Acts 8:1 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Stephen's death, approved by Saul, breaks into open persecution that scatters the believers from Jerusalem across Judaea and Samaria, while the apostles remain.
What Does Acts 8:1 Mean?
Luke picks up the thread at the moment Stephen falls. Saul, the young man who guarded the witnesses' garments at the stoning (Acts 7:58), gave the killing his full approval. That death breaks into a general persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and the believers are driven out across Judaea and Samaria. Only the apostles stay behind.
Jesus had said His followers would be witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judaea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). It took a storm to move them into the second and third circles. The scattering that looked like defeat becomes the seeding of a harvest, and the persecutor named here will one day carry the name of Christ across the empire. God was not absent from the church's worst day; He was steering it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 8:1
What does Acts 8:1 mean?
Stephen's death, approved by Saul, breaks into open persecution that scatters the believers from Jerusalem across Judaea and Samaria, while the apostles remain.