Acts 8:3 Meaning and Explanation
“As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Saul ravages the church, entering house after house and dragging men and women to prison.
What Does Acts 8:3 Mean?
Luke sets two responses to Stephen's death side by side: devout men lament him, while Saul sets out to destroy everything he stood for. The word for 'made havock' is violent — Saul tears at the church the way a beast tears at what it has caught — and he spares neither men nor women.
Remember who this is. The man ravaging the church will shortly meet the risen Christ on the Damascus road and spend the rest of his life building what he tried to demolish. He never forgot these days — 'I persecuted the church of God' (1 Corinthians 15:9) — and he never got over the mercy that met him in them. No one is so far gone that Christ cannot turn him around.
Acts 8:3 in the Original Language
lymainomai (λυμαίνομαι), 'make havock' -- to ravage or devastate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Acts 8:3
What does Acts 8:3 mean?
Saul ravages the church, entering house after house and dragging men and women to prison.