James Killed and Peter Imprisoned
Study note
King Herod Agrippa begins targeting church leaders, executing the apostle James, the brother of John, by the sword. Seeing this pleases the Jewish leaders, Herod arrests Peter during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, assigning sixteen soldiers to guard him with plans for a public trial after Passover. The church responds with urgent, continuous prayer for Peter.
1 Around that same time, King Herod started going after certain members of the church. Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2 He had James, John's brother, executed with a sword. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 When he saw that this made the Jewish leaders happy, he arrested Peter too. (This was during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.) And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 Herod threw Peter in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to stand guard over him. His plan was to put Peter on public trial after the Passover celebrations were over. And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
5 So Peter sat locked up in prison. But the church never stopped praying to God for him -- they prayed with everything they had. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
Peter's Miraculous Deliverance
Study note
The night before his scheduled execution, Peter sleeps chained between two soldiers with guards at the door. An angel appears, fills the cell with light, wakes Peter, and his chains fall off. Peter follows the angel past two guard posts and through an iron gate that opens by itself, thinking he is seeing a vision. When the angel departs, Peter goes to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where believers are praying. A servant girl named Rhoda recognizes his voice but in her excitement leaves him knocking at the door. The believers initially do not believe her report.
6 The night before Herod planned to drag him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was chained to both of them, and more guards stood watch at the prison entrance. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
7 All of a sudden, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a bright light filled the prison cell. The angel shook Peter awake by tapping his side and said, "Hurry, get up!" The chains fell right off Peter's wrists. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8 "Get dressed and put on your sandals," the angel told him. Peter did. Then the angel said, "Throw your cloak on and follow me." And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
9 Peter followed him out, but he honestly did not think any of this was real. He was convinced he was having a dream. And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 They walked right past the first set of guards, then the second. When they reached the big iron gate that led into the city, it swung open on its own. They stepped through and walked down a street together. Then, just like that, the angel vanished. When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
11 Peter finally snapped out of it. "This happened!" he said. "The Lord truly did send his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders had planned." And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
12 Once he realized what had happened, he rushed over to the house of Mary (the mother of John Mark). A big group of people was there, praying together. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.
13 Peter knocked on the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to see who it was. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 She recognized Peter's voice and got so excited that she forgot to open the gate! She ran back inside shouting, "Peter is standing at the gate!" And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
15 "You are crazy!" they told her. But she kept insisting. Finally they said, "It must be his angel." And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
16 Meanwhile, Peter kept knocking. When they finally opened the gate and saw him, they were amazed. But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17 Peter waved his hand to quiet them down. Then he told them the whole story of how the Lord had gotten him out of prison. "Tell James and the rest of the believers what happened," he said. Then he left for another location. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.
The Aftermath and Herod's Death
Study note
Morning brings great confusion among the soldiers over Peter's disappearance. Herod searches for Peter, cannot find him, and orders the guards executed. Later, during a public ceremony in Caesarea, Herod delivers a speech and the people cry out that his voice is the voice of a god. Because Herod accepts this worship rather than giving glory to God, an angel of the Lord strikes him down and he is eaten by worms and dies. In contrast, the word of God continues to grow and spread. Barnabas and Saul return from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them.
18 When morning came, the soldiers were in a complete panic trying to figure out what had happened to Peter. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
19 Herod launched a search but could not find Peter anywhere. He questioned the guards and then ordered their execution. After that, Herod left Judaea and went to stay in Caesarea. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judæa to Cæsarea, and there abode.
20 Herod was extremely angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They got together, persuaded Blastus (the king's personal assistant) to help them, and then came asking for peace. They needed this because their region depended on Herod's territory for food supplies. And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country.
21 On the scheduled day, Herod dressed himself in his royal robes, sat on his throne, and delivered a grand speech. And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 The crowd started chanting, "This is the voice of a god, not a mere man!" And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23 That very instant, an angel of the Lord struck Herod down because he accepted the praise that belongs only to God. His body was eaten away by worms, and he died. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.
24 But God's message kept on growing and reaching more and more people. But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25 After Barnabas and Saul finished their relief mission to Jerusalem, they headed back. They took John Mark along with them. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.