How Did Peter Break Out of Jail?

Tom: This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, and we’re in the Book of Acts 12, Dave; moving right along. Starting with v. 1: “Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.” Dave, I’ve got to start off with what’s a quaternion? I mean, I’m sure many of our listeners know, but…

Dave: Sounds like four guys working together to me.

Tom: Okay. Well, let’s get back to the important part…

Dave: Anyway, you’ve got a lot of soldiers guarding Peter. He’s an important man.

Tom: Right. Dave, sometimes you wonder—and, you know, God knows all—but you have John the Baptist—boom! He’s beheaded, and you figure, Where did that come from? Why did that happen? Now we have James just killed with the sword. 

You know, in past programs, we’ve talked about Jim Elliot; we’ve talked about other people. Don’t you wonder sometimes why does God allow that to happen? I mean, these guys are doing good works. I mean, John the Baptist? Come on!

Dave: Tom, talk about wondering…I’ve shared already: these guys were my close friends, the three of them. Jim…

Tom: Talking about Jim Elliot.

Dave: Jim and Pete and Ed. Ed McCulley was my closest friend, and you can imagine what went through my heart, you know: Why would God allow these guys to be killed by these Auca Indians, this bunch of savages? What’s the purpose in that? Well, of course, perhaps more good came out that than could have through their lives; I don’t know. The Aucas were converted, and through that story, many, many others have been converted. I don’t know. 

Job, the Book of Job, would tell us there’s a real battle going on between God and Satan for the souls and the eternal destiny of man. And what happened to Job, God allowed it for a purpose—for our understanding today, and also to do something in Job’s life, as well. Job came to a clearer understanding of Him. 

I don’t know, Tom. We lost our youngest grandson to cancer at 22 months. I kind of came to the conclusion he was someone special the Lord wanted up there early. I don’t know. Why do these things happen? But we live in an evil world, and Herod the King was an evil man. No doubt there’s a testing of the faith of the church. Seems like Herod can do what he wants, you know; he’s the king, he’s the big shot. And this church is going to suffer, and maybe people will back away from Jesus. But we know that, as Tertullian said, the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. 

But anyway, taking Peter is going to be a challenge for these soldiers holding him.

Tom: And I believe Herod is going to get his comeuppance later, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. And if you’ve just joined us, we’re in Acts:12:5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
See All...: “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” 

Now, I want our listeners—I don’t know if we’re going to get that far, but they’ve got to remember that verse: “But prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” Okay, that’s who they were focusing on. 

Verse 6: “And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.” 

Dave: Tom, let me go back that v. 5: “…prayer made without ceasing by the church.” They were very earnest. They meant business. They’re not going to give up. It kind of speaks to me. You know, I hear a lot of needs of people, and how earnest am I in my prayer? James says, “The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” How fervent am I in prayer, you know? Most churches, you go to the prayer meeting nights. Not too many people show up.

Tom: Two, three people sometimes, in a large church; prayer warriors.

Dave: Yeah, but why aren’t we all praying? We are supposed to…the Bible says, “Pray without ceasing.” This is what Paul advises: “Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.” So the church was doing that. 

Anyway, so go ahead, Tom. Herod’s going to call Peter, but he’s…it’s the night before now.

Tom: Right, and they’ve got him locked up every which way. I mean, he’s bound with chains and…

Dave: Sleeping between two soldiers.

Tom: Verse 7: “And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side…” 

“Peter, wake up!” Just a little…

Dave: Peter doesn’t seem to be worried. He’s having a good sleep.

Tom: I guess so. “…and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.”

Dave: Tom, I can remember more than one chaplain with the paratroopers saying how his attitude—well, this is the first jump he’s ever been on, and he’s going down with these guys in the midst of combat, and he’s sound asleep on the plane, and they’re all just as nervous as can be. Wow! That really spoke to them. This guy must really believe in God; he’s trusting the Lord. So Peter was like that. Well, are they going kill him? Well, then he’s going to be with Christ; so he’s not worried.

Tom: Mm-hmm. But there is a little strange thing we’ll see later: Peter is not sure whether this is a dream or not. Right?

Dave: Tom, I’ve had that experience, but I won’t go into it.

Tom: Okay. Well, “And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did.”

Dave: Tom, again that’s interesting. Look, God could have miraculously clothed him. I mean, He’s opening gates and doing all kinds of miraculous things. But there’s something we have to do also. When Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, and Lazarus who is bound hand and foot, you know, with grave clothes—he couldn’t even move! He comes out miraculously, and then Jesus says to them, “Loose him and let him go.” You know, God doesn’t just do everything miraculously for us. There’s something that we have to do, as well. 

Now, it’s not a biblical term, “God helps those who help themselves,” but there’s some truth in that.

Tom: Dave, I used to think, before I was a believer, that was an argument that I used in those who would quote scriptures to me, and I thought, “Well, I know scriptures,” and that’s what I would quote. Of course, they said, “No, it’s not in the Bible,” and I searched and I searched and I searched, and I found it. But it was in Poor Richard’s Almanac. That was the gospel according to Ben Franklin. 

“And he went out, and followed him;” that is, we have Peter following the angel, “and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. When they were past the first and second ward, they came unto the iron gate…” 

Dave: So he’s in the inner prison. So they’re going through a lot of security here.

Tom: Herod, you know, he had this guy locked down, because there had been experiences in the past (and I’m sure Herod knew) in which Peter and…

Dave: James and John. They were in prison, and next thing you knew here they are!

Tom: Right. Yeah, and they show up in the temple. So this wasn’t lost in Herod’s memory. But “…when they were past the first and second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.”

Dave: Tom, some people would say, “This is just mythology. You’ve got gates opening up; you’ve got chains falling off. These are physical objects. You just can’t do that. So obviously, it couldn’t have happened.” Well, the God who created the universe, who created the atom, could very easily do this. 

But one of the things we need to impress upon people is it doesn’t happen every day. Peter eventually was martyred. So God wasn’t going to deliver him just for, you know, no reason. There’s something involved here, and we’ll have to come back and get to that. But God is the God of miracles. But we can’t make Him do miracles by confessing certain things or various rituals, whatever. No, God acts as He wills, not as we will.

Tom: Sometimes we pray, and we pray, and we pray, but we really don’t expect God to move. And we’re going to get into that next week.