Acts 12:11

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. AND WHEN PETER WAS COME TO HIMSELF - when he had recovered from his bewilderment, and had time to look back upon all the steeps that had followed each other in such rapid succession. 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 - another evidence that Peter expected nothing on this occasion but to seal his testimony with his blood....

11._Then Peter returning to himself. _It is word for word, being made in himself, because, being before astonied with a strange and incredible thing, he was, as it were, without himself. But now at length, as it were after a trance, he knoweth that he is delivered from death. His words set down by Luke contain a thanksgiving; for he extolleth with himself the benefit of God which he had tried, [experienced,] and whereof he had tasted, and he doth highly commend it with himself, until he find some other witnesses. He saith that the angel was sent of God, according to the common meaning of the godly, who hold that the angels are appointed to be ministers, to be careful for, and to take charge of their safety; for unless he had been thus persuaded, he would not have spoken of the angel. And yet he doth not commend the angel as the author of the grace, but he ascribeth all the whole praise o...

6-11 A peaceful conscience, a lively hope, and the consolations of the Holy Spirit, can keep men calm in the full prospect of death; even those very persons who have been most distracted with terrors on that account. God's time to help, is when things are brought to the last extremity. Peter was assured that the Lord would cause this trial to end in the way that should be most for his glory. Those who are delivered out of spiritual imprisonment must follow their Deliverer, like the Israelites when they went out of the house of bondage. They knew not whither they went, but knew whom they followed. When God will work salvation for his people, all difficulties in their way will be overcome, even gates of iron are made to open of their own accord. This deliverance of Peter represents our redemption by Christ, which not only proclaims liberty to the captives, but brings them out of the priso...

Verse Acts 12:11. _WHEN PETER WAS COME TO HIMSELF_] Every thing he saw astonished him; he could scarcely credit his eyes; he was in a sort of ecstasy; and it was only when the angel left him that he was fully convinced that all was real. _NOW I KNOW - THAT THE LORD HATH SENT HIS ANGEL_] The poor German divine is worthy of pity, who endeavoured to persuade himself and his countrymen that all this talk about the angel was mere illusion; that Peter was delivered in a way which he could not comprehend, and therefore was led to attribute to a particular providence of God what probably was done by the prefect of the prison, who favoured him! But it is the study of this writer to banish from the word of God all supernatural influence; and to reduce even the miracles of Christ to simple operations of nature, or to the workings of imagination and the prejudices of a wea

AND WHEN PETER WAS COME TO HIMSELF - This expression naturally means, when he had overcome bas amazement and astonishment at the unexpected deliverance, so as to be capable of reflection. He had been amazed by the whole transaction. He thought it was a vision: and in the suddenness and rapidity with which it was done, he had no time for cool reflection. The events of divine providence often overwhelm and confound us; and such are their suddenness, and rapidity, and unexpected character in their development as to prevent calm and collected reflection. OF A SURETY - Certainly, surely. He considered all the circumstances; he saw that he was actually at liberty, and he was satisfied that it could have been effected only by divine interposition. THE EXPECTATION OF THE PEOPLE - From this it appears that the people earnestly desired his death; and it was to gratify t

EXPOSITION ACTS 12:1 _Put _for _stretched, _A.V.;_ afflict _for _vex, _A.V. The phrase, ABOUT THAT TIME, as in Acts 19:23, points to what had just before been related (Meyer). The interposition of the narrative in this chapter between Acts 11:20 and Acts 12:25 evidently implies that the bulk or rather the chief of the events narrated happened in the interval. Which of the events was the chief in the mind of the narrator with reference to his general narrative, and what are the coincidences which he wished to note, it is not easy to say with certainty. The narrative in this c

AND WHEN PETER WAS COME TO HIMSELF.... For upon his being awaked out of sleep, what with the uncommon light, which shone around him, and with the appearance of the angel, and the chains dropping from his hands, and his surprising escape through the several wards, together with the iron gate opening of itself, he was so filled with amazement, that he was not himself; he could scarcely tell whether he was in the body or not, and whether he was in a dream or a trance, or whether he saw a vision or not; but upon the angel's leaving him he came to himself, the amazement wore off, and he found himself thoroughly awake, and perfectly in his senses, and that the deliverance was real: and then, HE SAID, NOW KNOW I OF A SURETY, THAT THE LORD HATH SENT HIS ANGEL; this was a thanksgiving to God, and an acknowledgment, that the deliverance, though it was by the ministry an angel, yet was owing to th...

ANGEL (_ See Scofield) - (Hebrews 1:4). _...

CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The great Persecution by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1)._ 2. The miraculous deliverance of Peter (Acts 12:6). 3. The Presumption and Judgment of Herod (Acts 12:18). 4. Barnabas and Saul returning to Jerusalem (Acts 12:24). With this chapter we reach the conclusion of the second part of this book. Jerusalem had heard the second offer concerning the Kingdom, and mercy was ready even for the murderers of the Prince of Life. But that offer was rejected. Stephen's testimony followed by his martyrdom marked the close of that second offer to the city where our Lord had been crucified. Then broke out a great p

PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH BY HEROD AGRIPPA. PETER'S ESCAPE FROM PRISON. On Agrippa, see p. 610. His persecution of the Christians was according to his general policy. The persecutions of the faithful have been hitherto from the Jews acting through their local courts or the Sanhedrin. Now there is a civil ruler, also a Jew, minded to injure them, and persecution becomes more deadly. ACTS 12:1. ABOUT THAT TIME: this must be before the death of Herod in A.D. 44; it must be after Paul's visit to Jerusalem in Galatians 2:1; Acts 11:30, for he found James and Peter and John there. [98] James the brother of the Lord is spoken of by Paul under that title in...