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Herod Vexing Opposition of the Church
Acts 12: of Herod vs Jesus’ Apostles

Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
Acts of the Apostles 12:1 King James Version
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A contest is about to begin between: King Herod Agrippa verses the Apostles of Jesus.
Today we'll read the King James Version of the Bible for our look at Acts 12. Like me you'll probably have to look up some of these 'kingly' 17th c. 'Olde English'  words like "vex."
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And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

James – a Greater Thunder and a lesser king

Last time we pointed out that James (in English) is rooted in the Hebrew name Jacob.

Score one for Agrippa (ten to go)

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.
Acts 12:3-4 of Herod Agrippa – King James Version

πάσχα – pascha

King James of the 17th century translates the Pascal Feast as Easter. Jews of the first century church celebrate the same Passover Feast before which the Messiah Jesus had been hurriedly convicted as “KING OF THE JEWS” then hung on a Cross as our Pascal Lamb of Sacrifice for sin.

Lexicon :: Strong’s G3957 – pascha

Source: BlueLetterBible.org –
1. the paschal sacrifice (which was accustomed to be offered for the people’s deliverance of old from Egypt)
2. the paschal lamb, i.e. the lamb the Israelites were accustomed to slay and eat on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan (the first month of their year) in memory of the day on which their fathers, preparing to depart from Egypt, were bidden by God to slay and eat a lamb, and to sprinkle their door posts with its blood, that the destroying angel, seeing the blood, might pass over their dwellings; Christ crucified is likened to the slain paschal lamb
3. the paschal supper
4. the paschal feast, the feast of the Passover, extending from the 14th to the 20th day of the month Nisan
If you think of the Easter Jesus rose from death as ~A.D. 30, then this Pascal Feast takes place in ~A.D. 44, some fourteen years later.

the Herod’s Vex their Opponents

‘Who will be king of the Jews’ becomes a question of self-preservation and obsession of most of the Herod’s who consequently eliminated other heirs and vexed ANY potentially popular opponents such as John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth.

κακῶσαί – to vex

Lexicon :: Strong’s G2559 – kakoō
- to oppress, afflict, harm, maltreat
- to embitter, render evil affected
Jerusalem’s religious leaders had harassed these little Christs by stoning Stephen [A.D. 32] and sending their most zealous Pharisee Saul of Tarsus after them for nearly five years. But then on his way to Damascus, Saul miraculously became a Christian and disappears in Arabia [in AD 37] just as Agrippa comes to power in Jerusalem.

So now Jerusalem’s political king begins with Jesus’ inner circle of Apostles.

Peter, James, John and the other Apostles have challenged authority of the Herod’s ever since their bold appearance in the Temple during Pentecost more than a decade ago [A.D 30].

Ἡρῴδης

A Hero Conquers (and changes the maps)

As you know, the Herod’s are not a particularly nice family. Agrippa’s grandfather, King Herod the Great, tried to kill Jesus as soon as Israel’s Messiah was born. Agrippa is not quite so powerful, but his grandpa had built many of Judah’s great buildings (with Roman taxes and adept political action of Herod intermingling with Rome’s unpredictable leaders).

King Agrippa’s grandfather also had five wives! Herod’s wives had ten sons in the line of kingly succession. So everyone’s question: Which one will become king?

What you may not understand about the ‘maps’ of your Bible is this:

Several subtle shifts in the political winds of Rome blurred boundaries of the landscape of what was once Israel and corrupted Jerusalem’s Jewish rulers who have been under Rome’s control during this half century since the death of Herod the Great in 4 B.C. until now [A.D. 44].

The Jerusalem of Agrippa is looking back at Herod the Great’s glory days and the Jews want to make Jerusalem great again.
Herod had Agrippa’s mother Mariamne killed.

Herod charged his sons Alexander and Aristobulus (Agrippa’s father) with treason and received Caesar Augustus’ permission to execute them.

Antipater II (his son not listed here) was executed just days before Herod died.

Judea had been annexed to Rome in AD 6. No Herod’s had any authority in Jerusalem until AD 37 when Agrippa I became a king cooperating with his Roman Prefect.

Antipas, ruler of Galilee who had beheaded John the Baptist (and questioned Jesus at his trial even though he was NOT a king of the Jews or had any authority in Judea) was now dead, as was Herod Philip. King Agrippa prevails.

Source for a great read about the Herod's - Who was Herod? by Jayson Bradley - Overview Bible .com
Herod the Great (whose father Antipater was a son of Esau, not a son of Jacob {Israel}) chose his successor son with the same cunning and ruthlessness by which he ruled as king.

