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Acts 12.20-13.1
October 10th 2016
Milk
Okay we left off talking about Rhoda, and Peter escaping from prison, then departing to places unknown. Let’s read – verses 18 to chapters end.
Acts 12:18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
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.
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.
24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
I’m sure the stir was a combination of amazement and fear – amazement that Peter got out and away from his chains, two guards sleeping with him on each side, and two more sets of guards on the way out, and then the opening of the iron gate that presented him to the city and fear because they knew that in all probability they were going to lose their lives over this. (Verse 19)
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.
The word examine here means that there was a diligent inquiry or investigation. Obviously, Herod did not accept the idea that there was any sort of supernatural intervention but rather it had to have been an inside job.
Death was the punishment a guard back in the day would expect for letting a ward escape. So after demanding their heads, as it were it says
“And he went down from Judea to Casaerea.”
The historian Josephus confirms this specific journey in his Anitquities and states that it was after he had reigned three years in Judea. It was here that he decided to live and he did so until his death which was coming sooner than he believed. (verse 20)
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.
Two things: first, the word in Greek for Highly Displeased is not found anywhere else in the New Testament and it means he was considering going to war with the people of Tyre and Sidon.
Secondly, we do not have any idea what made him so mad at them. In all probability it had to do with commerce problems of some sort. Tyre and Sidon were north of Caesarea.
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.
In other words fearing the effects of Herod’s anger the citizens or possibly the political leaders united together and befriended a man named Blastus, who was King Herod’s Chamberlain.
The word chamberlain describes an officer charged with the direction and management of a chamber, or chambers, particularly a bed-chamber.
Blastus seems to have been in charge of Herods bed-chamber so he seems to have had an intimate relationship with the King.
What did they seek through their friendship with Blastus?
“ . . . having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king’s country.”
That line in the King James, “because their country was nourished by the king’s country” best means that somehow Tyre and Sidon benefited by the King’s lands, possibly through trade or tourism or some sort of commerce.
See, the country of Tyre and Sidon was a narrow strip of land on the coast of the Mediterranean. They probably didn’t have land for animals or crops so they probably relied on the interior country which was owned by Herod.
Herod was angry with them so they had better make him happy just as a means to survive.
So there is the setting of what we are about to read in (verses 21-23).
Let’s read them together:
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.
Now this all occurred on the second day of sports and games which Herod celebrated in Caesarea in honor of Claudius Caesar.
How do we know this? Josephus, a Hebrew Historican provides us with an occurrence, which coincides remarkably with the narrative here.
The account is also contained in his Antiquities of the Jews (b. xix. chap. viii. 2,) and says:
“Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Caesarea, which was formerly called Strato’s Tower; and there he exhibited shows in honor of Caesar, upon his being informed that there was a certain festival celebrated to make vows for his safety.
At which festival a great multitude was gotten together of the principal persons, and such as were of dignity throughout his province.
Josephus then say something that correlates to the line in verse 21 which says:
“And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel . . . “
But Josephus said:
“On the second day of which shows, he put on a garment made wholly of silver and of wonderful contexture, and early in the morning came into the theatre, place of the shows and games at which time the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the first reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently on him.”
Verse 21 says:
. . . Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
This does not denote a throne in the usual sense of that word, but a high seat in the theatre, where he sat, and from whence he could have a full view of the games and sports. From this place he made his speech.
Neither Luke nor Josephus describe the contents of his speech.
(Verse 22) And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
It is believed that it was pagan Gentiles who shouted this and not the Jews and this is intimated by Josephus who said:
“And presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another, (though not for his good,) that he was a god; and they added, ‘Be thou merciful unto us, for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a king, yet shall we henceforth own thee as a superior to mortal nature.'”
Josephus seems to imply that they responded this way due to his silver apparel and doesn’t even mention the oration mentioned by Luke.
But mentioning or not mentioning does not make a contradiction – as we have seen in the past.
Whatever it was – the silver apparel, the speech or both – the people cried out that this man, this King, was a God. Look out!
(verse 23)
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.
Now, because Luke wrote it we can assume it to be true but the expression, “immediately the angel of the Lord,” could be in reference to the Old Testament belief that diseases and death were distributed by God’s angels.
2nd Samuel 24:16
1st Chronicles 21:12,15,20,27 and
2nd Chronicles 32:21
All speak to this traditional belief.
Bottom line, Luke does seem to intimate that what happens to Herod Agrippa was due to Divine judgment for him receiving homage as a god.
This is what Josephus says, that in the face of receiving such adulation that he
“did neither rebuke them, [the people,] nor reject their impious flattery. Then a severe pain arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. And when he was quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and the seventh of his reign.”
Josephus does not mention that it was done by an angel, but does say that when Agrippa looked up he saw an owl sitting on a rope over his head and believed that it was an evil omen, became “immediately melancholy,” and was at that point “seized with the pain.”
Luke simply says that it was “because he gave not God the glory,” in other words, because he was willing himself to receive the worship due to God alone.
This was a more sinful act on his account because he was a Jew, was acquainted with the true God, and therefore with the evils of idolatry.
