Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and lamented greatly over him. But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.
Show the surrounding paragraph
Acts 8:1-3 sits inside this longer paragraph.
Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and lamented greatly over him. But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison. Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ. The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip when they heard and saw the signs which he did. For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. There was great joy in that city.
Parallel Translations
-
Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.
Devout men buried Stephen and lamented greatly over him.
But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.
-
Saul had pleasure in his deeth. And at that tyme there was a great persecucion agaynst the congregacion which was at Ierusalem and they were all scattered abroade thorowout the regions of Iury and Samaria except the Apostles.
Then devout men dressed Steven and made great lamentacion over him.
But Saul made havocke of the congregacion entrynge into every housse and drewe out bothe man and woman and thrust the into preson.
Show all 3 translations
-
And Saul consented to his death, and at that time, there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Hierusalem, and they were all scattered abroad thorowe the regions of Iudea and of Samaria, except the Apostles.
Then certaine men fearing God, caried Steuen amongs them, to be buried, and made great lamentation for him.
But Saul made hauocke of the Church, and entred into euery house, and drewe out both men and women, and put them into prison.
Cross-references (56)
- Acts 22:20 (v1) When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who…
- Daniel 3:16-18 (v1) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If it happens, our God…
- 1 Timothy 1:13 (v3) although I used to be a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
- Acts 7:58 (vv1, 3) They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
- Acts 5:40 (v1) They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
Show all 55 cross-references
- 1 Corinthians 15:9 (v3) For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
- Galatians 1:13 (v3) For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and…
- Philippians 3:6 (v3) concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
- Luke 11:49-50 (v1) Therefore also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill and persecute, that the…
- Acts 1:8 (v1) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and…
- Acts 5:33 (v1) But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and were determined to kill them.
- Exodus 10:28-29 (v1) Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!” Moses said, “You…
- Acts 8:14 (v1) Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
- Genesis 50:10-11 (v2) They came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they lamented with a very great and severe lamentation. He…
- John 15:20 (v1) Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If…
- Acts 8:4 (v1) Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.
- Acts 9:21 (v3) All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here…
- Acts 9:31 (v1) So the assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the…
- Acts 22:19 (v3) I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.
- Genesis 23:2 (v2) Sarah died in Kiriath Arba (also called Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her.
- Numbers 20:29 (v2) When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.
- Deuteronomy 34:8 (v2) The children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses were ended.
- 1 Samuel 28:3 (v2) Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. Saul had sent away those who had…
- 2 Samuel 3:31 (v2) David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front…
- 2 Chronicles 32:33 (v2) Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David. All Judah and the inhabitants of…
- 2 Chronicles 35:25 (v2) Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made…
- Nehemiah 6:3 (v1) I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and…
- Isaiah 57:1-2 (v2) The righteous perish, and no one lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and no one considers that the righteous is taken away from…
- Jeremiah 22:10 (v2) Don’t weep for the dead. Don’t bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he will return no more, and not see his native…
- Jeremiah 22:18 (v2) Therefore Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They won’t lament for him, saying, ‘Ah my brother!’ or, ‘Ah…
- Daniel 6:10 (v1) When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he…
- Daniel 6:23 (v1) Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den,…
- Matthew 5:13 (v1) “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be…
- Matthew 10:25-28 (v1) It is enough for the disciple that he be like his teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the master of the house…
- Matthew 22:6 (v1) and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.
- Luke 2:25 (v2) Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and…
- John 4:39-42 (v1) From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me everything that I did.”…
- John 11:31-35 (v2) Then the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed…
- John 16:2 (v1) They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.
- Acts 2:5 (v2) Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky.
- Acts 2:47 (v1) praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
- Acts 5:18 (v1) and laid hands on the apostles, then put them in public custody.
- Acts 5:20 (v1) “Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”
- Acts 9:1-13 (v3) But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked for letters from him…
- Acts 10:2 (v2) a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.
- Acts 11:19-22 (v1) They therefore who were scattered abroad by the oppression that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,…
- Acts 13:1 (v1) Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,…
- Acts 22:3-4 (v3) “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict…
- Acts 26:9-11 (v3) “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. I also did this in Jerusalem. I…
- Philippians 1:12 (v1) Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News,
- Hebrews 11:27 (v1) By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
- James 2:6 (v3) But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?
- Matthew 23:34 (v1) Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge…
- Acts 7:38 (v1) This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received…
- Acts 7:54 (v1) Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.
55 distinct cross-references across this passage (56 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (33 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv1–3 1. At that day. The persecution began at Stephen,…
1. At that day. The persecution began at Stephen, after that, when their madness was thereby set on fire, it waxed hot against all, both one and other. For the wicked are like brute beasts, for when they have once tasted blood they are more desirous thereof, and become more cruel through committing murder. For Satan, who is the father of all cruelty, doth first take from them all feeling of humanity when they are once imbrued with innocent blood; that done, he stirreth up in them an unquenchable thirsting after blood, whence those violent assaults to commit murder come; so that when they have once begun, they will never make an end with their will. Moreover, when they have power once granted them to do hurt, their boldness increaseth in tract of time, so that they are carried headlong more immoderately, which thing Luke also noteth when he saith, The persecution was great. Undoubtedly the Church had but small rest before, neither was it free from the vexation of the wicked; but the Lord spared his for a time, that they might have some liberty, and now they began to be sorer set on.
These things must be applied unto our time also. If the furiousness of our enemies seem at any time to be as it were fallen on sleep, so that it casteth not out flames far, let us know that the Lord provideth for our weakness; yet, let us not in the mean season imagine that we shall have continual truce, but let us be in readiness to suffer sorer brunts, as often as they shall break out suddenly. Let us also remember, that if at any time the constancy of one man have whetted the cruelty of our enemies, the blame of the evil is unjustly ascribed to him. For Luke doth not defame Stephen, when as he saith, that by means of him the Church was sorer vexed than before; but he rather turneth this to his praise, because he did valiantly, as the standard-bearer, encourage others with his example to fight courageously. When he calleth it the Church which was at Jerusalem, his meaning is not that there were Churches elsewhere, but he passeth over unto these things which ensued thereupon. For whereas there was but this one only body of the godly in all the world, it was rent in pieces through flight; yet there sprung up more Churches by and by of those lame members which were dispersed here and there, and so the body of Christ was spread abroad far and wide, whereas it was before shut up within the walls of Jerusalem,
Read full note →
They were all scattered abroad. It is certain that they were not all scattered abroad, but the Scripture useth an universal note, for that which we say, Every where or abroad. The sum is this, that not only a few were in danger; because the cruelty of the enemies raged throughout the whole Church. Many do oftentimes take themselves to their feet, through faintness of heart, even when they hear any light rumor, but these are in another case. For they fled not unadvisedly, being discouraged, but because they saw no other means to pacify the fury of the adversaries. And he saith, that they were scattered not only through divers places of Judea, but that they came even unto Samaria; so that the middle wall began to be pulled down, which made division between the Jews and the Gentiles, (Ephesians 2:14.) For the conversion of Samaria was, as it were, the first fruits of the calling of the Gentiles. For although they had circumcision, as had the people of God, yet we know that there was great dissension, and that not without great cause, forasmuch as they had in Samaria only a forged worship of God, as Christ affirmeth, because it was only an unsavory emulation. Therefore God set open the gate for the gospel then, that the scepter of Christ, sent out of Jerusalem, might come unto the Gentiles. He exempteth the apostles out of this number, not that they were free from the common danger, but because it is the duty of a good pastor to set himself against the invasions of wolves for the safety of his flock.
But here may a question be asked, forasmuch as they were commanded to preach the gospel throughout the whole world, (Mark 16:16,) why they stayed at Jerusalem, even when they were expelled thence with force and hand? I answer, that seeing Christ had commanded them to begin at Jerusalem, they employed themselves there until such time as being brought into some other place by his hand, they might know, for a surety, that he was their guide. And we see how fearfully they proceeded to preach the gospel; not that they foreslowed [shunned] that function which was enjoined them, but because they were amazed at a new and unwonted thing. Therefore, seeing they see the gospel so mightily resisted at Jerusalem, they dare go to no other place until such time as they have broken that first huge heap of straits. Assuredly, they provide neither for their ease, nor yet for their own commodities either for being void of care by staying at Jerusalem; for they have a painful charge, they are continually amidst divers dangers they encounter with great troubles. Wherefore, undoubtedly, they are purposed to do their duty; and especially, whereas they stand to it when all the rest fly, that is an evident testimony of valiant constancy. If any man object that they might have divided the provinces amongst them, that they might not all have been occupied in one place, I answer, that Jerusalem alone had business enough for them all.
In sum, Luke reckoneth up this as a thing worthy of praise, that they followed not the rest into voluntary exile to avoid persecution; and yet he doth not reprehend the flight of those men whose state was more free. For the apostles did consider what particular thing their calling had; to wit, that they should keep their standing, seeing the wolves did invade the sheepfold. The rigor of Tertullian, and such like, was too great, who did deny indifferently that it is lawful to fly for fear of persecution. Augustine saith better, who giveth leave to fly in such sort that the churches, being destitute of their pastors, be not betrayed into the hands of the enemies. This is surely the best moderation, which beareth neither too much with the flesh, neither driveth those headlong to death who may lawfully save their lives. Let him that is disposed read the 180th Epistle to Honoratus.
That I may return to the apostles, if they had been scattered here and there with fear of persecution, even at the beginning, all men might have rightly called them hirelings. How hurtful and filthy had the forsaking of the place been at the present time? How greatly would it have discouraged the minds of all men? What great hurt should they have done with their example among the posterity? It shall sometimes so fall out indeed, that the pastor may also fly; that is, if they invade him alone, if the laying waste of the Church be not feared if he be absent. But and if both his flock and he have to encounter with the adversary, he is a treacherous forsaker of his office if he stand not stoutly to it even until the end. Private persons have greater liberty.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv1–3 Christ useth the rage of his enemies to the…
Christ useth the rage of his enemies to the spreading forth and enlarging of his kingdom.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv1–3 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a…
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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.
Read full note →
Ver. 1. And Saul, &c.] It is all one to hold the sack and to fill it, to do evil or to consent to it.
And Saul was consenting to his death] Gr. αναιρεσει, "to his murder;" for it was no better, Act 12:2; Act 5:33. Damnari, dissecari, suspendi, decollari, piis cum impiis sunt communia. Varia sunt hominum iudicia: ille faelix qui iudice Deo absolvitur, saith Erasmus concerning Berquin, the martyr, burnt in Germany. Dorotheus witnesseth, that when Stephen was stoned, there were 2000 other believers put to death the same day. Certain it is, that after Mr Rogers had broken the ice here under Queen Mary, there suffered in like sort, one archbishop, four bishops, 21 divines, eight gentlemen, 84 craftsmen, 100 farmers, servants, and labourers, 26 wives, 20 widows, nine virgins, two boys, and two infants; in all 277. Some say a great many more.
And they were all scattered] To the Church’s great advantage, which, like the sea, what ground it loseth in one place, it getteth in another. So at Melda in France (10 miles from Paris), Brissonet, the bishop thereof, desirous of a reformation, put away the monks and called in the help of various godly ministers. But being persecuted by the Sorbonists, he soon fell off from the profession of the truth; and those good ministers (Faber, Farelhs, Ruffus, and others) were driven into various other places of France, where they planted various churches; the destruction of one being the edification of many. {a} Farellus, one of those afore mentioned ministers, was God’s instrument of gaining the inhabitants of Geneva, Lausanne, Novocoma, &c.
{a} Unius Ecclesiae destructio multarum fuit aedificatio. Scultet. Annal.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv1–3 Consenting unto his death; well pleased with it, (as…
Consenting unto his death; well pleased with it, (as the word implies), and did approve it in thought, word, and deed, Act 22:4,20; which is here noted in the beginning of the narrative concerning this great apostle, that we might consider οιος εξ οιου, what a great change the grace of God did make; which was by him, and is by us the more to be acknowledged and magnified.
A great persecution against the church; not, as heretofore, against the apostles only; but now it was against the whole church.
Read full note →
All scattered abroad; the multitude of believers, at least as many as could flee; which was allowed, or rather commanded, Mat 10:23, when they were persecuted in one city, to flee unto another; especially such as were teachers amongst them (besides the apostles) were forced to remove from Jerusalem, and by this means did publish the gospel in all places whither they came; so that what was intended for the hinderance, God did overrule towards the furtherance, of the gospel; as he did afterwards, Phi 1:12, and still does, and ever will do.
Except the apostles; who were commanded to stay at Jerusalem, Act 1:4; there they were to make their beginning, Luk 24:47, and from thence to proceed unto other parts, Isa 2:3; and whilst God had any work for them to do at Jerusalem, they knew that God could and would defend and maintain them in the midst of their enemies, as he had done the bush in the fire, Exo 3:3.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain On vv1–3 That is, St. Stephen’s, mentioned in the close of…
That is, St. Stephen’s, mentioned in the close of the last chapter; how far he consented to his death, the text tells us, He kept the garments of them that stoned him, they laid down their clothes at his feet. Act 7:58. His hand did not throw one stone at the holy martyr’s head, but his will concurred with others in that bloody act: and this denominated him guilty.
Learn hence, That God chiefly inspects the heart, and if the vote be passed there, he looks upon the man as guilty, though he proceeds no farther. ’Tis easy to murder another by silent wish, or passionate desire. In all moral actions God values the will for the deed, and reckons that man an actor, that is an applauder. Consent unto the sins of others makes their guilt our own: Saul was consenting unto his death.
Read full note →
Observe here, 1. How the spite and cruelty of the church’s adversaries was not quenched, but rather inflamed by the blood of Stephen: From whence arose a bitter persecution against the church at Jerusalem, upon which the multitude of believers fled from thence. Persecution scatters the professors of religion; but God makes scattering the way to increasing, and what was intended for the hindrance, God over-ruled for the furtherance of the gospel: As God overpowers the devil, so he outwits him too. This scattering persecution at Jerusalem, which was designed to another and suppress the gospel, did propagate and spread it more and more.
