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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_12:1-5
1Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them. 2And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. 3When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. 4When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. 5So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.
Act_12:1 "Herod" This refers to Herod Agrippa I. He reigned over different areas of Palestine from a.d. 37-44. He was raised in Rome and became friends with Gaius, who followed Emperor Tiberius and who later became the Emperor Caligula. The Jews readily accepted Herod as a leader because his grandmother (Mariamne) was a Hasmonean/Maccabean (i.e., Jewish patriot) princess. He was a strict follower of Judaism (but possibly for political reasons). For a full discussion of this Herod, see Josephus' Antiq. 19.7.3; 19.8.2.
▣ "church" See Special Topic at Act_5:11.
▣ "in order to mistreat them" Herod did this to gain support and approval from the Jewish leadership (cf. Act_12:3; Act_12:11). Roman leaders did the same thing (cf. Act_24:27; Act_25:9).
Luke uses this term several times (cf. Act_7:6; Act_7:19; Act_12:1; Act_14:2; Act_18:10). It was a common term in the Septuagint for ill-treatment. Luke's vocabulary is greatly influenced by the Septuagint.
Act_12:2 "James, the brother of John, put to death with a sword" This refers to the Apostle James, who was the brother of John (cf. Luk_5:10; Luk_6:14; Luk_8:51; Luk_9:28; Luk_9:54). He was a member of the inner circle of disciples (cf. Mat_17:1; Mat_26:37; Mar_5:37; Mar_9:2; Mar_14:33; Luk_9:28). Why James should die and Peter be spared is a mystery of God. Beheading with a sword was the normal method of capital punishment for Roman citizens, but it apparently was odious to Jews.
It is interesting that at this time the early church did not sense the need to replace James as they had Judas (cf. Act_1:15-20). The reasons are unclear, but possibly it was Judas' treachery, not death, that caused the replacement (cf. Act_1:15-26).
Some may assert that Paul calling James, the half brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, an apostle (cf. Gal_1:19) constitutes a replacement. The question relates to the official position of the original Twelve versus the ongoing gift of apostleship (cf. Eph_4:11).
Reading James D. G. Dunn, Unity and Diversity in the New Testament has caused me to think about the possible different authority structure in the first century church.
1. the Jerusalem Apostles
2. the inner circle (Peter, James, John) of the Apostles
3. James the Lord's half-brother, who led the Jerusalem church
4. the Seven (Acts 6) who were leaders of the Greek-speaking Jews
5. later Paul and Barnabas and their sending to the church in Antioch of Syria
To this could be added the sects related to Christianity, Judaizers, Gnostics, Ebionites. Each of these also had their own leadership. The unity that Luke often refers to among Christians was difficult to maintain. The preaching of Jesus and the Scriptures were ambiguous enough to allow multiple interpretations. This is the reason that the "rule of faith" developed in the first centuries. There had to be a standard to evaluate a group's theology. The dynamic Spirit-led emphasis of the NT turned into the organized structure of the eastern and western church centers. Orthodoxy is a significant issue for those generations removed from the Founder and eyewitnesses.
Act_12:3 "arrest Peter" This is Peter's third arrest (cf. Act_4:3; Act_5:18). Christians are not spared from persecution.
▣ "during the days of Unleavened Bread" This refers to the Passover Feast (cf. Act_12:4), combined with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted eight days (cf. Exo_12:18; Exo_23:15; Luk_22:1). Both celebrated Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. It was celebrated on Nissan 14-21, which would be our March or April, depending on the Jewish lunar calendar.
Act_12:4 "four squads of soldiers" This would mean four squads of soldiers four times a day, or sixteen men. The number shows Herod's concern over Peter's possible escape (cf. Act_5:19).
Act_12:5 "prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God" The church is praying (cf. Act_12:12), but will be surprised when God answers! "Fervently" is a very intense adverb (cf. Luk_22:44). It is used only three times in the NT (cf. 1Pe_1:22).
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