(a) Explain how Herod opposed the early church. (b) Identify two consequences of this opposition.

Answer Details

(a) How Herod opposed the early church (Acts 12:1-19)

• King Herod (Agrippa I) laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church in order to persecute them.
• He had James the brother of John killed with the sword, making him the first apostle to be martyred.
• Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter during the days of Unleavened Bread.
• He put Peter in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard, intending to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
• Peter was chained between two soldiers, with sentries before the door, but the church prayed earnestly for him.
• The night before the trial, an angel of the Lord appeared, the chains fell off, and the angel led Peter out past the guards and through the iron gate that opened by itself.
• Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, where believers were praying, and reported his deliverance.
• When Herod could not find Peter, he examined the sentries and ordered them put to death.

(b) Two consequences of this opposition

• Peter was miraculously delivered by an angel, showing God's protection over His church, and the guards responsible were executed by Herod.
• Herod himself was struck dead: when he accepted the crowd's praise as a god and did not give glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him and he was eaten by worms and died, while the word of God continued to grow and multiply.