He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.—James the son of Zebedee (one of the inner circle of apostles, Mark 13:3) is executed by sword (Greek: machaira, a short sword), a form of execution fitting governmental execution. His is the first apostolic martyrdom recorded in Acts; he fulfills Jesus's prediction (Mark 10:39) that James would drink his cup of martyrdom. The swift death-sentence shows Herod's ruthlessness and the stakes of Christian witness.

COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS

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