Study 25. Acts 12:1 - 13:3

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1. What part did the believers in Jerusalem have in Peter’s escape from Herod (see 12:5)?
 "but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church".
Would Peter have been saved without prayer?
 
2. God saved Peter from being executed by Herod (see 12:6-11), but He allowed James to die (see 12:2). What conclusions about persecution, prayer, and deliverance can we draw from these facts?
God sometimes saves from persecution; sometimes not.
God sometimes answers prayer as we wish, sometimes not.
God sometimes delivers physically and sometimes not .(cf. Lk 21:18 "But not a hair of your head will perish").
 
Angels often act urgently

At dawn, angels urged Lot, saying, "Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” (Gen 19:15)

Elijah, weary and despondent, was touched by an angel who said, "Arise and eat." Later, the angel returned, saying, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." ​(1 Ki 19:5-7)

An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, instructing him, "Arise, take the young child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word." ​(Mt 2:13)


 
For Thought and Discussion: 
Does chapter 12 suggest to you that John’s brother James died because the believers did not pray for him (see 12:2)? If so, why? If not, why is this fact important? 
It's unlikely that the believers would not also have prayed for James. But if they had not prayed, neither might have been saved.
What would they have prayed? Physical deliverance? Or expression of trust?

 3. In your judgment, why were “worshiping the Lord and fasting” (13:2) both important preparations for hearing the Holy Spirit speak?
Worship draws us near to God.
Fasting is an expression of devotion and need

4. Once the Spirit had spoken and the missionaries were prepared to leave, the believers fasted, prayed, and laid their hands on the two men (see 13:3). What was apparently the point of these actions?
Entrusting ministry to God, not merely requesting for something
Dedicating them to service
 
For Thought and Discussion: What does chapter 12 show about God? About the church? 
God is sovereign. He keeps His people physically, or not, as He determines. He can do miracles, or not.
 
For Thought and Discussion: Do you think Herod’s death and its aftermath teaches a lesson? If so, what is it?
God judges despots, or not...
The deeper lesson is that we are not to take glory that does not rightly belong to us. 1 Cor 4:7, Jn 3:27
 
For Thought and Discussion: To what extent does 13:1-3 set an example we must follow, to what extent does it offer a good example we may follow, and to what extent is it a unique event? To what modern situations is it relevant? Support your opinion with Scripture.
Devotion and spiritual focus area all good.


The importance of the present narrative is that it describes the first piece of planned ‘overseas mission’ carried out by representatives of a particular church, rather than by solitary individuals, and begun by a deliberate church decision, inspired by the Spirit, rather than somewhat more casually as a result of persecution (Marshall)

Fasting, or voluntary abstinence from food, is also associated with prayer in 14:23 in the appointment of local church leaders (Marshall)

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