Observe, 2. How God sets bounds and limits to this sharp persecution: though the believers were scattered, yet the apostles continued at Jerusalem; They were all scattered, except the apostles. The twelve stay there untouched in the midst of the fiery furnace of persecution, to comfort and cherish the church in that sad and doleful day, maugre the malice of angry men, and of enraged devils; and those who were scattered, carried the light of the gospel among the Gentiles. Thus out of the darkness of persecution, God bringeth forth the light of the gospel, providing at once for the safety of some by their flight, and for the calling home of others by their dispersion: They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v1 In these verses we have,
In these verses we have,
I. Something more concerning Stephen and his death; how people stood affected to it - variously, as generally in such cases, according to men's different sentiments of things. Christ had said to his disciples, when he was parting with them (Joh 16:20), You shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. Accordingly here is, 1. Stephen's death rejoiced in by one - by many, no doubt, but by one in particular, and that was Saul, who was afterwards called Paul; he was consenting to his death, suneudokōn - he consented to it with delight (so the word signifies); he was pleased with it. He fed his eyes with this bloody spectacle, in hopes it would put a stop to the growth of Christianity. We have reason to think that Paul ordered Luke to insert this, for shame to himself, and glory to free grace. Thus he owns himself guilty of the blood of Stephen, and aggravates it with this, that he did not do it with regret and reluctancy, but with delight and a full satisfaction, like those who not only do such things, but have pleasure in those that do them. 2. Stephen's death bewailed by others (Act 8:2) - devout men, which some understand of those that were properly so called, proselytes, one of whom Stephen himself probably was. Or, it may be taken more largely; some of the church that were more devout and zealous than the rest went and gathered up the poor crushed and broken remains, to which they gave a decent interment, probably in the field of blood, which was bought some time ago to bury strangers in. They buried him solemnly, and made great lamentation over him. Though his death was of great advantage to himself, and great service to the church, yet they bewailed it as a general loss, so well qualified was he for the service, and so likely to be useful both as a deacon and as a disputant. It is a bad symptom if, when such men are taken away, it is not laid to heart. Those devout men paid these their last respects to Stephen, (1.) To show that they were not ashamed of the cause for which he suffered, nor afraid of the wrath of those that were enemies to it; for, though they now triumph, the cause is a righteous cause, and will be at last a victorious one. (2.) To show the great value and esteem they had for this faithful servant of Jesus Christ, this first martyr for the gospel, whose memory shall always be precious to them, notwithstanding the ignominy of his death. They study to do honour to him upon whom God put honour. (3.) To testify their belief and hope of the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
Read full note →
II. An account of this persecution of the church, which begins upon the martyrdom of Stephen. When the fury of the Jews ran with such violence, and to such a height, against Stephen, it could not quickly either stop itself or spend itself. The bloody are often in scripture called blood-thirsty; for when they have tasted blood they thirst for more. One would have thought Stephen's dying prayers and dying comforts should have overcome them, and melted them into a better opinion of Christians and Christianity; but it seems they did not: the persecution goes on; for they were more exasperated when they saw they could prevail nothing, and, as if they hoped to be too hard for God himself, they resolve to follow their blow; and perhaps, because they were none of them struck dead upon the place for stoning Stephen, their hearts were the more fully set in them to do evil. Perhaps the disciples were also the more emboldened to dispute against them as Stephen did, seeing how triumphantly he finished his course, which would provoke them so much the more. Observe,
1. Against whom this persecution was raised: It was against the church in Jerusalem, which is no sooner planted than it is persecuted, as Christ often intimated that tribulation and persecution would arise because of the word. And Christ had particularly foretold that Jerusalem would soon be made too hot for his followers, for that city had been famous for killing the prophets and stoning those that were sent to it, Mat 23:37. It should seem that in this persecution many were put to death, for Paul owns that at this time he persecuted this way unto the death (Act 21:4), and (Act 26:10) that when they were put to death he gave his voice against them.
2. Who was an active man in it; none so zealous, so busy, as Saul, a young Pharisee, Act 8:3. As for Saul (who had been twice mentioned before, and now again for a notorious persecutor) he made havoc of the church; he did all he could to lay it waste and ruin it; he cared not what mischief he did to the disciples of Christ, nor knew when to stop. He aimed at no less than the cutting off of the gospel Israel, that the name of it should be no more in remembrance, Psa 83:4. He was the fittest tool the chief priests could find out to serve their purposes; he was informer-general against the disciples, a messenger of the great council to be employed in searching for meetings, and seizing all that were suspected to favour that way. Saul was bred a scholar, a gentleman, and yet did not think it below him to be employed in the vilest work of that kind. (1.) He entered into every house, making no difficulty of breaking open doors, night or day, and having a force attending him for that purpose. He entered into every house where they used to hold their meetings, or every house that had any Christians in it, or was thought to have. No man could be secure in his own house, though it was his castle. (2.) He haled, with the utmost contempt and cruelty, both men and women, dragged them along the streets, without any regard to the tenderness of the weaker sex; he stooped so low as to take cognizance of the meanest that were leavened with the gospel, so extremely bigoted was he. (3.) He committed them to prison, in order to their being tried and put to death, unless they would renounce Christ; and some, we find, were compelled by him to blaspheme, Act 26:11.
3. What was the effect of this persecution: They were all scattered abroad (Act 8:1), not all the believers, but all the preachers, who were principally struck at, and against whom warrants were issued out to take them up. They, remembering our Master's rule (when they persecute you in one city, flee to another), dispersed themselves by agreement throughout the regions of Judea and of Samaria; not so much for fear of sufferings (for Judea and Samaria were not so far off from Jerusalem but that, if they made a public appearance there, as they determined to do, their persecutors' power would soon reach them there), but because they looked upon this as an intimation of Providence to them to scatter. Their work was pretty well done in Jerusalem, and now it was time to think of the necessities of other places; for their Master had told them that they must be his witnesses in Jerusalem first, and then in all Judea and in Samaria, and then to the uttermost part of the earth (Act 1:8), and this method they observe. Through persecution may not drive us off from our work, yet it may send us, as a hint of Providence, to work elsewhere. The preachers were all scattered except the apostles, who, probably, were directed by the Spirit to continue at Jerusalem yet for some time, they being, by the special providence of God, screened from the storm, and by the special grace of God enabled to face the storm. They tarried at Jerusalem, that they might be ready to go where their assistance was most needed by the other preachers that were sent to break the ice; as Christ ordered his disciples to go to those places where he himself designed to go, Luk 10:1. The apostles continued longer together at Jerusalem than one would have thought, considering the command and commission given them, to go into all the world, and to disciple all nations. See Act 15:6; Gal 1:17. But what was done by the evangelists whom they sent forth was reckoned as done by them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv2–3 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial,.... These…
And devout men carried Stephen to his burial,.... These men were not Jewish proselytes, but members of the Christian church; who were eminent for their religion and piety, and who had courage enough, amidst this persecution, to show a respect to the dead body of this holy martyr; which they took from under the stones, washed it, and wound it up in linen clothes, and put it into a coffin, or on a bier: they did everything preparatory to the funeral, which, is chiefly designed by the word here used, rather than the carrying of him out to his grave; though this also they did, and buried him: and to bear a corpse and follow it to the grave, and bury it, were with the Jews (x) reckoned among acts of kindness, mercy, and piety, and which would not fail of a reward; they have a saying (y), that
"he that mourns, they shall mourn for him; and he that buries, they shalt bury him and he that lifts up (his voice in weeping lamentation), they shall lift up for him; he that accompanies (a dead corpse), they shall accompany him; he that "carries", they shall carry him;''
Read full note →
as these devout men did, who would not suffer Stephen to be buried in the common burying place of malefactors, but interred him elsewhere, in a more decent manner: but whether they had leave from the sanhedrim so to do, or whether they did this of themselves, is not certain; if the latter, which seems most likely, it is an instance of great boldness and resolution, and especially at this time; for
"they did not bury one that was stoned in the sepulchres of his fathers, but there were two burying places appointed by the sanhedrim, one for those that are stoned and burnt, and another for those that are slain with the sword and strangled (z).''
So that, they acted contrary to the Jewish canon, as they also did in what follows:
and made great lamentation over him; though they did not sorrow as those without hope, yet they did not put on a stoical apathy; but as men sensible of the loss the church of Christ had sustained, by the death of a person so eminent for his gifts and grace, they mourned over him in a becoming manner: in this they went contrary to the Jewish rule, which forbids lamentation for those that died as malefactors, and runs thus (a).
"they do not mourn, but they grieve; for grief is only in the heart;''
their reason for this was, as the commentators say (b), because they thought that
"their disgrace was an atonement for their sin:''
but these devout men knew that Stephen needed no such atonement, and that his sins were atoned for another way: otherwise the Jews looked upon mourning for the dead to be to the honour of him; hence they say (c), that mourning
"is the glory of the dead--whoever is backward to the mourning of a wise man shall not prolong his days; and whoever is sluggish in mourning for a good man, ought to be buried alive; and whoever causes tears to descend for a good man, lo, his reward is reserved for him with the holy blessed God.''
(x) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Peah, c. 1. sect. 1. (y) T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 72. 1. & Moed Katon, fol. 28. 2. (z) Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 6. sect. 5. (a) Misn. Sanhedrin, sect. 6. (b) Jarchi & Bartenora in ib. (c) Maimon. Hilch. Ebel, c. 12. sect. 1, 2.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv1–3 At that time there was great persecution against the…
At that time there was great persecution against the Church - Their adversaries having tasted blood, were the more eager. And they were all dispersed - Not all the Church: if so, who would have remained for the apostles to teach, or Saul to persecute? But all the teachers except the apostles, who, though in the most danger, stayed with the flock.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv1–3 A general persecution is raised against the Church, 1.
CHAPTER VIII.
A general persecution is raised against the Church, 1.
Read full note →
Stephen's burial, 2.
Saul greatly oppresses the followers of Christ, 3, 4.
Philip the deacon goes to Samaria, preaches, works many
miracles, converts many persons, and baptizes Simon the
sorcerer, 5-13.
Peter and John are sent by the apostles to Samaria; they
confirm the disciples, and by prayer and imposition of hands
they confer the Holy Spirit, 14-17.
Simon the sorcerer, seeing this, offers them money, to enable
him to confer the Holy Spirit, 18, 19.
He is sharply reproved by Peter, and exhorted to repent, 20-23.
He appears to be convinced of his sin, and implores an interest
in the apostle's prayers, 24.
Peter and John, having preached the Gospel in the villages of
Samaria, return to Jerusalem, 25.
An angel of the Lord commands Philip to go towards Gaza, to meet
an Ethiopian eunuch, 26.
He goes, meets, and converses with the eunuch, preaches the
Gospel to him, and baptizes him, 27-38.
The Spirit of God carries Philip to Azotus, passing through
which, he preaches in all the cities till he comes to Caesarea,
39, 40.
NOTES ON CHAP. VIII.
Verse 1. Saul was consenting unto his death.] So inveterate was the hatred that this man bore to Christ and his followers that he delighted in their destruction. So blind was his heart with superstitious zeal that he thought he did God service by offering him the blood of a fellow creature, whose creed he supposed to be erroneous. The word συνευδοκων signifies gladly consenting, being pleased with his murderous work! How dangerous is a party spirit; and how destructive may zeal even for the true worship of God prove, if not inspired and regulated by the spirit of Christ!
It has already been remarked that this clause belongs to the conclusion of the preceding chapter; so it stands in the Vulgate, and so it should stand in every version.
There was a great persecution] The Jews could not bear the doctrine of Christ's resurrection; for this point being proved demonstrated his innocence and their enormous guilt in his crucifixion; as therefore the apostles continued to insist strongly on the resurrection of Christ, the persecution against them became hot and general.
They were all scattered abroad - except the apostles.] Their Lord had commanded them, when persecuted in one city, to flee to another: this they did, but, wherever they went, they proclaimed the same doctrines, though at the risk and hazard of their lives. It is evident, therefore, that they did not flee from persecution, or the death it threatened; but merely in obedience to their Lord's command. Had they fled through the fear of death, they would have taken care not to provoke persecution to follow them, by continuing to proclaim the same truths that provoked it in the first instance.
That the apostles were not also exiled is a very remarkable fact: they continued in Jerusalem, to found and organize the infant Church; and it is marvellous that the hand of persecution was not permitted to touch them. Why this should be we cannot tell; but so it pleased the great Head of the Church. Bp. Pearce justly suspects those accounts, in Eusebius and others, that state that the apostles went very shortly after Christ's ascension into different countries, preaching and founding Churches. He thinks this is inconsistent with the various intimations we have of the continuance of the apostles in Jerusalem; and refers particularly to the following texts: Ac 8:1, Ac 8:14, Ac 8:25; Ac 9:26, Ac 9:27; Ac 11:1, Ac 11:2; Ac 12:1-4; Ac 15:2, Ac 15:4, Ac 15:6, Ac 15:22, Ac 15:23; Ac 21:17, Ac 21:18; Ga 1:17-19; Ga 2:1, Ga 2:9. The Church at Jerusalem was the first CHRISTIAN Church; and consequently, the boast of the Church of Rome is vain and unfounded. From this time a new aera of the Church arose. Hitherto the apostles and disciples confined their labours among their countrymen in Jerusalem. Now persecution drove the latter into different parts of Judea, and through Samaria; and those who had received the doctrine of Christ at the pentecost, who had come up to Jerusalem from different countries to be present at the feast, would naturally return, especially at the commencement of the persecution, to their respective countries, and proclaim to their countrymen the Gospel of the grace of God. To effect this grand purpose, the Spirit was poured out at the day of pentecost; that the multitudes from different quarters, partaking of the word of life, might carry it back to the different nations among whom they had their residence. One of the fathers has well observed, that "these holy fugitives were like so many lamps, lighted by the fire of the Holy Spirit, spreading every where the sacred flame by which they themselves had been illuminated."
