he saw keep seize 4. And 2 when he had apprehended him, he put him him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to him; intending after guard to bring him forth to the people. the Easter the Passover 5. Pēter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. earnestly I Ex. 12: 14. imploring the Holy One to spare the king's life.". Josephus' account. 1 2 John 21: 18. Geikie in Hours with the Bible from II. The Imprisonment of Peter. .Vs. 3, 4. 3. He saw it pleased the Jews, according to his policy outlined above. He proceeded further to take Peter also, as the most prominent disciple. The man who "ordered a fight between fourteen hundred gladiators, whom he hypocritically declared criminals, requiring them to continue the combat till all were killed" (Geikie, Josephus), to please the populace, would not hesitate to kill an apostle to gain popularity with the Jewish leaders. 4. And when he had apprehended him. Implying that there was some delay in accomplishing the arrest. - Rendall. It was a few days after the martyrdom of James, and at the beginning of the Passover feast, which continued April 1 to 8. Put him in prison. "The military prison within the fortress of Antonia, which was also the residence of King Herod in Jerusalem.' - Rendall. Delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers. A quaternion is a band of four soldiers on guard at one time, two within, one on each side of Peter, bound one to each of his arms with chains, a third posted outside the door, and a fourth in the passage leading to the outside gate. All this besides prison doors and great iron gates, belonging to the strongest government on earth. Escape was humanly impossible. Peter had once escaped from the prison of the Sanhedrim (Acts 5: 19), and they did not intend that he should get away again. Intending after Easter (that is, the Passover) to bring him forth, to sentence him to death before the people. He would not execute him during the Passover festival, because that would offend the Jews whom he wished to please. III. The Prayer-meeting for Peter.-V. 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison for some days, so that there was a possibility of release, by divine interference through a miracle, or through a change in Herod's purpose. "In v. 5 there is a pitched battle. Read it: Peter therefore was kept in prison': there is one side of the fight; after the colon-'but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.' Now for the shock of arms! Who wins? Prayer always wins." But prayer was made. According to Christ's promise to prayer, with the emphasis on united prayer. They would have acted as well as prayed, if there was anything they could do. But man's extremity is God's opportunity." Prayer was the only weapon they could use. It was Herod with all the power of the Roman Empire, on one side, and the feeble church holding on by prayer to the almighty power of God, on the other. "intense HOW THEY PRAYED. Without ceasing, ekτevýs, stretched out, either in time or intensity. The R. V. uses the form exTev@s, earnestly, fervently, signifying strain, feeling on the rack." Compare the old torture of the rack. Both meanings are included, for intense prayer would naturally be continuous, unceasing, the intensity unfailing till the answer came. Of the church. "The members of the church were so numer. ous that they must have met in different companies."- Hackett. The central point of meeting was the well-known "house of Mary, the mother of John, which is called Mark" (v. 12). As the season of prayer lasted at least through the week of the Passover, there may have been a continual gathering at this place of the saints, while the individuals composing the meeting were changing. But at home, at business, — everywhere, going up from their hearts, as fragrance exhales from a rose wherever it is carried. the fervent, effectual prayer of righteous men which availeth much. prayer was It was ILLUSTRATION. "Could Herod have seen those saints upon their knees, he might have exclaimed, as did Ethelred, the Saxon king, when he saw the monks of Bangor praying against him for the success of their countrymen: They have begun the fight against me. Attack them first.'"' Professor Churchill. FOR WHAT THEY PRAYED. We shall misunderstand their faith, and their reception was about to bring 6. And when Her'od would have brought him forth, the same night Pe'ter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. guards of the answer, unless we note for what they prayed. (1) Plainly it was first for the release of Peter, if it was God's will. They well knew their Master's prayer in Gethsemane, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt" (Matt. 26: 39). (2) In connection with a former imprisonment, they prayed "that with all boldness they may speak thy word" (Acts 4: 29), so here they prayed that Peter might be sustained and strengthened and comforted. Perhaps the shadow of his former denial of his Lord made their prayer for him more intense. But they knew how unfaltering he had been, ever since, more true to Christ than needle to the pole. (3) Most of all, that Christ's kingdom might prosper; and all that came to Peter might, in some wise From a Photograph by Bonfils. Tower of Antonia. way, aid the cause dearer than life to him and to them. This was a great crisis in the history of the church, as we can see if we consider what I would have been left out of its history had Peter died at this time. We know too little of what is best for ourselves or the cause, to insist on any particular form of answer without the addition, "Thy will, not mine, be done." ILLUSTRATION. There is in Florence a picture of a Dominican supper, in which St. Dominic, with the other monks, is asking the blessing, and praying at a table set with dishes, but with no food. While he is praying, the angels with bright-colored wings bring them an abundance of food. IV. HOW the Prayer was Answered. Vs. 6-11. 