The Persecution Of The Church
THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
ACTS 8:1b-8
God used trouble and persecution to open up the next phase of his plan: he wants all people everywhere to hear the good news.
As a direct consequence of Stephen’s speech and its sequel, an anti-Christian outbreak scattered the Jerusalem church. Why were the apostles exempt from this (8:1c)?
Some slight relief comes in the record of the kindly action of some Jews (or Jewish-Christians, 8:2) who buried Stephen, thus showing their abhorrence of this deed. By stark contrast, Saul felt no such regret—or, if he did, he silenced the voice of conscience by redoubling his efforts against the church (8:3).
8:4-8 take the reader into Samaria, the scene of Christian activity under the ministry of Philip, one of the “seven” (6:5). Again it is the Hellenistic-Christian representative who blazes a trail of evangelism outside Judea, and it is a further step in the onward and outward march of Christ’s kingdom, according to the programme of 1:8.
“A city of Samaria” was probably Gitta, where, according to an early Christian (Justin Martyr, who was a native of Samaria), Simon Magus (8:9) was born. Some features of evangelism in such a situation are recorded: the proclamation of the message which centered in the Messiah (8:5); the evidential accompaniment of signs (8:6-7) both in exorcism of foul spirits and in bodily healings—note that these two aspects seem to be distinguished; and an upsurge of spiritual “joy,” as a direct gift of the Holy Spirit according to Romans 14:17; 15:13; Galatians 5:22.
Consider how far these features are to be expected today in the church’s evangelistic work. Are they in fact found in your church?
Notes 8:1: persecution leads to further expansion on the principle that (a) “the blood of the martyrs is seed” (Tertullian); and (b) dispersed Christians share their faith over a wider area. The Greek verb in 8:4 is the farmer’s word for sowing seed across a field. Collect some of the New Testament passages on the theme of sowing and reaping, like Mark 4; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Galatians 6:7-10; 2 Timothy 2:6. 8:2: “devout men” is a term usually associated with Jews (as 2:5; Luke 2:25), but occasionally it is used of Jewish-Christians (22:12). 8:3: “laid waste,” lit. “ravage” or even “savage”—the lexicon gives it in regard to a wild beast’s tearing at a carcase. There are four references in the epistles to Saul’s persecuting zeal. Can you discover them? One is given in the previous portion.