In AD 44, Herod Agrippa is the ONLY King of the Jews remaining in the line of his grandfather, Herod the Great.

BUT, Jerusalem is still all abuzz with the boldness of these Apostles of Jesus.

For a king whose power is waning..

.. every month is an election year.

The killing of James:

And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also…

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Acts of the Apostles 12:5 King James Version

Next? The Apostle Peter

And when Herod [Agrippa I] 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.
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Do you recall the much earlier embarrassment of the Temple's religious officials questioning Peter and John?
Acts 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day.. 

.. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. - Acts of the Apostles 4:21
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Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church…

Agrippa makes certain that this leading Apostle of Jesus will not elude his Roman authority to execute any who cause them trouble. There will be no turning Peter loose to his crowds of disciples while Herod sits on the throne of Jerusalem.

BUT, a messenger of One with more authority than a mere king comes to Christ’s Apostle.

Acts 12:7

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly.

And his chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals.

And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.

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.

When they were past the first and the 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.
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Peter's Escape from Herod:  +To be continued
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August 17, 2022
Can anyone withhold Baptism from Gentiles?
Acts of the Apostle Peter 11:
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link above to NASB, KJ21, Orthodox Jewish Bible, SBL Greek New Testament; MOBILE Friendly LINK to ACTS 11 21st Century King James Version only
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Peter has no sooner returned to Jerusalem from his first mission trip to Joppa, Lyda and Caesarea when traditional worshipers of the Lord question what he has done.

Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

This is a VERY BIG DEAL to the Jews!

I remind us here (and now in this 21st century A.D.) that followers of Jesus (by now, hundreds of them) were Jews, a chosen people of the LORD.

Furthermore, due to centuries of division after Israel and Judah fell to foreign empires from both East and West a partially-restored Judea claimed faithfulness to Abrahamic covenants formerly abandoned by most Jews.

Peter is leading a diverse and large group of believers in Christ Jesus. Judea and Jerusalem will soon be crushed by its Roman captors.

And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the Circumcision contended with him, saying, “Thou wentest in to uncircumcised men and didst eat with them.”
Acts of the Apostles 11:2-3 KJ21
- περιτομή – peritomē
  - the circumcision
    from περιτέμνω peritemnō
    since by the rite of circumcision a man was separated from the unclean world and dedicated to God, the word is transferred to denote the extinguishing of lusts and the removal of sins
Contending for the faith

Once again, Peter will tell his story and orders from the Holy Spirit not to contend with gentiles who led him to Caesarea.
- Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting G1252 nothing: for I have sent them. – Acts 10:20
These men of Jerusalem who Peter led were Jews from varying religious traditions: Pharisee, Sadducees, Esenes, Hellenists (Greeks), proselytes worshipping as Jews and even men of little consequence unsought by any jewish traditions of worship.

Yes, they contended with the faith while some zealously contended for the faith. BUT which ‘jewish’ faith?

ALL, however, would agree that ‘gentiles’ had NO place among men and women who worshiped the Lord God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴But Peter began and explained at length to them in an orderly sequence, saying,
- “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.
  - A certain vessel descended as though it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me.
  - I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild animals, the crawling creatures, and the birds of the sky.
- I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’
  - “But I said, ‘By no means, Adoni, because nothing common or tameh (unclean) has ever entered into my stomach.’
  - But the voice answered me again from heaven, ‘What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.’
  - This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.
Is there any contention in your church?
- Who should worship?
- What evidence does the Holy Spirit provide that something new is from the Lord?
  - Or that some tradition we have held near no longer applies?
JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED AND RISEN IS AN ENTIRELY NEW TESTAMENT OF GOD’S WILL FOR WORSHIPERS AND THE WORLD.
Roger@TalkofJESUS.com + on the inclusion of gentiles in the Church

Peter’s summary of events in Caesarea
- Three men (Romans/Gentiles) from Caesarea came up to him at the very moment of his vision. [v.11]
- The Spirit led him to go with these men.
  - Peter saying that the Holy Spirit led him amounts to his reaction to a command of God.
- Seven men including Peter went to the house of Cornelius and witnessed these things. [vs. 12-14]
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning.
ACTS 11:15 of the HOLY SPIRIT

The men and women of the Church in Jerusalem, ORTHODOX in practice or HELLENIST in their return to the faith of Judaism had all experienced the power and signs of the HOLY GHOST!

