In Acts 12:7, it says that Peter’s “chains fell off his hands.” Would it not make more sense to say that the chains fell off his wrists (assuming that “chains” refers to the whole restraining device, i.e., chains attached to bands secured around the wrist)? Skeptics allege that this must be a mistake. How can we respond?

This is another example of skepticism run amok and, once again, there is a failure to appreciate the historical context of Scripture. In this particular case, the skeptics are ignoring the way in which word usage has changed over thousands of years. By this I am not referring to the difference in Greek and English languages. Rather, a Greek word, and a valid translation of that word, may mean something different to ancient and modern speakers. A classic example is apologia. This word entered the English language as “apology” in the sixteenth century, but means something quite different to us today. Modern speakers tend to use the word as an expression of regret for having done something wrong, whereas for the people of New Testament times apologia meant a defense or well-reasoned argument. Also, people of many cultures and times have used different modes or styles of speech for different occasions. For instance, we do not always operate on the level of scientific accuracy in everyday life (e.g., we look in the vegetable section of the supermarket for tomatoes—even though, technically speaking, the tomato is a fruit).