1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2 And he the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of bread.)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in , and delivered him to four of soldiers to keep him; intending after to bring him forth to the people.
5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6 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 And, behold, the 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 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 And he went out, and followed him; and not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
10 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 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 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 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 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 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 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But he, 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.
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and commanded that they should be put to . And he went down from Judæa to Cæsarea, and there abode.
20 ¶ 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 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23 And immediately the 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 the word of God grew and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their , and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
Acts 12 is a chapter from the New Testament of the Bible. It recounts events in the early Christian church, particularly focusing on the persecution of Christians and the miraculous intervention of God.
ReplyDeleteJames Killed and Peter Imprisoned (Acts 12:1-4): King Herod Agrippa I, in an attempt to gain favor with the Jews, arrests James, the brother of John, and has him executed. Seeing that this pleases the Jews, Herod goes on to imprison Peter, one of the leading apostles.
Peter's Miraculous Escape (Acts 12:5-19): While Peter is in prison, the church fervently prays for his release. On the night before his trial, an angel appears in Peter's cell, miraculously freeing him from his chains and leading him out of the prison. Peter initially thinks it's a vision but soon realizes it's a miraculous escape.
Herod's Fate (Acts 12:20-23): When Herod discovers that Peter has escaped, he becomes furious. He interrogates the guards and then leaves for Caesarea. There, he meets his death as an angel of the Lord strikes him down because he did not give glory to God.
The Growth of the Word of God (Acts 12:24-25): The chapter closes by noting that the word of God continued to spread and grow, and Barnabas and Saul (later known as the apostle Paul) return from delivering relief to the church in Jerusalem to the church in Antioch.
Acts 12 is a significant chapter in the Book of Acts because it highlights the persecution faced by early Christians and demonstrates God's power in delivering Peter from prison through a miraculous intervention. It also shows the continued growth of the Christian faith despite opposition and challenges.