Luke writes:
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.
Josephus does not mention this. We do find a similar disease recorded in the Apocraphal book of 2nd Maccabees about Antiochus Epiphanes but they may be entirely unrelated. That account reads:
“But the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, smote him with an invisible and incurable plague; for a pain in the bowels, that was remediless, came upon him, and sore torments of the inner parts, (yet. 9,) so that worms rose up out of the body of this wicked man.”
It is said by Josephus that Herod the Great also died of a similar worm infestation.
Let me wrap up the death of Herod Agrippa by reading the full account of Flavius Josephus.
“Now when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Caesarea […] There he exhibited shows in honor of the emperor […] On the second day of the festival, Herod put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a truly wonderful contexture, and came into the theater early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment was illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it. It shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him. At that moment, his flatterers cried out […] that he was a god; and they added, ‘Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.’
Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But as he presently afterward looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and he fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner. He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, ‘I, whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots, as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.’
After he said this, his pain was become violent. Accordingly he was carried into the palace, and the rumor went abroad that he would certainly die in a little time. But the multitude presently sat in sackcloth, with their wives and children, after the law of their country, and besought God for the king’s recovery. All places were also full of mourning and lamentation. Now the king rested in a high chamber, and as he saw them below lying prostrate on the ground, he could not himself forbear weeping.
And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign.” (Flavius Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 19.343-350).
Back to Luke’s account in Acts – verse 24:
“But the word of God grew and multiplied.”
I think this is a way of saying that with the death of Agrippa – the persecutions had now ceased and notwithstanding all the attempts which had been made to crush it, still the word of God increased and flourished.
At verse 25 Luke catches us back up with Paul and Barnabas. We left off with them gathering alms for the believers at Jerusalem from the believers at Antioch and delivering them to the elders. (verse 25)
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem (to Antioch), when they had fulfilled their ministry (of taking alms to the believers there due to a famine), and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
And it is at this point that Luke proceeds to report almost exclusively on the actions of Paul.
Again – and apologies for the repetition – but the book of Acts serves as a link between the Old Testament economy of Law and the New Testament of Grace.
The Old is framed or founded on the Law and the Prophets and culminated in Jesus and the Twelve original apostles – Genesis through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and up through Acts chapter 12.
Here at verse 25 we begin to fully follow Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles.
Remember a few things about Paul. He always went to the Jews first in his missional efforts.
This was because the Gospel was to go to the Jew first and the Gentiles thereafter – due to the rejection of the Jews.
Also Luke the historian was a traveling companion – which is probably why his work is so prominent to us today.
In our previous chapters we have seen the nascent church rise from very small beginnings.
One man hung on a cross outside the city walls.
Eleven men given new hope by witnessing His resurrection from the dead.
A group of believers in Jerusalem gathered. The Holy Spirit falling on three thousand Jews on the Day of Pentecost.
The Gospel spreading. The church growing. A board of servants or diaconos (deacons) called – who also preach and teach.
The stoning of Stephan which sent believers running in fear of a similar death.
The calling of Saul.
The disappearance of Saul.
The conversion of Cornelius and all his house. The Gospel being brought to Antioch.
Barnabas being sent to Antioch. Barnabas going to find Saul in Tarsus.
The mission to the Church at Jerusalem who were suffering – especially from a famine.
I want to suggest something here that I have never heard taught but from scripture believe it true.
What we have witnessed here is Jesus Church being culled from the House of Israel and those Gentiles who were willing to hear.
This church would NOT fail. The gates of hell would never prevail against it. And the New Testament is a record of its existence from the time of its birth to the time it was taken from destruction when Jerusalem was utterly wiped out.
There were attempts to destroy it and those who were part of it but nothing was going to stop it from moving forth.
At this point it was beginning to spread into surrounding regions. Thus far we have seen it survive two persecutions both initiated and carried out by the malice of Jewish rulers.
And we have seen the most zealous of the persecutors (Saul) convert to the faith which he once destroyed.
Now we have seen a royal persecutor of the church put to death by the Divine judgment.
He would keep His church, His bride, through it all. And then, as promised by every one of his chosen apostles (who wrote) He would come back to save those who were His from eminent destruction from the final enemy Nero and the Roman Armies.
Jesus got His church. Took it and rescued it from devastation like no other. All but one of His chosen apostles lost their lives in the cause of establishing and saving it. But the gates of hell did not prevail against it.
From this time forward – out to today – one thousand nine hundred plus years men have continued to try and replicate this church.
It’s an utterly futile attempt. The church was saved and taken – it no longer exists in a material form but in and through a body of believers composed of all people.
In the apostolic church there were still differences between Jew and Gentile, between male and female, between expectations for both. But since saving His church and taking it up from destruction there is no difference between Jew and Greek, male and female and most importantly, the material attempts toward the faith are over.
All that could be shaken in heaven and in earth were shaken one last time at the destruction of Material Jerusalem.
And now we have a body of believers – a body started by Paul in the outskirts of Judea – that continues to be born of God, live to God, seek God, and die to God – in and through faith in Jesus Christ.