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv1, 3 Act 8:1-2. And Saul was consenting — Ην συνευδοκων…
Act 8:1-2. And Saul was consenting — Ην συνευδοκων τη αναιρεσει αυτου, was consenting with delight; to his death — Or, more literally, was well pleased with his slaughter; for he was so full of rage and malice against the Christian name, that he thought no severities were too great to be exercised on those who thus zealously endeavoured to propagate it. And at that time — Εν εκεινη τη ημερα, in that day, in the very day in which this inhuman murder was committed on Stephen, who leads the van in the glorious army of martyrs; there was a great persecution — Which continued to rage for some time; against the church at Jerusalem —
Which was no sooner planted than it was persecuted, as Christ had often intimated, signifying that tribulation and persecution would arise, because of the word, particularly at Jerusalem, that city having been formerly famous for killing the prophets, and stoning them that were sent to it, Mat 23:37. And now the adversaries of the Christians, having tasted blood, were the more eager to shed it. And they were all scattered abroad — Not all the church, for if so, who would have remained for the apostles to teach, or Saul to persecute? but all the teachers, except the apostles, who, though in the most danger, stayed with the flock. And devout men — Who feared God more than persecution; carried Stephen to his burial — Having the courage to show themselves openly as the friends of that holy man, whose blood had been so unrighteously shed; and made great lamentation over him — Mourning that the church had lost so excellent an instrument of usefulness, though he himself was so much a gainer by it, as to be the object of congratulation, rather than condolence.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv1–3 And Saul was consenting ... - Was pleased with…
And Saul was consenting ... - Was pleased with his being put to death and approved it. Compare Act 22:20. This part of the verse should have been connected with the previous chapter.
And at that time. - That is, immediately following the death of Stephen. The persecution arose on account of Stephen, Act 11:19. The tumult did not subside when Stephen was killed. The anger of his persecutors continued to be excited against all Christians. They had become so embittered by the zeal and success of the apostles, and by their frequent charges of murder in putting the Son of God to death, that they resolved at once to put a period to their progress and success. This was the first persecution against Christians; the first in a series that terminated only when the religion which they wished to destroy was fully established on the ruins of both Judaism and paganism.
Read full note →
The church - The collection of Christians which were now organized into a church. The church at Jerusalem was the first that was collected.
All scattered - That is, the great mass of Christians.
The regions of Judea ... - See the notes on Mat 2:22.
Except the apostles - Probably the other Christians fled from fear. Why the apostles, who were particularly in danger, did not flee also, is not stated by the historian. Having been, however, more fully instructed than the others, and having been taught their duty by the example and teaching of the Saviour, they resolved, it seems, to remain and brave the fury of the persecutors. For them to have fled then would have exposed them, as leaders and founders of the new religion, to the charge of timidity and weakness. They therefore resolved to remain in the midst of their persecutors; and a merciful Providence watched over them, and defended them from harm. The dispersion extended not only to Judea and Samaria, but those who fled carried the gospel also to Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch, Act 11:19. There was a reason why this was permitted. The early converts were Jews. They had strong feelings of attachment to the city of Jerusalem, to the temple, and to the land of their fathers. Yet it was the design of the Lord Jesus that the gospel should be preached everywhere. To accomplish this, he suffered a persecution to rage; and they were scattered abroad, and bore his gospel to other cities and lands. Good thus came out of evil; and the first persecution resulted, as all others have done, in advancing the cause which was intended to be destroyed.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv1–2 Were dispersed. During this great persecution of the Church,…
Were dispersed. During this great persecution of the Church, those who could not conceal themselves, were dispersed into different countries. Thus did the Almighty make use of the malice of his enemies, to the greater exaltation and glory of his own name. For those who fled, carried with them the light of the gospel, wherever they went. (Tirinus) --- They were burning torches, which communicated of their holy fire to every place, in which they were scattered. (St. Augustine, Serm. cxvi.) --- Thus was the gospel disseminated from Jerusalem into all Judea and Samaria. --- And Samaria. Though our Saviour in his life time had forbid them to preach to the Samaritans, (Matthew x. 5.) they now knew that the time of that precept was past. (Witham)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
John Nelson Darby 1862 · Public Domain On v1 Acts Chapter 8
Acts Chapter 8
Saul was present at Stephen’s death, and consenting to it. [14] This is the end of the first phase of the assembly of God-its history in immediate connection with Jerusalem and the Jews, as the centre to which the work of the apostles related, “beginning at Jerusalem”; carried on, however, in a believing remnant, but inviting Israel, as such, to come into it, as being nationally the object of the love and care of God, but they would not. Some accessory events follow, which enlarge the sphere of labour and maintain the unity of the whole, previously to the revelation of the call of the Gentiles, as such, properly speaking, and of the assembly as one body, independent of Jerusalem, and apart from the earth. These events are-the work of Philip in the conversion of Samaria and of the Ethiopian; that of Cornelius, with Peter’s vision that took place after the vocation of Saul, who himself is brought in by a Jew of good report among the Jews as such; the labours of Peter in all the land of Canaan; and, finally, the connection established between the apostles at Jerusalem and the converted Gentiles at Antioch; the opposition of Herod, the false king of the Jews, and the care which God still takes of Peter, and the judgment of God upon the king. Afterwards comes the direct work among the Gentiles, having Antioch for its starting-point, already prepared by the conversion of Paul, through means and with a revelation that were quite peculiar. Let us follow the details of these chapters.
Read full note →
After the death of Stephen persecution breaks out. The victory, gained by a hatred the accomplishment of whose object was allowed by Providence, opens the floodgates to the violence of the Jewish leaders, enemies to the gospel. The barrier that restrained them once broken, the waves of passion overflow on all sides. People are often held back by a little remaining conscience, by habits, by a certain idea of the rights of others; but when the dykes are broken, hatred (the spirit of murder in the heart) satiates itself, if God permit, by actions that shew what man is when left to himself. But all this hatred accomplishes the will of God, in which man would perhaps otherwise have failed, and which in some respects he could not or ought not even to have executed, that is to say, the will of God in sovereign judgment. The dispersion of the assembly was Israel’s judgment-a judgment which the disciples would have found it difficult to declare and to execute by the communication of greater light to them; for whatever may be the blessing and energy in the sphere where the grace of God acts, the ways of God in directing all things are in His own hand. Our part, too, in His ways as to those without, is in grace.
The whole assembly then, except the apostles, is scattered. It is questionable also, that the apostles did right in remaining, and whether a more simple faith would not have made them go away, and thus have spared the assembly many a conflict and many a difficulty in connection with the fact that Jerusalem continued to be a centre of authority.[15] The Lord had even said with Israel in view, “When they persecute in one city, flee into another”; and after His resurrection He commands them to go and disciple all nations. This last mission we do not find executed in the history of the Acts and the work among the Gentiles, and, as we see in Gal 2:1-21, by a special agreement entered into at Jerusalem, it fell into the hands of Paul, being placed on an entirely new footing. The word tells us nothing of the accomplishment of this mission of the twelve towards the Gentiles, unless it be the slight general intimation in the end of Mark. God is mighty in Peter toward the circumcision and in Paul towards the Gentiles. It may be said that the twelve were not persecuted. It is possible, and I say nothing decided on the point; but it is certain that the passages which I have quoted have no fulfilment in the Bible history, and that another arrangement, another order of things, took place in lieu of that which the Lord prescribed, and that Jewish prejudices had in fact an influence, resulting from this concentration at Jerusalem, from which even Peter had the greatest difficulty to free himself.
Those who were scattered abroad preached the word everywhere, but only to the Jews, before some of them arrived at Antioch (chap. 11:19).
Philip however went down to Samaria, and preached Christ to them, and wrought miracles. They all give heed to him and are even baptised. A man who until then had bewitched them with sorcery, so that they had said he was the great power of God, even he also submits to the power which eclipsed his false marvels, and convinced him so much the more of its reality as he was conscious of the falseness of his own. The apostles make no difficulty with regard to Samaria. The history of Jesus must have enlightened them in that respect. Moreover, the Samaritans were not Gentiles. Still it was a Hellenist who preached the gospel there.
A new truth comes out here in connection with the regular process of the assembly-namely, that the apostles conferred the Holy Ghost by means of prayer and the laying on of hands: a very important fact in the history of God’s dealings. Moreover Samaria was a conquest which all the energy of Judaism had never been able to make. It was a new and splendid triumph for the gospel. Spiritual energy to subdue the world appertained to the assembly. Jerusalem was set aside: its day was over in that respect.
The presence of the power of the Holy Ghost acting in Peter preserves the assembly as yet from the entrance of hypocrites, the instruments of Satan. The great and powerful fact that God was there manifested itself and made the darkness evident which circumstances had concealed. Carried along by the strong current, Simon had yielded, as to his intelligence, to the authority of Christ whose name was glorified by Philip’s ministry. But the true condition of his heart, the desire of his own glory, the complete opposition between his moral condition and all principle-all light from God-betrays itself in presence of the fact that a man can impart the Holy Ghost. He desires to buy this power with money. What a thought! It is thus that the unbelief which appears quite to pass away, so that the things of God are outwardly received, betrays itself by something which, to one who has the Spirit, is so grossly contrary to God that its true character is manifest even to a child taught by God Himself.
Samaria is thus brought into connection with the centre of the work of Jerusalem, where the apostles still were. Already the Holy Ghost’s being bestowed on the Samaritans was an immense step in the development of the assembly. Doubtless they were circumcised, they acknowledged the law, although the temple had in a certain degree lost its importance. The body of believers was more consolidated, and, so far as they still held to Jerusalem, it was a positive gain; for Samaria, by receiving the gospel, entered into connection with her ancient rival, as much as the apostles themselves were so, and submitted to her. Probably the apostles, during that time of persecution, did not go to the temple. God had opened a wide door to them outside, and thus made them ample amends in their work, for the success of the rulers of Israel who had stopped it in Jerusalem; for the energy of the Spirit was with them. To sum up: that which is presented here is the free energy of the Spirit in others than the apostles, and outside Jerusalem which had rejected it; and the relations maintained with the apostles and Jerusalem by their central action, and the authority and power with which they were invested.
Having accomplished their work, and themselves evangelised several villages of the Samaritans, Peter and John return to Jerusalem. The work outside goes on, and by other means. Philip, who presents the character of prompt unquestioning obedience in simplicity of heart, is called to leave his prosperous work with which all his personal importance (if he had been seeking it) was connected, and in which he was surrounded with respect and affection. “Go,” said the angel of the Lord, “toward the south, unto the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” It was a desert. Philip’s ready obedience does not think of the difference between Samaria and Gaza, but of the Lord’s will: and he goes. The gospel now extends to the proselytes from among the Gentiles, and makes its way to the centre of Abyssinia. The Queen’s treasurer is admitted among the disciples of the Lord by baptism, which sealed his faith in the testimony of the prophet Isaiah; and he goes on his way, rejoicing in the salvation which he had taken a toilsome journey from a far country to seek in legal duties and ceremonies, but with faith in God’s word, in Jerusalem. Beautiful picture of the grace of the gospel! He carries away with him, and to his home, that which grace had bestowed on him in the wilderness-that which his wearisome journey to Jerusalem had not procured him. The poor Jews, who had driven away the testimony from Jerusalem, are outside everything. The Spirit of the Lord carries Philip far away, and he is found at Azotus; for all the power of the Lord is at the service of the Son of man for the accomplishment of the testimony to His glory. Philip evangelises all the cities unto Caesarea.
Footnotes for Acts Chapter 8
14: We may remark here, that the sanctuary, so to speak, is open to all believers. The veil indeed was rent by the death of Christ, but the grace of God was still acting towards the Jews, as such, and proposed to them the return of Jesus to the earth; that is to say, outside the veil, in the event of their repentance, so that the blessing would then have been upon the earth-the times of refreshing by the coming of Christ, which the prophets had announced. But now it is no longer a Messiah, the Son of David, but a Son of man in heaven; and, by the Holy Ghost here below, an opened heaven is seen and known, and the great High Priest (standing as yet) at the right hand of God is not hidden behind a veil. All is open to the believer; the glory, and He who has entered into it for His people. And this, it appears to me, is the reason why He is seen standing. He had not definitely taken His place as seated (‘eis to dienekes’; in perpetuity) on the heavenly throne, until the testimony of the Holy Ghost to Israel of His exaltation had been definitively rejected on earth. The free testimony of the Spirit which is developed, here and afterwards, is highly interesting, without touching apostolic authority in its place, as we shall see. As to the Jews, till the High Priest comes out, they cannot know that His work is accepted for the nation; as, in the day of atonement, they had to wait till he came out that they might know it. But for us the Holy Ghost is come out while He is within, and we know it.
15: This is no wise prevents the manifestation of the sovereign wisdom of God. The development of the doctrine of the assembly in its oneness, and as the body of Christ, was but so much the more perfect and unmixed, as we find it taught by Paul; who was called outside of Judaism by the revelation of a heavenly Christ. Neither do these ways of sovereign wisdom in God make any change at all in the responsibility of man. The outward unity of the assembly was also preserved by this means, by the connection kept up between the other places and Jerusalem, until the work among the Gentiles outside Judaism made these connections extremely difficult and precarious. This, however, rendered the grace and the wisdom of God but so much the more apparent.
John Nelson Darby — Synopsis of the Books of the Bible: the New Testament (c. 1857–1862) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures 1864 · Public Domain On v1 The Church of Christ throughout Judea and Samaria, and…
PART THIRD
The Church of Christ throughout Judea and Samaria, and in its transition to the Gentiles. Ch. 8–12
Read full note →
______
SECTION I
THE PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM, WHICH BEGAN WITH THE STONING OF STEPHEN, AND IN WHICH SAUL ESPECIALLY TOOK AN ACTIVE PART, OCCASIONS THE DISPERSION OF THE BELIEVERS THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND SAMARIA, BUT ALSO LEADS TO THE PROMULGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN THESE REGIONS, AND EVEN TO THE CONVERSION OF A PROSELYTE FROM A DISTANT COUNTRY
Acts 8
_____________
A.—THE FLIGHT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH FROM JERUSALEM, LEADS TO THE PROMULGATION OF THE GOSPEL IN JUDEA, AND EVEN IN SAMARIA. PHILIP PREACHES CHRIST TO THE SAMARITANS WITH SUCCESS, AND SIMON THE SORCERER HIMSELF IS BAPTIZED. THE APOSTLES PETER AND JOHN SUBSEQUENTLY ARRIVE; THEY CONFER THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND UNMASK SIMON
Act_8:1-25
§ I. Persecution and Dispersion
Act_8:1-4
1And [But] Saul was consenting unto [had pleasure in] his death [execution]. And at that time [on that day] there was [arose] a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and [but]1 they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2And [But] devout men carried Stephen to his burial [buried Stephen], and made2 great lamentation [wailing] over him. 3As for Saul, he [But Saul] made havoc of [ravaged] the church, entering into every house, [entering (here and there) into houses], and haling [dragging]men and women, committed them to prison. 4Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where [went further] preaching the word [the Gospel, λόγον].
EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL
Act_8:1 a. And Saul was consenting unto his death.—Tischendorf [and Stier, with whom J. A. Alex. and Hack. agree] attaches this short sentence to Acts 7 at the end. But it belongs rather to the commencement of the present chapter, since it serves to introduce the narrative of that persecution of the Christians which now began to extend. And even the construction: ἦνσυςευδοκῶν, in place of the simple past tense, implying continuance of time [Winer: Gram. N. T. § 45. 5.—Tr.], derives its significance here mainly from the facts that are now to be related.
b. And at that time … persecution.—The expression ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, is usually understood in the widest sense, as equivalent to: “At that time” (Luther’s [and Engl.] version). There is, however, no reason for departing from the literal sense: “On that day.” We might rather infer a priori, from psychological considerations, as well as from others furnished by the natural sequence of events, that the stoning of Stephen would be immediately followed by an outbreak of fanaticism, of which the Christians generally would be the victims. Bengel accordingly remarks on ἐκ. τ. ἡμ.: non differebant adversarii. As a wild beast that has once tasted blood, is ever afterwards governed by a thirst for it, so the brutal passions of men, when they are once roused, and especially when they are combined with religious fanaticism, acquire additional ferocity after every successful outbreak. It is not probable that many days passed by, before the great persecution began; it is possible, that the mass of the Jews, on returning to the city, at once began a general attack on the Christians. And this persecution was, without doubt, not exclusively a measure adopted by the theocratical authorities, but rather the act of the people, who had previously been “stirred up,” according to Act_6:12, and had now participated in the act of stoning Stephen.
c. They were all scattered abroad.—The members of the church fled from the persecution to which they were exposed in the capital, in accordance with the direction and permission of the Redeemer (Mat_10:23). They retired at first to the surrounding regions of Judea, and sought places of refuge in other cities or in villages; many of them subsequently withdrew to the territory of Samaria. It is, however, questionable whether the term πάντες is to be literally understood, in the sense that every Christian left the city. Luke himself reports one exception, when he appends the words: πλὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων, so that it is certain that at least the apostles remained in Jerusalem. They regard that city as the post to which the command of the Lord had assigned them, and which they do not feel at liberty to abandon, without an express declaration of his will. And, besides, the holy city, the central point of Israel, was still, in their view, the future central point of the kingdom of Christ. The apostles, therefore, supported by their faith, courageously maintained their position in the midst of the dangers which threatened them. But did not a single Christian, with the exception of the twelve apostles remain in Jerusalem? It is not probable that such was the fact, particularly when we consider the circumstance that, not long afterwards, Act_9:26, disciples are found present in Jerusalem, in addition to the apostles, who are themselves not mentioned until the facts stated in Act_8:27, are introduced. An additional argument against the literal meaning of πάντες is furnished by Act_8:3, of the present chapter, as some interpreters suppose, since even after the dispersion mentioned in Act_8:1, Saul was able to ravage the church, by dragging men and women to prison (Meyer). But we do not ascribe any importance to this argument, as Act_8:3 appears to us not to describe subsequent events, but rather to present, more in detail, one aspect precisely of that διωγμός which had been mentioned only in general terms in Act_8:1. Still we cannot be convinced that πάντες is to be here understood in its strict and literal sense; the term is rather to be regarded as employed in a hyperbolical manner [Meyer; de Wette; as in Act_3:18; Mat_3:5; Mar_1:37; Mar_6:33; Joh_3:26; the word here “need not be pressed so as to include every individual.” (Hackett).—Tr.]. But this view does not authorize us to take πάντες at once in the sense of multi (Kuinoel), nor to restrict it to the doctores (Bengel), nor to assume that ἐκκλησίαν designates exclusively the Hellenistic part of the church (Baur). Baumgarten’s conjecture (I. 158 ff.) is equally as little capable of being sustained, when closely examined. He supposes that precisely at the hour in which Stephen was stoned, the church, in its deep sympathy, was gathered together, offering prayer in his behalf, and that the first assault in this persecution was directed against that congregational meeting, the members being instantly dispersed. If this was the case, the words πάντες διεσπάρησαν κατὰ τὰς χώρας; would state nothing more than that all those members who were accidentally gathered together, were scattered. Now, in the first place, it is an unaccountable circumstance that the apostles, who were certainly present, if such a meeting had been held, should not also have been scattered abroad, as well as others. In the second place, Baumgarten rends portions of the text asunder which are intimately connected, namely: διεσπάρησαν; for he represents the dispersion of the meeting as the immediate result of the persecution, and the flight to regions beyond the city, as an indirect result, which is offering violence to the text.
Act_8:2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial.—The particle δέ after συνεκόμισαν undoubtedly indicates a contrast, namely, that between the tender affections of certain individuals and the madly excited passions of the mass of the people. These ἄνδρεςἐυλαβεῖς are, without doubt, Jews, as in Act_2:5, and not Christians, (as Heinrichs and da Costa imagine); the latter are always designated in the Acts by other terms. [But Ananias, mentioned in Act_22:12, was a Christian, and yet is so designated, according to the reading preferred by Lechler to that of the textus receptus.—Tr.]. They were Jews who rendered the last honors to Stephen, and even engaged in a solemn mourning for him [de Wette refers here to Gen_50:10.—Tr.]. But they were εὐλαβεῖς, that is, they were men who feared God more than they feared man, or than they regarded the temper of the populace at the time. They did not hesitate to give an honorable burial to a man of whose innocence and godliness they were convinced, although he had been accused of blasphemy (of which he had not been proved to be guilty), and had suffered the ignominious death of a criminal. An analogous case may be found in the burial of Jesus by Joseph of Arimathea, who also had, previously, not been a disciple of Jesus (at least according to Luke and Mark). [Termed a “disciple” in Mat_27:57 ff; a “disciple—secretly,” in Joh_19:38, but not so designated in Mar_15:43 ff., and Luk_23:50 ff.—Tr.]
Act_8:3. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church.—Luke proceeds to relate the share which Saul took in the persecution of the Christians; his conduct contrasts strikingly with that of the devout men mentioned in Act_8:2, and also illustrates the general statement made in Act_8:1. Saul ravaged (ἐλυμαίνετο) the church [comp. the same word in Psa_80:14, Sept. with ποοͅθέω in Act_9:21; Gal_1:13; Gal_1:23; and see Act_22:19-20; Act_26:9-11; 1Ti_1:13.—Tr.]. The word implies that, as far as it lay in his power, he injured and destroyed the church; he entered into houses, κατὰ οἴκους, literally, from house to house; the expression, however, can, naturally, refer to those houses only, in which he expected to find Christians. When these were discovered, he dragged them forth, (doubtless with the aid of the officers of the Sanhedrin), and transferred them to the prison. It is obvious that he was sustained by the hierarchical authorities, as he could not have otherwise ventured to enter by force into private dwellings, neither would he have found the doors of the prison open to receive his victims. Still, the general tenor of this verse leads us to conjecture that these results depended in a great measure on the personal character of Saul, and that it was specially his wildly excited fanaticism which inflicted great injuries on the church. The novel and revolting features of his course were the systematic manner in which he sought out the confessors of Jesus, and his rude intrusion into domestic circles—a Jewish prelude of the later Romish Inquisition.
Act_8:4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad, went every where.—These words are connected with διεσπάρησαν in Act_8:1, and are explanatory of that term; they inform us that the fugitive Christians did not quietly establish themselves in any places of refuge which they may have found, but travelled onward from place to place [διῆλθον, they went through, i.e., the country; comp. Act_8:40, below.—Tr.]. But the most important fact is stated in the next words: preaching the word, i.e., the Gospel. It consequently appears that the persecution which they had endured in Jerusalem, could not so intimidate them, that they henceforth concealed their faith in Jesus from public view; on the contrary, wherever they appeared, they proclaimed their faith, and the joyful tidings concerning the Redeemer and his redeeming work.—The very closest chronological connection exists between this historical statement and Act_11:19 ff.: οἱ μὲν οὖν διασπαρέντες … διῆλθον ἕως Φοινίκμς; the intervening portions, from Act_8:5 to Act_11:18, accordingly assume the character of an episode.
DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL
1. This persecution of the Christians and its consequences constitute a glorious evidence of the government of Christ, who rules also in the midst of his enemies [Psa_110:2], and always promotes the interests of his kingdom. An event which appeared to the eye of man to threaten inevitable destruction, so that it was a question whether the church of Christ could continue to exist, or would be annihilated, was, on the contrary, converted into the means of invigorating and extending it. The dispersed Christians preached the Gospel; thus the storm which burst forth, carried the seed which had hitherto been gathered together in a single spot, to many different regions, and, in some cases, to a considerable distance. And that seed germinated and produced fruit. The Gospel now begins its course, which is to extend over the whole globe, after having been hitherto confined to the one city of Jerusalem. Thus, even when men think evil, the Redeemer means it unto good [Gen_50:20], that is to say, he not only counteracts the intended disastrous results, but also employs the devices of enemies, in an unexpected manner, as means for extending his kingdom.
2. As the apostles remained in Jerusalem, the dispersed Christians were church members only: at most, several of them, Philip, for instance, Act_8:5, may have belonged to the company of the “seven men”, who had been previously elected, Act_6:3 ff. But even to these the ministry of the word had not been primarily intrusted; hence, these scattered Christians, in the great majority of cases, were invested with no ecclesiastical office whatever. And yet they labored as evangelists, wherever they came, without any official obligation, or any express authority. They were moved by the inward power of that faith which cannot but speak of the truth of which the heart is full; they were influenced by the Spirit, with whom they had been anointed; they were controlled by their love of the Saviour, to whom they owed the remission of their sins and all their blessed hopes. This propagation of the Gospel beyond the limits of the holy city—this establishment of the church of Christ in other districts of Palestine, and even beyond its boundaries (see Act_11:19), was, consequently, not the work of the apostles themselves, but mainly of other Christians, who held no office, but were invested with the general priesthood of believers [1Pe_2:5; 1Pe_2:9]. According to human conceptions of church government and the ecclesiastical office, such a course should not have been adopted. But the Lord of the church did not restrict himself to the apostolic office which he had instituted, in such a manner that no work could be legitimate, acceptable to God, or rich in blessings and in promise, unless it were performed exclusively by the apostles. Here, too, Christ teaches us that no human being and no finite ordinance can be regarded as necessary, and absolutely indispensable; He alone is at all times and in all places, indispensable.
HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL
See below, § 2. Act_8:5-13.
____________
Footnotes:
[1]Act_8:1. πάντες δὲ. The particle τε [of the text. rec.] is attested only by the Alexandrian MS. [A.], and the Syriac, as well as the two [Reuss: Gesch. d. h. Sch. N. T. § 431.] Ethiopic versions; whereas, all the other minuscule mss. and ancient versions read δὲ, which is, accordingly, to be preferred. [δὲ is found in B. C. D. E. H. and adopted by Lach., Tisch. and Alf. Neither particle is found in Cod. Sin., but a later hand (C) prefixed και to παντ.—Tr.]
[2]Act_8:2. [Lachm., with whom de Wette agrees, reads ἐποίησαν before κοπετὸν, with A. B. C. D., but Tisch. and Alf., following E. H. read with text. rec. ἐποιήσαντο, the former being, according to Alf., very probably a later correction.—Cod. Sin. ἐποίησαν.—Tr.]
Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures (Critical, Doctrinal, and Homiletical), ed. John Peter Lange, English translation edited by Philip Schaff (1864–1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv2–3 and devout men--pious Jews, probably, impressed with admiration for…
and devout men--pious Jews, probably, impressed with admiration for Stephen and secretly inclined to Christianity, but not yet openly declared.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv1–3 Act_8:1. And Saul was consenting unto his death] i.e.…
Act_8:1. And Saul was consenting unto his death] i.e. approving of all that was done. We have the same word, Luk_11:48, “Ye allow (i.e. praise and approve of) the deeds of your fathers.” St Paul says of himself (Act_22:20), “When the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by and consenting unto his death.”
Act_8:1-4. Persecution after Stephen’s Death
Read full note →
1. And at that time there was a great persecution] Better, And there arose on that day, &c. The persecution was in immediate succession to the death of Stephen. Having once proceeded to such a length, the rage of the people turned upon the whole Christian body.
against the church which was at Jerusalem] i.e. the congregation which had grown up since the day of Pentecost.
and they were all scattered abroad] Thus the rage of their enemies brought about the dispersion which Christ had foretold (Act_1:8). By the word all we need not understand every member of the Christian body, but only those who had been most active and so were in special danger from the persecution. We find (Act_8:3) that there were many left, both men and women, in the city, whom Saul seized upon as “disciples of the Lord” and carried to prison. Perhaps Ananias who visited Paul at Damascus (Act_9:19; Act_9:25) may have been among those now scattered abroad, but see Act_9:2 note.
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria] According to the order of extension indicated by Jesus. The teaching of the Apostles must have been with great power to break through the long-standing prejudices of their Jewish converts against the Samaritans.
except the apostles] Jerusalem would of necessity be looked upon as the headquarters of the Christian band. Thither all the wanderers would refer for guidance and help. The twelve therefore must remain at their post, in spite of all the persecution.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv1–3 (1) And Saul was consenting unto his death.—The word…
VIII.
(1) And Saul was consenting unto his death.—The word seems carefully chosen to convey the fact that he did not himself take part in stoning, but contented himself with guiding and directing the murder. He “kept the garments” of the witnesses who flung the stones (Act_22:20). The statement came, we can scarcely doubt, from St. Paul’s own lips, and in his use of the same word in the passage just referred to, and in Rom_1:32, we may see an indication that he had learnt to see that his guilt in so doing was greater, and not less, than that of the actual murderers.
Read full note →
There was a great persecution against the church.—It is clear that this involved much suffering, imprisonment, as in Act_8:3, perhaps the spoiling of men’s goods, the being made “a gazing stock by reproaches and afflictions” (Heb_10:33-34). In St. James’s description of the sufferings of the brethren (Jas_2:6-7), we may see at once the measure of the violence of the persecution, and the prominence in it (though Saul, the Pharisee, was for the time the chief leader) of the priesthood and the rich Sadducean aristocracy.
Throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria.—Jerusalem was naturally the chief scene of the persecution, and the neighbouring towns, Hebron, and Gaza, and Lydda, and Joppa, became places of refuge. It was probably to this influx of believers in Christ that we may trace the existence of Christian communities in the two latter cities. (See Notes on Act_9:32; Act_9:36.) The choice of Samaria was, perhaps, suggested by the hatred of that people to the Jews. Those who were fleeing from a persecution set on foot by the priests and rulers of Jerusalem were almost ipso facto sure of a welcome in Neapolis and other cities. But the choice of this as a place of refuge indicated that the barriers of the old antipathy were already in part broken down. What seemed the pressure of circumstances was leading indirectly to the fulfilment of our Lord’s commands, that the disciples should be witnesses in Samaria as well as in Judæa (Act_1:8). It seems probable, as already suggested (see Note on Act_7:16), that there was some point of contact between the Seven, of whom Stephen was the chief, and that region.
Except the apostles.—The sequel of the history suggests two reasons for their remaining. (1) The Twelve had learnt the lesson which their Master had taught them, “that the hireling fleeth because he is an hireling” (Joh_10:13), and would not desert their post. A tradition is recorded by Clement of Alexandria (Strom. vi. 5, § 43) and Eusebius (Hist. v. 13), that the Lord had commanded the Apostles to remain for twelve years in Jerusalem lest any should say “We have not heard,” and after that date to go forth into the world. (2) The persecution which was now raging seems to have been directed specially against those who taught with Stephen, that the “customs” on which the Pharisees laid so much stress should pass away. The Apostles had not as yet proclaimed that truth; had, perhaps, not as yet been led to it. They were conspicuous as worshippers in the Temple, kept themselves from all that was common and unclean (Act_10:14), held aloof from fellowship with the Gentiles (Act_10:28). They may well have been protected by the favour and reverence with which the great body of the people still looked on them, and so have been less exposed than the Seven had been to the violence of the storm. It was probable, in the nature of the case, that the Hellenistic disciples, who had been represented by Stephen, should suffer more than others. It was from them that the next great step in the expansion of the Church in due course came.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv1–3 There arose on that day for at that time…
There arose on that day for at that time there was, A.V.; in for at, A.V. Saul was consenting to his death. St. Paul"s repeated reference to this sad episode in his life is very touching. (see Act_22:20; 1Co_15:9; 1Ti_1:13) For the word suneudokein, to consent, see Act_22:20; Luk_11:48; Rom_1:32; 1Co_7:12. Arose on that day. The phrase is manifestly the Hebrew one, aWhh so constantly used in Isaiah and the other prophets, not of a single day, but of a longer or shorter time, and means, as the A.V. has it, "at that time," not the particular Tuesday or Wednesday on which Stephen was killed. If St. Luke had meant to state that the persecution set in the very day on which Stephen was stoned, he would have expressed it much more pointedly, and used a different word from ejgeneto. It is otherwise with Act_2:41 and Luk_17:31, where the context defines the meaning, and confines it to a specified day; just as the equivalent Hebrew phrase is as commonly applied to a literal day as to a time or period. The context shows which is the sense in which it is used. Here the thing spoken of, the persecution, did not take place on a day. It lasted many days. Therefore hJme) means here "time." They were all scattered. Just as the wind blows the seed to a distance to fructify in different places. Except the apostles. They, like faithful watchmen, remained at their post, to confirm the souls of those disciples who for one reason or another were unable to flee (for of course the word all must not be pressed strictly), and to exhort them to continue in the faith, as St. Paul did later at Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, (Act_14:22) and to keep up the nucleus of the Church in the metropolis of Christendom.
Vers. 1-8. The fruits of persecution.
Read full note →
Persecution is Satan"s instrument for checking and, if possible, destroying the truth of God. Our Savior reminds us, in the sermon on the mount, how the prophets, who spake to the people in the Name of God, had been persecuted of old; and foretold how the prophets and wise men and scribes whom he would send should, in like manner, be scourged and persecuted, killed and crucified. And the history of the Church, from the first imprisonment of the apostles related in Acts 4. down to the present day, shows the truth of the prediction. Some of the springs and causes of persecution were noted in the homiletics on Act_4:1-31. Our attention shall now be turned to the fruits of persecution.
I THE FIRST EFFECT OF THE PERSECUTION THAT AROSE UPON THE DEATH OF STEPHEN WAS THE DISPERSION OF THE DISCIPLES. In accordance with the Lord"s directions, (Mat_10:23) they fled, to save their lives, from the city of Jerusalem to the neighboring cities of Judaea and Samaria. But wherever they went they preached the Word. Thus the immediate effect of the persecution raised at Jerusalem for the extirpation of the faith of Jesus Christ was that that faith was carried into cities and districts and countries where it might never have been heard of but for the persecutions. Samaria heard the gospel; it was deposited in the heart of the eunuch for dissemination in Ethiopia. From Azotus to Caesarea it was proclaimed aloud. It passed on to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch. It took deep root in Antioch, and was passed on from thence through all Asia and on into Europe.
II ANOTHER EFFECT OF THE PERSECUTION WAS THE BREAKING DOWN OF OPPOSING BARRIERS OF HABIT, OPINION, AND PREJUDICE. If the rulers and priests, the scribes and Pharisees, had accepted the gospel, it might have been a very hard matter to separate it from circumcision and from the temple and from exclusive Judaism. It might have been very long before Jewish Christians would have turned in a spirit of love and brotherhood to their Samaritan neighbors, or sent a messenger to Ethiopia, or planted the first community who called themselves Christians in the great heathen city of Antioch. Endless scruples, hesitations, difficulties, would have barred the way. But persecution quickened with a marvelous impulse the logic of reason and benevolence, ay, and of faith too. By the force of circumstances, the persecuted disciples, expelled from country and home by their own flesh and blood, found themselves drawn into the closest bonds with those who were not Jews, and as it were compelled to tell them of the love of Jesus, and then to feel that that love made them both one. It would have taken generations, perhaps, to do what persecution did in a day. Persecution cut the Gordian knot which the fingers of human reason would, perhaps, never have untied; and the great persecutor himself might never have become the great chief and prince that he was in the Church of the Gentiles, had it not been fur the part that he had played in persecuting it in times past.
III NOR MUST WE OVERLOOK THE INFLUENCE OF PERSECUTIONS WHEN ENDURED IN THE TRUE MARTYR"S SPIRIT, IN DEEPENING AND HEIGHTENING THE FAITH, THE ZEAL, AND THE LOVE OF THE DISCIPLE. The fire of the spiritual life in the soul of the saint burns brightest in the darkest hours of earthly tribulation. The love of Christ, the hope of glory, the preciousness of the gospel, are never, perhaps, felt in their living power so fully as when the lights and fires of earthly joy and comforts are extinguished. Then, in the presence, so to speak, of Christ"s unveiled power and glory, charity and boldness, zeal and self-sacrifice, are at their highest pitch, and the making known to others the glad tidings of great joy seems to be the only thing worth living for. So that the fruit of persecution is to be seen in a noble army of martyrs and confessors, qualified to the very highest extent, and eager in the very highest degree, to preach far and wide the unsearchable riches of Christ, and in extraordinary accessions to the numbers of the persecuted Church.
IV OTHER FRUITS OF PERSECUTION, SUCH AS EXHIBITING TO THE EYES OF THE WORLD THE REALITY OF THAT RELIGION WHICH THEY DESPISE, HOLDING UP TO ITS ADMIRATION THE TRUE CHARACTERS OF THOSE WHOM IT PERSECUTES, AND SHOWING THE HOPELESSNESS OF STAMPING OUT THAT FIRE WHICH IS FED FROM THE LIVE COALS OF GOD"S ALTAR IN HEAVEN, AND MANY MORE, IT WOULD RE EASY TO ENUMERATE.
But these must suffice to teach us that the malice of Satan is no match for the power of God; but that the Church will eventually shine forth in all the brighter beauty of holiness for the efforts that have been made for her disfigurement and utter overthrow.
HOMILIES BY W. CLARKSON. Vers. 1-4. Perversion and restoration.
These verses suggest
I HOW FAR FROM RIGHT FEELING WILL WRONG THOUGHTS LEAD MEN ASTRAY.
was consenting rejoicing unto his death" (ver. 1). "Saul made havoc of was ravaging the Church," etc. (ver. 3). The death of the first martyr, which was so utterly shameful to those who compassed it, and so deeply regrettable from a human estimate, was, in the eyes of Saul, a thing in which to triumph with savage pleasure. And this dreadful satisfaction of his grew out of strong religious convictions he hated Stephen so passionately because he clung to "the Law" so tenaciously. Nor was this his only manifestation of distorted feeling. He was not satisfied with the stoning of Stephen; he joined heartily in the persecution which broke up Christian families and caused their general dispersion (ver. 2), himself being the most prominent agent of the council; neither ordinary humanity, nor the gentleness which should come with a liberal education, nor the tenderness which is due to womanly feeling, laying any restraint upon him. Every wiser, kinder, more generous sentiment was lost in a violent, relentless, unpitying fanaticism. So does error pervert the mind and distort the impulses and abuse the energies of the soul. Before we lend ourselves to any cause, before we plunge into any strife, let us very carefully and devoutly weigh the question whether we are really right, whether our traditions are not leading us astray as men"s inherited notions have led them astray from the truth, whether, before we act with a burning zeal, we must not alter our position or even change our side. Not till we have an intelligent assurance that we are in the right should we act with enthusiasm and severity; else we may be cherishing feelings and doing actions which are diabolical rather than Divine.
II How MUCH HOLY EARNESTNESS MAY BE CALLED TO SUFFER, The Christians of those early times were called:
1. To sympathize, with painful intensity, with a suffering man. If Saul was consenting to his death, with what lacerated and bleeding hearts did his Christian friends see the first martyr die! They" made great lamentation over him" (ver. 2).
2. To be distressed for a bereaved and weakened Church. The cause of Christ could ill spare (so they would naturally feel) such an eloquent and earnest advocate as he whose tongue had been so cruelly silenced; they must have lamented the loss which, as men bent on a high and noble mission, they had sustained.
3. To endure serious trouble in their own circumstances. There was "great persecution and they were all scattered abroad" (ver. 1). This must have involved a painful severance of family ties and a serious disturbance in business life. Holy earnestness has similar sufferings to endure now.
(1) Its personal attachments are peculiarly deep and its sympathies peculiarly strong. When injury or death comes to the objects of them, there is corresponding pain and sorrow of soul.
(2) It is often deeply distressed for the cause of Christ in its times of loss, weakness, wrong.
(3) It suffers, in virtue of its fidelity, from the scorn, the opposition, the persecution, in some form or other, of those who are the enemies of God and truth. But, thus doing, it treads closely in the footsteps of the best of men, and in those of the Divine Master himself. And thus suffering with him, it will be crowned with his honor and joy. (Rom_8:17; 2Ti_2:12; 1Pe_4:13)
III HOW WONDROUSLY GOD OVERRULES EVERYTHING. (Ver. 4.) He:
(1) used the machinations of the enemy and
(2) recompensed the faithfulness of the suffering Church by causing the dispersion of the disciples to result in "the furtherance of the gospel." What misguided men hoped would be a death-blow to the new "way" proved to be a valuable stroke on its behalf, increasing the number of its active witnesses, and multiplying its adherents largely. So shall it be with the evil designs of the wicked; they will be made to subserve the gracious purposes of God.
1. How vain and foolish, as well as guilty, is it to fight against God!
2. How confidently may we who are co-workers with him await the issue! The angry and threatening storm which is on the horizon will perhaps only speed the good vessel of the truth and bring her sooner to the haven. C.
HOMILIES BY E. JOHNSON
Vers. 1-13. Incidents of persecution and dispersion.
I A GLIMPSE OF SAUL THE PERSECUTOR. Though brief and passing, it is very significant. He was a party to the execution of Stephen. Saul was full of ignorance and blind passion. What he afterwards felt about his conduct is expressed in 1Ti_1:3. This example should be a standing warning to us against trust in mere feeling and enthusiasm. The fumes of anger and violence are no signs of pure glowing zeal for the truth, but rather of the spirit that is set on fire of hell. It is when we are most passionately excited in the cause of party conflict that we have most need to be on our guard. Bitter was the remorse of Saul of Tarsus for his complicity in the murder of Stephen. Hard was it for him to forgive himself. It was the triumph of Divine love in his heart when he could trust that through it he had been forgiven.
II THE EFFECTS OF PERSECUTION. It leads to dispersion, and dispersion to the dissemination of the truth. Through the country of Judaea and Samaria the scattered ones went, leaving in every village, in every house and heart, stirring memories, new thoughts. And Saul, like a ravaging wolf, went on his blind course. There is a general historical lesson here. Persecution is ever the symptom of intellectual change. The old dragon is ever ready to devour the child of the woman. The hellish Python would wrestle with the glorious Apollo. Herod would put to death the child Jesus. Saul would slay the infant Church. But the victory of eternal light and love is not doubtful. "They that were scattered in different directions went in different directions evangelizing the world." How beautiful is this! The true weapon with which to meet the sword is the Word. The policy of the persecutor is of all the blindest. He stimulates the movement he aims to crush. In every manly spirit opposition rouses new energy. We love more dearly the truth for which we have to fight and suffer. It is in the laws of the spiritual world that persecutions should ever bring a violent reaction in favor of the principles of the persecuted. When Christianity is patronized it becomes corrupt. When through persecution it is thrown back upon the ground of its first principles, it springs up with new life and vigor.
III THE WORK OF PHILIP. Well does it stand in contrast with that of Saul in this glimpse of early Christianity. Saul, the wolf amidst the fold, breathing out threats and slaughter; Philip, as the shepherd, feeding and healing and comforting. Again and again we have the repetition of the true effects of Christianity. Good words are spoken, which command attention and do good to the soul; good deeds are done to the suffering body, which are evident "signs" of a Divine presence and power to heal, and therefore of a Divine and loving will. And joy ever breaks out the reflection of recovered freedom in the body and the soul in every city. These, then, are the constant evidences of Christianity. No other "apologetic" can be needed, for this is invincible. Without it the subtlest arguments are unavailing.
