Acts 12:1-3 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
Acts 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
The church is not a building! The early Jerusalem church had no building. The church is the blood-bought people of God who are believers in Jesus Christ. Even the unbelievers knew who the church was – or at least they knew who the leaders were. Herod wanted to vex certain of the church so he killed James. He knew who to get and how it would affect the Jews who did not receive Jesus as their Messiah. They were pleased that he would persecute the church by killing a prominent leader.
Herod did not know that killing a leader would not end the church. He also arrested Peter and would have killed him too, but he waited. However, James and Peter are not the heads of the church. Jesus is the head of the church. Killing church leaders is a tactic of the enemy, but it will not end the church. The church is lead by Jesus and he will raise up more men to lead when the current ones are gone!
The church’s response to intense persecution was prayer. They did not engage in a fleshly battle. They fought a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
The church appealed to the Highest Power on behalf of Peter. They prayed the prayer of intercession and asked God for his help. It was too late for James; he had gone to be in glory. Peter was still alive and they were going to fight for him! They took up spiritual weapons and waged a spiritual war on his behalf. This is the church! We are a body of believers who love Jesus and love one another. We are on a mission to get the gospel to every creature and to fight the enemy until Jesus comes!
In Christ,
Rody
