Atos 12
Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 12
Constable - One writer suggested Herod suffered from appendicitis that led to peritonitis complicated by roundworms. Another diagnosed him as having a cyst caused by a tapeworm.512 More important than the effect was the cause, namely Herod’s pride (cf. Isa. 42:8). John Stott adds that "Dr A. Rendle Short, who was professor of surgery at Bristol University and wrote a book entitled The Bible and Modern Medicine, (review) stated that a great many people in Asia ‘harbour intestinal worms’, which can form a tight ball and cause ‘acute intestinal obstruction’. This may have been the cause of Herod’s death." (borrow The message of Acts : the Spirit, the church & the world page 212) And he was eaten by worms and died - Josephus says Herod died five days (AD 44) after being struck with this malicious malady! Commentators get quite imaginative given this gory description, but suffice it to say (as a pathologist), the precise pathology is difficult to deduce. Normally, one does not see worms unless something is decaying. One could also postulate these worms were parasitic worms which do have a predilection for the intestinal tract. Luke is a physician and he does not say was eaten by something LIKE worms but by worms, suggesting these were worms of some type. Clearly the intent of this description is to strike horror in any reader and give a warning shot (so to speak) that God will not tolerate someone sharing or stealing the glory that rightfully belongs to Him Alone! Herod pretended to be pious and to act like a Jew but unfortunately clearly stopped short of becoming a student of the Hebrew Scriptures, for otherwise he would have heard God's warning in Isaiah 42:8.. “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images. And again God declares... For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another. (Isaiah 48:11) Indeed God acted for His Own sake when Herod attempt to steal God's glory! Is it not ironic that instead of Herod killing Peter, it was Herod who was slain by Peter's God! And it was possibly even the same angel who freed Peter, who then struck Herod! Eaten by worms (4662)(skolekobrotos from skolex = a worm + bibrosko = to eat) in classical Greek is an adjective which means “worm-eaten” and can be found in reference to both trees and men that have been eaten by worms. The word is used of diseased grain It is not used in the Septuagint. So as a literalist and a physician, I do not take this as figurative language, but interpret Dr Luke as meaning exactly what he says -- Herod's death was the result of being eaten by worms. The root word skolex is used in Mark 9:48 in Jesus' description of eternal punishment "where THEIR WORM (skolex) DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED." (Skolex is found in the Septuagint in Ex. 16:20; Ex. 16:24; Dt. 28:39; Job 2:9; Job 7:5; Job 25:6; Ps. 22:6 = see comments on "I am a worm"; Pr 12:4; Pr 25:20; Isa. 14:11; Isa. 66:24; Jon. 4:7) In Mark 9 Jesus is quoting Isaiah 66:24 = “Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.” (Related Resource - Read this one - What is the worm that will not die in Mark 9:48?) The question is what kind of worms was Herod eaten by? My sub-specialty is infectious diseases and thus the word root word "skolex" in skolekobrotos attracted my attention for this word is transliterated into English as "scolex" (see picture) which is the head part of intestinal tapeworms (see Cestodes) (See life cycle of a tapeworm ) and their normal human habitat is the intestinal tract. Therefore one candidate "worm" would be Diphyllobothrium (eating raw fish). Although it is not common, gastrointestinal obstruction is a known consequence, especially when numerous worms are present and form a substantial bulk in the GI tract. Now, keep in mind that Herod's death parallels Peter's liberation because both involve angels "striking" their "victim" and thus both involve a supernatural component but in addition, both involve a natural component mixed with the supernatural component. That said, it would be reasonable to postulate (and that is all it is, an educated guess based on my infectious disease background) that Herod had a pre-existent, generally asymptomatic infestation with a tapeworm like Diphyllobothrium (parasites by nature do not kill their hosts for if they did they too would die), but that infestation was supernaturally transformed into a "hyper-infection" which would have caused acute intestinal obstruction, severe colicky abdominal cramping pains and could have led to death of part of the intestine (bowel infarction), with secondary perforation, overwhelming bacterial sepsis and death. It is interesting that Josephus