Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
About that time Herod Agrippa I, distinct from Herod Antipas who took part in Jesus' trial and father of the Agrippa who later heard Paul, ruled Judea under Claudius while holding Galilee and stretched forth his royal power against the church to gain the favor of the Jews and secure his offices and honors. He was a professed convert to the Jewish faith outwardly zealous for its ceremonies and law, and his vexing meant spoiling the houses and goods of believers and imprisoning leading members, beheading James the brother of John with the sword and then imprisoning Peter also when he saw it pleased the Jews. The attack fell at Passover while the Jews gathered to celebrate deliverance from Egypt yet violated the law by persecuting believers, and Peter was held for a planned public execution to please the Jews and intimidate believers, delayed through the feast because the rulers feared his appearance and preaching might move the crowd to pity and demand his release. Human power could not prevent God from intervening because Peter still had work to do, so in answer to the united fasting and prayer of the grieving church He sent His angel to open the prison doors, loose Peter's bands, awaken him by touch and light, and set him free, though the believers expecting his death were astonished to hear his voice at the gate. The deliverance shows that God employs angels as powerful helpers and guides of His chosen messengers to strengthen them to stand fast and vindicate the truth, and that taking a separate stand for God brings reproach and even imprisonment and death, yet enemies can harm only the body and cannot destroy the soul nor take away hope and eternal life.
Herod's Attack on Church
The Herod of this verse is Herod Agrippa I, not Herod Antipas who had taken part in the trial of Jesus, but the one who had gained Antipas's throne and who was the father of the Agrippa who later heard Paul. He ruled Judea under the Roman emperor Claudius while also holding Galilee as tetrarch, and Herod itself functions as a dynastic title with the individuals distinguished by added names. He was a professed proselyte and convert to the Jewish faith and was outwardly zealous in carrying out its ceremonies and law.
He stretched forth his hands to vex the church in order to obtain the favor of the Jews and to make secure his offices and honors, carrying out their desires against Christians. Vexing the church meant using royal power to spoil the houses and goods of believers and to imprison leading members of the church. This included casting James the brother of John into prison and killing him with the sword by beheading, and then imprisoning Peter also when he saw it pleased the Jews. The attack took place during Passover, when the Jews were gathered to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt. While so gathered they violated the law they professed to honor by persecuting and murdering believers in Christ and stirring one another to hatred of Christians.
After James was put to death, Peter was held for a planned public execution intended to please the Jews and to intimidate believers. The execution was delayed during the feast because the rulers feared Peter's respected appearance and persuasive preaching might move the crowd to pity him. They feared it might lead the people to investigate the life of Jesus and to demand his release, with some also objecting that James's execution had been private and applauding a public spectacle for Peter. Agrippa continued his family's pattern of crimes against God's servants, and his persecution was followed by swift disaster showing God's displeasure. While exalting himself and boastfully accepting the people's praise as a god, he was publicly struck by God and died a horrible death.
God's Deliverance and Lessons
No human power could prevent God from intervening to save Peter, for he still had work to do. God showed His constant care for the true and faithful by sending His angel to deliver Peter in answer to prayer, opening the prison doors, loosing his bands, awakening him by touch and light, and setting him free. Heaven thus watches to see if the faithful will hold principle under trial. The deliverance illustrates that God employs angels to communicate with human beings and to be powerful helpers and guides of His chosen messengers. Men are taught of God through instruction often given by immortal messengers, who guide and strengthen Christ's soldiers to stand fast with the whole armor on and to vindicate the truth.
The persecution brought grief to the church, and when Peter was imprisoned the believers united in fasting and prayer. Prayers had been made in his behalf, yet they expected he would have to suffer death. They were astonished when they heard his voice at the gate. The account beginning with this verse, when read slowly and solemnly, makes an impression on the young mind that keeps the narrative vivid and shapes character more than older persons imagine. It shows the importance of teaching children and youth to read and understand the Scriptures by leading them from truth to truth with Scripture interpreting Scripture.
The imprisonment shows the reproach and persecution that comes when the message goes with a loud cry and the aggressive truth of God is carried forward. Taking a stand to stem prevailing iniquity brings opposition from those who do not love the truth. Obedience to God rather than man is required by continuing to proclaim the resurrected Jesus though He had been proscribed and crucified and though preaching was contrary to law and forbidden under threat of prison. The verse shows what comes to those who come out from the world and live separate from it. The world scorns them for not coming up to its line and may imprison them as Herod vexed certain of the church. One after another the servants of God have signed their witness with their blood, yet though enemies harm their bodies they cannot destroy their souls nor take away their hope and eternal life.