It is a great mystery of the Lord God the Father and Christ Jesus that is a NEW TESTAMENT of the Gospel of the Resurrection.

So the Apostle Peter (with all these witnesses) continues:

Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.’
Acts of the Apostles 11:16 KJ21

Quoting The Word

Gospel of Luke 20:

On one of the days while He [Jesus] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him,

(Contention, just like Peter faced now.)

“Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?”

(Their questions about the Holy Spirit coming to the gentiles seem familiar to the Apostle.)

“I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me:

“Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”
Gospel of Luke 20:4 the question of Jesus to doubters in His Authority

They discussed among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, since they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

After this Luke’s Gospel records the parable of the vine-growers, a parable now fulfilled by the gentiles replacing jews in the paradise of the Father.
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Their first century BAPTISM of John for repentance and cleansing and a temporary forgiveness of sins now regenerated since Pentecost becomes something more — something MUCH MORE + the Baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT promised by the SON of GOD!

Who am I to contend with the HOLY SPIRIT?

ACTS 11:17 – IF, therefore..

Peter closes his testimony in humble obedience to the Word of God witnessed by the Holy Spirit.

If therefore God gave them the same gift as He did unto us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ,
who was I that I could withstand God?”
Acts of the Apostles 11:17 KJ21
- Would you contend with ALMIGHTY GOD?
- Will you deny the AUTHORITY of the ANOINTED SON JESUS?
- Can any deny the witness of THE HOLY SPIRIT of GOD?
THIS IS SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW! AND GOD HAS CONFIRMED IT + GENTILES WELCOME.

18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying,

“Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
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ACTS of the Apostles - to be continued.. 
(with both Jews and gentiles) ...
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May 20, 2022
The Holy Ghost! Fear of GOD also ignites the Gentiles
Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts of the Apostles 10:47 KJV

The Question of those ‘chosen’

Fact is that many religious men do NOT fear God.

It is true of many ‘christians‘ in this 21st century — it was true of all but a remnant of faithful ‘jews‘ in the first century in which the messiah Jesus lived, died and was risen — and it was true when His Apostles and disciples preached in the Spirit of God. Men and women do not naturally fear what we have been told about the LORD if we have not encountered Him personally.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Gospel of John 14:26 KJV

They certainly did not know what to expect when the Holy Ghost first came to various jewish disciples of Jesus.

And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Acts of the Apostles 1:4 KJV

Peter, John and the Apostles have proclaimed Christ boldly, first in Jerusalem.

By the power of the Holy Ghost (KJV) many signs have accompanied the receiving of the Spirit among the faithful jewish followers of The Way of Jesus. Even Saul of Tarsus, zealous persecutor of The Way, has encountered the risen Lord Jesus personally and then retreated to Arabia to reconsider what the LORD has in store for him, returning to meet Peter some three years later.

Everything seems to be looking up for these remnant ‘chosen‘ followers of Jesus as they now obediently ‘GO INTO THE WORLD TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS!’

Beyond Jerusalem

The Apostles had encountered some internal ‘church‘ problems with their new disciples in Jerusalem.

And in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Acts of the Apostles 6:1 KJ21

However this ministry problem seemed to resolve quickly in spite of jewish cultural differences between Greeks and Hebrew traditions of those whose fathers had returned to Jerusalem from exile to rebuild the temple. Furthermore, at least two of new disciples became powerful preachers of the truth of the Gospel – Stephen and Philip.

⁷And the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Acts of the Apostles 6:7

Like Gentiles (sort of)

Samaria (to some jews) and also Galilee, as part of Israel separated from Judah long ago, had an ‘unjewish‘ stigma to some religious Judeans.
Cities visited by Philip the evangelist

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them. The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what was being said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. 7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice.. – Acts 8:5-6a NASB

Note this same sign of expelling UNCLEAN SPIRITS which Jesus had done! (Most 21st centuries don't quite grasp what to make of this, but think 'controlling ghosts' as real evil influences of behavior and you are on the right track. - RH
[KJ21] 9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who earlier in the same city had used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great..
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When Peter and John came to Samaria, Simon asked Peter for this same power the Apostles and some disciples like Philip had demonstrated. 

The Holy Ghost appears with more POWER than any force of darkness dictating the power of evil in mortal flesh.
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But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Acts of the Apostles 8:20 KJV – Peter’s response to Simon the Sorcerer

THEN Philip goes much further than this: He baptizes an Ethiopian (in Gaza) – a gentile!

