Who was the Herod of Acts 12 who violently persecuted the church?

Today Bible Study:

Who was the Herod of Acts 12 who violently persecuted the church?

“Herod the king” of v. 1 was Herod Agrippa I, who reigned from A.D. 37 to 44 and was the grandson of Herod the Great. He ran up numerous debts in Rome and fled to Palestine. Imprisoned by Emperor Tiberius after some careless comments, he eventually was released following Tiberius’s death, and was made ruler of northern Palestine, to which Judea and Samaria were added in A.D. 41. As a hedge against his shaky relationship with Rome, he curried favor with the Jews by persecuting Christians.

He killed James the brother of John with the sword (v. 2). James was the first of the apostles to be martyred. The manner of his execution indicates James was accused of leading people to follow false gods (Deut. 13:12–15). He also imprisoned Peter and put him in the custody of “four squads” (v. 4). Each squad contained 4 soldiers and rotated the watch on Peter. At all times 2 guards were chained to him in his cell, while the other 2 stood guard outside the cell door (v. 6).

After Peter’s rescue by an angel, Herod “put to death” the guards who were in charge (v. 19). According to Justinian’s Code (ix. 4:4), a guard who allowed a prisoner to escape would suffer the same fatal penalty that awaited the prisoner.

Later, Herod came under the judgment of God. “On a set day” (v. 21), at a feast in honor of Herod’s patron, the Roman emperor Claudius, Herod came out “arrayed in royal apparel.” According to Josephus, he wore a garment made of silver. When the people began shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” we are told that Herod “did not give glory to God” (v. 22), the crime for which Herod was struck down by an angel (A.D. 44). “And he was eaten by worms” (v. 23). According to Josephus, Herod endured terrible pain for 5 days before he died.

©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE