Acts 8 1

Acts 8:1 kjv

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 8:1 nkjv

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.

Acts 8:1 niv

And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Acts 8:1 esv

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 8:1 nlt

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. Persecution Scatters the Believers A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.

Acts 8 verses

Acts 8 1 Meaning

Acts chapter 8 verse 1 recounts the immediate aftermath of Stephen's martyrdom, explicitly noting Saul's approval of his execution. On "that day," a widespread and intense persecution erupted against the Christian church in Jerusalem. This severe opposition compelled almost all believers, except the apostles, to scatter from Jerusalem throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.

Acts 8 1 Context

Acts 8:1 is a pivotal verse, acting as a direct bridge from the climactic account of Stephen's martyrdom in chapter 7. Stephen, one of the seven deacons, delivered a powerful and controversial speech before the Sanhedrin, ultimately being accused of blasphemy and illegally stoned by an angry mob. Saul, a zealous young Pharisee, is explicitly noted as approving this execution. This immediate sequence of events, from Stephen's death to the subsequent persecution, serves as the divine catalyst for the church's expansion beyond Jerusalem. Historically, the early Jewish Christian community faced growing hostility from within Judaism, seeing Christianity as a heretical sect, especially after the public proclamation of Jesus as Messiah and the teachings perceived as diminishing the Temple and Torah. This verse marks the systematic onset of this hostility and its unexpected outcome, setting the stage for the Gospel's journey from "Jerusalem" to "Judea and Samaria," as outlined in Jesus' Great Commission in Acts 1:8.

Acts 8 1 Word analysis

• Σαῦλος δὲ (Saulos de): "But Saul" or "And Saul." The Greek particle δὲ (de) marks a transition or continuity, emphasizing Saul's direct involvement. Saul's approval (συνευδοκῶν) isn't mere observation but hearty assent, signaling his active alignment with Stephen's executioners and his subsequent role as the chief persecutor. This introduction of Saul here links the profound spiritual testimony and mob violence directly to the primary agent of the upcoming persecution.
• ἦν συνευδοκῶν (ēn syneudokōn): "was in hearty agreement" or "was approving." The imperfect tense of ἦν (ēn) ("was") denotes a continuous state or an ongoing action/attitude – Saul wasn't just momentarily okay with it; he consistently approved. συνευδοκέω (syneudokeō) means "to be well-pleased with," "assent to," or "agree together with." The prefix συν (syn) ("with," "together") underscores his complete concurrence with the actions of the crowd, aligning himself with their anti-Christian fervor. This highlights his zeal against the early church, setting up his dramatic conversion.
• τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ (tē anairesei autou): "with his putting to death." ἀναίρεσις (anairesis) means "a taking up," "removal," or "slaying/killing." It refers explicitly to Stephen's violent execution, emphasizing Saul's full endorsement of this deadly act.
• ἐγένετο...διωγμὸς μέγας (egeneto...diōgmos megas): "there arose a great persecution." ἐγένετο (egeneto) signifies a distinct event, "it came to pass," "it happened." This implies a new, significant development in the narrative. διωγμὸς (diōgmos) specifically refers to systematic pursuit or persecution, often violent. μέγας (megas) ("great") emphasizes the severity, intensity, and widespread nature of this opposition, making it distinct from previous skirmishes. This marks a turning point from scattered arrests to full-scale suppression.
• ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ (en ekeinē tē hēmera): "on that day." This phrase points to the immediacy and direct connection between Stephen's death and the surge of persecution. It's not a gradual process but an instantaneous explosion of hostility following the public lynching of Stephen.
• ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις (epi tēn ekklēsian tēn en Hierosolymois): "against the church in Jerusalem." ἐπὶ (epi) with the accusative here denotes "against" or "upon," indicating the direction of the persecution. ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) refers to the assembly of believers, the early Christian community. The specific mention "that was in Jerusalem" limits the immediate geographical scope of this initial major persecution, but implicitly highlights that the spread will occur outwards.
• πάντες διεσπάρησαν (pantes diesparēsan): "all were scattered." πάντες (pantes) ("all") should be understood idiomatically as "the vast majority" or "all who were subject to the persecution," rather than literally every single Christian. The passive voice of διεσπάρησαν (diesparēsan) ("were scattered") indicates that they were acted upon, compelled to disperse. This scattering, often likened to seeds spread by the wind, despite being involuntary and born of suffering, providentially served to spread the Gospel message beyond its original hub.
• κατὰ τὰς χώρας τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Σαμαρείας (kata tas chōras tēs Ioudaias kai Samareias): "throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria." κατὰ (kata) here means "throughout" or "down into," indicating widespread geographical dispersal. This directly fulfills the second part of Jesus' command in Acts 1:8, moving the mission field beyond Jerusalem into previously culturally and religiously fraught territories like Samaria.
• πλὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων (plēn tōn apostolōn): "except for the apostles." This crucial exclusion signifies the unique role and authority of the apostles. They remained in Jerusalem, perhaps due to their divine mandate to be the authoritative leaders, central teachers, and coordinators of the burgeoning movement (Acts 6:2), or because they were initially not the primary targets of the persecution (which some scholars suggest was primarily directed at the Hellenistic Jews like Stephen who had caused greater controversy within the synagogues). Their continued presence ensured a central point of reference and leadership for the scattered believers and new converts.

Acts 8 1 Bonus section

The "scattering" (Greek: διασπείρω, diaspeirō) uses a powerful agricultural metaphor: seeds are scattered to grow. While the intent of the persecutors was to annihilate the church, the effect was its exponential growth and diversification. This demonstrates God's sovereignty over even evil actions, repurposing them for His ultimate good. The apostles remaining in Jerusalem suggests not a lack of fear, but a divinely ordained conviction to maintain leadership, serve as a fixed point for communication, and fulfill their role as the foundation of the burgeoning church. This early persecution was primarily Jewish opposition, distinct from later Roman state persecutions. It set a precedent for the church's enduring mission strategy: persecution often serves as the most effective means of global evangelism.

Acts 8 1 Commentary

Acts 8:1 is a watershed moment, marking the painful but pivotal transition of the early Christian mission from a solely Jerusalem-centric movement to a dispersed, regional one. Saul's emphatic approval of Stephen's death isn't just a biographical detail; it signifies the active instigation of a significant, government-sanctioned, or at least tolerated, campaign against the believers. This "great persecution," initially intended to crush the nascent church, ironically served as the providential catalyst for its rapid expansion. The scattering of believers, all but the core apostolic leadership, from Jerusalem across Judea and Samaria was not merely a survival tactic but a direct, though forced, fulfillment of Jesus' missionary commission (Acts 1:8). Thus, suffering became a surprising instrument for spreading the Gospel, demonstrating God's sovereign ability to transform human malice into divine good. For practical application, this verse highlights that opposition often opens new doors for ministry, and faithful endurance in suffering can lead to unexpected Gospel advancement.