IV THE TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIAINITY OVER SUPERSTITION. Simon the Magus is the type of those who work upon the imagination of the people, as contrasted with the true Christian teacher who appeals to the conscience. What was to decide between the genuine teacher and healer and the eloquent and skilful quack? Close is the shadow to the light in all the course of the gospel. In the individual conscience lies the test. To that God speaks; that in every age is the mirror of the truth. And to the truth and to God the conscience of the impostor bears witness. Simon believed in the word of Philip, and became by baptism a professor of the new creed. It is said that he was astonished at the signs and peat wonders which occurred. What we call" sensationalism" in the mind, the craving for the wonder, is the spurious form of a true instinct. Men must see in order to be convinced; when conviction is attained, they can afterwards walk by faith in regions where sight is not possible. We never change the habit of our thought until we find something inexplicable where before all was plain and simple something wondrous where we only recognized the commonplace. To ask for belief without giving evidence is to insult the conscience, to refuse belief when the evidence is clear is to deny to one"s self the possibility of guidance when the evidence is not altogether clear. Let men take the evidence which is clear to them, and act upon it; that is safe for the time, and the rest will become clearer by-and-by. But the case of Simon shows how void is any kind of mere conviction unless it be followed by the corresponding act of will. Simon was convinced, but not converted. The light penetrated his intelligence, but failed to move his heart. J.
HOMILIES BY R.A. REDFORD Vers. 1-3. The enemy coming in like a flood.
I THE FLOOD OF INIQUITY CALLED FORTH BY THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY GHOST.
1. The corruption of the Jewish state. Instances in the case of Saul of Tarsus, assenting to the death of Stephen. The organized persecution as an answer to the gospel. The insincerity of those who pretended to accept Gamaliel"s wise counsel. Their real cowardice in not venturing to lay hold of the apostles.
2. The persecution had now a leader in Saul. It was a more decided arraying of the priestly power against the new sect; a house-to-house visitation with assumed legal authority. This was to push forward the conflict between the two kingdoms as nothing else could. It was to give definite aim to the persecution, and so to prepare the way for the more decided lifting up of the standard against it by the Spirit of God in the conversion of Saul.
II THE BREAKING UP OF THE FIRST FORM OF CHURCH LIFE, PREPARATORY TO A HIGHER, WIDER, AND MORE ACTIVE.
1. Fellowship is very precious, but activity still more so. Loving one another should prepare us to love the world. The temporary expedient of Christian communism gave way before the world"s violence; it was a help to the realization of Church life, but not an abiding rule of action.
2. Stephen"s funeral and the Church"s lamentation would deeply impress upon all dependence, not on individual instruments, but on the Spirit of God. How little it was thought that the chief persecutor would soon himself be the chief preacher!
3. Those scattered abroad carried with them a body of facts, both the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles so far, which helped them to dispense with the immediate superintendence of the apostles. So the New Testament would begin to be formed in that first persecution. The believers all over Judaea and Samaria, speaking to one another and to their neighbors of the things that they themselves most surely believed. How little Saul"s "laying waste" the Church harmed it! Learn the lesson of confidence in the overruling Savior. He maketh the wrath of man to praise him. R.
HOMILIES BY P.C. BARKER
Vers. 1-4. Discordant elements obedient to the accomplishing of one purpose.
This short paragraph is not only full of incident, but of strangely contrary kind of incident. It seems at first a mere medley of facts, history"s patchwork, or like some mosaic pretending to no harmony at all. This first impression, however, soon passes off, and each incident of the group assumes yet clearer outline and is seen to fit into its place. The fact still remains, however, that the materials are of very antagonistic kind, and the wonder still remains, broadening more and more clearly to view, that out of all the variety a sovereign power is working a certain unity of result. The martyrdom is at the center of the subject yet. It is the key of the position. It makes a landmark conspicuous far and wide, and a date forever memorable. And this paragraph develops to view a fivefold energy resulting from the martyrdom.
I IT BRINGS OUT IN BROAD RELIEF OTHER THAN THE LATE HUMBLING ASPECTS OF HUMAN NATURE. (Ver. 2.) Other hearts than those that beat in the breasts of the Sanhedrim are in Jerusalem, other hands than those that stone are at this very moment outside its walls. The triumph has not been an unqualified one. The contrast is a wonderful relief to the strain put on faith, a welcome restorer of hope for human outlook. And one and the same hour shows no doubtful sign of those sternest Works, those tenderest offices of which the angel of Christianity would through all the ages be witness. The storm is spent, and men seek in the morning to bury them the dead washed ashore. The battle is over, and in the evening men gather their slaughtered to bury them. The cross has done its work, and the sacred body is "begged" and with tenderest care and service is buried. The stoning has finished, and devout men carry mangled limbs to honored burial. Christianity has her chivalry, and the chivalry of Christianity is that purest affection which, mingled with purest faith, before all reverences and mourns her fallen heroes and warriors, though she never excused them while they lived a duty, nor exempted them a pang while they struggled and fought. Most impressive is that which is left to our imagination to fill up. When the last stone had been thrown, and the echoes of howling murderers bad died away, and the mob had swept by, then "devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
II IT FINDS OUT THE TRUE DISCIPLES, AND SCATTERS THEM EACH WITH HIS FRUITFUL INFLUENCE FAR AND WIDE. (Ver. 1.) Persecution a thing of darkest deeds, a very word of dread has ever had some crop of most beneficent results. Of it, it may emphatically be said, "Bow no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are-exercised thereby." Persecution:
1. Tries the sincerity of character.
2. It ascertains the dominance of faith or its comparative weakness.
3. It gives faith much stronger hold on its proper object or objects.
4. It chases away vast quantities of vague thought, vaguer feeling, mists that have long misled, and a habit of doubt that has gone far to undermine the nobility of Christian life.
5. It exerts a vast benefit on others. If this be not part of its intention, it is a grand overruled use of it. The happy hour often is touched with the taint of selfishness. The members of happiest family are so united to one another that they render an unfairly small contribution to the happiness that should touch their borders too on all sides. And it has in point of fact often been so with the Church, till," when persecution arises" (which "persecution" may arise" from very various causes, and appear in very various shapes), it is broken in upon, and those who composed it are separated and spread and many a missionary is made (ver. 1).
III IT FINDS OUT THE "CALLED APOSTLES TRUE TO THEIR CALL. (Ver. 1.) The believers were scattered. Some voice, some power, or some pure impulse tied the apostles. The post of duty remains so for them, though it become the post of danger. They are to remain yet in Jerusalem, to guide, to comfort, to keep together the lessened flock, and to face fearlessly the enemy. This word, except the apostles," should be heard like a trumpet-call by the leaders of Christ"s flock, at all times, in all places. And does it not indicate that leaders there ought to be, and in this sense, ranks of service better so called than ranks of office and dignities in the Church of Christ? The analogy of all nature says, "Yes,"supported not only by the "call" and the special "inspiring" of apostles, but by such a fact as that which underlies this exception, except the apostles." It is left meantime open to us to imagine only why this crisis was not used by those who persecuted to turn a fierce tide of opposition upon the apostles themselves. They must have been easy to find, and they must have been known to be at the root of the whole matter. The most probable account of the matter seems to us to be that the Sanhedrim had already had enough of them, and in interfering with them had been so humblingly worsted (see homilies on Act 4:, Act_4:5).
IV IT FINDS OUT SAUL, TO SET AN INDELIBLE MARK, NOT ON HIM, BUT RATHER IN HIM. It will seem to the reader at first, perhaps, that it is none but the historian who sets a mark on Saul, and that the mark which he sets is none but an outward mark, though he repeats it three times. (Act_7:58, 60 8:3) Second thoughts will persuade him of something very different. As sure as ever sureness was, mark surer far than even Cain"s mark is being set upon Saul, get where nothing can endanger its lasting depth. Ineffaceable memories are furnishing the secret cabinet of his mind; thoughts and resolutions and strong forces of conviction are being stored there, that no future crowd of cares, or throng of occupations, or tumults of mirth should avail to drive out. In the whole scene Saul takes three parts.
1. He takes a passive part, or what may seem mostly so, (Act_7:58) and then a picture was being photographed on an inner tablet in its stillness, accurate, full, safe, to be permanent also. It was destined for a while, indeed, to be overlaid by other images, fleeting and vain, but after a while to brighten out and become, perhaps, brightest of all except one.
2. Saul takes a consenting part. (Act_7:60) He says nothing against the martyrdom; he looks approval of it. Do they ask whether it is all right and to his mind? his answer is in the affirmative.
3. Saul takes an active part. Full of zeal, full of fury, full of impetuous, imperious, intolerant determination, he "makes havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women, commits them to prison" (ver. 3). He is mercilessly marking himself, unless you say that, with triple mark, another hand, a gracious one, is marking him for mercy Jesus Christ"s own "pattern of all long-suffering". (1Ti_1:15) Yes; the Saul of Stephen"s martyrdom; the Saul who permitted the polluted garments of those that stoned that saintliest Stephen to lie at his feet for safety"s sake; who made himself a consenting accomplice of the causeless murder, and who then girded himself up to the full stretch of his mighty energy to presume to "make havoc" of the flock of Jesus, will make a good pattern indeed, a pattern hard to improve upon of the all long-suffering" of that same "Jesus.
V IT FINDS UTTERANCES ABUNDANT, RINGING, FAR AND WIDE, FOR "PREACHING CHRIST," A THOUSAND-FOLD FOR THE ONE LOVING VOICE THAT HAD BEEN HUSHED. (Ver. 4.) And no thought outside of the rapture of his own soul, delivered unto the glory of God, of Christ, of heaven, could have been more welcome than this to Stephen. His murderous, stoned death, he would have said, was already amply and blessedly revenged. The one thing, "preaching Christ" that caused his death, was multiplied immediately a thousand-fold by that very thing his death. In his death Samson slew more than all he had slain while he lived in his mighty manhood. Unenviable achievement! Fame unblessed! His seed perish from the earth! But Stephen in his death becomes the means of the offer of life, and doubtless of life too to more, innumerably more than all whom he could reach with all his saintly force while he lived. Honored servant! Deathless renown! His seed" the noble army of martyrs," and converts exceeding the drops of morning dew! No unworthy pendant to the thrilling sacred tale of Scripture itself is the proverb that takes date from this one: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. B.
HOMILIES BY R. TUCK Vers. 1-4. Providence making missionaries.
The disciples of the Lord Jesus were to be missionaries, going everywhere and preaching his gospel to every creature. But they were to begin at Jerusalem, and there wait for "the promise of the Father the Divine endowment of the Holy Ghost. Then they were simply to follow the openings of Divine providence and the impulses and leadings of the Divine Spirit. They evidently at first scarcely understood what their work was, or how it was to be begun. Prejudices hindered them; difficulties blocked their way; it would seem to them that their lives would be imperiled by exciting public attention to them; and on the day of Pentecost they wore simply borne beyond themselves and above their fears, and were led to speak, freely and bravely, all they knew of Christ"s resurrection and power to save. At first their witness was rendered in Jerusalem, and they waited on Providence for further guidance. The way for more extended work presently opened, but it was in very strange and unexpected ways. Out of seeming disaster and discomfiture came the plain indication of what their missionary work was to be.
I PERSONAL PERIL CAME. The Revised Version gives the better reading of ver. 1: "There arose on that day a great persecution." It would seem "that the crowd which stoned Stephen outside the gate rushed back with its blood up, or, as Calvin says, like a wild beast which has once tasted blood, and threw itself there and then upon the company of brethren who, perchance, had met to pray secretly in their upper room for the brother who before men was playing so well his honorable and perilous part." The wild things which an excited mob will do have received abundant illustration in all ages, and recent illustration in the partial destruction of Alexandria. But the Christian disciples had more than this to fear. Such riotings of mobs last, at the most, but a few days. The Sanhedrim had now determined to persecute, and, if possible, destroy, the Nazarene sect; and from their systematic efforts, the disciples could only gain safety by flight. "A favorable juncture had come for the bigots," but it was, in the ordering of God"s providence, the favorable juncture for commencing missionary work. We must always seek to judge, not what peril, suffering, persecution, or the arresting of our work may seem to be, but what they prove to be, when they have come fully under the Divine overrulings.
II ESCAPE FROM THE PERIL SCATTERED THEM. Broke up the daily meals and the life in common; made the apostles hide away out of reach; and drove the disciples into the country districts into Samaria, where Jewish fanatics would hardly venture, and even away as far as Damascus, where we subsequently find Ananias. It is remarkable that at this time the persecution does not seem to have reached the apostles, and it has been suggested that it was directed against that section of the disciples which followed Stephen, and attacked, in greater or less degree, the Mosaic system. Dean Plumptre says, "It was probable, in the nature of the case, that the Hellenistic disciples, who had been represented by Stephen, should suffer more than the others." Missionary records contain many illustrations of persecution making opportunity. The scattering was limited at first to the neighboring districts, but it started the missionary idea, and then the whole world was felt to be the sphere for the missionaries of the cross. Show how travel, migration, and commerce have scattered men over the world, and made providential openings for Christian works. "There is that scattereth and yet increaseth" is illustrated in these early disciples.
III THEY TOLD OF CHRIST WHEREVER THEY WENT. The persecution opened their mouths, made them bold, filled them with fervor and zeal; the silent ones now preached the glad tidings. Persecution puts new life and energy into the persecuted. Things die out if left alone, that grow into power if we attempt to crush them. Men learn to value things which others would forcibly pluck from them. The weakness of our modern witness to Christ is mainly due to the general acceptance of our message. We should speak it nobly if we had to suffer or to die for it. Then the "lips of the dumb would speak." Trouble and calamity and difficulty made the first missionaries, and it has made the best ever since. Impress that the Christian law is this wherever the providence of God may lead you or drive you, be therefore Christ. R.T.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On vv1–3 And Saul was consenting to his death.
Act_8:1-8
And Saul was consenting to his death.
