By Kenneth O. Gangel
Within two years Phil Armstrong, then Executive Director of Far Eastern Gospel Crusade, was killed in a plane crash in Alaska and I asked the same question. Ben Byong Cato stepped off a plank in Africa, fell into the water and drowned. How could God need these men in heaven when we so desperately needed them here on earth? The answer of course is that we have no idea and we either give in or cave in to the sovereignty of God.
The Fate of Peter (vv. 3-4)
When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover (Acts 12:3-4).
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As we read about Peter’s situation we are reminded again of John 21:18: “I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Perhaps John thought of those remarks by Jesus when he recorded this incident. Peter was under an unusual guard of sixteen officers and doubtless expected to follow his friend and fellow disciple in death.
We find no indication in the text that Peter behaved with fear or depression. We almost feel an aura of calm over the first five verses of this chapter. When reading them I am always reminded of the record of John Wesley returning to England from the failure of his missionary work in Georgia. The little ship on which he sailed encountered a terrible storm and Wesley was, as we might put it, “scared to death.” It was at that time that he heard the Moravian Christians on board singing, and it was also at that time that Wesley the missionary concluded, “I have not been saved.” Imagine that — a missionary who did not know that God is always in control.
The Prayer of the Church (v. 5)
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5).
We find the church praying many times in Acts (1:14; 2:42; 4:24; 6:4; 9:11). Why not? It was their only available weapon. What about marches, sit-ins, protests, letters to the editor, calls to a congressman or better yet, hiring a lawyer? In our day we don’t seem to understand that the early Christians did not think like that. Even though persecution was by now universal in Israel from the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the king, they understood the real meaning of 2 Corinthians 10:8a: “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of this world.”