Acts 8 Part 1

Acts 8:1–4 KJV 1900

1 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. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

In Tertullian’s writings from the 2nd century, he famously stated, 'The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.' This suggests that even in extreme persecution, the Gospel flourished. As believers were imprisoned or executed, their bravery inspired others to embrace the faith, leading to growth within the early church. This historical perspective reminds us that faith can thrive amidst trials, challenging us to reflect on our own resilience in sharing the Gospel in a world that may not always welcome it.

The story of John Bunyan, author of 'The Pilgrim's Progress,' is a powerful reminder of preaching the Gospel under persecution. Imprisoned for over twelve years for his nonconformist beliefs, Bunyan continued to preach and write while incarcerated. His writings inspired countless individuals and spread the Gospel to many. This historical account showcases the resilience of believers facing persecution and encourages us to share our faith boldly, no matter the challenges we encounter in our lives today.

Jerusalem at this time is a pressure cooker, with the leaders piling on more and more anti-Christian pressure until it finally explodes with the death of Stephen: “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem.” It was “great” in the sense that it was much more severe and widespread than those in chapters 4 and 5, affecting all the believers and not just the apostles, and directed not just at silencing their witness but at eradicating their worship and the very existence of their movement. As we will see, it led to many having to flee for their lives. Moreover, it is also great because it initiates a lengthy time of persecution that will last years. In Acts, it continues in the actions of Paul, who is still conducting it when Christ reveals himself to him on the Damascus road (ch. 9). The result is that “all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.” The saints were forced out of their settled existence, thus fulfilling the prophecy of 1:8 that when the Holy Spirit came, the believers would become “witnesses … in all Judea and Samaria,” the first step in the worldwide mission. At this beginning stage, they remained in the towns of Palestine, probably moving in with friends or relatives in various places. The scene of chapter 8 flows out of this, as Philip went to Samaria and so started to witness there. Later he will move to Caesarea (8:40), and others will eventually be scattered to Lydda (10:32), Joppa (10:36), and “as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch” (11:19). What the Christ followers did not understand about the Great Commission, that it meant they would leave Jerusalem and Judea and go to the nations, the Spirit would help them to accomplish by sending this “great persecution” to scatter them out into the world. Grant R. Osborne, Acts: Verse by Verse, Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019), 149–150.

We are now at what I would consider the more familiar passages of scripture since most people have read or are familiar with Saul.

What is the first thing we learn about Saul?

Hint: It has to do with his thoughts toward the death of Stephen.

He approved of Stephen’s death.

The word for ‘consenting’ is συνευδοκέω (syneudokeō) and this verb means to decide with someone else that something is preferable or good. It means to join in approval.

Belinda Cheng and Robert Stutzman, An Exegetical Summary of Acts 1–14, Exegetical Summaries (Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2017), 231.

Notice the word ‘great’ it is the Greek word: μέγας (megas) where we get the English word Mega.

We use the word mega when we want to describe something that is enormous or extreme in size or scale.

This is the type of persecution that was taking place here.

Who was being persecuted?

The church.

Notice before the persecution was more aimed at the apostles, but with Stephen’s death it is now an open game to go after all the people in the church.

The idea behind the word persecution is not simply to cause trouble or imprison but it is the systematic process of hunting down and inflicting pain on those who oppose your religious beliefs with the ultimate purpose of destroying them.

Where was this persecution taking place geographically?

Jerusalem.

You might be asking yourself: is this all happening during the time of Nero’s persecution towards Christians?

No. Nero was not yet emperor during this time. This was most likely during the reign of Tiberius or Caius (Caligula).

Caligula means ‘little boot’ and was given to him when he was a boy by the soldiers since his mother gave him an outfit like a soldier and he wore it with the caligae (boots).