reports that Herod lay acutely ill for 5 days prior to this death, which would make the preceding postulated events a reasonable consideration. After writing the preceding comment, I came across a note from Dr. Jean Sloat Morton who has a somewhat similar description of the pathogenesis of Herod's fatal disorder... The phrase “eaten of worms,” in Greek is skolekobrotos. The root word skolex means “a specific head structure of a tapeworm.” Since the word scolex (Plural scolices) is applied to the head of tapeworms, Herod’s death was almost certainly due to the rupture of a cyst formed by a tapeworm. There are several kinds of tapeworms, but one of the most common ones found in sheep growing countries is the dog tape, Echinococcus granulosus. The heaviest infections come from areas where sheep and cattle are raised. Sheep and cattle serve as intermediate hosts for the parasite. The dog eats the infected meat, then man gets the eggs from the dog, usually by fecal contamination of hair. The disease is characterized by the formation of cysts, generally on the right lobe of the liver; these may extend down into the abdominal cavity. The rupture of such a cyst may release as many as two million scolices. The developing worms inside of the cysts are called scolices, because the anterior (head) region constitutes the major part of development at this stage. When the cyst ruptures, the entrance of cellular debris along with the scolices may cause sudden death. The use of the word scolex is not limited to this reference about Herod; the term also appears in Mark 9:44. A literal translation of the phrase in Mark 9:44 would read, “where their scolex dieth not.” This usage is very interesting because the tapeworm keeps propagating itself. Each section of the worm is a self-contained unit which has both male and female parts. The posterior part matures and forms hundreds of worm eggs. The word scolex in this text portrays a biological description of permanence which the text demands for the comparison. (Science in the Bible [Chicago: Moody, 1978], 261–62)
Atos 12
Constable - Earlier Peter had returned from prison to the temple to resume preaching at the Lord’s command (Acts 5:19–21). Now the Jews were much more hostile to the Christians. Saul had previously left Jerusalem for his own safety (Acts 9:29–30), and this time Peter followed his example. Peter had become infamous among the Jews in Jerusalem for associating with Samaritans and Gentiles as well as for being the leader of the Christians. Arnold has an interesting comment on Peter going to another place - Peter was a marked and hunted man. Thinking of his personal safety, he departed into hiding in an unnamed place. Why did Peter go into hiding when he had just been delivered from prison? Was he a coward? No, he was a wise and prudent man. He was not foolhardy, but filled with common sense. He was ready to die for Christ, but he was not going to put himself into a situation which would lead to his death. He was not going to die unnecessarily. Unfortunately, there are many Christians who have died fool-hardedly when the logical course of events could have led them out of martyrdom. Only the grace and leading of God can tell a person when to stay and die and when to flee to serve Christ another day.
Atos 12
Constable - Nothing seemed capable of stopping the expansion of the church. Corruption and contention in its ranks did not kill it (Acts 5:1–11; 6:1–7). Its religious enemies could not contain it (Acts 4:1; 8:1, 3; 11:19). Even Roman officials could not control it (vv. 1–23). In the next section we see that it broke out into Asia Minor. Jesus’ prediction that even the gates of Hades could not overpower it was proving true (Matt. 16:18; Acts 1:8). God’s purposes will prevail! Jack Arnold - Nothing could stop the onward march of the gospel and the advance of the church, for “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18b). The sovereign, supernatural working God is behind the spreading of the gospel and the word of the Lord “shall accomplish that which He pleases and shall prosper in the thing whereto He sends it” (Isa. 55:11). Kings and kingdoms have fallen, republics and democracies have bit the dust, dictators and great nations have come and gone, but the word of the Lord supernaturally grows and multiplies. Nothing can stop God from accomplishing His purposes in this world through the preaching of the gospel. Hymn: O Where Are Kings and Empires Now (Play this sobering hymn) “O where are kings and empires now Of old that went and came? But, Lord Thy Church is praying yet, A thousand years the same. Unshaken as eternal hills, Immovable she stands, A mountain that shall fill the earth, A house not made with hands.” Steven