Act 12:12 | KingComments | STEP | Now that he is free, he knows where to go. He knows that the believers come together in the house of Mary, who is further referred to as the mother of John who was also called Mark. Of John Mark we will hear more. Regarding the meeting that was held there, we see that “many were gathered together”. No one will have been missing due to lack of interest. The pressure from outside drives the believers toward each other and together they seek the presence of God. The fact that there are many does not mean that the whole church is there. After all, we read further on that Peter sends the message of his deliverance to James and the brothers ( ). Apparently they are not there. When Peter arrives at the house of Mary, he must as usual knock on the door. That door does not open automatically for him like the door of the prison. On his knocking a servant-girl comes forward. Luke mentions her name. Her name is Rhoda. He says nothing about her age, but it is clear that this girl has an important task in the church. She is expected to know those who want to enter and to warn if someone presents himself of whom she suspects he comes with impure motives. She is a real servant of the church. Peter has apparently not only knocked, but also called softly, because she recognizes his voice. This also indicates her great interest in the things of the Lord. She will have heard him speak often. Earlier Peter was also recognized by a maidservant, but on that occasion he did not want to be recognized and denied his Lord ( ). In her enthusiasm for the appearance of Peter, she ran inside to tell that Peter was standing in the front of the gate, forgetting to open it. This forgetfulness gives rise to the manifestation of the unbelief of the church. Although Peter has been rescued by Divine intervention before ( ), they do not believe that what Rhoda says is true. We do not have to blame them, because how many times do we doubt, while the answer is already at the door. At the same time, their reaction makes it clear that wondrous deliverances and works of power at that time are generally not everyday events. The life of the believer is not a sequence of all kinds of wondrous events that deliver him from difficult situations or from annoying diseases. In their reaction they first say that Rhoda is out of her mind. But Rhoda is not brought into doubt. She assures the believers that it is really Peter who is in front of the gate, but the believers don’t want to believe it. Then, they say, it must be his angel. By this they do not mean his guardian angel, but that his spirit has shown itself to her, that is to say that she has heard a supernatural being representing Peter. From the Old Testament they are familiar with the idea that angels can appear to people. Angels have a protective, guarding and serving function ( ; ). While all this takes place inside, Peter continues knocking. When they have all come to the gate and opened it, they see him. They can’t believe their eyes and are amazed. They have probably been more impressed by the power of Herod than by the power of God. They will have fired their questions at him. Peter calms them by motioning to them with his hand to be silent, apparently without raising his voice. His deliverance does not make him careless. He exhorts them to silence. The noise they make carries far in the silence of the night and could betray where he is. He tells them how his deliverance happened. Not an angel gets the honor of his deliverance, but the Lord. He asks them to report his deliverance to James and the brothers who will surely have prayed as well and will be curious about the outcome. He calls James especially, probably because together with him he is responsible for the church in Jerusalem. This James is the brother of the Lord ( ) of whom we read further on that he is a leader in the church in Jerusalem ( ). Paul acknowledges James, together with Peter and John, as one of the three pillars of the church ( ). After his deliverance, Peter does not go back into the city as in Acts 5 ( ), but he goes to another place. Luke does not tell which place that is. With that, the history of Peter is almost over. In Acts 15 he comes back in this Bible book for a while. We read nothing more about where and how he worked. The roman-catholic church says that he went to Rome to start a forty-five year reign as pope. Of course that is nothing more than a foolish thought. The departure of Peter takes place around the year 44. He writes his letters in the mid-60s.

‏ Acts 12:12

Peter Goes to the Church

Now that he is free, he knows where to go. He knows that the believers come together in the house of Mary, who is further referred to as the mother of John who was also called Mark. Of John Mark we will hear more. Regarding the meeting that was held there, we see that “many were gathered together”. No one will have been missing due to lack of interest. The pressure from outside drives the believers toward each other and together they seek the presence of God.

The fact that there are many does not mean that the whole church is there. After all, we read further on that Peter sends the message of his deliverance to James and the brothers (Acts 12:17). Apparently they are not there.

When Peter arrives at the house of Mary, he must as usual knock on the door. That door does not open automatically for him like the door of the prison. On his knocking a servant-girl comes forward. Luke mentions her name. Her name is Rhoda. He says nothing about her age, but it is clear that this girl has an important task in the church. She is expected to know those who want to enter and to warn if someone presents himself of whom she suspects he comes with impure motives. She is a real servant of the church.

Peter has apparently not only knocked, but also called softly, because she recognizes his voice. This also indicates her great interest in the things of the Lord. She will have heard him speak often. Earlier Peter was also recognized by a maidservant, but on that occasion he did not want to be recognized and denied his Lord (Lk 22:56).

In her enthusiasm for the appearance of Peter, she ran inside to tell that Peter was standing in the front of the gate, forgetting to open it. This forgetfulness gives rise to the manifestation of the unbelief of the church. Although Peter has been rescued by Divine intervention before (Acts 5:19), they do not believe that what Rhoda says is true.

We do not have to blame them, because how many times do we doubt, while the answer is already at the door. At the same time, their reaction makes it clear that wondrous deliverances and works of power at that time are generally not everyday events. The life of the believer is not a sequence of all kinds of wondrous events that deliver him from difficult situations or from annoying diseases.

In their reaction they first say that Rhoda is out of her mind. But Rhoda is not brought into doubt. She assures the believers that it is really Peter who is in front of the gate, but the believers don’t want to believe it. Then, they say, it must be his angel. By this they do not mean his guardian angel, but that his spirit has shown itself to her, that is to say that she has heard a supernatural being representing Peter. From the Old Testament they are familiar with the idea that angels can appear to people. Angels have a protective, guarding and serving function (Psa 91:11-12; Heb 1:14).

While all this takes place inside, Peter continues knocking. When they have all come to the gate and opened it, they see him. They can’t believe their eyes and are amazed. They have probably been more impressed by the power of Herod than by the power of God. They will have fired their questions at him.

Peter calms them by motioning to them with his hand to be silent, apparently without raising his voice. His deliverance does not make him careless. He exhorts them to silence. The noise they make carries far in the silence of the night and could betray where he is. He tells them how his deliverance happened. Not an angel gets the honor of his deliverance, but the Lord.

He asks them to report his deliverance to James and the brothers who will surely have prayed as well and will be curious about the outcome. He calls James especially, probably because together with him he is responsible for the church in Jerusalem. This James is the brother of the Lord (Mk 6:3) of whom we read further on that he is a leader in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:13 ; Acts 21:18). Paul acknowledges James, together with Peter and John, as one of the three pillars of the church (Gal 2:9).

After his deliverance, Peter does not go back into the city as in Acts 5 (Acts 5:20), but he goes to another place. Luke does not tell which place that is. With that, the history of Peter is almost over. In Acts 15 he comes back in this Bible book for a while. We read nothing more about where and how he worked. The roman-catholic church says that he went to Rome to start a forty-five year reign as pope. Of course that is nothing more than a foolish thought. The departure of Peter takes place around the year 44. He writes his letters in the mid-60s.