The gates of hell have prevailed against all errant material attempts to re-create a brick and mortar church. You name the attempt and Ill show you the gates of hell corrupting this beautiful faith.
See, if it is Jesus Church, as some like to still claim, then nothing about it could ever be involved in evil.
Just because it does good in addition to evil doesn’t mean anything. Jesus real church could never do or participate in ANYTHING evil.
That is why His Church was apostolically lead and then taken after only forty years.
But Roman Catholicism?
Eastern Orthodox?
Faiths of the Reformation?
Mormonism?
Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Calvary Chapels?
You name the institution they have all done evil in the name of Christ.
But His body of believers, sanctified by the blood, thriving by the Spirit through faith and evidencing true sacrificial love – that cannot be touched – and for nearly two thousand years has continued on, with God making Children out of those who seek Him in Spirit and Truth.
This is why I have backed way off on attacking other approaches to the faith but instead sought to reach seekers of truth within all faiths.
God knows who are His. And scripture tells us we too can know who are His – those who seek the will of God by loving Him and others through faith in His Son.
Show me a loving, faithful, selfless, kind, patient, merciful, joyful, encouraging Catholic, Mormon, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian and I’ll show you a member of His body.
But forget the institutions – they have established themselves contrary to the historical contextual biblical evidences found in this sacred record.
Okay then . . . onward . . . to chapter 13.
We left off here at the end of chapter 12 with the following:
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem (to Antioch), when they had fulfilled their ministry (of taking alms to the believers there due to a famine), and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
Remember, Mark or Marcus is the Roman name for the Hebrew John.
(I think I said it was Greek last week – wrong).
He is referred to by both names in scripture which can make it confusing at times.
To make it more confusing he was also the son of a woman named Mary, a woman apparently of some means and influence.
It is believed that he was in all probability born in Jerusalem, where his mother resided (a fact we just learned here in Acts 12:12).
We know nothing of his father but Colossians tells us (in 4:10) that he was a cousin of Barnabas.
We also know that our Rhoda story took place in his mother’s house where Peter found “many gathered together praying” when he was released from prison.
Because Peter refers to him as “son” in his epistles it is probable that he was converted through Peter (1st Peter 5:13).
Interestingly enough, in his own gospel account of Mark it is believed that he even refers to a story about his own life when he talks about “a certain young man” wearing a linen robe who was caught by others at the capture of Jesus who fled away naked because others had grabbed him by the linen garment.
We learn from this mention here in chapter 12 that he went with Paul and Barnabas on their first journey (about A.D. 47) as their “minister,” but for some reason he turned back when they reached Perga in Pamphylia.
In chapter 15 we will learn of a sharp contention arising between Paul and Barnabas over this Mark. It was over the fact that Paul refused to allow Mark to travel with him.
This will happen about three years from where we are in our narrative.
Evidently it seems that they reconcile because he was again with him in his first imprisonment at Rome (according to Colossians 4:10 and Philemon 1:24).
We also learn that at a later period he was with Peter in Babylon (1Pe 5:13 and he was with Timothy in Ephesus when Paul wrote him during his second imprisonment (2Ti 4:11).
He then disappears from view. In all probability he wrote his gospel under the direction of the Apostle Peter which is why, like Luke’s Gospel, it was considered to have apostolic authority and was included in canon.
Okay, chapter 13
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Okay, back to verse 1.
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers (remember, tradition has it that the church at Antioch was a cave) and there was there . . .
Prophetace and didaskolos – Who were they?
Luke tells us saying . . .
as Barnabas, (who was a preacher)
and Simeon that was called Neeger,
Neeger is a Latin name meaning black. Obviously it is the origin of the pejorative term banned today. Why the name was given is not known but I think its pretty obvious – Simeon was a black man.
So here in the first church where believers were called Christians we have a man named Simeon who was either a prophet or a teacher.
What has religion done to black people – segregated separated and distinguished between them.
NOT of God.
and Lucius of Cyrene
Cyrene was in Africa so there is a great possibility that this man was also black.
This man is mentioned later in Romans 16:21 as being with the apostle Paul when he wrote the Epistle to the Romans.
and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch
We have no idea who Manaen is but where it says
“Which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch” we know that this could not possibly refer to Herod Agrippa – he dead – so it was referring to Herod Antipas who was tetrarch of Galilee.
The word here translated, “which had been brought up” means who had been nourished or educated by.
Therefore we tend to think that this person was somehow connected with the royal family and was possibly educated by the father of Herod Antipas.
This would make him a man of rank and education proving that the gospel was not confined entirely in an influence upon the poor.
Also proving this is the last one mentioned, who we know about, Saul.
What’s interesting about this is Saul was an apostle but here he is described as a “prophet and/or teacher.”
I would suggest that this is proof that the terms prophet, apostles, teacher, yoo angle-os etc are used interchangeably in the New Testament.
2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
I’m going to stop here because this passage presents us with an interesting concept – the Holy Spirit saying.
More next week.
Q and A