Luke (our gentile physician) records in ACTS:

But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.
Acts 8:40 NASB

Philip (the Hellenist deacon) & Peter (a Galilean Hebrew Apostle)

So WHERE in the WORLD does all of this converge?

Peter had come from Jerusalem to Samaria to meet with Philip when he also met Simon who wanted the power of the Holy Ghost. We have just learned that now Peter’s missionary journeys have brought the Apostle to Joppa, BUT a Roman calls the Apostle to come to the Roman (Herod-built) port of Caesarea.

Peter and John had remained in Jerusalem for two years after Christ’s resurrection. Once Stephen was martyred most disciples of Jesus fled for other towns. But after Saul met the Lord on the road to Damascus the Gospel began to spread in different directions.

And as we have just learned in the journeys of Peter to Lydda and Joppa, the Apostle now heads north to Caesarea where Philip has been proclaiming the Gospel for sometime now.

Peter, the Hebrew-raised rock anointed by Jesus to lead His church goes to Caesarea after wrestling with the Voice of God telling this faithful jew to obey this new vision which led him to follow these Romans back to Caesarea, where these GENTILES would have worshiped PETER!

Now that you have caught up on these long journeys and Peter is on his way back to Jerusalem you might think that all will go smoothly. It doesn’t.

The HOLY Ghost
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Before we return to Jerusalem with Peter, I thought it important that we consider the NOW-INCREASING ROLE of THE HOLY SPIRIT.
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The "HOLY SPIRIT" AND the "HOLY GHOST" ARE the SAME, translated in New Testament from the SAME words in Greek: ἅγιος πνεῦμα [hagios pneuma]
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- HOLY – ἅγιος hágios, hag’-ee-os; from ἅγος hágos (an awful thing) (compare G53, G2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated):—(most) holy (one, thing), saint.
  - I remind 21st c. christians of the AWESOMENESS of the SPIRIT of Almighty God by referring to the Holy Ghost here) – RH
ἅγιος, -α, -ον, (from τὸ ἄγος religious awe, reverence; ἄζω, ἅζομαι, to venerate, revere, especially the gods, parents [Curtius, § 118]), rare in secular authors; very frequent in the sacred writings; in the Sept. for קָדושׁ;
1. properly reverend, worthy of veneration: τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ, Luke 1:49; God, on account of his incomparable majesty, Revelation 4:8 (Isaiah 6:3, etc.), equivalent to ἔνδοξος.
- Ghost πνεῦμα pneuma From πνέω (G4154)
  - – The KJV translates Strong’s G4151 in the following manner: Spirit (111x), Holy Ghost (89x), Spirit (of God) (13x), Spirit (of the Lord) (5x), (My) Spirit (3x), Spirit (of truth) (3x), Spirit (of Christ) (2x), human (spirit) (49x), (evil) spirit (47x), spirit (general) (26x), spirit (8x), (Jesus’ own) spirit (6x), (Jesus’ own) ghost (2x), miscellaneous (21x).
  - the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, coequal, coeternal with the Father and the Son
    Click here for MORE
ACTS of the Holy Ghost

ACTS: KJV – πνεῦμα pneuma
- 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost G4151 had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
- 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost G4151 not many days hence.
- 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, G4151 and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit G4151 gave them utterance.
- 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; G4151 and they shall prophesy:
- 4:18 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,^G4151 and they spake the word of God with boldness.
- 8:17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. G4151
- 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit G4151 of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
ACTS 10:

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem.
Acts of the Apostles 8:38-39a NASB

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power,
Acts 10:38 KJ21

43 To Him all the prophets bear witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.”

44 While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all those who heard the Word.

And the Messianic Jews who had come with Kefa were mishpoyel (standing in awe) that also upon the Goyim the matnat HaRuach Hakodesh has been poured out.
Gevurot 10:45

Orthodox Jewish Bible

46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Peter Baptizes the Roman Gentiles

Then answered Peter,

47 “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we?”

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Then they entreated him to tarry certain days.

Gevurot 11 – Orthodox Jewish Bible

And the Moshiach’s Shlichim and the Achim b’Moshiach, the ones throughout Yehudah, heard that also the non-Jews received the dvar Hashem. But when Kefa went up to Yerushalayim, those of the faction of the Bris Milah were taking issue with him, 3 Saying, “You entered into a bais of anashim arelim (uncircumcised men) and you sat at tish with them.”
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Acts of Peter welcoming the Gentiles - To be continued...
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May 13, 2022