Acts 12:12

Acts 12:12. He came to the house of Mary. It was natural that Peter should betake himself to Mary's house, for it is evident that between this family and himself there existed some close tie of friendship. Mary, we believe, was the sister of the famous Barnabas the Cypriote (see Colossians 4:10), who, in the first days of the Church's existence, sold a portion of his property and gave it to the apostles (Acts 4:36-37), and who subsequently introduced Paul to the apostles at Jerusalem (Acts 9:27). The family was evidently one of some consideration, and possessed considerable wealth. The house of Mary was large enough, for instance, to form one of the meeting-places for the believers of Jerusalem. It is probable that Saul and Barnabas had already arrived in the city on the charitable mission alluded to in Acts 11:30; in which case, on this solemn night of prayer, no doubt Peter met in the house of Mary, among many other Christian brethren, Barnabas, Saul of Tarsus, and Mark.

The mother of John, whose surname was Mark. This Mark is generally identified by the early Church with Mark the Evangelist: he was nephew of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), and his friend and companion (Acts 12:25; Acts 15:39). A close connection and warm friendship from the earliest times seems to have existed between Peter and Barnabas. The influence of Peter over Barnabas is alluded to in the Galatian Epistle (Acts 2:13), written in the year 56-57, some twenty-two years after Barnabas' first generous gift to the Church of Jerusalem. No doubt it was owing to this long friendship with the uncle, that John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, became so intimately associated with Peter, who in his First Epistle even calls him his ‘son' (1 Peter 5:13). The early Church believed that St. Mark's Gospel was in reality the Gospel of St. Peter, and that Mark simply put down the words and memories of his master and friend the Apostle Peter.

Where many were gathered together praying. These Christians were gathered together in the still hours of the night, perhaps for fear of the Jews, but more probably on account of the extreme peril which menaced the Christian cause. The special object, however, for which this solemn assembly was convened, was to pray for that dear brother and sainted teacher who was to die a martyr's death when the next day dawned. These nocturnal assemblies of Christians for prayer were continued in many places in more quiet times, partly owing to the solemnity which belongs to these still hours, partly owing to a deep-rooted persuasion that the Lord Jesus would come again during the night. Wordsworth beautifully writes on this verse: ‘Herod's soldiers were watching under arms at the door of the prison; Christ's soldiers were watching unto prayer in the house of Mary. Christ's soldiers are more powerful with their arms than Herod's soldiers with theirs: they unlock the prison-doors and bring Peter to the house of Mary.'