Read full note →
Three great figures in the Church
I. The persecuting Saul. In this part of the narrative the name of Saul occurs three times (Act_7:58; Act_8:1; Act_8:3). How quick the development and how sure! First of all, he watched the clothes of the men who stoned Stephen; then he expressed in every feature of his face satisfaction at the martyrs death; and then he took up the matter earnestly himself with both hands. He struck the Church as it had never been struck before. The taste for blood is an acquired taste, but it grows by what it feeds on. This man Saul began as he ended. There was nothing ambiguous about him. A tremendous foe, a glorious friend! We see from this part of the narrative--
1. The power of the Christian religion to excite the worst passions of men. It is a savour of life unto life, or of death unto death. Christianity either kills or saves. We have become so familiar with it externally as to cast a doubt upon this. It has become possible for nominal Christian believers to care nothing about their faith. The age has been seized with what is known as a horror of dogmatism. But Christianity has no reason for its existence if it be not positive. Poetry may hold parley with prose fiction, because they belong to the same category. But arithmetic does not say, If you will allow me, I may venture to suggest that the multiplication of such and such numbers may possibly result in such and such a total. Now, in proportion as any religion is true, can it not stoop to the holding of conversation with anybody. It is not a suggestion--it is a revelation. It is not a puzzle, to which a hundred answers may be given by wits keen at guessing; it is an oracle. Can you wonder, then, that a religion which claimed to be the very voice and glory of God, should have encountered unpitying and most malignant hostility? If it could have come crouchingly, or apologetically, and have said, I think, I suggest, I hope, it might have been heard at the worlds convenience. But being with angels songs true, it raised the world into antagonism and deadly conflict. So will every true life. We have no enemies because we have no gospel. We pass along pretty easily, because we annoy no mans prejudices or naughtinesses. We dash no mans gods to the ground; we stamp on no mans idolatries; and so we have no martyrs. In olden times Christianity attacked the most formidable citadels of thought, prejudice, and error, and brought upon itself the fist of angry retaliation.
2. That the success of the enemy was turned into his deadliest failure. They that were scattered (Act_8:4), did not go everywhere with shame burning on their cheek, nor whining and moaning that they were doomed to a useless life. They were made evangelists by suffering. That is the true way of treating every kind of assault. When the pulpit is assailed as being behind the age, let the pulpit preach better than ever and more than ever, and let that be its triumphant reply. When Christianity is assailed, publish it the more. Evangelisation is the best reply to every form of assault.
3. Christianity followed by its proper result. And there was great joy in that city. Joy was a word that was early associated with Christianity. Said the angel, I bring you good tidings of great joy. Where now is that singing, holy joy? We have lost the music, we have retained the tears. The revelling is now in the other house.
II. The dead Stephen. Already there are two graves in the early Church. In the one lie Ananias and Sapphira, in the grave opened to-day there lies Stephen. In one or other of these graves we must be buried! Over the first there was no lamentation. Sad grave! The liars retreat, the hypocrites nameless hiding-place! Will you be buried there? Then there is the good mans grave, which is not a grave at all, it is so full of peace and promise, will you be buried there? The road to it is rough, but the rest is deep and sweet, and the waking immortality! Will you so live that you will be much missed for good-doing?
III. The evangelistic Philip (Act_8:5). Stephen dead, Philip taking his place--that is the military rule! The next man, Forward! Who will be baptized for the dead? When Stephen was killed the remainder of the seven did not take fright and run away in cowardly terror, but Philip, the next man, took up the vacant place, and preached Christ in Samaria. Who will take up the places of the great men and the good men? Is the Church to be a broken line, or a solid and invincible square? These three great figures are still in the Church. Our Stephens are not dead. We see them no more in the flesh, but they are mightier than ever since they have ascended to heaven, having left behind them the inspiration of a noble example. John Bunyan is more alive to-day than he was when he wrote the Pilgrims Progress. John Wesley is more alive to-day than he was when he began to preach the Word in England. Your child is not dead when its memory leads you to do some kindness to some other child. Our fathers, heroic and noble, are not dead, when we are able at their graves to relight torches and go on with our sacred work. We cannot peruse a narrative of this kind without feeling that we are in a great succession, and that we ought to be in proportion great successors. (J. Parker, D. D.)
Stephen and Saul
One of the greatest demands that the Church makes on us is when she summons us to pass abruptly from Christmas Day to the feast of St. Stephen; from the peaceful joy of the holy family and angel songs to the violence of the mob; from the King of angels to the first who bore witness to his faith and patience. At a scene like that of St. Stephens martyrdom it is a relief to place ourselves in the position of a bystander. There stands Saul, the very antithesis of Stephen, young and enthusiastic as he, but passionately attached to Pharisaism as Stephen was to the gospel. As we know Paul in his Epistles, his great characteristic gift was sympathy. How then could he have consented to this tragedy?
I. The reasons for his consent.
1. He was following the stream of opinion. All Jerusalem agreed that Stephen deserved his fate; and Paul had as yet no reason for resisting the will of the majority.
2. He was following the instincts of religious loyalty as he understood them. To him Stephen was a rebel against authority.
3. He was following the instincts of piety. The charge against him was that he calumniated God, Moses,the temple, and the law. The first was clearly an inference from the rest, and about the rest there was this much truth, that he no doubt preached to the Christians against attending temple worship. This he thought was at variance with the world-wide mission of Christ. Accordingly he proved before the Sanhedrin that there was nothing to show that Gods presence was confined to the Promised Land, much less to a particular spot in it. All this to Paul was a blasphemous novelty.
II. His reflections on the tragedy. When all was over the memories of what had passed came back, and as he saw Stephens death in retrospect he felt the force of three forms of power--suffering, sanctity, truth.
1. Suffering is power--
(1) When it is voluntary. This stirs in us a fellow feeling even when undergone for an object we condemn.
(2) This power is great in proportion to the sacrifice it involves. The deaths of the very old or young touch us less than that of a young man just reaching and conscious of the maturity of his faculties. He gives the best human nature has to give. So it was with ,Stephen, and Saul as he remembered this young manly life crushed out felt the power of suffering.
2. Sanctity is power, greatest when associated with suffering. Stephen was not merely good, keeping clear of what is evil; he was holy. He had a spirit that reflects a higher world--full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. This sanctity illuminated his bodily frame, and was made perfectly plain in his dying prayer. This was not lost on Saul.
3. Truth is power. When Saul heard of Stephens declaration his whole soul rose against it; yet the ideas of Stephens speech haunted the young Pharisee, and became the great characteristic positions of his after ministry.
4. These three characteristics of the martyr find their perfect ,embodiment only in Christ.
III. Closing considerations.
1. The view a Christian should take of an opponent of Christian truth--that of a possible convert and ally.
2. What persecutors can and cannot do. They can put clown a given belief by extermination as Christianity was crushed out in Northern Africa and Protestantism in Spain. But if persecution does not exterminate it only fans the flame, as did the persecuting emperors and Queen Mary. The persecution begun by the death of Stephen only contributed to the spread of the gospel.
3. The criminal folly of persecution by Christians since it is an attempt to achieve by outward and mechanical violence results which to be worth anything before God must be the product of His converting grace.
4. The signal service which martyrs have rendered to the world--enriching his country, church, age, with new and invigorating ideas of truth, and therefore while other sufferers die and are forgotten, the martyr rightly has his place in the calendar of the Church and in the hearts of her faithful children. (Canon Liddon.)
After Stephen, Paul
It is said of John Huss that, on a countryman throwing a faggot at his head, he exclaimed, Oh, holy simplicity! God send thee better light! You roast the goose now, but a swan shall come after me, and he shall escape your fire. Oddly enough, Huss is the Bohemian for goose, while the meaning of Luther is a swan.
Strong contrasts of moral character
(texts, and Act_9:5; Act_9:11):--Here is moral character--
I. Quiescently consenting to the wrong (verse 1). From Stephens death Saul would no doubt catch the inspiration of his future life. His Jewish education has fitted him for this crisis. He was quite prepared to guard the clothes of those who would slay a Christian. Here, then, he stands at his post calmly and unmoved, the subject of two extreme influences, the surging, passionate mob, and the earnest prayer of the martyr. This event was educational to Saul. The manly conduct, earnest speech, and saintly death of Stephen, would appeal to his diviner sentiments; while the tumult and murderous intentions of the crowd would influence his baser side. To which will he yield? All the force of his past life inclines to the latter. But cannot that pale face and devout appeal to heaven overcome his prejudice? No! he leaves the scene with a cold determination to make it typical of his future. But, as a thought may lurk in the mind, concealed and unrecognised, so the impulses awakened in the heart of Saul by this event only awaited the further touch of the Divine Spirit to make them the master powers of his soul. Who can tell the formative power which one event may exercise upon our lives? But let us not think that we can stand to look at sin without sharing its guilt.
II. In determined hostility to the right (verse 3). This hostility was--
1. Daring. The Church, He might strive to pluck the stars from the Divine grasp, but to touch the object of Gods peculiar care was beyond description bold. We wonder that men dare to attack the Church, or to plot injury against it. Such conduct is a proof of their hardihood, or they would be awed by her holy presence and Divine Protector.
2. Extensive. Made havoc. It often appears strange that God should permit men to pursue, sometimes unchecked, a course of determined harm to His Church. This fact almost staggers reason, and only faith can repose in its rectitude and wisdom. But men need not take the sword; the tale of the tattler, the formality of the hypocrite is sufficient.
3. Impudent. Entering into every house. What right had Saul in another mans house, and especially for such a purpose? A mans house is sacred, consecrated to family union and love. No stranger unbidden, no foe should enter. But religious bigotry thinks not of social usage, much less of Christian courtesy.
4. Inhuman. Haling men and women. When bigotry once gets possession of a man, it yields to no argument, not even to that of tender womanhood. See what quiescent sin comes to. Men that commence by keeping the clothes of persecutors, soon become persecutors themselves. The path of sin is ever downward.
III. Aroused and inquiring (Act_9:5). The transitions of moral character are often--
1. Sudden. Saul little expected in a few months to be praying to the very Being whose followers he was murdering; he was on an errand of rage, and he never thought that it would turn out a mission of mercy to himself
2. Overwhelming. Saul is almost stunned. His moral being is altogether confused. The change now working within his soul is too great to be made calmly. The only relief of his half-unconscious soul is the cry, What wilt Thou have me to do?
3. Astonishing to others. What would the Jewish council say to the change that had come over Saul? The disciples of Christ received him half with suspicion. What an impression would his conversion make upon the general public!
4. Productive of great results to mankind. How many have received truth and benefit through the toils of the Apostle Paul during his life; and how many minds has he instructed, how many souls has he aided in lifes struggles by his writings! Thus we see that the sudden changes that come over moral character are often productive of great results to the individual himself, and to mankind at large.
IV. In communion with God (Act_9:11).
1. Prayer is an index to character. The praying man is not Saul the persecutor, but Saul the penitent sinner. Persecutors do not pray to Jesus Christ. Whenever you see a man in earnest prayer to Christ, you may have some idea of his moral character.
2. Prayer is a reason for help. Ananias was to go to Saul and instruct him, for behold he prayeth. No matter what our circumstances, if we will but pray, God will send His aid and comfort. It is not the rule of heaven to help a prayerless soul. Do you know of a penitent soul, it is your duty to take to it a message of peace and hope.
3. A life commenced by prayer is likely to be useful. Has not Paul been useful to the Church and the world? And why? Was it not because God could say of him, Behold, he prayeth.
4. God notices the first prayer of contrition and calls attention to it. Behold. It is an interesting sight even to heaven.
5. God sends succour to contrite souls. Has He not frequently sent an Ananias to you, fellow sinner? What have been the moral contrasts of your life? Is there a Damascus journey amongst them? Conclusion: Learn not to entirely estimate the character of men from a past remembrance of them. Suppose an associate of Sauls who had known him in the earlier part of his life, but who had not seen him for some time, had spoken of him as a persecutor and Jewish bigot, how mistaken would have been his opinion, and how unjust to the converted apostle! We should not be hasty to pass an opinion on our friends from a past remembrance of them. They may have since undergone a moral change for the better. (J. S. Exell, M. A.)
The wonderful ways of the Lord in the propagation of His kingdom
1. The martyr Stephen waters the Church with his blood.
2. The raging Saul serves, even as a persecutor, unconsciously to the extension of the kingdom of Christ.
3. The fugitive Christians are the first messengers of the gospel to a distance. (K. Gerok.)
And at that town there was a great persecution.--
The persecution after Stephen
Here we have--
I. A man who became the greatest apostle of Christianity acting as its most milignant foe.
1. Saul was an accomplice in the martyrdom of Stephen, and rejoiced in it (Act_7:58; Act_22:20).
2. He was an infuriated leader in the general persecution. The word made havoc is commonly applied to wild beasts (Act_21:10; Gal_1:6). Now the fact that this man became the greatest apostle Demonstrates--
(1) The greatness of his conversion.
(2) The power of the gospel.
(3) The infinitude of Divine mercy.
II. Men rising above the most powerfully hostile circumstances.
1. The apostles stood calmly in the scene where their lives were in the most imminent danger, and when most of their fellow disciples had fled.
2. Devout men discharged a duty most exciting to the rage of their enemies. Away, then, with the dogma that man is the creature of circumstances. He is only so as he loses his manhood.
III. The most intolerant persecution furthering the cause of truth Persecution--
1. Throws the persecuted more and more on their God.
2. It enables them to furnish in their lives a nobler manifestation of Christianity to the world; more earnest, united, devout.
3. It awakens general sympathy among men on their behalf, and thus disposes them to attend to their teachings. (D. Thomas, D. D.)
The effect of persecution
The sacred fire, which might have burnt low on the hearth of the upper chamber of Jerusalem, was kindled into fresh heat and splendour when its brands were scattered over all Judaea and Samaria, and circumcised Gentiles were admitted by baptism into the fold of Christ. (Archdeacon Farrar.)
They were all scattered abroad.--
The dispersion
Jerusalem was naturally the chief scene of the persecution, and the neighbouring towns, Hebron, and Gaza, and Lydda, and Joppa, became places of refuge. It was probably to this influx of believers in Christ that we may trace the existence of Christian communities in the two latter cities. The choice of Samaria was, perhaps, suggested by the hatred of that people to the Jews. Those who were fleeing from a persecution set on foot by the priests and rulers of Jerusalem were almost ipso facto sure of a welcome in Neapolis and other cities. But the choice of this as a place of refuge indicated that the barriers of the old antipathy were already in part broken down. What seemed the pressure of circumstances was leading directly to the fulfilment of our Lords commands, that the disciples should be witnesses in Samaria as well as in Judaea (Act_1:8). (Dean Plumptre.)
