The Death of the Apostle James

After the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, the apostles bravely testified about Jesus. Miracles were performed, and believers loved one another, which led many people to convert to Jesus. However, this also provoked more hatred, persecution, and opposition. Around four years before Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem, Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, who reigned from 41–44 AD, executed James, one of the twelve apostles, by beheading—a Roman form of execution. Among the twelve apostles, James was the first to be martyred for the Lord and the only one whose death is recorded in the Bible, thus fulfilling the Lord Jesus’s prophecy (Mark 10:39). Among Jesus’s three closest disciples (Matthew 17:1), the Bible records Peter’s ministry, John’s writings, and James’s martyrdom. Whether through work, writing, or martyrdom, all three lived for the Lord and were used by Him.

James’s original personality was quite fiery and quick-tempered. On one occasion, when a Samaritan village refused to welcome Jesus, he suggested to the Lord that they call down fire from heaven to consume the people who had insulted the Son of God, just as Elijah had done in ancient times to those who disrespected the prophet (Luke 9:51–54). For this reason, Jesus gave him the nickname “Son of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). However, through Jesus’s teachings and the transformation of the indwelling Holy Spirit, he became an apostle who was accepting and tolerant of others.

When James was harmed, God did not send an angel to rescue him as He did for Peter. Our fate is in God’s will. No matter what circumstances we encounter, there is a good purpose in it. We should simply entrust ourselves safely into His hands.