Acts 11:19-12:25 -- 6/3/07 P.M. (The Lord's Church)

Sunday, June 3, 2007 P.M.

Acts 11:19-12:25

19. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.

We don’t have to wonder about the identity of those who were scattered abroad as a result of the persecution that arose concerning Stephen. We have already read about it in Acts 8:1-4…
And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

If we had read the next verse in chapter 8, we would have been reminded that Philip went down and preached in Samaria. Samaria isn’t far from Jerusalem (the city itself less than 40 miles away). But some of those who were scattered abroad went much farther, even to Phenice, Cyrpus, and Cyrene. Phonecia was west and north of Galilee, and it included the cities of Tyre and Sidon (the latter being over 120 miles from Jerusalem). Cyprus was an island, whose eastern end is situated about 60 or 70 miles off the coast of Syria. Antioch was a Syrian city situated another 175 miles north of Sidon. It was 300 miles north of Jerusalem, as the crow flies, but the route by road was close to 400 miles. [Use map on overhead]. These believers had ranged far from their familiar home of Jerusalem. However, the key was not that they were scattered, but that they preached the Word.

Someone might wonder how much time had passed since chapter 8? We are not specifically told. However, we must realize that these things did not happen overnight. Most believe that several years had passed by now.

Notice that they preached the word only to the Jews. It is doubtful that they had heard much about Peter preaching in the home of Cornelius. They were far north of Caesarea, where that took place. What came natural to them was the sharing of the gospel with the Jews they met.

20. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

However, there were some of them who came to Antioch and preached the Lord Jesus to the "Grecians." If you are reading something other than the King James, you will likely have "Greeks" instead of "Grecians." There is a difference in the Greek texts. Whichever text is correct, it seems quite clear that he is not talking about Greek-speaking Jews, as back in chapter 6, when the term "Grecians" (Hellenists) is used. The whole point is that these were Gentiles, not Jews. If "Grecians" is the correct reading and refers to "Greek speakers," then there may have been some Jews within this group, but the focus is on the Gentiles among the Greek speakers.

Notice that they preached "the Lord Jesus." There is no mention that they preached Christ, the Messiah. Surely this is because they were dealing primarily with people who did not know the Jewish scriptures and had no hope of a Messiah. On the other hand, the term "Lord" was familiar to them.

These daring spirits who began to preach Jesus to the Greeks were men of Cyprus and Cyrene. Cyrene was a province in North Africa. So we can see that the gospel was spreading far and wide, though up to this time it was among the Jews who had been dispersed all over the empire.
Antioch was quite a city. Its population at the time is estimated at 800,000, and it was the third largest city in the empire, with only Rome and Alexandria being larger. It was famous for its sexual immorality, which was promoted by the ritual prostitution associated with the pagan worship at Daphne, just five miles away.

21. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.

The Lord blessed their witness to the Greeks. A great number believed and turned to the Lord. Praise God!

Just as Cornelius received the Spirit, so did these Greeks who lived at Antioch. Later Paul would write those words we know so well: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth – to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

22. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

Sooner or later, news always seemed to get back to Jerusalem. That was true in this case. When new and innovative things were reported, the mother church in Jerusalem checked into the happenings. It is true that a Gentile had been converted down in the desert, on his way back to Ethiopia. It is also true and Cornelius and a few others had turned to Christ and been received into the church. The events in Antioch were unusual because of the large numbers of Gentiles who were coming to Christ. This was not the case of a few isolated conversions.

But now notice who is sent forth to check out the situation at Antioch. It isn’t one of the apostles. Peter and James had gone down to Samaria, but it is Barnabas, the son of encouragement, who is dispatched to Antioch. You remember who Barnabas was. He was one of the early believers who generously shared what he had with others. He was also the man who risked a great deal to introduce and commend Saul/Paul to the apostles in Jerusalem. Now we see Barnabas for the third time, as he comes to Antioch to evaluate the progress of the gospel there.

23. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 24. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

When Barnabas arrived at Antioch, he was able to see that the grace of God had been working. That grace was not limited to Jews, but had been extended to the Greeks as well. No doubt, Barnabas, who was living in Jerusalem and had been a part of the gospel work from the beginning, was well aware of Peter’s experience with Cornelius. It should also be noted that Barnabas was a native of Cyprus, as we read in Acts 4:36. As such, he likely had a broader outlook on things that those who were raised in the land of Palestine.

Notice that Barnabas was glad. He didn’t reluctantly agree that these Greeks should be received into the church; he was delighted. So, as he rejoiced with them, how did he respond? Did he say, "Now you’re saved and all is well"? No. He "exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord." Barnabas saw their salvation as a beginning, not an end. Before salvation in Christ, they weren’t capable of cleaving to the Lord, but now they were. This is that great paradox of the Christian life. When we truly find Christ, we do not cease to seek Him. Instead, we long for more.

And let there be no question concerning whether or not Barnabas gave them good counsel. Verse 24 gives the reason for Barnabas’ exhortation to cleave to the Lord. It was because "he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." We continue to find this phrase "full of the Holy Spirit." As Stephen was full of the Spirit and greatly used of the Lord, as Peter was full of the Spirit and greatly used of the Lord, so it is with Barnabas.

Barnabas’ encouragement must have been effective, for we read that "much people was added unto the Lord." The Lord continued to save people in Antioch.

25. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: 26. And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Obviously, Barnabas chose to stay in Antioch and continue to encourage the new believers. At this point, Barnabas saw a need for some help. He needed someone who could help him with the instruction of all these new converts. So he went to Tarsus to look for Saul. Again, remember that a number of years have passed since we last saw Saul in chapter 9. Saul had grown up in Tarsus. You will remember that after his conversion on the road to Damascus, and after a stay in Arabia, he came to Jerusalem. It was there that Barnabas introduced him and commended him to the apostles. But after a time, some of the Hellenistic Jews of Jerusalem sought to kill Saul. So the brothers sent him back to Tarsus. We don’t know what Saul did during this time in Tarsus, but it is most likely he was preaching the gospel.

Though it may have been difficult, Barnabas was able to find Saul, and he brought him back to Antioch. For an entire year, Barnabas and Saul continued to teach the people, just as the apostles had done in Jerusalem.

Notice that the disciples were first called "Christians" in Antioch. The fact that they were "called Christians" indicated that this was a name that came from the outside, rather than what they chose to be called. It seems most likely that the people of Antioch often heard these disciples talking about Christ. Since they had no clue of what "Christ" meant, they treated it as a name. That name was so prominent that they stuck it on His followers. They were the "Christ ones," "the Christians." Some believe it was a term of derision, but there is nothing in the text to indicate that. The term is only used two other times in the New Testament (Acts 26:28; I Pet. 4:16).

27. And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

Three other times times in the book of Acts we find reference to such prophets. Agabus is mentioned again in 21:10 as a prophet. In 13:1, we read of certain prophets and teachers in Antioch. Judas and Silas are designated as prophets in 15:32. These New Testament prophets were enabled by the Spirit to speak a word from God. In I Corinthians, Paul speaks of the gift of prophecy. In this case, the Lord showed Agabus that there was going to be a great dearth (famine) in the world, and he related it to the saints at Antioch. Then, as a kind of parenthesis, Luke tells us that this did indeed come to pass during the rule of Claudius Caesar.

29. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea: 30. Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Again, we must understand that these events took place over a period of time. As the famine progressed, the need of the Jerusalem believers became apparent. So the Christians of Antioch determined that they would send relief to their brothers and sisters in Judaea. Each person contributed to the offering, according to his own ability. And then it was delivered by Barnabas and Saul.

Conlcusion of Chapter 11

What can we learn from this chapter? Perhaps more than anything else, we would do well to focus on the daring spirit of those who shared the gospel with the Greeks of Antioch. There is a sense in which they performed an experiment. I doubt seriously that they knew anything about Cornelius and the events that occurred in Caesarea. All they knew was a gospel for Jews. But surely the thought must have occurred to someone: "If the good news of Jesus Christ is good for Jews, might it not be good for Gentiles as well?" Then they tested the waters by sharing the gospel with Gentiles.

There were plenty of reasons not to do it. First of all, they might have feared a negative reaction from others in the church. And Antioch was not an inviting place to testify of Jesus. Surely these pagan, immoral people didn’t want to hear about the pure and sinless Son of God? But did the Spirit not somehow prompt them to see that they were the very ones who needed Jesus?

Brothers and sisters, the experiment was conducted and the results have been carefully recorded for us. The gospel was exactly what the pagans of Antioch needed. Not only did they need Jesus, but many received Him. There were many who were convicted of sin and who surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus. Praise God!

So we don’t have to experiment. We already know that the gospel is for all, Jews and Gentiles alike. We know that the Lord saves both Jews and Gentiles. Do we not know that even in the worst of cultures, God has chosen certain ones for Himself?

Acts 12

1. Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. 2. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

This is not the Herod before whom Jesus appeared during His trials. That was Herod the tetrarch (see Luke 3:19, who had executed John the Baptist). That Herod (also called Antipas) was a son of Herod the Great, who tried to kill Jesus shortly after His birth. This Herod of Acts 12 was also known as Herod Agrippa I and was a grandson of Herod the Great. This is the only place his name occurs in the New Testament.

Literally, Herod stretched forth his hands to do evil to certain ones in the church. So he killed James, the brother of John. Why does Luke mention that James is the brother of John? He does so in order to distinguish him from the other James. This James is one of the twelve apostles, the brother of the John we know so well. Together, they were designated by Jesus as "the sons of thunder." The other James is the half brother of Jesus, and will become the most prominent leader in the church of Jerusalem. James, the brother of John, is the first one of the apostles to be killed (excluding Judas Iscariot, of course, who killed himself).

3. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) 4. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Herod wanted to please his Jewish constituency, and he saw that they were indeed pleased by the death of James. So in order to gain more favor, he arrested Peter also. If they applauded the death of James, how much happier he would make them by executing Peter.

But wait a minute. Why would the execution of apostles please the Jews? Earlier, it seemed that the apostles were well-respected by the Jewish people. While they were persecuted by the religious leaders, they had the respect of the people. Surely that at least partially accounts for the fact that when others left Jerusalem because of persecution, the apostles were not threatened (8:1-4). Perhaps a change had taken place because of the stance of Peter and the apostles regarding the receiving of Gentiles. Many likely despised the apostles for trying to break down the wall of partition and bring Jews and Gentiles together. This may be the very reason that Herod now chose to arrest Peter, because Peter was the very one who had gone in and eaten with Gentiles.

The days of unleavened bread refer to that feast that was centered around the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, a feast which lasted an entire week. Apparently, Herod arrested Peter early during that week and held him, intending to execute him before the people after Passover. [KJV reads "Easter." The Greek word is the word normally translated "Passover."] During the time of Peter’s imprisonment, Herod wasn’t taking any chances on him escaping. He delivered Peter to "four quaternions of soldiers to keep (guard) him." This refers to four squads, made up of four soldiers each. They would work in relays, assuring that the four men guarding Peter were fresh and alert.

5. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6. 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. 7. 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. 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 follow me. 9. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10. 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 forthwith the angel departed from him. 11. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

While Peter was in prison, the church was praying without ceasing for him. Meanwhile, Herod was making plans to kill him before the people. But while Herod was making His plans, the Lord had plans of his own. The very night before the excecution, an (can’t find the word "the" in any Greek text) angel of the Lord came upon Peter and a light shone in the prison.

We are told that the angel hit Peter in the side and rasied him up. Since the angel then said, "Arise up quickly," it is obvious that Peter was lying down. It appears that Peter was asleep. But how could he be sleeping? Didn’t he know that Herod was making plans to kill him? Couldn’t he read the handwriting on the wall? After all, why should he be given better treatment than James? Yes, Peter knew, but he also knew the promises of the scriptures. "I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the Lord sustained me" (Ps. 3:5). "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety" (Ps. 4:8).

So how did the angel get Peter out of the prison? In short, it was a supernatural visitation. Either the angel blinded the eyes of the guards, or he caused them to think that Peter was an officer. At any rate, they came to the final gate with no opposition. And that gate opened of its own accord, allowing them to pass out into one of the city streets. That is when the angel left Peter.

Up to this time, Peter seemed to take very little thought in doing what the angel told him to do. Perhaps he was still half asleep (like some of you, before you have your first cup of coffee in the morning). He thought it was all just a vision, or a dream. But finally, he was awake enough to consider it all. Maybe the night air on his face brought him to his senses. At any rate, he finally realized that this was indeed the work of the Lord’s angel, who had delivered him.

Notice that Peter said the angel had delivered him "out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectations of the Jews" (vs. 11). Make no mistake about it, Herod was acting to please the Jews. History tells us that he was more popular with the Jews than most of the Herods of that period. He worked hard to gain their favor and respect. He was certain that persecuting the apostles would please them.

12. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
This was apparently one of the meeting places of brothers and sisters in the Jerusalem church. This is our introduction to the young man John Mark. Before long, we will meet up with him again. It was in the home of his mother Mary that the disciples had gathered together to pray.
13. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 15. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.

Often when this passage is read, it is assumed that the disciples who were praying had little faith. When God answered their prayers, they were reluctant to believe that it had really happened. However, we need to be careful in what we assume. We are told in verse 5 that the church was praying for him without ceasing, but we are not told what they were praying. We assume they were praying for his release, but we are not told that. You say, "Well, Ron, of course they were praying for his release. This was Peter, that leading apostles that they loved dearly."

Please consider two things. First of all, we have a tendency to see the events of the early church through the eyes of our own experience. We assume they were praying for his release, because that is what we believe we would do. May I suggest to you that our view of death might be somewhat molded by the world in which we live. To our shame, we often treat death like it is the ultimate evil. That isn’t from the Lord, for He has delivered us "who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Heb. 2:15). We aren’t subject to that bondage any more, because we don’t have to fear death. The attitude of the believer is demonstrated by Paul, who said, "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil. 1:21).

