King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 16 notes
1Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
2And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
What exactly happened here we are not told.
What triggered this sudden onslaught against the church ⛪ we are not told.
Or maybe something happened and it was attributed to the Christians, or there was a Jewish riot in the temple due to some confrontation over doctrine with the Christians.
We are not told.
3And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. ( Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
So it pleased the Jews, so likely the cause of this fresh onslaught against believers had something to do with the Jews.
4And 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.
This kind of security for a nobody and harmless person like Peter.
This shows the kind of information and perception Herod had been given about Peter and the Christians.
It's also very likely that he knew the Christian population was quite large and Peter was the head, so he was a high-profile person.
5Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
6And 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.
Prayer was part of his everyday life... No wonder he could sleep a night before his death ☠... Likely he had committed himself to the Lord to do as he pleased 😌
He was sleeping 😴 between two ✌️ soldiers; that's quite unusual.
Peter was indeed thought a high-profile criminal.
He had garnered a large following that was teaching new things and championing a new religion; he could possibly start an insurrection.
This tight security protocol is standard procedure, I believe, for high-profile, hardened criminals.
God waited saa till the night 🌃 of his trial.
7And, 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.
Arise up quickly. But why the haste? Because he did not have all night. He could not suspend time, but could cause deep sleep or blind the eyes 👀 from seeing them.
I'm sure he was time-bound, because angels are not when supposed to in the physical realm.
Or maybe in all of this he was visible only to Peter.
8And 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.
9And 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.
Of course he thought it was a vision.
The turn of events was too unnatural to be real.
10When 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.
Did they walk through the people at the posts, or did they just walk past them without them noticing? Either ways, no wonder Peter thought it was a vision.
11And 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.
The Lord Jesus... Faithful to his word and ever with his children, came to the rescue of Peter.
Oh, how real he was to them, and even now he is so real.
12And 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.
So where were the men and husbands of these women?
Men in general were plentiful in the followers of Jesus, but I'm just wondering about the women and their husbands.
13And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
15And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
Maybe in their prayers they were expecting that when Peter is arrayed before Herod, mercy would be shown him.
Does that not therefore imply that we can be praying one thing and having a particular expectation, but God would answer differently or give the best answer to the prayers?
We indeed sometimes do not know how to pray as we ought 🙏, but the Spirit helps us.
16But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17But 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.
How God can astonish 🤯 us with the methodology he uses to answer our prayers.
18Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter.
Oh, I can imagine the scene, the confusion, the fear 😱 of Herod, and what he would think of such rubbish of an excuse.
Hm, maybe they took bribes, but...
Did they all take bribes, all sixteen of them? 🤔 Then this Christian sect has some really powerful people backing them.
All this still did not change the hardened leaders.
I'm sure some others of the prison guards 💂 would convert to Christianity, as happened in Paul's case.
God has so many ways of ensuring his word gets out there and people surrender to him.
19And 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.
20And 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.
21And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
22And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
23And 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.
Well deserving for the numerous innocent deaths.
24But the word of God grew and multiplied.
25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.