[Peter] said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
Acts 12:17
Recommended Reading: Acts 12:5-17
The first twelve chapters of Acts concern Peter. In Acts 12, an angel freed him from prison, and he went to the home of John Mark and spoke to the disciples. Then he left for “another place.” Starting with chapter 13, the remainder of the book of Acts concerns the apostle Paul.
Where did Peter go? The Bible doesn’t tell us, but ancient traditions say John Mark led him from Jerusalem to a section of Egypt known as “Babylon” or “Old Cairo.” It was possibly the same place Joseph and Mary fled with the baby Jesus, beyond the reach of Herod. It was a place of refuge.1
We all need a place of refuge. Deuteronomy 33:27 says, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” When we face trouble, we can retreat to our Refuge. He is always there, easily accessible. We have only to turn to Him. When everything else fails, there is still another place—His everlasting arms.
God will our strength and refuge prove, in all distress a present aid, and though the trembling earth remove, we will not fear or be dismayed.
The Presbyterian Psalter
- Thomas C. Oden, The African Memory of Mark (Downers Grove: IVP, 2011), 118-122.
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