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Herod’s Violence to the Church
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church.
He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword.
Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
Peter’s Miraculous Escape from Prison
The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate.
Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.
Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, “Arise quickly!” And his chains fell off his hands.
Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.
Then the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals”; and so he did. And he said to him, “Put on your garment and follow me.”
So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening.
So he went out and followed him, and did not know that what was done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.
When they were past the first and the second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and went down one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.”
When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.
So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it.
And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”
When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate.
“You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”
But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.”
Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.
But motioning to them with his hand to keep silent, he declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” And he departed and went to another place.
At dawn there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter.
Herod Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn’t be found, Herod interrogated the guards and sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
But when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.
And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
And he went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed there.
The Death of Herod Agrippa
Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod’s country for food. The delegates won the support of Blastus, Herod’s personal assistant,
and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived, Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.
So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.
The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!”
And the people kept shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”
Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.
Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.
But the word of God grew and multiplied.