Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:

Oh, those apostles, men who were true witnesses of Jesus as He walked this earth, as John recounts concerning Him, "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life--and the Life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write, so that our joy may be made complete." (1 John 1:1-4). When they replaced Judas they requested these requirements, "It is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in among us-beginning with the baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us-one of these should become a witness with us of His resurrection." (Acts 1:21-22 & 26), and the lot fell to Matthias as he was numbered with them as the Holy Spirit fell upon them on that first day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-8).

That brings us to our question, "Which apostle was killed by king Herod?". The apostles worked many miracles among the people who then turned to the Lord, "And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number; to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets, and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by, at lest his shadow might fall on any one of them." (Acts 5:12-15). After Peter proved to the Jewish brethren that the Gentiles were to receive the gospel also (Acts 10:all & 11:1-18), the brethren that were scattered by the persecution of Saul started to preach to the Greeks so that great numbers of them were turning to the Lord (Acts 11:19-21).

Then king Herod began laying his hands upon some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them which pleased the Jews who had not turned to Jesus, "Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread." (Acts 12:1-3).

So there we have the answer to our question, as the apostle who was killed by king Herod with a sword was James the brother of John! The Lord says of men like James and Stephen, "…and others experienced mockings and scourging, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. " (Hebrews 11:36-38)-men of whom the world is not worthy! May we be ready to give our lives for the Lord!

But what of king Herod? God provides a physical punishment upon him, "And on an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. And the people kept crying out, 'The voice of a god and not of a man!' And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of the Lord continued to grow and be multiplied." (Acts 12:21-24).