Acts 12 - Introduction

Herod Caused Trouble For The Church Acts Twelve

Acts chapter twelve tells of the persecution that Herod led against the church. He made a great effort to hinder the progress of the church and to destroy the faith of believers. This Herod was King Agrippa I. He was the grandson of Herod the Great that slew the infants at the birth of Jesus. (Matthew 2:1-16)

King Herod caused terrible suffering and misery for some members of the church. He even ordered his soldiers to kill James with a sword. James was the brother of John. Herod also had Peter arrested and put him in prison. He intended to bring him before the people to condemn him but God intervened to save Peter. An angel of the Lord delivered Peter from prison.

After being delivered from prison Peter went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. The brethren were gathered there praying. They were astonished that Peter had been released from prison. He explained to them how the angel of the Lord had led him out of the prison. Peter sent word to James and the other brethren of his miraculous release from prison. When Peter was not found in the prison the guards were extremely worried and rightly so. Herod questioned them and then had them put to death.

After this, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while. While Herod was at Caesarea, the people of Tyre and Sidon came to him to try to make peace. "Upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them." The people said that Herod spoke more like a god than a man. God humbled him and struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Herod was eaten by worms and died.

God's message kept spreading as more and more people became Christians. The Bible also says, "Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark." (Acts 12:25)