No, Nero was not emperor during Stephen’s death. Tiberius died and Caius became Emperor early in A.D. 37, and Stephen’s martyrdom has been put at this time.[1] More specifically, Stephen’s martyrdom occurred during the first half of the year 37[2], which was the very end of Tiberius’s reign and the beginning of Caius’s (also known as Caligula’s).

The dating of Stephen’s death remains uncertain among scholars. Some suggest an earlier date such as A.D. 32 or 33[1], while others propose that Stephen was not put to death before A.D. 35 or 36[3]. The challenge is that Luke probably had no exact date to rely upon and left the chronology of this section of Acts in intentional obscurity[1].

The political context matters significantly. Public stoning of Stephen and judicial murders of other Christians at Jerusalem could not have occurred under Pilate’s government, which lasted ten years and ended with his deposition in the year 37.[2] The priestly oligarchy conceived jealous hatred against the disciples of Christ, and an unscrupulous governor like Vitellius could find no cheaper means of gratifying them than the surrender of an unpopular sect to their will—making the martyrdom of Christians by Jewish zealots natural under these circumstances.[2]

So Stephen died roughly 27 years before Nero became emperor in AD 54, under entirely different Roman leadership and political conditions.

[1] W. A. Spooner, “Stephen,” in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church (2 Vols.), ed. James Hastings (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1916–1918), 2:526. [2] Frederic Rendall, “The Epistle of Paul to the Galatians,” in The Expositor’s Greek Testament: Commentary (New York: George H. Doran Company, n.d.), 196–197. [3] E. Goodrich Smith, “Was Peter in Rome, and Bishop of the Church at Rome?,” Bibliotheca Sacra (1858), 578.

Caligula is historically remembered as one of the worst Roman emperors, characterized by a brief (37–41 A.D.), tumultuous reign marked by alleged insanity, extreme cruelty, sexual depravity, and massive financial waste. While initial months were promising, he became a hated despot who humiliated the Senate, executed allies, and declared himself a god. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] Key details about his reputation and reign include:

Reputation for Madness: Caligula is often portrayed as a madman, with accounts suggesting he planned to make his horse a consul and once ordered soldiers to collect seashells as spoils of war.

Cruelty and Tyranny: He reportedly reinstated treason trials to execute political rivals and close associates. He was described as a sadist who took pleasure in others' suffering, including forcing parents to attend the executions of their children.

Extravagance: He emptied the treasury left by his predecessor, Tiberius, through excessive spending on personal luxuries and building projects, leading him to blackmail wealthy families for funds.

Divine Claims: He considered himself a living god, setting up temples for his own worship and allegedly dressing in the garb of various deities.

Political Context: Modern historians suggest that while he was a terrible ruler, some accounts may be exaggerated by ancient sources or biased by his conflict with the Senatorial class. His death was a result of a conspiracy by his own guards. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9]

Despite the, often scandalous, reputation, his reign saw some administrative efforts, such as the initial conquest of Mauretania. However, his unpredictable, often brutal actions, such as his alleged incestuous relationships and capricious killings, led to his assassination by the Praetorian Guard at age 29. [2, 3, 5, 9, 10] AI responses may include mistakes.[1] https://www.facebook.com/natgeo/posts/caligula-is-remembered-as-one-of-historys-worst-but-most-memorable-rulers-but-do/978469740317123/[2] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/caligula-mad-misunderstood-roman-emperor[3] https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/caligula.html[4] https://www.thecollector.com/emperor-caligula-madman-or-misunderstood/[5] https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-23455774[6] https://www.reddit.com/r/history/comments/cq9rpw/why_did_the_roman_population_riot_when_caligula/[7] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/26/opinion/sunday/caligula-roman-empire.html[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDmltGOtgNU[9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76zFzF3PSG8[10] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st07exSOdmI

Who was during the persecuting if not the Emperor and the Romans?

The Sanhedrin and people like Saul.

Though the bible does not name other people acting like Saul, I find it hard to believe that there were not more like him that may have served a similar purpose.