About that time Herod Agrippa I, distinct from Herod Antipas who took part in Jesus' trial and father of the Agrippa who later heard Paul, ruled Judea under Claudius while holding Galilee and stretched forth his royal power against the church to gain the favor of the Jews and secure his offices and honors. He was a professed convert to the Jewish faith outwardly zealous for its ceremonies and law, and his vexing meant spoiling the houses and goods of believers and imprisoning leading members, beheading James the brother of John with the sword and then imprisoning Peter also when he saw it pleased the Jews. The attack fell at Passover while the Jews gathered to celebrate deliverance from Egypt yet violated the law by persecuting believers, and Peter was held for a planned public execution to please the Jews and intimidate believers, delayed through the feast because the rulers feared his appearance and preaching might move the crowd to pity and demand his release. Human power could not prevent God from intervening because Peter still had work to do, so in answer to the united fasting and prayer of the grieving church He sent His angel to open the prison doors, loose Peter's bands, awaken him by touch and light, and set him free, though the believers expecting his death were astonished to hear his voice at the gate. The deliverance shows that God employs angels as powerful helpers and guides of His chosen messengers to strengthen them to stand fast and vindicate the truth, and that taking a separate stand for God brings reproach and even imprisonment and death, yet enemies can harm only the body and cannot destroy the soul nor take away hope and eternal life.
Herod's Attack on Church
The Herod of this verse is Herod Agrippa I, not Herod Antipas who had taken part in the trial of Jesus, but the one who had gained Antipas's throne and who was the father of the Agrippa who later heard Paul. He ruled Judea under the Roman emperor Claudius while also holding Galilee as tetrarch, and Herod itself functions as a dynastic title with the individuals distinguished by added names. He was a professed proselyte and convert to the Jewish faith and was outwardly zealous in carrying out its ceremonies and law.
He stretched forth his hands to vex the church in order to obtain the favor of the Jews and to make secure his offices and honors, carrying out their desires against Christians. Vexing the church meant using royal power to spoil the houses and goods of believers and to imprison leading members of the church. This included casting James the brother of John into prison and killing him with the sword by beheading, and then imprisoning Peter also when he saw it pleased the Jews. The attack took place during Passover, when the Jews were gathered to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt. While so gathered they violated the law they professed to honor by persecuting and murdering believers in Christ and stirring one another to hatred of Christians.
After James was put to death, Peter was held for a planned public execution intended to please the Jews and to intimidate believers. The execution was delayed during the feast because the rulers feared Peter's respected appearance and persuasive preaching might move the crowd to pity him. They feared it might lead the people to investigate the life of Jesus and to demand his release, with some also objecting that James's execution had been private and applauding a public spectacle for Peter. Agrippa continued his family's pattern of crimes against God's servants, and his persecution was followed by swift disaster showing God's displeasure. While exalting himself and boastfully accepting the people's praise as a god, he was publicly struck by God and died a horrible death.
God's Deliverance and Lessons
No human power could prevent God from intervening to save Peter, for he still had work to do. God showed His constant care for the true and faithful by sending His angel to deliver Peter in answer to prayer, opening the prison doors, loosing his bands, awakening him by touch and light, and setting him free. Heaven thus watches to see if the faithful will hold principle under trial. The deliverance illustrates that God employs angels to communicate with human beings and to be powerful helpers and guides of His chosen messengers. Men are taught of God through instruction often given by immortal messengers, who guide and strengthen Christ's soldiers to stand fast with the whole armor on and to vindicate the truth.
The persecution brought grief to the church, and when Peter was imprisoned the believers united in fasting and prayer. Prayers had been made in his behalf, yet they expected he would have to suffer death. They were astonished when they heard his voice at the gate. The account beginning with this verse, when read slowly and solemnly, makes an impression on the young mind that keeps the narrative vivid and shapes character more than older persons imagine. It shows the importance of teaching children and youth to read and understand the Scriptures by leading them from truth to truth with Scripture interpreting Scripture.
The imprisonment shows the reproach and persecution that comes when the message goes with a loud cry and the aggressive truth of God is carried forward. Taking a stand to stem prevailing iniquity brings opposition from those who do not love the truth. Obedience to God rather than man is required by continuing to proclaim the resurrected Jesus though He had been proscribed and crucified and though preaching was contrary to law and forbidden under threat of prison. The verse shows what comes to those who come out from the world and live separate from it. The world scorns them for not coming up to its line and may imprison them as Herod vexed certain of the church. One after another the servants of God have signed their witness with their blood, yet though enemies harm their bodies they cannot destroy their souls nor take away their hope and eternal life.