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Agape Bible Study Acts 12
Chapter 12: The Church Faces Persecution
Acts 12:1-5 ~ The Martyrdom of St. James and St. Peter's Arrest
The events in chapter 12 are taking place after Barnabas and Saul have come to Jerusalem with the aid from the Antioch community for the Jerusalem church. This is probably Saul's second visit to Jerusalem after first meeting the Apostles three years after his conversion. King Herod Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great) was given direct rule of Judea by the Roman Senate in 41 AD. He ruled Judea until his death in 44 AD. To please his Jewish subjects, who deeply resent the growing Christian influence, Herod Agrippa declared his solidarity with them and the Pharisees by persecuting the church in Jerusalem (Josephus records that his loyalty was with the party of the Pharisees in Antiquities of the Jews, 19.6.1-4). He arrested and executed the Apostle James Zebedee, and when he saw the execution was popular with many of his Jewish citizens, he also arrested St. Peter. According to Church tradition, James was executed c. 42 AD. In his Church History Eusebius records an account by St. Clement of Alexandria that the Apostle James spent his time prior to his execution witnessing of Christ to his jailor who was converted and then executed with him (Church History 2.9.1-3).
Luke uses the names of the feats of Unleavened Bread and Passover interchangeably as he did in his Gospel (Lk 22:7). Originally these were two separate festivals "the Passover sacrifice on the 14th of Nisan and the Feast of Unleavened Bread from the 15th to the 21st of Nisan. In the 1stcentury AD it was celebrated as an 8-day feast and was often only referred to as "Passover" (as in St. John's Gospel).
Question: Why does Luke mention the Feast of Unleavened Bread? What connection does he want us to make?
Answer: Luke wants us to make the connection that Peter was arrested at the same time of year that Jesus was arrested "during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
The unusually large number of soldiers assigned to guard Peter was either because Herod feared the Christians would try to rescue him by force, or Peter's escape from prison years earlier was remembered (Acts 5:17-23).
Acts 12:6-19 ~ Peter's Miraculous Release
St. Peter's deliverance by an angel of the Lord can be compared to Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Like Israel, St. Peter is rescued at Passover/Unleavened from the clutches of a wicked king (Ex 12:1-20, 50 and Acts 12:1-2), and like the Israelites on the night of their liberation, Peter is told to gird himself with his belt and to put on his sandals on his feet (Ex 12:11 compared to Acts 12:8).
Acts 12:20-24 ~ Herod's Death
The delegation from Tyre and Sidon may have been petitioning Herod to supply them with food during the famine. Perhaps supplies sent by the Empire were to be shared with these cities "the reason for the dispute is unclear. However, now that the petition had been granted, they had come to Caesarea to show their appreciation and to make amends. Herod's dreadful death is seen as God's divine judgment on his life of sin, his persecution of the Church, and his acceptance of the delegation's praise for him as a "god." His end is also recorded by Flavius Josephus who reports that Herod received the delegation during a festival celebrated at the theater in Caesarea and was wearing a marvelous silver garment that reflected the sunlight: ... and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place , and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god; and they added, "Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced three only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own three as superior to mortal nature." Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery ... A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner ... and when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life (Antiquities of the Jews, 19.8.2). After Herod Agrippa's death his son was too young to rule; therefore Judea returned to being governed by a Roman procurator. Procurator Cuspius Fadus ruled Judea from 44-46 AD.
Acts 12:25 ~ Barnabas and Saul return to Antioch
Mary of Jerusalem's son Mark returned with his kinsman Barnabas and Saul to their Christian community in Antioch. This is the transition passage that signals the beginning of Saul/Paul's mission to the Gentiles.
Agape Bible Study 1 Corinthians 5-1 Corinthians 5:1-5 ~ Judging a Case of Incest
St. Paul takes on other serious problems in the Corinthian community. The first issue he addresses is immorality. It has come to Paul's attention that a case of incest has gone unchallenged among them. A professing Christian man is living in an incestuous union with his mother (step-mother). Paul is shocked that the Corinthian community has not denounced the man, and he comments that it is a sin that is even the sexually immoral Gentile population condemns. The underlying theme of 5:1-13 is the separation of the holy from the unholy and recalls Yahweh's command to Israel in Leviticus 11:44-45, For I, the LORD [Yahweh], am your God; and you shall make and keep yourselves holy, because I am holy ... you shall be holy, because I am holy. Jesus does not teach that we should never judge if a person is in sin but only that we should first see to our failings, or we are:
1. being hypocritical,
2. we cannot present an effective correction, and
3. we will receive a more severe judgment from God for the sins we have failed to confess.
