Snoopy Approaches Acts

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Acts 12:1-11
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Bible Gateway passage: Acts 12:1-11 - New English Translation

James is Killed and Peter Imprisoned - About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm them. He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened...
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King Herod is seeking to harm those in the church. James, the brother of John, is executed with a sword.

When Herod sees that this pleases the Jews, he has Peter arrested and placed in prison. There will be a public trial after Passover.

On the night before the trial, Peter is sleeping between two guards, bound in chains.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appears and a light shines in the cell. The angel strikes Peter in the side and wakes him up. The chains fall off his wrists.

Fasten your belt, put on your sandals & cloak and follow me, says the angel. Peter thinks he is seeing a vision but the angel is real.

Peter follows and they pass by the guards. The iron gate leading to the city opens and they walk down one narrow street. The angel departs.

Peter knows that the Lord sent the angel to rescue him!
 
What do we think of this, another story about a miraculous jailbreak? What conclusion does the author of Luke/ Acts want us to draw?
 
This story could definitely be used as a life metaphor. But I am not inclined to think it was written with this intention.
 
So in today's scripture we there are 2 events -----

James who is the brother of John is Martyred by a sword by Herod [Agrippa I---and Peter is arrested and put in prison ------

Verse 1 says -----Now at that time ---so the time mentioned here is ----the days of Unleavened Bread [the Passover week|

This King was out to do harm to Christians ------Jesus warned His Disciples about facing much persecution for Preaching in His Name ----so the Disciples and Apostles were well geared to face their enemies -----

so James is murdered for his faith in Christ and Peter was next on the chopping block as he is put in prison and after Passover week was ended Herod was going to kill him -----

There were many guards in place to guard Peter in his cell -----no easy escape --

This in verse 5 Here is important to know -----
but fervent and persistent prayer for him was being made to God by the church
2 words to Note ---Fervent ---and Persistent----- Prayer was being made to God -----


Greek word for Fervent

Lexical Summary
zeó: To boil, to be fervent

1. to be hot
2. (of liquids) to boil
3. (of solids) to glow
4. (figuratively) to be fervent (earnest)

"to be deeply committed to something, with the implication of accompanying desire – 'to be earnest, to set one's heart on, to be completely intent upon'

I say -----So how do True Believers pray ---willy nelly ---weak ----not committed ----not in an earnest way -not boiling in their intent to get results -----

Greek word for Persistence

Lexical Summary
anaideia: Shamelessness, impudence, persistence

anaídeia ("no shame, without embarrassment") is the shamelessness a faith-led believer has who is not be halted by human fears –

Topical Lexicon
Definition and Semantic Range
ἀναίδεια describes a bold tenacity that refuses to shrink back for fear of shame. a positive, unwavering insistence that presses through social convention for the sake of a righteous request.

I say ------So the Church is showing a Real desire to God to answer their fervent and Persistent prayer ----

Again many True Believers tend to go to God in a doubtful way that their prayer will not be answered ----

All True believers need to understand --------that there is Protocol for answered prayer describe in Scripture ---and if adhered to their prayer will be answered ----not on our time but on God's time ----the trouble with most true Christians is they don't like to wait for God's time and when they don't get an answer right away the cave in and quit praying ---they are not persistent in their prayer life --

So then we see that the night before Herod was to get Peter to kill him ====

verse 6 --AMP -----Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries were in front of the door guarding the prison

verse 7 ----
7 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared [beside him] and a light shone in the cell. The angel struck Peter’s side and awakened him, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off his hands.

Peter obeys the command given to him and the chains fell from his hands -----

I say -------So there is controversy about this angel of the Lord ---some believe it was just an angel that God sent ------Others believe it could be Jesus Himself appearing in Peter's cell or God the Father even ----???
-----
read if interested

Who is the angel of the Lord?​

www.gotquestions.org

Who is the angel of the Lord? | GotQuestions.org

Who is the angel of the Lord? Was the angel of the Lord a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ?
www.gotquestions.org

I say -----Whoever the angle is they set Peter Free ------Peter it says thought he was seeing a vision --

so in verse 10 ---it says when they passed the first and second guard they come to the iron gate that leads into the city ---the Guards must have been in a deep sleep ????

