Acts Chapter 12 Study Guide

Family Study Guide for November 23 - November 29, 2006
(Read Acts 12 Online)

Reflections on Acts 12 by Jim Brake, Head Coach

The story of Peter’s second release from prison is filled with humor and irony. Peter is well guarded by soldiers and securely locked up. When an angel comes to loose him he appears to be in a deep sleep. He is so overcome by sleep that the angel has to give him step by step instructions on how to escape. It isn’t until later when he is free that he realizes that he is no longer in prison and he is not merely dreaming. He can hardly believe himself that he is free. All the while he is making his way to John Mark’s mother’s house to let the church know the news of his escape. There they have been praying for his release. They are so wrapped up in prayer that they don’t seem to want to believe that Peter is in fact free. A young woman named Rhoda sees him and in her excitement actually leaves him standing outside the gate. The others when hearing Rhoda’s story don’t even believe it is true. Ironically Peter keeps knocking and when they finally let him in they are all “astonished”. Two things struck me while thinking about this story. It is comforting to me that even at the beginning believers had doubts and did not always pray expecting God to answer their prayers, certainly not as fast as he did in this particular case. Secondly it made me think of the phrase “they are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good”. The Church was so into prayer for Peter that they actually missed the real Peter. They were so wrapped up in praying for something that had already been answered that they almost missed letting him in and the joy that came with answered prayer. Some people find it is easier to pray than act. This week lets pray and not only pray but expect an answer and act upon it. Let’s not miss the opportunity for action because of the opportunity to pray.

Questions to Consider
- When have you prayed about something instead of stepping up and acting to help out yourself?
- Do you pray expecting God to answer?
- How can we ensure a balance between being "heavenly minded" and still useful on Earth?

Bible.Org Outline for Acts 12
D. Herod’s Persecution of the Church at Jerusalem (12:1-23)
1. The Martyrdom of James by Herod (12:1-2)
2. The Arrest of Peter by Herod (12:3-19)
a. The Arrest and Imprisonment (12:3-5)
b. The Angel and Escape (12:6-11)
c. The Response of the Church (12:12-16)
d. The Withdrawal of Peter (12:17)
e. The Reaction of Herod (12:18-19)
3. The Death of Herod (12:20-23)
E. Conclusion of Book Four (12:24)
V. Book Five: The Extension of the Church to Asia Minor (12:25–16:5)
A. The Commission of Barnabas and Saul at Antioch (12:25–13:3)