6. When Herod would have brought him forth. The prayer, therefore, continued for more than a week. The same night. The night before his trial. "It is always darkest before dawn." Perhaps the delay was to test and increase the faith of the disciples. Peter was sleeping. In conscious peace and trust in God, like David, in Psa. 3: 5, who, pursued by his son, the by him, up, saying: Arise 7. And behold, angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison and he smote Pē'ter on the side, and raised him, quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. his cell: Rise up 8. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and he did so. follow me. him; and he 9. And he went out, and followed, 2 wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 3 3 Acts 10: 3, 17 and surrounded by dangers, still slept in peace. "For so he giveth his beloved sleep." With how many psalms Peter may have sung himself to sleep, as Paul and Silas did in the prison at Philippi. Wonderful are the songs in the night. His peaceful sleep was the triumph of faith. COMPARE Christian and Hopeful in the dungeon of Giant Despair. "As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm; Goldsmith. Between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Probably to the soldiers, as was a common Roman mode of securing prisoners. See Paul's case (Acts 21: 33). The keepers before the door outside of the cell. "Everything was done to make his escape impossible. He could not move without disturbing the slumbers of two soldiers, lying close beside him," and every avenue of escape was guarded. 7. And, behold. Peter was not missed by the guards till sunrise, - about six o'clock (see v. 18). It was then in the fourth watch, some time between three and six o'clock, that the angel presence entered the prison chambers (Schaff), for the loss would have been discovered at the change of guards at three o'clock, had Peter then been missing. The (an) angel of the Lord came upon him. “I believe that angels wait on us as truly as ever they waited on Abraham, or Jacob, or Moses, or Elijah, or Mary, or Jesus himself. The medieval painters were fond of filling the background of the Infancy with countless angels; the representation, though literally false, was morally true. I believe that angels are encamping around them that fear the Lord." Geo. Dana Boardman, D.D. And a light shined. The natural effluence of angelic presence. In the prison, oikýμari, cell, or chamber in the ovλaký, prison; the word used generally in this account for prison. And he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up. Rather, roused him up. The verb indicates that he awoke him from his sleep, but not that he helped him to arise. Cambridge Bible. In the beautiful fancy of Keble, the wearied apostle, sleeping, as he thought, his last sleep, and dreaming of the glorious witness to his Lord he was to bear when the day dawned, would naturally mistake the angel's touch and voice for the summons to execution. At the eternal gates he waits in his blissful trance, the tyrant's voice Not Herod, but an angel leads." His chains fell off, that bound him to the sleeping soldiers, one hand to each. 8. Gird thyself. The Orientals, when they go to rest, do not undress fully, as we do; or, rather, do not change their dress; they simply loosen their girdle and lay aside their outer garment. Beda. Bind on thy sandals, σavdádia, "wooden soles, the shoes of the poor as distinguished from those of the more wealthy.' "Peter still observed his Master's rule" (Mark 6: 9). — Knowling. Cast thy garment, iuáriov, his outer cloak, or mantle laid aside with his sandals. He would need these articles, and the action showed him that the appearance was a reality and not a dream. 9. And wist. Imp. of the Old English wis, "to know"; from the same root as wise. 143 When 1 its IO. And when they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord and they went out, and passed on through one street; and straightway the angel departed from him. forth with truth, 2 from II. And when Pe'ter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and hath delivered me out of the hand of Her'od, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Ma'ry the mother of 5 John' whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together and were "praying. 13. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a when he named Rhō'da. joy, that 14. And when she knew Pe'ter's voice, she gladness, but ran in, and told how Pe'ter stood before 15. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. that it was even so. Then said they, 7 It is his angel. I Acts: 16: 26. 2 Psa. 34: 7; Heb. 1: 14. And they said, 3 Job 5: 19; Psa. 33: 18, 19; 2 Cor. 1: 10. 4 Acts 4: 23. 5 Acts 15: 37. 10. First and the second ward. Guard, sentinels, or guard-rooms, where a guard would be. The guards were probably sleeping. The iron gate. Heavy, locked, and barred. Peter could not have opened it. Leadeth unto the city. This " may have formed the termination of a court or avenue which connected the prison with the town.". Hackett. The angel departed. Having done his work. Peter could now find his own way. "The seraph's wing Outspread in parting flight. With snowy trace From its orbit loosed, went soaring up, High o'er the arch of night. Then Peter knew." - Lydia Sigourney. II. Was come to himself. Awaked from his dazed condition. Now I know. Hitherto he did not know what the Lord's plans for him were, whether to die as a martyr, or go on and preach the gospel. Now he understood. V. How the Answer was Received. - Vs. 12-19. 