The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-03-16
Sunday. March II.

Acts 1Z:5-17.
Golden Text-Prayer was made
without ceasing Of the church
unto God for him.-Acts 1875.
Herod Agrippa l, nephew OF
Herod Antipas, and grandson OF
Herod the Great who sought to
kill the infant Christ, was liking"
over Palestine the last three
years of his life (41-44 ADJ.
To please the Jews he prosecuted
the church at Jerusalem, probab-
w on the pretext that the dis
ciples accepted Christ as king.
The first blow fell upon James.
son of Zebedee and brother of
John, who was slain not by Jew
ish stoning but by Roman sword,
being the first of the apostles to
suffer martyrdom. This so de-
lighted the Jews that Peter was
next thrown in prison, but he
miraculously escaped, as told in
our lesson today.
/. IMPRISONMENT
Deiiverance from Persecution
was the divine task in Peters
rescue. AS the target of Herod's
second blow at the apostolic
body, Peter was arrested and
lodged in prison. Since Passover
was in progress and he did not
wish to ruffle the surface sensi-
bilities of the Jews by an execu-
ton, Herod kept Peter in prison,
expecting to put him out of the
way as soon as the feast was
over. Meantime, Peters expected
martyrdom brought members of
the church at Jerusalem to their
knees in fervent prayer that his
life might be spared. Still, when
what seemed his last night on
earth arrived, Peter lay bound
with chains to the two soldiers
guarding him; he was confined
in a cell before which armed sem
tries stood; and there seemed no
possibility of escaping from a
prison whose locked gates were
strongly guarded and whose walls
were impenetrable.
2. RELEASE
'Deliverance by Miracle was the
divine method in Peters escape.
1t was probably between 8 and 6
a. m. when the fourth guard of
soldiers was attending Peter that
the delivering angel came. Amid
the light of his presence the
angel smote the sleeping apostle
and raised him up. Thereupon
the chains fell off his wrists.
Then at the angels words, he
dressed himself and followed his
deliverer, leaving the guards,
passing the first and second
wards, going out through the
iron gate which opened of itself
directly upon the street, and pro-
ceeding together a block from
the prison walls when the angel
disappeared. 1t took Peter a lit
tie time to realize that he was
actually at liberty and not in a
trance. Then he knew he was
out of the hands of Herod be-
cause he was in the hands of
God.
3. FELLOWSHIP
Deliverance Through 1nterces-
sion was the divine partnership
in Peters freedom. Anticipating
the execution of Peter, many of
the disciples were spending the
night in prayer at the houses of
Mary, the mother of John Mark,
a reltive of Barnabas, and doubt
less a .well-to-do member of the
church at Jerusalem. Possibly
Barnabas and Saul were present
in the prayer meeting that night.
Thither Peter went as soon as he
realized that he was at liberty.
He knocked at the street en-
trance to gain admittance. A
maid-servant named Rhoda Cor
Rosel answered his call; but
when she recognized his voice she
was so overjoyed that without
opening the door, she rushed
within and reported the presence
of Peter. At first they thought
Rhoda insane, and then that Pet
er's spirit was haunting them.
Meanwhile, Peter kept on knock
ing and at last the door was
opened and the little group filled
with ecstatic amazement at the
answer to their prayers. Notion
ing for all to be quiet and not
attract the attention of any SOL
diers who might soon be on the