Outline

I. Stephen’s Martyrdom Ignites Great Persecution and Scatters the Church
The stoning of Stephen unleashes intense opposition, forcing believers out of Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria while the apostles remain behind.

II. Saul Delights in the Destruction of the Church
This ambitious zealot consents with great pleasure to Stephen’s death, ravages the church house by house, and drags men and women to prison in his ruthless quest for power.

III. The World’s Hatred Fuels Relentless Assault on Christ’s People
As Jesus warned, the world hates His followers just as it hated Him; Satan now has a willing ally in Saul to pour out violence against the church.

IV. Scattered Believers Defy Persecution by Preaching the Word Everywhere
Driven from their homes, the fleeing Christians carry the gospel with them and proclaim it boldly in every new place they reach.

V. The Gospel’s Power Transforms Enemies and Expands the Kingdom
Despite the fiercest attacks, the supernatural message spreads, changes hearts, and will soon turn this bloodthirsty enemy Saul into the apostle Paul.

Bottom line: Persecution scatters the church, but the gospel advances victoriously as every believer becomes a preacher—turning even its deadliest enemies into its greatest advocates.

Scripture Reading

And we’ll be just reading the first four verses of Acts chapter 8. Once again, listen now to the reading of God’s holy word.

Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

Opening Prayer

O gracious God in heaven, we do rejoice and give thanks for Again, for the opportunity that we have to, once again, gather together here to hear your word, to worship, and we just pray that you, as we consider these few verses here this evening, that you would help us to understand, to see the truth that is here, to apply it, and to be challenged by it as we consider knowing the truth that where there is light, the darkness will be disturbed. and to put it lightly. And so we just pray, Father, that you would give wisdom and guidance, that you would bless your word to us here this evening. We pray all these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

Stephen’s Martyrdom Ignites Great Persecution and Scatters the Church

Well, at the end of chapter 7, we had the martyrdom of Stephen. And Stephen, remember, he was one of the men that was selected to serve as one of the first deacons in the church, in order especially to serve the widows. But obviously, the Lord had blessed Stephen with many gifts, and he was faithfully proclaiming the truth of the gospel to all those who would hear. But not everyone was pleased with his words and so he was put to death.

And so with the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 7, it really marks a shift in the whole book of Acts on a whole lot of different levels.

The Gospel Advances into Judea and Samaria

First, if you recall, for example, the outline that we’re given of the book of Acts, that these are the words that Jesus gave. when at his ascension, basically it’s the Acts version of the Great Commission. In Acts chapter 1 verse 8, Jesus says to the apostles, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

And so it was then 10 days later with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Well, then after that, there was the rapid spread of the gospel throughout Jerusalem. And the gospel spreading throughout Jerusalem really dominates the first section of the book of Acts from chapter 1 up through chapter 7. And the focus of that section has primarily been on Peter and John as they publicly taught and proclaimed the gospel, teaching that Jesus is the Christ in fulfillment of the Old Testament promises and declaring that he has secured victory over sin and death with his resurrection.

And of course, this message echoed throughout Jerusalem and large crowds not only came and heard, but were also converted. And despite opposition from the Jewish religious leaders and even some challenges from within, the gospel continued to spread. Again, just as Jesus had promised, the apostles were witnesses in Jerusalem.

But as we come to Acts chapter 8, many of these believers who were there in Jerusalem were now being forced out because of persecution.

And I want you to note how Luke is careful to repeat the main emphasis of the next section of the book of Acts. that people were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Again, he’s using the same words that were used in Acts chapter 1 verse 8. Begins in Jerusalem, but then also to the regions of Judea and Samaria. So this is the next section of the book of Acts.

And the scope of the gospel’s influence is now expanding to include not just the city of Jerusalem, but all of the regions of Judea, all the way to the south and even to the north, to the northern areas, including Samaria. And so the emphasis in these next chapters will take us beyond the city walls of Jerusalem, reaching into other areas, even into what was considered in some areas as Gentile territory. And they will still be, now of course, there’s still gonna be gospel activity in Jerusalem, since the apostles remain there, as we’ll see. But the reach of the gospel is rapidly expanding beyond the city walls.

New Witnesses Rise Beyond the Apostles

Well, the second shift actually began with Stephen in chapter 7. Initially, again, the focus was on the 12, and especially, as we mentioned, especially upon Peter and John and their public teaching, especially in Acts chapter 2 and Acts chapter 5. But now we see that the gospel witness is spreading beyond the 12. Yes, again, we’ll still read of the active ministries of Peter and the other apostles on up through chapter 15, but now we begin to see other names. Stephen, and then, Lord willing, next time we’ll consider Philip. And then, of course, Paul and Barnabas. all of whom the Lord used in various ways as a witness of the gospel.