What was the Romans view of Christianity at this time?

They viewed it as faction within Judaism and at this time still generally tolerated Jewish practice.

Roman tolerance for Christianity shifted gradually across several centuries rather than at a single moment. Initially, Christians benefited from tolerance because they were perceived as part of Judaism, and only when their separation from Jews became evident did authorities begin to interfere with them[1]. By Nero’s time, the distinction between Christians and Jews had become clear in Rome, and Christians lost the protection that Jewish status had afforded them[1].

The transition from implicit to explicit illegality came through Emperor Trajan’s correspondence with Pliny. When Pliny sought guidance on handling Christians in Bithynia, Trajan ordered him not to seek out Christians but to punish those convicted before him—a pronouncement that made Christianity explicitly illegal for the first time, whereas previously it had been only implicitly so[1].

However, Roman policy remained inconsistent for centuries. Before the great Decian persecution, authorities generally did not initiate active measures against Christians[1]. During the third century, Christianity made rapid progress and was essentially treated as a legitimate religion[2]. The situation deteriorated dramatically when persecution became increasingly violent and widespread under the Roman Empire from 250–311, with emperors requiring sacrifices and declarations of “Caesar is Lord”[3].

The final reversal came with Constantine. Rather than continuing persecution, tolerance was granted to Christians and persecution ended in 311[3]. Yet this brought an ironic transformation: Christians had been persecuted as a threat to Roman pluralism and tolerance, but Constantine’s official recognition of Christianity eventually replaced that pluralism with Christian predominance, resulting in persecution of non-Christians[4].

[1] Walter Frederic Adeney, “TOLERATION,” in Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, ed. James Hastings, John A. Selbie, and Louis H. Gray (Edinburgh; New York: T. & T. Clark; Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1908–1926), 12:361. [2] T. Lewis, “Persecution,” in Dictionary of the Apostolic Church (2 Vols.), ed. James Hastings (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1916–1918), 2:180. [3] Jessica Parks, “The Early Church Is Persecuted,” in Church History Themes, ed. Zachariah Carter (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2022). [See here, here.] [4] A. James Reimer, Christians and War: A Brief History of the Church’s Teachings and Practices, Facets Series (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2010), 69–70.

What happened to the many Christians in Jerusalem?

They were forced to scatter to Judaea and Samaria.

The Apostles and devout men (probably men like the deacons) would stay to bury Stephen.

What word does Luke use to describe the actions of Saul toward the church?

Havock.

The Greek word here λυμαίνω (lymainō) literally means to ‘utterly ruin’ or ‘to lay waste to’. The language implies that Saul was not simply arresting people and doing harm to them but led a campaign of systematic devastation that completely destroyed church communities.

The word used to describe Saul implies that his actions were not isolated incidents but a portrait of a violent and cruel persecutor.

The word for ‘haling’ means to literally ‘pull’ or ‘drag’.

Did great persecution stop the preaching of God’s Word?

No. The Apostles continued to preach the Word.

Where did Philip go?

Samaria.

What is significant about Samaria?

There was animosity between the Jews and Samaritans.

Yes, the animosity between Jews and Samaritans that Philip encountered was the same longstanding quarrel that had existed for centuries. This bitterness and animosity between the two groups extended back to very early times, as evidenced by Jesus’s interaction with a Samaritan woman who remarked that “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”[1]

The roots of this conflict ran deep. Jews viewed Samaritans as racial and religious half-breeds, a result of intermingling between Jews and foreign settlers after Assyrian policy following the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC.[1] Although reconciliation was attempted after the Babylonian exile around 500 BC, the split widened when Samaritans erected a temple on Mount Gerizim as a rival to the restored temple in Jerusalem.[1]

By the time Philip arrived in Samaria, Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies, and this was no passing antipathy.[2] For nationalistic Jews, Samaritans were actually considered worse than Gentiles.[2] The mutual hatred was so intense that Samaritans refused Jesus and the disciples accommodation, prompting James and John to call down judgment upon them.[2]

What made Philip’s mission remarkable was that he deliberately crossed this ancient divide. Philip’s Samaritan mission was a bold action, signaling the move of the Christian faith beyond the confines of orthodox Judaism.[1] His willingness to preach to people whom most Jews despised represented a radical break from prevailing attitudes—one that Jesus had already modeled but which still challenged the sensibilities of Jewish Christian leaders.

