She Was The Church Of The Closed Door (Acts 12:12-16)

After concluding this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where a considerable many had been caused to gather and were found praying together. Now as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, out came a young maiden named Rose to investigate. In recognizing the voice of Peter, out of the overflowing joy of her heart, her gate was not opened to him, but having exceedingly great reprise ran back in to announce that Peter was standing before the gate. But they said to her, "You're raving mad!" Yet she persisted that this was the truth. So they said, "May it be his Angel." But Peter went on knocking; so when they finally opened the door, they saw him and were ecstatic! (MAST) Catching up, again, on our previous study of Peter's prison break, we come to him knocking on a familiar door. Again, I'm not going to bore you with my reasons for translating this portion, in this way, but I want you to pay attention to the abundance of joy (and obedience) in the young maiden's heart to hear Peter's voice and see his face as an answer to prayer. We noted previously that this was a prayer gathering caused specifically because of Peter's captivity. The Angel had carried Peter out of prison and released him from his bonds. Peter was left alone to come to himself and find safety and shelter. We find him, here, knocking on Mary's door, but instead she had been knocking on the one true Mediator's door.

After concluding this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where a considerable many had been caused to gather and were found praying together. Again, he concluded previously that he had been delivered from the scorn of the Jewish mob and the cruelty of Herod, once again. But now he comes to this house of Mary. Mary was most likely a direct aunt of Barnabas, being named with John Mark his cousin. There is not much said of who was present at this prayer meeting, but there was most surely men who had been leading it. It is not directly said that John Mark is present, but it may have been so in preparation for his soon-to-be journeys with Paul and Barnabas. We need to pay attention to the fact that this was a large size of believers laboring together to pursue the LORD for mercy on behalf of Peter, and for his continued headship over their understandings of this new faith (understanding) and practice concerning the resurrected Christ. Their prayers were caused out of desperation for a genuine leader and for the safety of Peter's soul under trial. This church had "closed its doors" to the pattern of the world in-order-to labor for Peter's and their own souls. This was not a lazy bunch, and were each motivated by the Spirit of Christ's love.

Now as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, out came a young maiden named Rose to investigate. Because Peter had passed this test of persecution, he was rewarded with the fragile beauty of a young Rose beyond this gate to his safety. Yet he finds this house "gated and guarded." Which is a positive reward for his leadership. Peter wants this house to be on its guard against the wiles of the Devil, and to keep her doors closed to the serpent's deceit. Never should this house of the LORD hold its doors open wide to the tricks and treats of the workers of darkness! Praise God that this house was gated! Though there was some difficulty upon entering in, she should be blessed and praised for having up her guard. Surely this was Peter's Rose in the beauty of her youth, expressing herself with liberty and dignity. She must have been trusted well by those in the inner rooms, for she was sent to investigate. Her discernment was respected and trusted to watch beyond the gate. The safety of the house depended on her judgment.

In recognizing the voice of Peter, out of the overflowing joy of her heart, her gate was not opened to him, but because of having exceedingly great reprise, she ran back in to announce that Peter was standing before the gate. (MAST) Again, out of her wise discernment and love for the truth of the voice of the Holy Spirit, she recognized that it was Peter's voice. To recognize his voice, she must have had been near enough to hear him speak before, concerning the things of Christ and the doctrines of salvation. It was out of this love for the truth (ears to hear) that she knew it was Peter. And it was out of this love that she did not open the door to him. In obedience to his teaching "she kept the door closed" to allow another man to bring him in under this shelter and practical doctrine of love. Surely, this was a wise "statement of faith." This young maiden most indeed was a Rose! Some argue that she was a "female slave," but because she is "specifically" named, here, that cannot be the case. She was a daughter of this loving house. The fact that she was named, in that culture, showed that she was honored above the status of a mere slave girl. She was respected as a daughter, in this house, on purpose by Luke, the author of Acts. Some, being removed from the dangers of that culture, assume that she was just a foolish young girl to have ran back into the house leaving Peter on the street. But this is only because we don't understand the high regard the church had for protecting her youth from shame and disgrace. What follows is what causes some to make such a statement, but that is simply because of a misunderstanding of the truth.

But they said to her, "You're raving mad!" Yet she persisted that this was the truth. Those who said this to her did not say this because they thought she was just a foolish young girl, but that they just didn't believe in the power of their own prayers. They must have been losing hope for Peter since he was scheduled to die in the presence of the people in the morning. So they thought that this could never be, and that the young maiden was hallucinating an image in her desperation. The normal Greek use of the verb, Maine, is understood to mean "a fit of rage," but we know that her emotional expression was of exuberant joy and satisfaction. Therefore this cannot mean that they understood her to be just a foolish ignorant girl. This is a borrowed expression to say that she was not in her normal pattern of mind, only because of their personal unbelief of her witness. Nevertheless she holds to her integrity and unashamedly persists in her testimony, which was flowing out of the purity of her heart. So they said, "May it be his Angel." But Peter went on knocking; so when they finally opened the door, they saw him and were ecstatic! So in response, they returned to a somewhat positive hope, and said, "May it be his Angel." Now this may also be somewhat confusing to those who want to interpret this based on traditional Judaism, which presents these believers as adhering to a false doctrine. Some Jews believed that the elect each had a guardian angel, but that is not the point being made here. These believers are hoping it is the resurrected Christ. The article is specifically enlarged/capitalized to indicate a more superior messenger than just Peter. I don't believe it is intended to mean Peter's ghost either, but rather the One who ministers and comforts Peter himself. Indeed these believers heard of Peter's encounters with the resurrected LORD before his ascension, and now of Paul's encounter with Him on the road to Damascus. These believers were seeking more than just Peter, they were hoping for the LORD himself, perceiving the light that was radiating off the testimony of this Rose.

So when the men among them finally went out to open up the door, it was open unto Peter to join them, and they were all amazed to see his deliverance. This gives us the illustration to be persistent in our prayers to grow in our understanding of faith, until our vision of Christ becomes clearer and clearer! Our faith should bloom like the rose and follow the light of the sun wherever it chooses to shine! In seeing the deliverance of Peter, having been shackled to the prison of sin, they have surely seen the power of God's salvation through the labor of their prayers before the glory of the resurrected Mediator who sits down as the final High Priest.