This gate opens by itself and they went out ---and the angel disappears -----Peter comes to his senses and realizes that he has been rescued from Herod and anyone else who wanted him dead ---

I say ---so we see here--- that all the guarding --the chains --the prison and the Gate ---means nothing when God is with His Children and there are true believers praying fervently and persistently for their fellow believer ------

God's promise is to protect His Children and to never leave them or forsake them -----and we see it plainly right here in this Chapter -----
 
paradox3 said:
People were praying for Peter
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and believe me Prayer is powerful and effective when you have God's people praying together ----

AI

The statement "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" from James 5:16 signifies that a prayer offered with sincerity, faith, and a heart aligned with God's will has a greater ability to achieve God's desired outcome, whether it be healing, forgiveness, or other divine interventions. A righteous person is one in a right relationship with God, and their prayers are effective because God hears and acts on petitions from those who live in faith and repentance.
 
unsafe said:
means nothing when God is with His Children and there are true believers praying fervently and persistently for their fellow believer ------
Click to expand...

I had a brother-in-law with what is usually a pretty curable cancer who believed more fervently in the power of prayer (he was involved in several prayer groups) than the power of chemo. He is my late brother-in-law (he was a year or two younger than I).
 
Let's not get sidetracked into a discussion about prayer although it would make a great topic.

The author of Luke/ Acts wants us to believe fervent prayer resulted in God sending the angel to pull off the jailbreak.

Why is it so important for us to believe this?

Is the story simply about the efficacy of prolonged prayer? I am reminded of the parable of the unjust judge. The widow badgered him so much he gave her what she wanted.
 
paradox3 said:
Is the story simply about the efficacy of prolonged prayer?
Click to expand...
My view
NO ------This Scripture today is Telling us that God is in control of everything ----and no one will stop what God wants done ----and He wants His Apostles to keep on Preaching the Good News to both the Jews and the Gentiles to expand His Church to as many places as He can ----and He will protect them from their enemies as He has promised ----

The Prayer was secondary and got mentioned to show the Church's reliance on God during times of Persecution and trouble -----
 
unsafe said:
NO ------This Scripture today is Telling us that God is in control of everything ----and no one will stop what God wants done
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Really? God's control looks more and more inadequate every day. The god of yesterday sent 3 angels to save one apostle from prison. The god of today lets the Israeli government target a hospital and an American male shoot and kill small children at a Catholic mass to celebrate the return to school.
 
Acts 12:12-17
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Bible Gateway passage: Acts 12:12-17 - New English Translation

When Peter realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying. When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open...
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Peter goes to the house of John Mark. Inside there are many people praying. He knocks at the door of the outer gate. Rhoda, a slave girl, answers and recognizes him.

Overjoyed, she does not open the gate but runs back in and tells the others. They don't believe it at first and insist it must be Peter's angel out there.

Peter continues to knock at the gate. The people in the house open the door and they are astonished to see Peter standing in front of them.

Peter motions with his hand for them to be quiet. He relates how the Lord brought him out of prison. "Tell James and the brothers these things" he instructs.

Peter leaves for another place.
 
Another fascinating little story.

Why didn't Rhoda open the door?

Why did the people inside think it must be Peter's angel knocking? Today we often think of "angels" as the souls of the departed. But weren't angels believed to be a separate class of beings in those days?

Is this James, the brother of Jesus, emerging as a leader in the Jerusalem church?

Where does Peter go when he takes off?
 
BetteTheRed said:
Really? God's control looks more and more inadequate every day.
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Well you are certainly entitles to your Opinion ------

But my Opinion is different than yours -----Spiritual understanding is needed and unbelievers don't have Spiritual understanding according to Scripture ----Not Me

2 Corinthians 4:4---
AMP
among them the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelieving


Now on with today's scripture ----
 
So in today's scripture we see the Church was still fervently and persistently praying ----

AMP ----
12 When he realized what had happened, he went to the house of the mother of John, who was also called Mark, where many [believers] were gathered together and were praying continually [and had been praying all night].


