given in /var/www/html/familytimes/includes/rss/esvLookup.php on line 15, View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) , Acts 9:32-43Peter Used by God in Joppa to Heal Beloved Dorcas, Acts 10:1-8Cornelius on a Mission for God, Acts 10:9-22Gods Message to Peter through a Vision, Acts 10:34-48Peter Preaches to Cornelius Household, Acts 11:1-18Peters Defense to the Legalists, Acts 11:19-26Barnabas Seeks Saul to Help with Discipleship, Acts 11:27-2Antioch Believers Send Encouragement to Jerusalem, Acts 12:3-11Continual Prayer Brings Results, Acts 12:18-25Gods Judgment on King Herod, Acts 13:1-12Paul Confronts a Sorcerer at Cyprus, Acts 13:4-12Saul (Paul) Confronts a Sorcerer at Cyprus, Acts 13:13-25Paul and Barnabas Say Farewell to John Mark, Acts 13:26-41Paul Preaches the Gospel of the Resurrection, Acts 13:42-52Gentiles are Receptive to Pauls Message, Acts 14:13-20From God to Stoning Paul Still Committed to Preach, Acts 15:6-11Jerusalem CouncilDiscussion Re: Moses Law, Acts 15:12-21A Decision based on Gods Word, Acts 15:30-41A Disagreement about John Mark, Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our personsbut they are helpless against our prayers. (. This is an essential feature of Christianity. They felt in a measure, and justly, the tremendous deed that had been done. I've never really tried it, but I can imagine it would be difficult to run in a robe. And very ambitious surely he was to please the people who was willing thus to please them! The disciples gave themselves to prayer, yet they little believed their own prayers. He was the first husband of the Herodias ( G2266) who was responsible for the death of John the Baptist. From this family history it may be seen that Herod Agrippa of this chapter was a direct descendant of the Maccabees through his mother Mariamne. Acts 12 A nsznp 80%-a szerintem lyukasra tncolta a cipjt, gy legalbb lemozogtk a vacsort. If men profess themselves not to be able to do so, they simply profess that they have neither consciences nor moral sense." Then they said, "Well, it must be his angel. *Is it not distressing to find, in this thoughtful production of one in much above the traditions of men and the bias of party, the palpable omission of the grandest and most momentous distinction of the church, namely, the presence of the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven? The angel had to do with providential circumstances, but the Spirit with that which directly deals with spiritual need and blessing. 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. Beheading was not ordinarily used among the Jews; but, when kings gave verbal orders for private and sudden executions, this manner of death was used, as most expeditious; and it is probable that this Herod killed James, as the other Herod killed John Baptist, privately in the prison. When Peter escaped he took his way straight to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark. "He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. Help me togrow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus. (1) Herod harasses the church. For seeing the Jews, whom he mentioned a little before, were partly of Cyprus, they must needs be reckoned in that number, because the Jews count Cyprus a part of Greece. But they said unto her, [You're crazy.] The King James translators just translated this word Easter because it does signify that same time of the year. Herod the Great was married ten times. Question. For assuredly he would never have been content with one or two murders, and so have abstained from persecuting the rest, but he would rather have piled up martyrs upon heaps, unless God had set his hand against him, and defended his flock. Nobody could have this till the gospel, and even after its publication God Himself sent specifically to the Gentiles; for He has His ways, as well as His times and seasons. The Passover Feast was on 14th Nisan; for that day and the seven following no leaven must be used and the week was called the days of unleavened bread. He was assuredly, before Peter went, a converted man. Prayer was a normal part of their daily ministry (Acts 2:4247; 3:1; 6:4), 4. On the night before Herod was going to bring him before the people, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound by two chains; and guards kept continuous watch before the door. What was most sweet soon became bitter, as it often is in the things of God. When Caligula was slain, he was at Rome, and having ingratiated himself into the favor of Claudius, he conferred on him also Judea and Samaria, so that his dominions were equal in extent to those of his grandfather, Herod the Great. Without the action of the Holy Ghost faith is impossible; but this capacitating power and the gift of the Holy Ghost are two very different things, and the latter consequent on the former. For bloody persecutors, when they perceive themselves applauded for that which every one ought to cry shame upon them for, are encouraged to go on, and have their hands strengthened and their hearts hardened, and the checks of their own consciences smothered; nay, it is as strong a temptation to them to do the like as it was here to Herod, because he saw it pleased the Jews. How then could so fatal an error have been committed? WebActs 12:1 (NASB) Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. At the precise instant when one apostle was already dead, another imprisoned and condemned, and the entire Twelve proscribed by an all-powerful ruler acting as a Jewish deputy in the whole procedure, out of a desire to please his subjects, at that very moment God sent an angel to release Peter and shortly thereafter struck Agrippa dead. The reading of the Sinai MS. ( ) is a mere blunder, not uncommon in that most ancient but not very accurate document, arising from confusion through a contiguous word; it would give the sense of "unto the preachers, preaching the Lord Jesus." "And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." The end of the chapter shows us the progress of Peter. ], 4. The two things are both brought us in the gospel life brought to light, and the peace preached that was made by the blood of the cross. It recalls the power of God to rescue those chosen for Gods mission, a power repeatedly demonstrated in the past." Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 280-283). His glory burst on the astonished eyes of Saul, who surrenders immediately. In Peter's case, because they wanted to keep him sure, he was chained on both sides to guards, and then there were two guards who would stand watch at the door and four quaternions would mean that there were four groups of four soldiers. How continually too where we least think they do! It may be interesting to many readers to read as follows from Mr. Edward A. Litton's work on "The Church of Christ in its Idea, Attributes, and Ministry; with a particular reference to the Controversy between Romanists and Protestants." Cornelius prayed that God would show him how to be saved (Acts 10:14), 9. In earnest - emphasizing the seriousness of prayer. 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. "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 . The previous gift of the Spirit without the intervention of any human hand was the most effectual stopper on the mouths of the brethren of the circumcision who were ever prone to object, and would surely have forbidden water, if God had not undeniably given them the unspeakable gift of the Spirit. I do not therefore comment upon these additions here: they will remain for their own real and suitable places. With a gesture of his hand he bade them be silent and he told them the whole story of how the Lord had brought him out of prison. So says the Spirit to Philip, "Go near and join thyself to this chariot." These gifts, at least such as were of an extraordinary sort, were the outward signs of that gift in early days; and it was of great importance that there should be a decisive palpable testimony to it. Observe here, 1. Az eskv helysznnek ezttal a Solo tterem adott otthont. 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).
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