1. The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 12 – Death And Life
Sunday – July 9, 2017
Many of the slides used in this presentation are prepared by Joe Price and are used and adapted with his permission.

2. The Gospel was spreading Northward Acts 11:19-26

3. Death of James the Apostle (12:1-2)
ACTS 12
Famine and persecution, 12:1
Now about that time: Judean famine (AD ), 11:28-30
Herod Agrippa I: Grandson of Herod the Great and nephew of Herod Antipas who had beheaded John (King of Judea: AD 42-44)
James murdered (John’s brother, Mark 10:35- 39)
Restraint of the record suggests inspiration
No apostolic succession mentioned
It is now about 14 years after church began

4. Arrest and Escape of Peter (12:3-19)
ACTS 12
Arrested to please the Jews, 12:3-4 (11)
Church is no longer in favor, Acts 2:47
Peter was guarded by 16 soldiers
Angel freed Peter from prison, 12:5-19
Constant prayer, 12:5, 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (James 5:16)
Peter is securely in prison, 12:6
Miraculously escape; went to brethren, 12:7-17
House of Mary, mother of John Mark (cousin of Barnabas, Colossians 4:10); cf. Acts 1:13; 4:23; Luke 22:10
Peter went to an undisclosed place

5. Arrest and Escape of Peter (12:3-19)
ACTS 12
Lesson: God frees us from prisons of …
Sin, Romans 6:17-18 (gospel obedience)
Fear of death, Hebrews 2:14-15
Fear of men, Matthew 10:27-28 (Hebrews 13:5-6)
Anxieties that distract and discourage, Philippians 4:6-7
Results of Peter’s escape, 12:18-19
Great disturbance (Acts 19:23)
Soldiers examined and executed