And perhaps this is the significance of the comment here in verse 1, that all were scattered except for the apostles. So all the other believers left Jerusalem, the apostles there remained. their primary task, the apostles’ primary task that Jesus had given them, was to share the gospel with fellow Jews. And so despite the danger of persecution, Jerusalem remained a key to the spread of the gospel. And you think about, again, the many pilgrims that would come to Jerusalem in order to celebrate the various feasts, and Pentecost being one of those. And so the apostles were certainly taking advantage of these opportunities as these travelers were coming to worship at the temple. And so the apostles were remaining faithful to their calling. But they couldn’t be in two places at once.

And so the Lord then is raising up other witnesses to go to other places beyond Jerusalem to share the gospel. And so this geographic expansion of the gospel at this point will open the door for, of course, the ministry of the Apostle Paul, who will then take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Well, this shift also shows us that though the apostles were the leaders of the church, and that they were the ones who were the first eyewitnesses to Jesus and all that he accomplished, but now, and of course the foundation of the church was going to be built upon them and upon their witness, but now the Lord is raising up other faithful teachers, leaders, and witnesses so that the gospel could spread from one generation to the next. And with that, of course, the church, the kingdom of God on earth would also expand its territory. And so again, it’s all very purposeful and designed by the Lord that now we see this shift of these new leaders, these new teachers and preachers being raised up to go forth with the gospel. Because the world is a big place. And 12 men could not do it on their own.

Saul Delights in the Destruction of the Church

Well, the third shift that we see with the martyrdom of Stephen is the increased intensity and really the scope of persecution that is now breaking out against the church. Now, we know before that there was persecution. There was opposition to the message of the gospel proclaimed by the apostles. Remember, Peter had been arrested twice. He had been beaten at least one time, and an attempt was made to censor him and all the apostles. But of course this didn’t deter the apostles or the other believers, which of course only caused the persecution against them to intensify. And so with the unjust execution of Stephen, the persecution becomes severe and now, for the first time, deadly. Deadly for all those now who would call upon the name of the Lord in faith. so that they knew that just like Jesus, death could possibly come, not just imprisonment.

Luke notes here that this was a great persecution that arose against the church. So much so, again, that many fled Jerusalem because of it. And really there was no safe place as the church was ravaged by the Jewish leaders who were going house to house, right? So they weren’t content with just waiting for them to show up in the temple, but they’re going house to house throughout the city looking for Christians so they may persecute them.

Conversely, we see that they were dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. And the fact here that women were now also rounded up really, again, shows their commitment and their desire of these religious leaders to wipe out the church at all costs. And certainly putting them in prison was only until either they forced them to recant or until they silenced them completely by putting them to death as they had done Stephen. Now again, it’s hard for us to imagine the horror of these times, but we know that of course many of our brothers and sisters in other places throughout the world, even today, know this horror firsthand. The gospel provokes the most violent of enemies. But, even in this, we need to conclude that the words of Jesus are being fulfilled, that this is no surprise at all, not to be a surprise to us.

Jesus says in John 15, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love it so. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you. A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for my name’s sake, because they do not know him who sent me.

The hatred of the world for the truth of God and indeed the hatred particularly of Satan for God and all that belongs to the Lord has been greatly stirred.

But again, this was just the beginning. Satan has found a most willing ally. in pouring out his hatred and violence on the Church of Christ. And so now we are introduced to this key tool that Satan will use to rain down terror upon the Church of Christ. This would be the most vicious man who is seeking to advance his own standing among the Jewish leaders by taking upon himself the responsibility to personally promote and oversee the wiping out of the church and anyone who dare favorably mention the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

Well, this man, of course, was called Saul. And we were first introduced to him back in chapter 7, verse 58, as Stephen was there being stoned, being executed. This young man, Saul, he’s overseeing everything, all this evil. And he even guarded the robes of the executioners. And Luke now in these few verses of chapter 8 gives us another glimpse of this mystery man and really the evil that was not only in his heart, but that he was carrying out in his actions. So consider what we learn about this man and his character in verse 1.

You see that Saul was now, that he was consenting to his death. Consenting to the death of Stephen. And again, Luke is very careful and precise with his wording here. In fact, some contend that he was given a first-hand account of Stephen’s defense of his death. and of the spiritual condition of this man Saul, likely by Saul himself.

And Saul didn’t just consent or approve of the murder, Stephen, but he did so heartily, or literally it’s he consented with great delight, as the Greek word carries the sense. And think about that. What kind of man delights to put an innocent man to death? Saul could very well have been the chief of sinners because he delighted in the death of innocent men and women whose only crime was their profession of faith in Christ.

Saul’s Ruthless Campaign Against the Church

Secondly, we see that his name became synonymous with persecution. seeking to destroy the church and its members. And in a sense, we see here that he kind of takes on all the negative qualities that marked his namesake in the Old Testament. King Saul, as we read earlier from that example from 1 Samuel chapter 22. Saul persecuted David relentlessly, unjustly. And it’s clear that the New Testament Saul was the leader of this current effort against the Church, and he went to great lengths to carry out this mission, even as Saul in the Old Testament resorted to great violence in slaughtering the priest of God at Nob. And so with the Christians fleeing Jerusalem, Saul was committed to chasing them. Later he would say, or we would read in Acts 9, then Saul still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. So he’s breathing threats and murder. So he is killing people.

