I just clicked open my Bible App and started reading: Peter was arrested and put under the guard of twelve soldiers, bound with two chains, behind a locked iron gate.  An angel appeared and led Peter out of his cell, chains dropped off, guards saw nothing, and the iron gate opened by itself.  I believe this is an accurate account of real events in history.  Do you?  Just before this account we are told, “It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.  He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword.  When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.  This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.” (Acts 12: 1-3).

Here are accounts by eye witnesses that James was slaughtered and Peter was miraculously delivered by angelic participation.  Can you see the dilemma presented?  James is killed unmercifully by Herod and Peter is delivered by an angel. Can you believe one and discard the other?  Would the writer mix fact with fiction?  Why would God allow James to die and save Peter, couldn’t He just as easily saved James?  We are told that the church was praying for Peter, in fact, Peter went to the place where they were praying, knocked on the door and they didn’t believe the door keeper.  Was this believing prayer, when the very thing you are asking happens and you can’t believe it? (Acts 12: 14-16).  Did they pray for James deliverance? Was their weak prayer even a factor?  Shortly after these events Herod was at an official proceeding where the people shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.”  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.” (Acts 12: 22-23).

Now, it is very clear, either one believes or rejects this in its entirety.  There is no parsing this account into truth and fiction. Much of the Bible has been confirmed by archeological evidence, but physical evidence is much less compelling than eye-witness testimony.  The Bible is full of such testimony, which holds up under scrutiny.  The witnesses are credible and there are no contradictions in the narrative, but God is invisible, His angels leave no calling cards, and His works often exceed the laws of nature.  God is supernatural, it’s only reasonable that His methods would be as well.

This is offensive to the worldly reasoning mind and to people who cannot accept anything outside the limit of their physical senses, but it is so by design.  It is God’s intention that worldly-wise people will not find the truth, while children and those with a childlike faith will.  Don’t fall into the deception that the Bible is a myth or fable.  It is  accounts of actual historical events, spiritual truth, and a supernatural revelation of God’s love and mercy toward us all.