Глава 12

Herod's persecution of the Church: the murder of James, the imprisonment of Peter and his miraculous release (1–18). Death of Herod in Caesarea (19–23). Return of Barnabas and Saul to Antioch (24–25) Acts 12:1. At that time King Herod raised his hands against some of the church to do them harm, “At that time” – i.e. while Barnabas and Saul carried out the assignment of the Antiochians (Acts 11:25, 30). "Herod the King". This was precisely Herod Agrippa I, the son of Aristobulus and Veronica, the grandson of Herod the so-called Great, who sought to kill the Lord after His birth and instead of Him killed the Bethlehem babies (Matthew 2:1, 13, etc.), the nephew of Herod Antipas of Galilee - the murderer of John the Baptist (Matthew 14, etc.). Such is this family of murderers who bled their hands with the most precious blood for the Christian world... Born about 10 years before Christ, Herod Agrippa was brought up in Rome. Upon Caligula’s accession to the throne, he received from him the tetrarchy of his deceased uncle Philip (Matthew 2:22; Luke 3:1) and the tetrarchy of Lysanias (Luke 3:1) with the title of king. Soon he united under his domain the tetrarchy of his other uncle Herod Antipas. Finally, Claudius Caesar, Caligula’s successor, annexed Judea and Samaria to his possessions, so that he, like his grandfather, owned all of Palestine (Flav. Archaeol. XVIII, 7, 2; XIX, 5, 1; 6, 1; On the Jewish War II, 9, 6; 11, 5), and there was no longer a separate Roman prosecutor’s office over Palestine it was. He died in 44 AD, having reigned for no more than 4 years, after which Judea was again converted into a Roman province. “He raised his hands... to do evil” - either by imprisonment, or corporal punishment, or other cruel measures, up to and including murder, an example of which is indicated below. Acts 12:2. and he slew Jacob the brother of John with the sword. James, brother of John (the Theologian), Zebedee - was the second Christian martyr, on whom the Lord’s prediction was exactly fulfilled (Matthew 20:23). Supplementing the writer’s brief news about his martyrdom, Church tradition says that the one who accused the apostle was himself converted to Christ by the accused and together with him was honored with a martyr’s death (Clim. Al. in Eusebius, Church. Ist. II, 9; Chet.-Min., Apr. 30). So, exclaims St. Chrysostom: “It is no longer the Jews and the Sanhedrin, but the king raises his hands to do evil. This is the highest power, the most difficult warfare, especially since it was pleasing to the Jews.” Acts 12:3. Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he took Peter also - then were the days of unleavened bread - “Then were the days of unleavened bread” - the days of unleavened bread began on Passover and lasted 7 days. If Herod usually stayed in Caesarea, the residence of the then Jewish rulers, then the mention of the days of unleavened bread makes it clear that Herod took advantage of his stay in Jerusalem on the Easter holiday to persecute Christians and imprison Peter to the pleasure of the Jews; be that as it may, the low prudence that guided him was such that with his actions he could please the largest number of people: quite Herodian and worthy of those whom this was done to please. Acts 12:4. and, having detained him, he put him in prison, and ordered four quartets of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after Easter. “To the four quartets of warriors”, i.e. four shifts - four people each. Such enhanced security was reserved only for especially important criminals, and in this case it served its purpose in a completely different way than expected, for “the more careful the guard was, the more surprising the discovery of the power of God...” (Theophylact). "Intending After Easter". On a holiday, and such a great one as Easter, it was not permissible to condemn him to execution, and therefore Herod Agrippa wanted to condemn Peter at the end of the holiday. “Bring him out before the people” - for a solemn public trial, condemnation and death penalty. A lover of spectacles, brought up on bloody Roman spectacles, the king wanted to make a popular spectacle out of the condemnation and execution of the supreme apostle. Acts 12:5. So Peter was kept in prison, while the church diligently prayed to God for him. “Meanwhile, the church diligently prayed to God for him.” The remark makes it clear that the miraculous release of the apostle was granted especially through the prayer of the Church for him. “They (i.e., the believers) were now in the most dangerous position. They were frightened by the fact that this one (Jacob) was killed, and that this one (Peter) was put in prison... But they were not indignant, did not create unrest, but turned to prayer, resorted to this irresistible champion...” (Chrysostom). Acts 12:6. When