In Herod's Clutches: Peter P/1

 

                                           A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                                 PART XII - I

"I, Peter, am once again in prison.... I could call it my home away from home.... For this is the third time that I have been put in prison... The first time I was put in prison was when the Lord Jesus healed the crippled beggar through me... The second time I was put in prison was after the tragic situation with Ananias and Sapphira... This time Herod put me in prison after he had put James to death... That is a very sad loss for the Church... It seems Herod is very worried that I might esape.... For he has arranged for four squads of four soldiers each to guard me... I wonder if this is because the last time I was in prison an angel opened the prison door.... Being so well guarded, I may as well have some rest...I am supposed to appear before Herod in the morning."... Pease read the typed out attachment when you will learn about James' death and Peter's subsequent arrest..... 

                        ATTACHMENT A WALK THROUGH THE BOOK OF ACTS

                                                                 PART XII - I

Soon after the Church in Jerusalem had begun to accept the fact that God loves Jews and Gentiles equally, she had to face some real challenges for the Apostle James was imprisoned and put to death as you can read in Acts 12:1-2

It was about this time that king Herod arrested some who belonged to the Church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.

When king Herod realised that the death of James was pleasing to the religious Jews he decided that he should take further action to remain in their favour. And he thought what he should do. The idea came to him that he should select Peter and have him put in prison for Peter was one of the main leaders of the followers of Jesus.

And, no doubt, it would really please the religious leaders if Peter were silenced. So he had Peter arrested and put in prsion as you can read in Acts 12:3

When he (king Herod) was that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of the Unleavened Bread.

But king Herod remembered that not so long ago when Peter and the other Apostles had been in prison they had somehow been set free and were found preaching in the Temple Courts the next morning. And rumours had it that this had happened because of an angel as you can know from Acts 5:17-20

Then the high priest and his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled wih jealousy. They arrested the Apostled and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. "Go, stand in the Temple Courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." At daybreak, they entered the Temple Courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

Be that as it may, he was going to make sure that Peter would not be able to escape prison this time, so he had him guarded by four squads of four soldiers each as you can know from Acts 12:4

After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him our for public trial after the Passover.

The night before the trial king Herod went to sleep totally at ease for he was convinced that even heaven could not help Peter because he was guarded by four soldiers at a time and that, therefore, his prisoner would still be in his prison cell the next morning.

Read Part Two HERE