James’s Murder and Peter’s Escape From Prison

Acts 12

Around this time, King Herod laid his hands on some in the church in order to oppress them, He had James, the brother of John, executed by the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After arresting him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. So Peter was kept in the prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries in front of the door were guarding the prison.

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off his hands. The angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals,” which Peter did. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” So he followed the angel out, but he thought he was seeing a vision, and he didn’t know that what was happening through the angel was real. After they were past the first and the second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. It opened for them by itself, so they went through and walked down one street. Then suddenly the angel left him.

When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me out of Herod’s hand and from everything the Jewish people were expecting to happen.” When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John (also called Mark), where many had gathered and were praying. He knocked at the door of the outer gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so glad that she didn’t open the gate but ran in and announced, “Peter is at the door!”

They said to her, “You are crazy!” But she kept insisting that it was true, and they said, “It is his angel.” But Peter kept knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But he motioned with his hand for them to be silent, and then narrated for them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. He said, “Y’all must report this to James and the siblings.” Then he left and went to another place.

In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. After Herod searched for him but didn’t find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

The Death of Herod

Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came together with one mind to present themselves to him. After convincing Blastus, the king’s personal aide, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied food by the king’s country. On an appointed day, Herod put on his royal apparel, sat on the throne, and delivered a public address to them. The crowd shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a human!” Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he didn’t give glory to God. Then he was eaten by worms and died.

But the word of God continued to spread and multiply. Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their deacon-work, taking with them John, also called Mark.