1 Corinthians 5:6-13 ~ The Corrupting Power of Sin
Paul accused the community of being inflated with pride in 4:18, and he makes the claim that their excessive pride has the effect of diminishing their ability to recognize sin. Perhaps the community is living under the false belief of "eternal security," a false doctrine professing that once one is "saved" through Baptism that sin does not matter because it cannot separate a baptized believer from his eternal salvation. The truth is that the failure to repent mortal sin can separate a Baptized person from the hope of Heaven (CCC 1033, 1035).
The Church is the "sinless Bride of Christ," but the irony is that she full of sinners who are constantly turning away from sin and back to God. The Church, as Christ's Bride, has the obligation to do all she can to maintain her holiness and purity through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, so that one day she will be ready to receive her Bridegroom when He comes to collect her in His Second Advent (Rev 19:6-8).
Chapter 6: Lawsuits and Moral Disorders
1 Corinthians 6:1-6 ~ Settle Disputes at Home
In verses 1-6, St. Paul delivers a barrage eight rhetorical questions. The phrase "Do you not know" appears fifteen times in Paul's letters and six times in this chapter (6:2, 3, 9, 15, 16 and 19).
- How can any one of you with a case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the holy ones?
- Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world?
- If the world is to be judged by you, are you unqualified for the lowest law courts?
- Do you not know that we will judge angels?
- Then why not everyday matters?
- If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters, do you seat as judges people of no standing in the church?
- Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle a case between brothers?
- But rather brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers?
The Corinthian Christians are taking each other to the civil law courts to settle disputes between members of the community. "The unjust" and "people of no standing" Paul refers to are the secular judges, infamous for bribery and corruption.
Question: Who are the "holy ones" (saints) to whom they should bring their disputes?
Answer: The "holy ones" are members of the Christian community, sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of Baptism.
Jesus gave instructions on how to deal with problems between covenant members in Matthew 18:15-20, and the Corinthian Christians have obviously not followed those instructions (see the list of those instructions in the discussion of chapter 5 in this lesson).
1 Corinthians 6:7-11 ~ The Demands of a Holy Community
Having lawsuits against New Covenant brothers and sisters is another example of their failure in unity.
He suggests it would be better just to forgive the brother who offended or cheated them.
In their vain attempt to get right an injustice that they feel they have suffered, Paul accuses them trying to unjustly seek vengeance against a "brother."
He says someone who behaves unjustly will not inherit the "Kingdom of God," referring to eternal salvation.
In verses 9-10, Paul lists ten sins that disqualify one from entering the gates of Heaven. Compare this list with Paul's other lists of sins that could cost a person their eternal salvation in Romans 1:26-27, 29-30; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Ephesians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:10 and Hebrews 13:4.
| 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 |
| fornicators |
| idolaters |
| adulterers |
| prostitutes |
| sodomites/homosexuals |
| thieves |
| greedy |
| drunkards |
| slanderers |
| robbers |
Fornication is sex between a man and a woman who are not validly married, although they are free to marry. It is a mortal sin (CCC 1755, 1852,2353). Our sexuality is one of our first gifts from God (Gen 1:28), but it was a gift given in the context of marriage (Gen 2:21-24). Living in holiness in the image of God and the likeness of Jesus Christ, we are to remain celibate before marriage, and if widowed we are to remain celibate unless we marry again.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 ~ The Body of the Baptized is the Temple of the Holy Spirit
Paul uses the phrase "Everything is lawful for me," twice in verse 12. However, he is not referring to himself but to what the Corinthian Christians say about themselves. They probably took this saying from one of Paul's homilies about Christian freedom, but they are using it as an excuse for bad behavior. They consider sexual satisfaction as normal a bodily function as eating food, and they attach no lasting significance to gaining satisfaction (13a). Food and bodily needs and satisfactions will pass with their mortal lives because the material is not immortal. The body only becomes immortal in the resurrection of the just at the end of time when Jesus returns (verse 14 and 1 Cor 15:42-44, 50-58).
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