He went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them down to Jerusalem. So he wasn’t contented just clearing out Jerusalem, but he wanted to go even to other cities and go to those synagogues in order to wipe this movement off the face of the earth. And so he wouldn’t be pleased until all those who bore witness to Christ were imprisoned and put to death.

Thirdly, we see that he was ruthless and again, unrelenting in his pursuit, even driven by his own hunger and thirst for power and influence. As we noted, it didn’t matter whether they were men or women, Saul wanted to destroy them. He later would go on to write how this zeal actually led to his advancement in the hierarchy of the Jewish council. And that was his whole driving thing. He wanted to be somebody in the Jewish council. He was zealous. He says in Galatians 1, for you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. And so he was advancing, he was succeeding in what he set out to do. He wanted the power and the glory of being in this position of honor in the council. and he was succeeding by persecuting the church of Christ.

Leaving no stone unturned and no house unsearched, Luke tells us that Saul ravaged the church. And this zeal against Christ and the church, of course, then led to much injustice and bloodshed. So Saul truly was an enemy of Christ and the church. And again, we think back of righteous David being persecuted by bloodthirsty men, those who would seek his downfall as King Saul sought after him and persecuted him for no reason. He persecuted David. Well, here the young church is experiencing something very similar at the hands of another Saul. one who is just as depraved and vicious. And Luke is really building the case against this man that he was just despicable.

The Gospel Triumphs Despite Fierce Opposition

And yet, of course, we have the advantage. We know what’s coming. We know what’s coming later in Chapter 9, Chapter 10. But as we’re considering this at the time, no one knew what God had in store. And so in this regard, And we know that this great enemy of God and of Christ and of the church would soon be brought to his knees and would actually come to believe in the very one in whom he was seeking to destroy.

And so in this regard, the Saul of the New Testament comes to a very different end than the Saul of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, King Saul was killed on the field of battle, lost and alienated from the Lord. But the Saul of the New Testament will truly become a new creation in Christ, Jesus. And like Peter, when he first met Jesus, received a new name, Paul receives a name. He’s no longer referred to as Saul, but he is called Paul.

And he will be used greatly by Christ to further expand the gospel and the church. And so we see this spreading of the gospel even here, that despite the violent persecution, despite this wicked man Saul who seeks to destroy the church just to advance himself in his own career, the gospel continues to go forth.

And while the apostles remained in Jerusalem to continue on their ministry there, many others fled. And as they fled, they didn’t leave empty-handed. They took the gospel with them. And remember that it’s possible that those to whom James writes his letter were those who once were in Jerusalem, but are now spread to far reaches of the Mediterranean region because of this persecution.

And Luke notes here in verse 4, therefore those who were scattered went everywhere. They went everywhere. They went anywhere, across wherever they could get on a boat or hike on the road. Anywhere they could go, they went. But they went preaching the word.

And of course, this has been a great constant throughout history, despite the fierce enemies who rise up against the church and against Christ, despite all the souls, despite the Nero’s, despite the Romans, the communists, the jihadists, the secularists, the leftists, all these that rise up and that would persecute the church.

And yet there is no stopping the gospel. The gospel continues to grow. It continues to spread because it is a supernatural message that is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God that changes hearts. Drastic changes. Not only of those who stand by and observe, but even changes the wicked hearts of enemies of God, making them new creations in Christ, through the power of the gospel lived out in the lives of believers and faithfully proclaimed. Even to their dying breaths they went forth and proclaimed the gospel.

And what a great testimony to the power of the gospel that we believe and that has been entrusted to us all to the praise and glory of God.

Closing Prayer

Let’s pray. Gracious God and Heavenly Father, we do rejoice and give thanks for this important reminder. We know that as we would strive to be faithful in proclaiming the gospel, that opposition will arise, even fierce opposition and wicked opposition. And we pray that you would give us boldness, that you would give us the courage and the faith to stand fast. And that even we pray that someone who would rise up to persecute would themselves be brought to their knees, confessing your name in faith. Oh, what a wonderful thing it was when the disciples, the apostles would have heard the news that this one who had caused such terror and harm brought such havoc on the church. had come to faith in Christ Jesus, the very one whom he had persecuted. And Father, we just praise you and thank you for such transformations. We know that even we ourselves were once enemies and yet have been brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ.

And for that, we thank you and praise you. Again, Father, we just again thank you for our time together this day. We thank you for this day of rest and this day of worship. And we pray that you would help us to recall and remember as we head into the week that lies ahead, that we would remember these things, that we would remember these truths about the gospel and the importance of living lives of faith and proclaiming the gospel and sharing the gospel with those around us. That you would truly strengthen us and encourage us and bless our witness in this community. All to the praise of your glorious name. We ask now for your blessing upon us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.