Bible Gateway passage: Acts 12 - English Standard Version (2024)

FAQs

What is the main message of Acts 12? ›

The story of Acts 12 shows us two outcomes but each glorifies God. We must remember that James, when he died, met Jesus and receive a crown of glory. Praise be to God! And, we must remember that God did rescue Peter in his sovereignty, and that was his will, Praise be to God!

1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.

Acts 12 is the twelfth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records the death of the first apostle, James, son of Zebedee, followed by the miraculous escape of Peter from prison, the death of Herod Agrippa I, and the early ministry of Barnabas and Paul of Tarsus.

Acts 12:24 Reminds Us Our Confidence is in God

The reality is, that people come and people go. Servants of Christ, followers of Christ, people who are preaching the gospel, they come and they go, but in the end, one thing remains, the Word of God, from generation, to generation, to generation.

Jesus tells us that when faithful Christians pray, anything is possible! We should never underestimate the power of our prayers to help others, and for their prayers to help us. Just as the prayers of the early church helped Peter, our prayers can help others, and their prayers can help us!

3) OBJECT LESSON: GOD WANTS HIS CHURCH TO STICK TOGETHER

The story of Peter getting out of jail shows us that God wants us to stick together just as they did.

Acts 12:1–5 is the only Scripture which directly records the death of an apostle. Herod Agrippa I, who has commended himself to the Jewish leaders by protecting their religion, endears himself further by arresting and beheading James, the brother of John. The Sanhedrin is so pleased, Agrippa arrests Peter, as well.

One truth we can learn from this account is that our sincere and fervent prayers invite God's miracles and blessings into our lives and the lives of others. Miracles resulting from faithful prayer are often small and simple rather than big and dramatic.

There are two significant New Testament characters named James. One is the half-brother of Jesus, the author of the book of James and the leader of the church in Jerusalem (Matthew 13:55; James 1:1; Galatians 2:9). The second, mentioned here, is the brother of John and son of Zebedee (Mark 1:19).

Prayer: Father God, there are many that are imprisoned physically and spiritually. We ask for a mighty move of the Lord to set the captives free and release the prisoners from darkness. May Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven! Praise the Lord!

What happened to Peter after Acts 12? ›

Acts 12 narrates how Peter, who was in Jerusalem, was put into prison by Agrippa I (AD 42–44) but was rescued by an angel. After his liberation Peter left Jerusalem to go to "another place" (Acts 12:1–18).

[Act 12:1-5 ESV] 1 About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. 2 He killed James the brother of John with the sword, 3 and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also.

The Book of Acts is mainly about the introduction to the Holy Spirit and the enabling power of the Spirit in the lives of believers. Though many people are introduced throughout the book, the primary protagonists are the Apostle Peter (Chapters 3-12) and the Apostle Paul (Chapters 9-28).

The book of Acts is about Jesus leading his people through the Spirit to go out into the world and invite all nations to live under his reign. The story will begin with that message spreading in Jerusalem (chs. 2-7), into the neighboring regions of Judea and Samaria full of non-Jewish people (chs.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus had said to His disciples, just before He ascended into heaven, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere – in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The book of Acts is about Jesus leading his people through the Spirit to go out into the world and invite all nations to live under his reign. The story will begin with that message spreading in Jerusalem (chs. 2-7), into the neighboring regions of Judea and Samaria full of non-Jewish people (chs.