[1] Manfred T. Brauch, “Acts of the Apostles, Book of The,” in Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1:20. [2] Bruce Milne, The Acts of the Apostles: Witnesses to Him ... to the Ends of the Earth, Focus on the Bible Commentary (Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 2010), 182–183.

How did the Samaritans respond to the gospel?

They received and believed on Christ.

Philip’s journey to Samaria was very prosperous and many people came to Christ and a great spiritual awakening was happening during his time there.

Who else in Samaria believed?

Simon.

What was Simon known for in Samaria?

Sorcery.

Now we all probably believe that sorcery and magic are superstitious fantasies that someone made up and that nothing is possible outside our realm of reality.

Personally, I view the bible from a more medieval perspective and interpretation in that I believe sorcery and magic are real supernatural powers.

Remember the Egyptian magicians were able to replicate some of the miracles of Moses such as; turning the rods to serpents, transforming the water to blood, and producing frogs, but they ultimately failed at producing lice and were incapacitated with boils.

The Bible treats sorcery as possessing genuine supernatural power rather than mere superstition or delusion. Magic and sorcery are not always mere superstitions, but have a reality behind them.[1] This represents a critical distinction—the biblical perspective acknowledges that sorcerers genuinely access supernatural forces, which is precisely why they are condemned so severely.

The reality of sorcerous power appears throughout Scripture in concrete examples. The invocation of Samuel’s spirit by Saul, the witchcrafts of Queen Jezebel, and the doings of King Manasseh[2] demonstrate that these practices produced actual results, not imaginary ones. The Bible’s concern was not that sorcery was fake, but that it involved an employment of demonic power in the service of men, and is therefore regarded as a gross sin against God because the Christian should trust in God alone.[3]

However, the Bible’s treatment of sorcery contains an important nuance. While acknowledging sorcery’s reality, Scripture insists that Jehovah alone has power to bless and curse, and the blessings and curses of men have no efficacy save as he gives it to them.[4] This means sorcery operates within divinely permitted boundaries—it is real but subordinate to God’s authority. Magic and sorcery must be resisted and overcome through the power of God in the name of Jesus Christ.[1] The biblical stance is therefore neither skepticism about sorcery’s power nor acceptance of it as autonomous—rather, it affirms sorcery’s reality while denying its ultimate authority over those under God’s protection.

[1] E. E. Ellis, “Magi,” in New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood et al. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 713. [2] Isidore Singer, ed., in The Jewish Encyclopedia: A Descriptive Record of the History, Religion, Literature, and Customs of the Jewish People from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, 12 Volumes (New York; London: Funk & Wagnalls, 1901–1906), 11:597. [3] Samuel Macauley Jackson, ed., in The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (New York; London: Funk & Wagnalls, 1908–1914), 11:6. [4] H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Deuteronomy, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), 437.

Queen Jezebel was the principal figure who introduced sorcery to the Israelites[1], though the biblical record provides limited detail about her specific accomplishments through these practices. Jezebel promoted “harlotries and sorceries”[2], and she had enough material resources to support the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah at her table[3]. Her power derived from both her Phoenician royal lineage and her position as queen, which enabled her to advance pagan religious practices throughout Israel, though the texts do not detail specific supernatural accomplishments attributed to her sorcery.

