Acts Chapter 12 describes a period of persecution against the early church. King Herod Agrippa I arrests and kills James, the brother of John, and then imprisons Peter with the intention of executing him as well. However, Peter is miraculously freed by an angel while the church is fervently praying for him. Meanwhile, Herod later gives a speech and accepts praise as if he were a god; as a result, he is struck down by an angel and dies. The chapter ends by noting the continued growth and spread of God's word.