Acts 8:1-8
Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. 3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
4 Philip in Samaria
Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. 6 The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. 7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was much rejoicing in that city.
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Acts 8:1-8 Exposition
Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.
We return to Acts after some time spent preaching other texts and are reminded that the Deacon Stephen was stoned to death for proclaiming the gospel. Saul was found among those holding the coats of those who did the stoning, and unless we should think him naively unsure of what to do we are told that he was fully approving of what was done. Remember that this passage is both inspired by God but also well sourced as the human author, Luke was a companion of Paul (who was once this Saul) on his journeys and would certainly have had opportunity to hear firsthand the accounts of Paul's conversion.
This one sentence serves a purpose beyond the text we are examining here which is to establish the character of Saul and demonstrate the radical nature of his conversion later.
And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Persecution, like that of Saul and others served to disperse the believers and while the Apostles apparently remained in Jerusalem, many other believers were spread throughout the countryside.
2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.
It would appear by his burial by “devout men”that this burial was not by the believers but by some among the Jews who would bury even the bodies of the executed. However is Adam Clarke's Commentary is to be believed it also indicates that by their “loud lamentation” that he was not fully condemned by the Sanhedrin but instead killed by and unruly mob with the silent approval of those leaders who stood by and by their silence permitted this attack. If we are to learn anything from this it is that we should not stand by while evil occurs and then carry out services and mourning for its results. When there is opportunity to make a difference do what you can and then mourn if you fail, but do not stand by and do nothing and mourn the results
3 But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.
Saul by contrast is more active in his opposition to the Christ followers. He is described as “ravaging” the church, dragging off both men and women, obviously not discerning between leaders and those who associated with Christ but persecuting all alike, and imprisoning them. His zeal is recorded in his own account as he repudiates his former life and confidence in his own pedigree and works to claim his confidence in Christ alone. This is in Phil 3:2-11
2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.
7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
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All this to remind us that it is neither devotion or zeal which attains for us the reward given through Christ. All that we do is done out of gratitude. Our confidence is in Christ and in Him alone. Our devotion is to Him in Love and thankfulness and our zeal to worship and please Him.
4Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
Examine the history of Israel and you will find that persecution drove the Jews from their homeland and led to the dispersion of both Jewish religion and thought throughout the world. As a result there were Jews spread throughout the Roman Empire as well as other parts of the world. Again persecution would drive the church from being a local group to a Empire-wide faith and then as history would continue a global faith. Those who would suffer did not abandon their faith but instead spread it, proclaiming the gospel to be true for all, not just this one race in one place. In fact the earlier dispersion of the Jews would give them an audience in other places. They would find people of like ideas (worshiping the God of Abraham) as well as like nationality and language in the places to which they were driven. There are times when the means God uses to accomplish His plan is adversity. The thing that drives you straight into the place where He wants you to be could be through the loss of something you treasured. The persecution of the believers was not a punishment for any sin of theirs but the fulfillment of what Jesus had predicted when he promised that the world would hate those who belong to Him. But the result would be the expansion of His church.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.
Philip was among the dispersed and began preaching in Samaria, a place where Jerusalem Jews would have not likely gone given the choice. Yet the gospel is now expanding to those outside of the initial human boundaries. A person may take this opportunity to preach on the acceptance of those different from us, and indeed this lesson can be inferred, as long as one is clear that it was not a mere “I'm OK, You're OK” acceptance but instead a clear presentation of the Gospel that united these otherwise diverse people. The gospel of Jesus Christ and our common faith in Him is that which unites, not the worldly counterfeit of “tolerance.”
6 The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.
Obviously God is not bound by geography, race, or any human division. The miracles and signs which followed the Apostles and Deacons in Jerusalem continued in other areas confirming the truth of the message and the power in Jesus name. These signs gained an audience for the gospel and commended the message.
7 For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.
As before, evil Spirits, the condemned fallen angels which follow Satan, do not stand in the face of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit. If people are to be truly free of the deceptions and afflictions of the enemy of God and of our own souls it will be only through Christ. No other means can heal us of the disease of sin, the temptation to do evil, or the seeming need to serve only ourselves. Likewise we must ask for healing of both bodies and Spirits because a healed body without a saved soul and renewed (in the Holy Spirit)spirit is in the end no better off. Should we eliminate poverty, disease, war, or any other malady of people or society, and not bring them eternal life we only make comfortable those who will be lost. So we must do good, and with our doing good show the reason for our work, telling the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The proclamation of the gospel is the means by which the “saved” are known to be the “saved”.
8 So there was much rejoicing in that city.
The dual work of Phillip gained a reputation through the help given to the sick and afflicted and the effective preaching of the gospel. We will see as we continue to study that there is success in Phillip's preaching as well as the miracles.