Herod wanted to take him out, that night Peter slept between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards at the door guarded the prison. “That night”, i.e. before the day when Herod wanted to judge Peter, “Peter slept between two soldiers,” chained to them with two chains, as was supposed to be heavily guarded (Flav. Archaeol. XVIII, 6, 7; Plin. Er. X, 65). Acts 12:7. And behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared, and light shone around the prison. The angel, pushing Peter in the side, woke him up and said: get up quickly. And the chains fell from his hands. “The light shone on the prison” - φῶς έλαμψεν εν τῶ οιχήματι - glorified: “the light shone in the church” - perhaps not in the whole prison, but actually in that part of it where Peter slept. Peter's sleep in such anxious moments was so deep that only a jolt could wake him up. “You see,” says Chrysostom, “Peter sleeps, does not give in to despondency or fear. On the very night that they wanted to take him to death, he slept, betraying everything to God.” Acts 12:8. And the Angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your shoes.” He did so. Then he says to him: put on your clothes and follow me. “Gird yourself and put on your shoes.” “For this reason, he commands him to gird himself and put on shoes, in order to convince him that this is not a ghost, so that he will wake up from sleep and be convinced that this is the truth; For this reason, the chains immediately fell from his hands, and it was said: “Arise quickly.” These are words that do not confuse, but persuade not to hesitate...” (Chrysostom). Acts 12:9. Peter went out and followed him, not knowing that what the Angel was doing was real, but thinking that he was seeing a vision. Acts 12:10. Having passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gates leading into the city, which opened to them of their own accord: they went out and walked one street, and suddenly the Angel was not with him. Acts 12:11. Then Peter, coming to his senses, said: Now I truly see that the Lord sent His angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod and from everything that the people of the Jews were waiting for. Acts 12:12. And, having looked around, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, called Mark, where many were gathered and praying. “John called Mark,” who later accompanied Barnabas and Saul to Antioch (Acts 12:25). There are several different legends about this John Mark: according to some, he is one person with the Evangelist Mark and Mark, the nephew of Barnabas (Col. 4:10). Others distinguish it from St. Mark and nephew Barnabas (Thu-Min. 4 Jan.). Third, different from St. Mark is considered the nephew of Barnabas (Thu-Min. June 11, life of Apostle Barnabas). This disagreement, of course, cannot speak against the complete historical accuracy of what is narrated in the present place of the book of Acts. Acts 12:13. When Peter knocked at the gate, a maid named Rod came out to listen. Acts 12:14. and, recognizing Peter’s voice, she did not open the gate for joy, but, running in, announced that Peter was standing at the gate. Acts 12:15. And they said to her: are you out of your mind? But she asserted her point. They said: this is his angel. “Are you out of your mind?” - Greek μαίνη – glorified: “Are you worried?” , i.e. are you crazy? What was reported seemed so surprising and incredible. "This is his angel". As always happens in cases of confusion in the face of something unlikely and inexplicable, they try to find an explanation for what is happening that is no less difficult and miraculous, and that explains just as little the possibility of the incredible. The teaching about the Guardian Angel and the leader of the salvation of every person could be based and confirmed on the teaching of the Lord about the infant angels. This teaching is also known to the Apostle Paul (Heb. 1:14). Acts 12:16. Meanwhile, Peter continued to knock. When they opened it, they saw him and were amazed. “When they opened it” - not just the maid, but all those gathered rush to the newcomer and open the doors for him. Acts 12:17. He, giving a sign with his hand to remain silent, told them how the Lord brought him out of prison, and said: notify Jacob and the brothers about this. Then, leaving, he went to another place. “Notify Jacob”, i.e. Primate of the Church of Jerusalem, brother of the Lord, “and brothers,” i.e. the rest of the believers - to reassure them. “He went to another place,” which was required by prudent caution and was in complete agreement with the instructions of the Lord (Matthew 10:23). “I did not tempt God and did not expose myself to danger, for they did this only when they were commanded...” (Chrysostom). There is an ancient tradition that Peter was in Rome in the first years of the reign of Claudius (Jer. cata1. p. I; Evsev. Tserk. East, II, 14–15). If so, then the most convenient time for such a journey for Peter was precisely the time in question. This was, in all likelihood, in the 44th year A.D., after the Jewish Passover, in the 4th year of the reign of Claudius. Peter, after this removal to another place, is not mentioned by the writer until the Apostolic Council (Acts 15). During this time (several years), he could well have made the proposed journey - both for the purpose of better safety and to satisfy his zeal, which captivated him to preach Christ in the very center of the life of the then world. Acts 12:19. Herod, having searched for him and not finding him, judged the guards and ordered them to be executed. Then he went from Judea to Caesarea and remained there: “He went to Caesarea,” then the usual residence of the Roman rulers of Judea. The Passover holiday was over, and he could leave Jerusalem; Moreover, it was now inconvenient for him to remain in Jerusalem; he should have been ashamed before that part of the people with the Sanhedrin at its head, which he had just so reassured by the free spectacle of the execution of the apostle. Acts 12:20. Herod was annoyed with the Tirians and Sidonians; They, having agreed, came to him and, having won over Vlast, the king’s bedfellow, to their side, they asked for peace, because their region was fed from the royal region. By describing the death of Herod immediately after the story of the liberation of Peter, the writer intends to present this death as God’s execution of Herod for the persecution of the Church of Christ. “Herod was irritated” - for what reason is unknown. “Vlast, the king’s bedfellow” - τόν επί τοῦ κιτῶνος τοῦ Βασιλέως ... - the main servant of the king, the guardian of his life and treasures. Such ministers very often became the highest dignitaries of the state, enjoying great influence on the king and state affairs (cf. Acts 8:27). “They asked for peace”, broken by irritation, - friendly relations, especially necessary in view of the threatening famine (Chrysostom). The Phoenicians received most of their grain grain from Palestine, being themselves primarily a trading, rather than an agricultural people. Therefore, Herod, without war, could greatly harm them, which forced them to ask him for peace. Acts 12:21. On the appointed day, Herod, dressed in royal clothing, sat on an elevated place and spoke to them; Acts 12:22. and the people exclaimed: This is the voice of God, and not of man. Acts 12:23. But suddenly the Angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God; and he, having been eaten by worms, died. The reception of the ambassadors took place on a specially appointed day in a solemn public audience. “Dressed in royal clothes” - according to the legend of Flavius ​​- woven from silver. The Jewish historian Josephus Flavius ​​talks in some detail about the circumstances of Agrippa's death, with some details and differences (Archaeol. XIX, 8, 2; cf. Acts 18:6, 7) with a general similarity with the writer. So, the king - according to Joseph - was present in Caesarea at the games in honor of Caesar; on one of the days of these games the reception of the ambassadors by the king could well have taken place. His magnificent, silver-woven clothes sparkled in the sun with a dazzling radiance; this gave the flatterers a reason for the most immoderate praise, in which they called him god and entrusted themselves to his mercy (θεόν προσαγορεύοντες). The king, apparently, had such base flattery in his heart that it was not long before the wrath of God was brought upon him: seeing an owl above him, he fell into superstitious fear and at the same time felt such a severe pain in his stomach that he was immediately carried in his arms to the palace, where after 5 days of torment he died. Agrippa's fear of the owl is explained by the fact that in Rome one augur made a prediction to Agrippa that he would die when he saw the owl above him for the second time. When this last happened, Agrippa fell ill, remembering with horror the prediction. This explanation does not eliminate another, more serious one, from the writer, who believes the cause and beginning of the illness in the invisible defeat of Herod by the Angel. Both narrators do not contradict in indicating the duration of Herod’s torment - Joseph, directly indicating five days, and Luke, expressing himself less definitely, “having been eaten by worms, he died.” The story of the death of Herod is important because of its chronological date (44), which allows us to determine the time of the Christian events that preceded and followed. Acts 12:25. And Barnabas and Saul, having completed their assignment, returned from Jerusalem (to Antioch), taking with them John, nicknamed Mark. You might be interested in: