Acts 12:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Here the writer again shows that this was not done with evil intent. One who hastens and intends to depart secretly does not make such preparations as putting on sandals and girding himself.

Meanwhile, the angel commands him to gird himself and put on his sandals in order to impress on him that this is not an apparition. He wants him to rise from sleep and be convinced that this is the truth.

For this reason the chains immediately fell from his hands, and it was said, “Rise quickly.”

“Gird yourself, and put on your sandals.” How did Peter not act contrary to the commandment that says, “Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, nor bag for the journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staff” (Mt 10:9-10)? He had both clothing and footwear, although at that time one was supposed to walk without footwear. There is special need of it in winter. Yet Paul also, writing to Timothy, says, “Be diligent to come before winter,” and tells him, “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come” (2 Tim 4:12, 21). No one can say that Paul had no other clothing which he wore. They were not resisting Christ’s commandment. God forbid! On the contrary, they were following the commandment closely. For that commandment was given for a time, not forever.

In the year 44 a new persecution arose in Jerusalem against the Church, this time from the ruler of Judea, Herod Agrippa. Wishing to please the people, he had already put to death one of the first apostles, James the son of Zebedee, brother of John. He wished also to put Peter to death, and had already imprisoned him. But on the very night after which death awaited him, God freed him from prison through His angel. Soon afterward He also struck the persecutor. Perhaps from this very time we must date the activity outside Palestine, among Jews and Gentiles, of the apostles themselves. They were twelve, or more precisely, after the death of James, eleven. Their number was soon supplemented by their most zealous fellow-laborer, Paul.

But the time had not yet come for Peter to glorify the Lord by his martyr’s death. The Lord therefore freed him from prison miraculously. While he was there, one night an angel of the Lord stood before him, and light shone in the prison. Peter, entrusting his life to the will of God, was sleeping peacefully. Then the angel struck him on the side, woke him, and commanded him to dress and follow him. The chains fell miraculously from his hands, and he followed the angel. The suddenness and extraordinary character of the event brought Peter into such a state of soul that, although he did everything the angel commanded, he did not think it was an actual event rather than a vision. Meanwhile, following the angel, he first passed calmly by the first guard.

Yet everything seemed to have been in vain. The last night of the feast had come. The dawn of the following morning was to announce to Peter the tortures awaiting him at trial and his terrible death. It seemed that the day had already come when, as the Savior had foretold him, another would gird him and lead him where he did not wish to go. But in this final extremity God did not abandon His apostle or His Church. On the very last night an angel appeared in the prison and freed him from his chains. This deliverance was so sudden, mysterious, and striking that even to Peter, when he became fully assured of his rescue, it seemed like a vision.

“Put on your garment,” that is, the outer garment. As is clear, Peter was without his outer garment and sandals, which had been removed from him for that time, perhaps as a precaution.

The appearance of the Angel to Peter in prison was completely unexpected to him. Therefore the Angel had to use some force to wake him. The extraordinary light that shone in the prison could have made Peter understand who had appeared. This was all the more so because, when he began to rise, the chains fell from him. Then Peter was calmly commanded to gird himself, put on his sandals, put on his outer garment, and follow the Angel. The soldiers were as though dead. The writer of Acts does not even mention what happened to them. It seems that even Peter himself could not have said this. From Peter’s words the writer of Acts recorded all this with his characteristic detail and precision.