A Series on Acts - #57
Speaker Notes
Acts 12:19b-23
Herod’s Death
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.
21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
The Antiquities of the Jews by Josephus (“The Works of Josephus, Complete and Unabridged” 1987 edition)
(The Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19, chapter 8 pages 523-524)
Section 2
(343) Now, when Agrippa had reigned three years over all Judea, he came to the city Cesarea, which was formerly called Strato’s Tower; and there he exhibited shows in honor of Caesar, upon his being informed that there was a certain festival celebrated to make vows for his safety. At which festival, a great multitude was gotten together ot the principal persons, and such as were of dignity through his province. (344) On the second day of which shows he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent at to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; (345) and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god; and they added, “Be thou merciful to us; for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to mortal nature.” (346) Upon this the king did neither rebuke them, nor reject their impious flattery. But, as he presently afterwards looked up, he saw an owl sitting on a certain rope over his head, and immediately understood that this bird was the messenger of ill tidings, as it had once been the messenger of good tidings to him; and fell into the deepest sorrow. A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner (347) He therefore looked upon his friends, and said, “I whom you call a god, am commanded presently to depart this life; while Providence thus reproves the lying words you just now said to me; and I, who was by you called immortal, am immediately to be hurried away by death. But I am bound to accept of what Providence allots as it pleases God; for we have by no means lived ill, but in a splendid and happy manner.” (348)When he said this, his pain was become violent. Accordingly he was carried into the palace; and the rumor went abroad everywhere, that he would certainly die in a little time. (349) But the multitude presently sat in sackcloth, with their wives and children, after the law of their country, and besought God for the king’s recovery. All places were also full of mourning and lamentation. Now the king rested in a high chamber, and as he saw them below lying prostrate on the ground, he could not himself forbear weeping. (350) And when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life, being in the fifty-fourth year of his age, and in the seventh year of his reign; (351) for he reigned four years under Caius Caesar, three of them were over Philip’s tetrarchy only, and on the fourth he had that of Herod added to it; and he reigned besides those, three years under the reign of Claudius Caesar: in which time he reigned over the forementioned countries, and also had Judea added to them, as also Samaria and Cesarea. (352) The revenues that he received out of them were very great, no less than twelve millions of drachmae. Yet did he borrow great sums from others; for he was so very liberal, that his expenses exceeded his incomes; and his generosity was boundless.
The Power of Prayer article in “Cooking Light” March 1997, page 20
The latest research suggests that prayer isn’t just salve for the soul – it may help keep your body healthy, too. “The vast majority of studies on the role of religion in health have found that the more people pray, the less prone they are to mental and physical illness,” says David Larson, M.D., president of the National Institute for Healthcare Research in Rockville, Maryland, and an adjunct professor of psychiatry at Duke and Northwestern universities. Studies have shown, for example, that among churchgoers, the death rate from coronary-artery disease is 50% lower and the suicide rate 53% lower than among people who don’t attend religious services.
Prayer may also reduce the adverse health effects of stress, and some studies suggest it might even help improve recovery from major surgery. For a group of 232 patients undergoing coronary-bypass surgery at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, strength or comfort from religious faith was the single most consistent predictor of survival. And the more religious the subjects were, the greater the protective effect: Of the 195 patients who said they were fairly, slightly, or not religious, 21 died within six months after surgery; however, all 37 patients who described themselves as deeply religious survived.
Studies like these have perhaps bolstered the medical community’s interest in the faith-healing link. According to a recent survey by the American Academy of Family Physicians, 99% of doctors believe there is an important connection between the spirit and the flesh. So if you’re one of the more than 60% of Americans who believe prayer should play a larger part in their health care, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a physician who agrees. “To someone in good health, this may not seem very important – but should the day come that you are facing a serious illness, your doctor’s sensitivity to matters of faith could be very important,” Larson says. “It isn’t always a doctor’s place to raise the subject, but he or she should be open to listening to you if your spiritual life is important to you and you want to talk about it. If your doctor resists that idea, you may want to change physicians.”
You don’t necessarily have to select a doctor who shares the same faith as you do, he adds. “You just need to find someone who is at least respectful of your needs and comfortable with your talking about your faith.”
“Emerging data suggest that God may be as good as Prozac in fighting depression – especially for older women.
In a 1988 study of 850 people over 60, two-thirds of them women, Dr. Harold Koenig, a psychiatrist and head of Duke University’s Program on Religion, Aging and Health, found a strong link between ‘intrinsic religiosity’ and well-being.”
Boston Globe Sept 23, 1996 article/link: http://www.boston.com/globe/search/stories/health/health_sense/092396.htm
Another study has found that smokers who go to church live longer than smokers who don’t. One researcher has summed it up: “If you’re a smoker, get your butt in church.”
Christian Century Jan 27, 1999 article/link: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_3_116/ai_53739113
“Planning on going to church this holiday season? That should be good for the spirit, of course – and perhaps also for the body. According to a study in Annuals of Epidemiology, people who attend religious services tend to be healthier than the rest of us.”
Parade Magazine Dec 21, 2008 article/link: http://www.parade.com/health/2008/12/stay-healthy-spirituality.html
Acts 12:24-25
24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.