12. When he had considered, ovvidov, to see together, to take in the whole situation at a glance. He saw all the elements of the case, and decided in view of them all. Came to the house of Mary. Because it was probably here that the disciples were frequently gathered for their meetings. Mother of John . . . Mark. John is his Hebrew name, and Mark (Marcus) his Latin name. He was a cousin of Barnabas (so "nephew "should read in Col. 4: 10) the author of the Gospel according to Mark, and the companion of Paul and Barnabas in their first missionary journey. ... 13. Peter knocked at the door of the gate. The gateway to the street at the end of the passage leading from the inner court, and always kept fastened. A damsel Rhoda (Rose). She seems to have been the servant of Mary. Came to hearken. As was the custom before opening the gate. The gate is never opened till the visitor has satisfied inquiries. "The lovely outline sketch of Rhoda has made her immortal. This rose (so the name means) smells sweet and blossoms in the dust.'" - Maclaren. "God, who leaves in oblivion names of mighty conquerors, treasures up that of a poor girl for his church in all ages.' - Quesnel. 14. When she knew Peter's voice. "An indication that Peter had before been a frequent visitor at the house." — Abbott. She opened not the gate for gladness. "She was so eager to make the others assembled there that night partakers of the great joy she felt in knowing that Peter was alive and free, that she ran back and forgot to open the door when she heard his well-known loved voice." Schaff. Dr. Porter says that this has often happened to himself on his return home from a journey. 15. It is his angel. His guardian angel, assuming his form and voice, a common : 16. But Pēter continued knocking and when they had opened saw him, were the door, and they they astonished. forth 17. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. Tell to 1 Acts 13:16; 19: 33; 21: 40. Jewish belief. "This belief in guardian angels was common to the Greeks and Romans. Every scholar will recall the famous instance of Socrates." Gloag. Compare Matt. 18: 10; Heb. 1: 14. 16. They were astonished. This does not indicate, as so many commentators have inferred, that these praying disciples "had small expectation of an answer. It is not "a striking instance of how slow of heart to believe are even the most devout." It is not " an example of weakness of faith." On the contrary, where could we find the true prayer of faith if not in this week of unceasing prayer by the whole church, continued all night, and spoken of as the human cause of the release. They were astonished, not at the FACT of an answer, but at the STRANGE WAY in which it came. They had no way of knowing how God would answer their prayers, nor what was really best. They knew that the best men had died martyrs. And if God should release Peter, they probably had some plan of their own as to how God would do it, perhaps through working on the mind of Herod. They could not plan an angel visit from God. 17. Go shew these things unto James. The brother of our Lord (Gal. 1: 19), and leading disciple in the church at Jerusalem. He must have been very close to Peter. He departed. To escape from Herod. He could not count on deliverance if he refused to use the means. But he lived many years after Herod was dead. Vs. 18, 19 mention the excitement produced by the escape, and Herod's command that the keepers be executed. This is reported to show that the escape was by direct intervention of God, and not by connivance with the keepers. The narrative then proceeds to describe the death of Herod during the same month. VI. Some Lessons on Prayer. Illustrated by Contrasted Lives. — 1. Prayer is a real power. God can give, to those who pray, blessings which it would not be wise to give to the prayerless. 2. God has many angels of many kinds to do his will. We see the sicknesses and accidents and death that come to good people, and sometimes ask where are God's answers to prayer? Where are his guardian angels? "What is the ordinary course of our life? Is it full of daily accidents? Is it not rather crowded with daily mercies, unseen and unnumbered? Is not calamity occasional, not habitual? Then there is something higher than life, dearer than wealth. Your spiritual perfection is a nobler thing than these. It is that the angels are commissioned to aid in securing." Professor Churchill. COMPARE Whittier's Poems. "The angel of St. Mark " gives a beautiful story of angelic deliverance. (See p. 61.) All God's angels come to us disguised; One after another lift their frowning masks, And we behold the seraph's face beneath, All radiant with the glory and the calm Of having looked upon the front of God.- Lowell. Around our pillows golden ladders rise, Stoddard. 3. We, with our narrow vision, cannot tell what is the best answer to our prayers, whether long life, or an early heavenly crown; whether victory, or defeat that brings larger victory; whether bodily relief, or spiritual gifts; whether the bitter cup removed, or, as in Christ's case, drained to the dregs, bringing salvation to the world; whether Paul's thorn be removed, or grace given to bear it; whether the answer comes in this life, or the next. 4. CONTRAST JAmes and PeteR. Questions will arise why James was allowed to die, while an angel was sent to deliver Peter. We can only say, as Jesus once said to Peter, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter," and his other words, |