I say --------So these believers had no idea what had happened to Peter at this time ---they were just focused on their praying to God for him -----

This is important to note here because ---Believers are to keep praying to God till there is breakthrough -----and so they were still praying as Peter was there at the gate -----

Now here is the thing Folks -------
God will not intervene in this world's affairs unless He is invited through Prayer and this Believing Church is Praying to God to intervene on Peter's behalf

We Humans all by ourselves today have Taken God out of everything and everywhere on this earth ----and so no one prays for God to intervene in our Human affairs anymore -

God is a Spirit Being and in order to get God to move ----we have to Pray to Him in the Spirit ----This Believing Church is doing Just that ------

Also today there is Protocol to follow for answered Prayer ------in Scripture ----

We see that Peter is standing knocking at the door -----a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer --but upon hearing Peter's voice in her joy she doesn't open the door but runs to tell the others who are still praying------

Rhonda was very excited and in her excitement didn't open the Door ----

The Church was still Praying for Peter'---they knew He was going to be killed ---and they hoped that God would intervene somehow -----but they didn't believe Rhonda when she came with the news ----

Verses 15-16 AMP
15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel!”

16 But [meanwhile] Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were completely amazed.

Here in 16 --we see that their Prayer was answered --but they didn't believe it when the answer came to them through Rhonda -----they only believed it when they saw Peter himself ---

So here we see that--- little Doubt creeping in ---as to them believing what Rhonda was telling them about who was at the door -----

So he tells the praying Believers how God had led him out of the prison ---and he tells them to report these things he is telling them to James and the other Believers ----and he goes on his way -----

Doubt is a no-no ----in the protocol for answered Prayer Folks --doubt will block your prayer ----
AI

doubt can block prayers because it is seen as a lack of faith, which is considered necessary for receiving answers from God.
 
Despite persisting in prayer, it seems the disciples were not expecting to see Peter again. When he shows up, they are greatly astonished. (v.16) And they make so much noise, Peter has to ask them to be quiet.

I wonder iif they are just as surprised when he departs for another place.
 
paradox3 said:
I wonder iif they are just as surprised when he departs for another place.
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Personally I don't think so ----Peter had just escaped death and I believe the Believers who were praying for him understood that he still might be in danger and so for me it would make sense that these Believers would see the need for Peter to vacate the area for a while ----

And Peter is not mentioned again till Acts 15 ------he disappears it seems --- from Scripture anyway for a time -----:angel:
 
John is the first of the original twelve disciples to be martyred.

Acts makes no mention of any move to replace him (as we saw with Judas and Matthias).
 
paradox3 said:
John is the first of the original twelve disciples to be martyred.
Click to expand...

I think James was the first to be Martyred -----not John

paradox3 said:
Acts makes no mention of any move to replace him (as we saw with Judas and Matthias).
Click to expand...

I think Matthias replaced Judas as one of the 12 -----

Jesus chose 12 Disciples -----Judas died and so to make the number 12 he was replace ----


The reason why James was not replaced is because the 12 were to be that number and no more ---

This is Spiritually deep to get paradox3 --------see if it makes sense to you -----

The Apostle James died for his Faith Physically ----not Spiritually ---James went to be with Jesus in Heaven ---so James was still included in the 12 -Spiritually ----as he is spiritually alive -in heaven ----to this Day -----

Jesus---------in Matthew here tells the 12 this ------

That the 12 chosen will sit on 12 thrones ---not 13 or any other number ----just 12 which symbolizes ----perfection ---Divine Authority and wholeness of God's chosen People ------

Matthew 19:28 AMPC
​

28 Jesus said to them, Truly I say to you, in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world], when the Son of Man shall sit down on the throne of His glory,

you who have [become My disciples, sided with My party and] followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

I say ----
There are only 12 thrones so James who is still Spiritually alive has one of those 12 thrones -----

the other 11 thrones will be occupied by the other 11 Apostles as is indicated -in the scripture above ----in the new age [the Messianic rebirth of the world],

So none of the Apostles who die will be replaced as they will all be still alive in their glorified bodies ----12 Apostles --12 Thrones -----
 
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