Spiritual Survival Guide
8: Bible Studies for Inside and Out
Prisoners in the Bible: Peter in Prison
As we read and discuss what happens to Peter as he undergoes arrest, de- tention, release, and reentry, let’s see what God’s Word might be saying to us about those very things.
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1 It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festi- val of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of
When it comes to issues facing inmates and ex-offenders, this story about Peter hits the mother lode: cruel political games, people used as pawns, fervent prayer, God’s power showing up in the darkest places, release for the captives, the important place of the church, the confu- sion of reentry. A couple of background notes to the story. • The story takes place after the death and resurrection of Jesus. A new community of Jesus followers has sprung up in the city of Jeru- salem. A popular Jesus movement is surfacing, but this movement is seen as a dangerous sect by some in the Jewish community. • The Jewish puppet-king, Herod, is a cruel political creature, and is willing to persecute the Christians if it wins him political power. • Peter is one of Jesus’ key followers and the acknowledged leader of the Jerusalem church. • Ancient prisons were very different from modern facilities. Most of them were little more than temporary holding facilities for a day or two. The facility that Peter found himself in would probably have been maximum security for its day. Once a legal hearing was held, one of four outcomes normally happened: (1) charges were dismissed; (2) a fine was paid; (3) corporal punishment was im- mediately administered; or (4) capital punishment was immediately administered. There were some notable exceptions, but by and large, there was no long-term prison sentence behind bars.
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