Through the Bible in One Year

Day 199

Acts 8:1b-8

We are going to see the persecution of the early church be ramped up and the leader of this persecution was a man named Saul (later called Paul after his spiritual conversion to faith in Christ).  This persecution was concentrated and severe.  Men and women were put in prison and beaten.  Many were put to death.  But yet God used this persecution to start the great missionary work of the church.  By God’s design, this difficult time was the beginning of the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission—his direct command to take his message to “Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  And as we will see this persecution brought out greater boldness in Christ’s followers as they “preached the word wherever they went.”

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.—8:1b-3

These verses transition from the defense of Stephen to the ministry of Philip.  This transition describes the outcomes of the three characters: the church, Stephen and Saul (later called Paul).  The church in Jerusalem was scattered by the persecution.  Stephen was buried with loud lamentation.  And Saul went a persecution campaign that must have been outside of Jerusalem, since the church was scattered.

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.—8:4-8

Though facing persecution, the church proclaimed the gospel.  While the opponents meant evil, God used their plans to move the gospel out of Jerusalem into Judea.  Luke highlights a man named Philip.  This Philip was not the apostle, who stayed in Jerusalem with the other apostles.  He was one of the Seven and one of those scattered, preaching the gospel.  He eventually reached Samaria, a region Jews considered unclean.  Signs were associated with Philip’s evangelism, like Stephen’s.  And the result was great joy.  And we will pick up from there tomorrow as we see Philip’s encounter with Simon the Sorcerer while Philip was in Samaria and the results that this encounter will have on growing God’s kingdom.

Tomorrow’s Bible Readings:

1 Chronicles 28-29, Romans 5:6-21, Psalm 15:1-5 and Proverbs 19:18-19