Bible Study Notes - Acts 12:1-19
Consider the following ideas and questions as you read, study and meditate upon the passage.
· Can miracles like this one occur in the Church today?
· Note the relationship between Herod and the Jews (religious leaders of the nation); it is the relationship of Roman governmental power and Jewish religious authority.
· Note the significance of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the timing of the Passover.
· What does verse 5 “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him” mean practically?
· What do you envision the prayer meeting was like?
· Imagine the setting, sounds, and smells.
· Who are angels?
· From whence do they come?
· How do we explain the appearance and even more sudden disappearance of the angel or angelic presence?
· Note the grasp of human power (governmental and religious) with the shackles, chains and number of Roman soldiers.
· How would you describe Peter’s view of Almighty God and God’s faithfulness in light of verse 11?
· As you read, remember to focus upon God’s role in the text. Arguably, the Bible records the story of God’s faithful adherence to the eternal covenant that He made with humankind on the basis of God’s Name.
· Whenever we encounter a crisis in the text, we must always ask what God’s role in the crisis is.
· Likewise, we ask how God acts as the agent of grace when we encounter grace in the text.
· Is there any significance that Dr. Luke, the author of the book of Acts, specifically mentions Rhoda, a servant girl in his record of this miracle?
· How do you explain the initial disbelief of the Church that had gathered at John Mark’s Mother’s house?
· Note the relationship between the apostle Peter and John Mark, the reputed author of the gospel of Mark.
· Recall that John Mark subsequently abandons the first missionary journey with the apostle Paul.
· Why Peter was spared on this occasion but later is executed upside down on a cross?
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