The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-05-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson in the International Series
for May II, 19O2-Peter De-
Iivered from Prison.
THE LESSON TEXT.

| N<AClS 1Hsl-5.J
l. Now about that time Herod the king
stretched forth his hands to vex certain
Of the church.
| 2. And he killed James the brother of
John with the sword.
| 3. And because he saw 1t pleased the
Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter
also. (Then were the days of unleavened
bread)
| 4. 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.
| 5. Peter therefore was kept in prison; but
prayer was made without ceasng of the
church unto God for him.
g. And when Herod would have brought
| him forth, the same night Peter was sleep
| ing between two soldiers, bound with two
chains; and the keepers before the door
kept the prison.
| Z. And, behold the angel of the Lord came
| upon him, and light shined in the prison
| and he smote Peter on the side, and raised
him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his
chains fell off from his hands.
s. And the angel said unto him, Grid thy
| self. and bind on thy sandals. And so he
did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy gar
ment about thee, and follow me.
y. And he went out and followed him
and wist not that it was true which was
done by the angel; but thought he saw a
| vision.
GOLDEN TEXT.-The angel of the
Lord encampeth round about them
| that fear Him, and deIivereth them
-Ps. 81: z.
| OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURAL SECTION.
Martyrdom of James...........Acts 1871, 2.
Heter imprisoned. ...............Acts 1850.
Peter delivered ..................Acts 12:6-11.
Peter and the disciples. Acts 12:12-17.
The displeased king. Acts 12:1S-23.
Time.-A. D. A.
Place.-Jerusalem and Caesarea.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
The Church in Jerusalem.-That
church had a new foe in Herod Agrippa
l., grandson of Herod the Great, who
was appointed king of Trachonitis by
Emperor Caligula. This dominion
was subsequently enlarged until, in
A. D. Al, it included the whole of Pal
estine. Herod was not welcome to the
Jews because he had Edomite blood
in his veins. He tried to make himself
popular with them by showing him
self to be Pharisee of the Pharisees,
scrupulous offerer of sacrifices and
observer of the ceremonial law. His
highest bid for their good will was
made in his putting forth his hand
against the church.
Martyrdom of James.-The Herod
who appears in this account was Herod
Agrippa I. He is not mentioned else
where in the Bible. This James was
one of the three disciples most init
mate with Jesus, but he is mentioned
in the Acts only here and in the list
of the apostles. 1t does not follow
from that, however, that his work was
less important or even less prominent
than Peters or Johns.
Peter observation-disclosures was killed
perhaps on the anniversary of Jesus
crucifxion on the Passover day. Peter
was imprisoned almost al once, but the
execution was deferred till after the
feast. A quaternion is a squad of four
soldiers, and these soldiers served in
watches, four at a time, to guard Pc
ter. The prayer of the church is not
said to have been for Peters deliver
ance, though no doubt that was sought.
Peter would need strength to endure,
and the church would naturally pray
for that most.
Peter Delivered.-Peter's rescue was
on the last night before he was to have
been put to death. The soldiers who
were bound to him were asleep, as
was permissible, but others were on
guard at the door of his cell, besides
the usual guards of the prison. Peter
himself had to be reused, freed,
clothed and led out without waking
the guards, but the difficult work was
safely accomplished. No wonder the
sleepy apostle thought he was seeing
vision. The angel led him far enough
away from the prison so that he
would not be in immediate danger of
recapture, and then left him.
Peter and the Disciples.-Peterk knew
Mary's home, which was quite possibly
the house where Jesus had eaten the
last supper and where the Holy Spirit
had fallen on the disciples. That house
was a common gathering place of the
Christians. The unbelief of the com
pany when Peters arrival was an
nounced is not surprising 1t was
quite as likely that some enemy might
come in Peters name as that the apos-
tie himself would arrive. Nor is the
unbelief discreditable if, as is likely,
their prayer was chiefly that Peters
faith and courage might not fail. That
place was too well known as a resort
of Christ ians for Peter to stay there.
The James of verse II is the brother
of the Lord and author of the epistle,
who was president or bishop of the
church in Jerusalem.
The Displeased King.-The killing of
the guards was in accordance with mil
itary law, which recognizes no excuses
for failure to guard prisoner. Her.
DDS removal to Caesarea was probably
partly due to disgust at Peters escape,
but was intended only as an official
visit. The sickness of which he died
was probably not miraculous. but
something of the nature of appendi-
citis, or, possibly trichiniasis. The
latter would be more likely, save for
the fact that Herod would hardly so
offend Jewish preiudices as to eat
pork. Jews and Christians alike CON
sidered it Divine Judgment.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Since the beginning the church has
not been without its veXing and har-
assing enemies.
How many have suffered that we
may worship God in peace and safety.
Do we appreciate our privileges?
Sometimes the best and most needed