480-481 : Peter Is Imprisoned
NOW about that time, Herod the king reached out to strike certain of the followers of Christ.
He had James the brother of John killed with the sword.
And, because he saw it pleased the people, he proceeded further to seize Peter too.
When he had arrested him,
he Put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him,
intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.
So Peter was kept in prison, but the prayers of the church were made unceasingly to God for him.
When Herod was about to bring him forth, that same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains.
And the keepers at the doors guarded the prison.
And, behold, an angel of the Lord came to him, and a light shone in the prison,
and he struck Peter on the side and raised him saying, "Arise quickly."
And his chains fell off his hands.
The angel said, "Dress yourself and put on your sandals."
He did so. Then the angel said, "Wrap your robe around you and follow me."
PETER ESCAPES
He went out and followed him.
But Peter did not believe that it was true which was done by the angel,
and thought he was seeing a vision.
When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that led into the city.
It opened to them of its own accord,
and they went out and passed on through one street, and then the angel departed from him.
When Peter came to himself,
he said: "Now I know as a certainty that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."
When he had considered this thing,he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose other name was Mark,
where many were gathered together praying.
As Peter knocked at the outer doorway, a maiden named Rhoda came in answer.
And when she recognized Peter's voice, her gladness was such that she did not open the gate but ran in and told the others that Peter was standing before the gate.
They said to her, "You must be mad." But she kept insisting that it was so.
Then they said, "It is his angel."
Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. But he, motioning to them with his hand to hold their peace,
told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.
And he said, "Go tell these things to the brethren."
And he departed, and went to another place.
Now as soon as it was day,
there was great confusion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.
And when Herod sought for him and did not find him,
he questioned the guards and commanded that they should be put to death.
BARNABAS AND PAUL ARE CHOSEN
Now in the church at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers,
Barnabas, and Simeon, who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene,
and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the governor, and Saul, who was also called Paul.
as they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,
"Set Barnabas and Paul apart for me for the work for which I have called them."
And when they had fasted and prayed together, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
So Barnabas and Paul, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit,
departed to Seleucia, and from there sailed to Cyprus.
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