Act 12:17 | Abbott | STEP | James; James the less, the son of Alpheus.— Another place. Some other retreat,—perhaps one of greater retirement and safety. This expression, as well as the precaution of the damsel, ( ,) indicates the state of anxiety and fear which Herod's cruelty produced, at this time, among all the disciples in Jerusalem. Peter is mentioned once after this time, ( ,) and then he finally disappears from the sacred history. Henceforth, Paul rises to a higher prominence, and the chief interest of the narrative, in relation to the prosperity and extension of the church, centres in him. In after ages, the metropolitan bishops of Rome, having gradually come into possession of vast ecclesiastical power, the rightfulness of which it became very important to defend, found traces of a tradition that Peter went to Rome, and was the first of the Christian bishops there; and the authority, which has since been wielded by the long line of Roman pontiffs, they profess to hold as successors of Peter in the bishopric of Rome.—It is perhaps worthy of notice that John is no more named, after this, in the sacred history; so that these three distinguished disciples, Peter, James, and John, who have hitherto been the foremost actors in the scenes which have been described, and the most prominent objects of attention and interest to the reader, now disappear together.

Acts 12:17

James; James the less, the son of Alpheus.—Another place. Some other retreat,—perhaps one of greater retirement and safety. This expression, as well as the precaution of the damsel, (v. 13,) indicates the state of anxiety and fear which Herod's cruelty produced, at this time, among all the disciples in Jerusalem. Peter is mentioned once after this time, (Acts 15:7,) and then he finally disappears from the sacred history. Henceforth, Paul rises to a higher prominence, and the chief interest of the narrative, in relation to the prosperity and extension of the church, centres in him. In after ages, the metropolitan bishops of Rome, having gradually come into possession of vast ecclesiastical power, the rightfulness of which it became very important to defend, found traces of a tradition that Peter went to Rome, and was the first of the Christian bishops there; and the authority, which has since been wielded by the long line of Roman pontiffs, they profess to hold as successors of Peter in the bishopric of Rome.—It is perhaps worthy of notice that John is no more named, after this, in the sacred history; so that these three distinguished disciples, Peter, James, and John, who have hitherto been the foremost actors in the scenes which have been described, and the most prominent objects of attention and interest to the reader, now disappear together.