Sermon Tone Analysis

*Slide** Acts 12:1-5 ~~* 1Now about that time *Herod* the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.

2And he had James the brother of John put to death with a *sword*.

3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.

4When he had *seized* him, he put him in prison, delivering him to *four squads* of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover *(KJV: Easter)** *to bring him out *before the people*.

5So Peter was *kept* in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently *(KJV: without ceasing)** *by the church to God.

 

*(KJV: Easter)*

 

made fervently *(KJV: without ceasing) *Actually both are correct it was fervently and it was also from the imperfect tense without ceasing

 

*Slide (MAP)*

*Herod* the Great was contemporary with Julius Caesar and the first Emperor Augustus - Father was Idumean (Esau) Mother was Nabatean (Arab Nebaioth son of Ishmael) His kingdom was split in 4 B.C.

 

Judea, Samaria, and Idumea going to *Archelaus*; who was deposed for incompetence and his area taken over directly by Rome at Caesarea in 6 A.D. (Caused death of brothers Aristobulus and Alexander)

 

Galilee and Perea going to Herod *Antipas*; married daughter of King of Arabia, but later lived with Herodias, the wife of his own half-brother Philip and his niece.

It involved him in a war with Aretas in which he lost, Josephus: "punishment for John the Baptist."

He was deposed by Caligula in 39

 

Gaulanitis (area NE of Galilee) going to Philip

 

Abilene (area North of Galilee) going to Lysanias

 

Herod *Agrippa* I, grandson of Herod the Great, son of Aristobulus, and brother of Herodias.

Caligula, in A. D. 37, made him king over the territories of Philip and Lysanias, to which the tetrarchy of Antipas was added when the latter had been banished in 39, then in 41, Judea and Samaria were given to him by the Emperor Claudius, whole kingdom of Herod the Great

 

*Agrippa II* was the son of Agrippa I and in A. D. 44, a youth of seventeen so he was given portions of the kingdom to rule.

Paul pleaded before this king, to whom Festus, the governor, referred the case (Acts 26).

*Slide (Acts 12:1-5 Highlight)*

*sword *- James, the cousin-german of Jesus - political charge similar to John the Baptist [CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (190 A.D.) accuser became a Christian and died with James]

 

~~ God's soveriegn purpose will deliver you out of every trial as James was or as Peter was should make no difference.

*seized *- intention of verb to do the same as before, i.e. kill

 

*four squads *- 16 soldiers, with four watches of four, two chained with him in the cell and two at the cell door, then the outer jail door then the door out of the grounds into the city.

*before the people *- The mood of the Jews had hardened, not softened over time - why?

The Gentile deal was too much!

James must have taken a stand for Peter's actions and for what was going on in Antioch.

Agrippa killed James and the people loved it, so let's nail Peter too.

*        Romans 9, 10 & 11*, teach that the word of God must go to all the people so they can all hear and once the lines are drawn then the plan moves on.

Everyone in Judea had heard the Gospel by this time and either accepted or rejected.

The time of the Jews was over.

*kept *- For up to a week in jail this way

 

it was *fervently* and it was also from the *imperfect tense* without ceasing

by the Church of God!

Today we would protest, sign petitions, organize rallies, we would do all manner of human endeavors to get justice and we would be so busy we would have little or no time to pray.

*Slide **Acts 12:6-8 ~~* 6On the *very night* when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was *sleeping* between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

7And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he *struck* Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.”

And his chains fell off his hands.

8And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.”

And he did so.

And he said~* to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”*

Slide* *Acts 12:9-11 ~~* 9And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

11When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

* *

*Slide (Acts 12:6-8 highlight)*

*very night* - been there maybe a week and this is his last night on earth…* sleeping*, resting in God's plan and purpose.

*struck - Kicked in the ribs*

 

*Slide **Acts 12:12-15 ~~* 12And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called *Mark*, where many were gathered together and were praying.

13When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.

14When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the *gate*, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

15They said to her, “You are out of your mind!”

But she kept insisting that it was so.

They kept saying, “It is his angel.”

*Slide* *Acts 12:16-17 ~~* 16But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.

17But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison.

And he said, “*Report* these things to James and the brethren.”

Then he left and went to another place.

*Slide (Acts 12:12-15 Highlight)*

*Mark *- Cousin-german of Barnabas, friend of Luke, companion to Paul and Peter.

A family of means.

* *

*gate *- the only gate that didn't open to Peter.

Like an Easter resurrection and also like a rapture

 

*Slide (Acts 12:16-17 Highlight)*

*Report* these things to James and the brethren.”

Then he left and went to another place

He didn't complete his escape because of his concern for the Body above his concern for his body

James, old camel knees, cousin to James the Greater and brother of Jesus

Peter went into hiding along with most of the leaders

 

*Slide **Acts 12:18-20 ~~* 18Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.

19When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be *led away to execution*.

Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

20Now he was very angry with the people of *Tyre and Sidon*; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country.

*Slide* *Acts 12:21-23 ~~* 21On an appointed day Herod, having put on his *royal apparel*, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them.

22The people *kept* crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” 23And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

*Slide (Acts 12:18-20 Highlight)*

*led away to execution - *No one could explain and to Herod it had to be a conspiracy - *Instructor - "I don't care if you get killed, I just want to make sure that if you die you'll know why." *How many will die as these soldiers and as Herod himself without comprehending the problem.

They had opportunity just as we each have opportunity - Don't die forever, oblivious to why!

* *

*Tyre and Sidon* - Phoenicia embargo

* *

*Slide (Acts 12:21-23 Highlight)*

*royal apparel - Joe *silver head to toe shinning bright in the sun, Struck down with severe belly cramps and died 5 days later in 44 A.D.

 

*kept* *(KJV: single shout) *From the tense continous like chanting

 

*Slide** Acts 12:24&25 ~~* 24But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.*

**(KJV: But the word of God grew and multiplied.)*

25And Barnabas and Saul returned *from **(RSV: to)* Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.

 

*(KJV: But the word of God grew and multiplied.)

*Tense; it continued

 

*Only actual text difference today** "C" - from *(Many reliable texts read, "into."

so RSV) eijv, ex, ajpo>, and even ajpo> Jerusalem eijv Antioch.

No one knows what happened - Unlike *chapter 5* and unlike Paul's later escape which were public and preaching was the result and folks were saved, in this case there is only God's judgment.

*Romans 9, 10 & 11*, teach that the word of God must go to all the people so they can all hear and once the lines are drawn then the plan moves on.

Everyone in Judea had heard the Gospel by this time and either accepted or rejected.

The time of the Jews was over.

Now, was the time of the Gentiles and it still is our time and what must happen?

The word must go out to all and then the time of the Gentiles will be over too.

The Jews will have a shot, but it's curtains for the world, baby!

There is then only Judgment left - Has anyone in America not heard about Jesus?

Is there a man or woman in our nation that doesn't have easy access to a Bible?

The word has gone out, it is finished, only judgment remains.