The events of Acts 12 give us a time reference for the events that have taken place in Acts so far. From other records we know that Herod died in about A.D. 44. This would mean that James was executed (likely beheaded) in either A.D. 43 or 44, and Peter’s arrest and escape took place at that same time. This means that the activities we have read about so far in Acts, took place over a 14-year period after Jesus’ ascension into heaven. This certainly helps me to know that a fair amount of time has elapsed in chapters one through eleven.
I’m going to guess that most of you can see the irony in the church praying for Peter in prison, and when he shows up: “But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!””. Not for the last time will we see this kind of reaction to the Spirit’s work in Acts.
Well, that’s my contribution for the reading today. What would you like to say? Leave a comment on this post.