King Manasseh engaged in multiple forms of occult practice. He burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers[4]. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it[5]. However, the attempt by the ancient Israelites and others to use black magic, sorcery, and witchcraft to control people, events, and the spiritual world was useless. God Almighty sovereignly controls all these realms. In the end, the Babylonians, the Ninevites, and evil Jezebel were all destroyed by the Lord because they sought to control their world with sorcery and black magic, instead of humbly turning to God and submitting themselves to His purposes[1].

Regarding the woman in Acts, the girl had “a spirit by which she predicted the future” and was indeed possessed of an evil spirit, as a result of which she was able to earn a great deal of money for her exploitative masters[6]. The ability of evil spirits (demons) to predict the future with convincing accuracy, although they are not omniscient, is due to their ability to secure information via their vast numbers scattered throughout the world[7]. Her predictive abilities were genuine enough to generate substantial profit, demonstrating that demonic spirits possessed real knowledge of future events.

[1] Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, in Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 209. [2] John R. Yeatts, Revelation, Believers Church Bible Commentary (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2003), 368. [3] Gale A. Yee, “Jezebel (Person),” in The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, ed. David Noel Freedman (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 3:849. [4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025). [See here.] [5] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible (Denmark: Thomas Nelson, 2019). [See here.] [6] Gordon J. Keddie, You Are My Witnesses: The Message of the Acts of the Apostles, Welwyn Commentary Series (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press, 2000), 189. [7] William H. Baker, “Acts,” in Evangelical Commentary on the Bible, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1995), 3:909.

What happens in verse 14?

Peter and John come from Jerusalem.

We are about to hit a hard verse. You see and know it. I hope that I do well with interpreting it so we can all understand.

What does verse 16 mean?

First and foremost, we must all remember one thing. The book of Acts is a transitional book. Meaning that it is unique in the way in which it is given.

How many of you have been to an ordination service?

First, it is good to remember the book of Acts is a history of how God started the church. It is the record of the transition between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, and much of what we see in Acts relates to that transition. The Samaritans’ manner of receiving the Spirit should be taken for what it is—an accurate account of what happened in their case. It should not be construed as normative in every case. The believing Samaritans had been baptized in water, but, for God’s own reasons, they had not yet been baptized in the Spirit. Second, we should note that the Spirit did come upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:14–17), but not until the apostles Peter and John were present. There are some good reasons why God waited until Peter and John were present before He sent the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritans: 1) Jesus had given Peter the “keys to the kingdom” (Matthew 16:19). Peter was present—and was the main spokesman—at Pentecost (Acts 2), when the Spirit was given to the Jews. Peter was present in Samaria (Acts 8), when the Spirit was given to the Samaritans. And Peter was present in Cornelius’s house (Acts 10), when the Spirit was given to the Gentiles. Jesus used Peter to “open the door” to each of these people groups. 2) The church was to be “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20). Philip the evangelist had been a deacon in the Jerusalem church, but he was not one of the twelve apostles. Peter and John needed to be in Samaria for the “official” start of the Samaritan church, just as they had been in Jerusalem for the start of the Jewish church. 3) The presence of Peter and John kept the early church unified. Remember, there was great animosity between Jews and Samaritans (John 4:9). If the church in Samaria had begun on its own, with no connection to the “Jewish” church, the church in Jerusalem would never have accepted it. The Samaritans were known historically as corruptors of Judaism (John 4:20). So God made sure that Peter and John, apostles and Jews from Jerusalem, were present to witness the gift of the Spirit given to the Samaritans. God’s message: the church in Samaria was no heretical start-up. The Samaritans were part of the same church that had been started in Jerusalem, and they were filled with the same Spirit (see Galatians 3:28). Peter and John were eyewitnesses. Their testimony was clear: what happened in Samaria was not a separate religious movement. In this way, God prevented the early church from immediately dividing into different sects.

https://www.gotquestions.org/Acts-8-receive-Holy-Spirit.html

What did Simon try to do when he saw the Apostles lay hands on the people?

He tried to buy the Holy Spirit with money.