In 12:2, we have recorded for us the martyrdom of the apostle James. Notice how little attention is given to it. This was one of the twelve apostles. Nevertheless, his death is recorded in one little verse, and that is the end of it. Surely part of the reason is that James had just gained the glory of heaven and the unhindered presence of his Lord.

The second thing we should notice is this. What do we think the church was praying on behalf of Peter? We should answer that question, not in light of what we see today, but in light of the prayer from chapter 4, when Peter and John had just been released, with the warning not to preach in the name of Jesus any more. I remind you that there is nothing about life and safety in their prayer. Instead, they cried out, "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings; and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word…" (Acts 4:29). I am not saying that they absolutely didn’t pray for his release, but I am suggesting that such was not their primary petition. Far above the release of Peter from prison, they longed for the glory of God to be seen, for Jesus to be lifted up. That is what we learn from the prayer of chapter 4.

So when Peter appeared at the door and they had trouble believing it, it wasn’t necessarily an indication of a lack of faith. It may have simply been a surprise, because that wasn’t what they were expecting God to do. Nevertheless, God was gracious to leave Peter with them.

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 show these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. 18. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.

It seems to me that Peter didn’t have time for small talk at the moment. So he motioned for them to be quite, so he could say what he needed to say and get out of there. It is likely that this would have been one of the first places the authorities would search. What he did say to them was simple and to the point, "Go show these things unto James and to the brethren."

Now this is obviously not the James who had been killed in verse 2. No, this is James, the half brother of Jesus. It is interesting that his is the only name specifically mentioned. The other leaders are simply designated as "brethren." This indicates that James was more and more being recognized as the chief leader in the Jerusalem church. In Gal. 2, we have the record of Paul’s visit to Jerusalem in order to meet with the leaders there. In 2:9, Paul notes that the men who seemed to be the pillar of the church were James, Cephas (Peter), and John. This is not James, the brother of John, but this James we see here. In that list, his name appears before that of Peter and John.

After making that brief statement, Peter "departed, and went into another place." There was only one reason for him to depart, and that was to escape the authorities. We don’t know where Peter went, and apparently Herod didn’t either. Back in chapter 5, when the angel of the Lord delivered all of the apostles from prison, that angel told them directly to go back to the temple and continue preaching to the people. But here, Peter goes into hiding. Why? Simply because that was the purpose of God, and Peter was sensitive what the Lord wanted him to do.

19. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode. 20. And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.

Caesarea was the seat of Herod’s government and the place of his permanent residence. So, when he could not find Peter, he went back home. The cities of Tyre and Sidon relied on Herod for food supplies. Somehow they had offended Herod. So men of these cities worked hard to get back in the good graces of Herod. They came down and won over his personal servant Blastus (perhaps through bribery).

21. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. 22. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 23. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

This appearance of Herod seems to have been related to the visit from the men of Tyre and Sidon. Herod came out in his royal robes and gave a speech. The people, obviously attempting to flatter him, said, "This is the voice of a god, not the voice of a man." Notice the word "immediately." Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he didn’t give the glory to God. He was eaten up by worms until he died.

Wow! The loving God of the New Testament just struck a man down because he said the wrong thing! Someone has said, "I’m glad God doesn’t deal with us that way today." Personally, I don’t believe the ways of God have changed between that day and today, but I am certainly not going to test that theory. If you should suddenly say of my speaking, "These are not the words of a man, but the words of God," by the grace of God, I will fall on my knees and give all the glory to God. If I don’t, I have no assurance that God will not strike me down, just as He did Herod.

So why does God put up with earthly leaders and rulers who mock God and try to steal His glory? Why does God put up with men in the church, who seemingly have done far worse than Ananias and Sapphira? I don’t have a definitive answer for those questions, but I personally believe it is first of all because we in the church have lost much of the fear of God. Because of that, God judges more by abandonment than by striking men down on the spot. If you want to discuss that further, I would be happy to discuss it with you. But let us remember this: He is still God, and He will not share His glory with another (Is. 42:8).

24. But the word of God grew and multiplied.
What a wonderful little verse. It is another of those summary statements 9 (see 6:7 and 9:31), which tells us about the progress of the gospel. The Word of God grew and multiplied. The fate of Herod is contrasted with the progress of the Word. While Herod was eaten with worms and died, the Word of God grew and multiplied. Literally, it "continued to grow and multiply." As one renders it, "Meanwhile the Lord’s Message kept extending, and spreading far and wide" (TCNT).

25. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

Now this takes us back to the end of chapter 11, where we find Barnabas and Saul delivering the offering from the saints at Antioch. When they had done so, they returned to Antioch. We don’t know exactly when the events of chapter 12 took place, in relation to chapter 11, but it seems to have been somewhere around the time when they delivered this offering. At any rate, when they left Jerusalem, they took with them John Mark. Remember it was the home of Mary his mother where the disciples met to pray.