The extension of the Church
I. God intended that His Church should be scattered all over the world.
1. There was a tendency in our humanity at first to remain together; hence the first grey fathers endeavoured to build a central tower around which the race should rally. But God confounded their language, and scattered them that they might people the world. Jerusalem was first the central point of Christianity, and the tendency doubtless was to keep the centre strong. I have often heard the argument, Do not have too many out-stations, keep up a strong central force. But Gods plan was that the holy force should be distributed; the holy seed must be sown--to do this the Lord used the rough hand of persecution. One went this way, and one the other; and the faithful were scattered.
2. Every Church endowed with the Spirit will be spread abroad. God never means the Church to be shut up in a shell or, like ointment, enclosed in a box. The precious perfume of the gospel must be poured forth to sweeten the air. Now that persecution has ceased godly men are scattered through the necessity of earning a livelihood. Sometimes we regret that young men should have to go to a distance, that families should have to migrate. But does not the Lord by this means sow the good seed widely? It is very pleasant to be comfortably settled under an edifying ministry, but the Lord has need of some of His servants in places where there is no light; and they ought of themselves to scatter voluntarily. Every Christian should say, Where can I do most good? And if we will not go afield willingly, God may use providential necessity as the forcible means of our dispersion.
II. Gods design is not the scattering in itself, but scattering of a purpose--to preach the Word. The word proclaim is not quite so subject to the modern sense which has spoiled the word preach. The latter has come to be a sort of official term for delivering a set discourse; whereas gospel preaching is telling the gospel out in any way. Note--
1. The universality of the work of evangelising. All the scattered went everywhere; there does not seem to have been any exception. You thought it would read the apostles, but they were just the people who did not go at all. Generals may have to stand still in the centre of the battle to direct the forces; but this was soldiers battles, and of this sort all the battles of the Cross ought to be.
2. There were no personal distinctions. It is not said that ministers preached the Word, scarcely anything has been more injurious to the kingdom of Christ than the distinction between clergy and laity. No such distinction appears in the Bible. Ye are Gods Kle?ros: all Gods saints are Gods inheritance. Ye are a royal priesthood. Though God gives to His Church apostles, teachers, pastors, etc., yet not by way of setting up a professional caste who are to do all the work while others sit still. Every converted man is to teach what he knows. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
The scattered Church; or good out of evil
History is God teaching by example. The worst things in history are not necessarily without some elements which may be Divinely used for good. The reins never fall out of the guiding hand. The heathen rage. But the Lord sits as King in Zion. The contrasted lights and shadows of this narrative deserve, and will repay, closest attention.
I. Human sympathy and kindness manifest themselves amid exultant cruelty. The phrase in relation to Saul means to approve, take pleasure and delight in what others have done. He was exceedingly mad against the believers in Jesus. Amid such manifestations of cruel depravity there were devout men who carried the mangled remains of the martyred deacon to a reverent burial. The phrase refers to the better elements of Jewish society--the moderate men who hated persecution. Violence always overreaches itself. Sympathy is awakened when wrong is boasting its victories. Stephen dies; but those who fear God, although they have not adopted his faith, are emboldened to breast the currents of unjust opinion and to go in the face of the mob who applaud an infamous deed. It was the same in the case of Jesus, who was buried by Joseph and Nicodemus in Josephs garden. History is full of such contrasts. Humanity has its recoil from injustice and violence. Successful villainy is always ruinous. Passions, ecclesiastical or political, satiated with blood, involve blunder as well as crime. Religious animosities are met by this immense force in human nature, and there is no withstanding the influence of that pity which unjust violence evokes. The tears shed over a martyred corpse are more potent than the mightiest engines of persecution.
II. Adversity and persecution are overruled by the ascended Lord for the extension of the Church. The signal, by Stephens death, was given for a general outbreak to exterminate the Christians. When wild beasts taste blood their fury becomes madness. As for Saul. The word used means violent outrage and physical maltreatment. He made a ruin of the Church by brutal and bloody assaults on the persons of its members. Oriental religious fanaticism has always been tigerish in its cruelty. Beneath the Crescent have been wrought deeds of blood which have cursed and doomed Mahomedan fanaticism. The Lord reigneth. Christians are fugitives; but they carry Christianity wherever they go. New centres of Christian life and organisation spring up everywhere. When Rome drove out our own reformers they found leisure on the Continent to perfect translations of Holy Scripture in the mother tongue. Gods hand was in it when the power of Rome was established in our land. Caesar meant not so, neither did his heart think so. Beneath his eagles was borne the cross. Britain was conquered by the Romans that it might be conquered by Christ.
III. A principle and an encouragement respecting Church extension. Fugitive believers are the first messengers of the gospel to distant regions. Philip was not an apostle, nor a pastor. His was a secular Office. But when those duties ceased through the scattering, he was still ready for service. Changing his place, he did not change his disposition. He found, new work for himself. While within the Church, for teaching and ruling, men receive a special call and ordination of the Lord, there is a service of Christ for which official appointment is not indispensable. Men who are Christians can and ought to make Christ known to those who are not. Order is seemly; but it is not to displace energy and zeal. (W. H. Davison.)
Except the apostles.--
The apostles stayed bravely in Jerusalem
They might be east into prison, or even put to death, but they would not go. They must be there to help and comfort the poor people in their danger. I have often read of shipwrecks, and have generally found that when the terrible waves were dashing over the ship, and the sailors were letting down the boats that the passengers might escape, the captain and the officers remained on deck to the very last. The apostles were like those brave officers. Will the ship sink? No; but if it should they will sink with her. But many others left the city. It was as right for them to go as for the apostles to stay. Several of them may have had little children dependent on them, for whose sake they must try to live and work. Then while they lived they could speak for Christ, and so do good to others. (S. G. Green, D. D.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Expositor's Bible 1887 · Public Domain On v3 Chapter 2
Chapter 2
THE CONVERSION OF THE PERSECUTOR.
Read full note →
Act_8:3; Act_9:1-6
WE have in the last chapter traced the course of St. Pauls life as we know it from his own reminiscences, from hints in Holy Scripture, and from Jewish history and customs. The Jewish nation is exactly like all the nations of the East, in one respect at least. They are all intensely conservative, and though time has necessarily introduced some modifications, yet the course of education, and the force of prejudice, and the power of custom have in the mare remained unchanged down to the present time. We now proceed to view St. Paul, not as we imagine his course of life and education to have been, but as we follow him in the exhibition of his active powers, in the full play and swing of that intellectual energy, of those religious aims and objects for which he had been so long training.
St. Paul at his first appearance upon the stage of Christian history, upon the occasion of St. Stephens martyrdom, had arrived at the full stature of manhood both in body and in mind. He was then the young man Saul; an expression which enables us to fix with some approach to accuracy the time of his birth. St. Pauls contemporary Philo in one of his works divides mans life into seven periods, the fourth of which is young manhood, which he assigns to the years between twenty-one and twenty-eight. Roughly speaking, and without attempting any fine-drawn distinctions for which we have not sufficient material, we may say that at the martyrdom of St. Stephen St. Paul was about thirty years of age, or some ten years or thereabouts junior to our Lord, as His years would have been numbered according to those of the sons of men. One circumstance, indeed, would seem to indicate that St. Paul must have been then over and above the exact line of thirty. It is urged, and that upon the ground of St. Pauls own language, that he was a member of the Sanhedrim In the twenty-sixth chapter, defending himself before King Agrippa, St. Paul described his own course of action prior to his conversion as one of bitterest hostility to the Christian cause: "I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my vote against them"; an expression which clearly indicates that he was a member of a body and possessed a vote in an assembly which determined questions of life and death, and that could have been nothing else than the Sanhedrin, into which no one was admitted before he had completed thirty years. St. Paul, then, when he is first introduced to our notice, comes before us as a full-grown man, and a well-trained, carefully educated, thoroughly disciplined rabbinical scholar, whose prejudices were naturally excited against the new Galilean sect, and who had given public expression to his feelings by taking decided steps in opposition to its progress. The sacred narrative now sets before us
(1) the Conduct of St. Paul in his unconverted state,
(2) his Mission,
(3) his Journey, and
(4) his Conversion.
Let us take the many details and circumstances connected with this passage under these four divisions.
I. The Conduct of Saul. Here we have a picture of St. Paul in his unconverted state: "Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord." This description is amply borne out by St. Paul himself, in which he even enlarges and gives us additional touches of the intensity of his antichristian hate. His ignorant zeal at this period seems to have printed itself deep upon memorys record. There are no less than at least seven different notices in the Acts or scattered through the Epistles, due to his own tongue or pen, and dealing directly with his conduct as a persecutor. No matter how he rejoiced in the fulness and blessedness of Christs pardon, no matter how he experienced the power and working of Gods Holy Spirit, St. Paul never could forget the intense hatred with which he had originally followed the disciples of the Master. Let us note them, for they all bear out, expand, and explain the statement of the passage we are now considering.
In his address to the Jews of Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 22. he appeals to his former conduct as an evidence of his sincerity. In verses 4 and 5 {Act_22:4-5} he says, "I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus, to bring them also which were there unto Jerusalem in bonds, for to be punished." In the same discourse he recurs a second time to this topic; for, telling his audience of the vision granted to him in the temple, he says, verse 19 {Act_22:19}, "And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on Thee: and when the blood of Stephen Thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him." St. Paul dwells upon the same topic in the twenty-sixth chapter, when addressing King Agrippa in verses 9-11 {Act_26:9-11}, a passage already quoted in part: "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death, I gave my vote against them. And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities." It is the same in his Epistles. In four different places does he refer to his conduct as a persecutor-in 1Co_15:9, Gal_1:13, Php_3:6, 1Ti_1:13; while again in the chapter now under consideration, the ninth of Acts, we find that the Jews of the synagogue in Damascus, who were listening to St. Pauls earliest outburst of Christian zeal, asked, "Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havock of them which called on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests"; using the very same word "making havoc" as Paul himself uses in the first of Galatians, which in Greek is very strong, expressing a course of action accompanied with fire and blood and murder, such as occurs when a city is taken by storm.
Now these passages have been thus set forth at length because they add many details to the bare statement of Acts 9, giving us a glimpse into those four or five dark and bloody years, the thought of which henceforth weighed so heavily upon the Apostles mind and memory. Just let us notice these additional touches. He shut up in prison many of the saints, both men and women, and that in Jerusalem before he went to Damascus at all. He scourged the disciples in every synagogue, meaning doubtless that he superintended the punishment, as it was the duty of the Chazan, the minister or attendant of the synagogue, to scourge the condemned, and thus strove to make them blaspheme Christ. He voted for the execution of the disciples when he acted as a member of the Sanhedrin. And lastly he followed the disciples and persecuted them in foreign cities. We gain in this way & much fuller idea of the young enthusiasts persecuting zeal than usually is formed from the words, "Saul yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord," which seem to set forth Saul as roused to wild and savage excitement by St. Stephens death, and then continuing that course in the city of Jerusalem, for a very brief period. Whereas, on the contrary, St. Pauls fuller statements, when combined, represent him as pursuing a course of steady, systematic, and cruel repression, which St. Paul largely helped to inaugurate, but which continued to exist as long as the Jews had the power to inflict corporal punishments and death on the members of their own nation. He visited all the synagogues in Jerusalem and throughout Palestine, scourging and imprisoning. He strove-and this is, again, another lifelike touch, -to compel the disciples to blaspheme the name of Christ in the same manner as the Romans were subsequently wont to test Christians by calling upon them to cry anathema to the name of their Master. He even extended his activity beyond the bounds of the Holy Land, and that in various directions. The visit to Damascus may not by any means. have been his first journey to a foreign town with thoughts bent on the work of persecution. He expressly says to Agrippa, "I persecuted them even unto foreign cities." He may have: visited Tarsus, or Lystra, or the cities of Cyprus or Alexandria itself, urged on by the consuming fire of his blind, restless zeal, before he entered upon the journey to Damascus, destined to be the last undertaken in opposition to Jesus Christ. When we thus strive to realise the facts of the case, we shall see that the scenes of blood and torture and death, the ruined homes, the tears, the heartbreaking separations which the young man Saul had caused in his blind zeal for the law, and which are briefly summed up in the words "he made havoc of the Church," were quite sufficient to account for that profound impression of his own unworthiness and of Gods great mercy towards him which he ever cherished to his dying day.
II. The Mission of Saul. Again, we notice in this passage that Saul, having shown his activity in other directions, now turned his attention to Damascus. There were political circumstances which may have hitherto hindered him from exercising the same supervision over the synagogue of Damascus which he had already extended to other foreign cities. The political history and circumstances of Damascus at this period are indeed rather obscure. The city seems to have been somewhat of a bone of contention between Herod Antipas, Aretas the king of Petra, and the Romans. About the time of St. Pauls conversion, which may be fixed at A.D. 37 or 38, there was a period of great disturbance in Palestine andSouthern Syria. Pontius Pilate was deposed from his office and sent to Rome for judgment. Vitellius, the president of the whole Province of Syria, came into Palestine, changing the high priests, conciliating the Jews, and intervening in the war which raged between Herod Antipas and Aretas, his father-in-law. In the course of this last struggle Damascus seems to have changed its masters, and, while a Roman city till the year 37, it henceforth became an Arabian city, the property of King Aretas, till the reign of Nero, when it again returned beneath the Roman sway. Some one or other, or perhaps all these political circumstances combined may have hitherto prevented the Sanhedrin from taking active measures against the disciples at Damascus. But now things became settled. Caiaphas was deposed from the office of high priest upon the departure of Pontius Pilate. He had been a great friend and ally of Pilate; Vitellius therefore deprived Caiaphas of his sacred office, appointing in his stead Jonathan, son of Annas, the high priest. This Jonathan did not, however, long continue to occupy the position, as he was deposed by the same Roman magistrate, Vitellius, at the feast of Pentecost in the very same year, his brother Theophilus being appointed high priest in his room; so completely was the whole Levitical hierarchy, the entire Jewish establishment, ruled by the political officers of the Roman state. This Theophilus continued to hold the office for five or six years, and it must have been to Theophilus that Saul applied for letters unto Damascus authorising him to arrest the adherents of the new religion.
And now a question here arises, How is it that the high priest could exercise such powers and arrest his co-religionists in a foreign town? The answer to this sheds a flood of light upon the state of the Jews of the Dispersion, as they were called. I have already said a little on this point, but it demands fuller discussion. The high priest at Jerusalem was regarded as a kind of head of the whole nation. He was viewed by the Romans as the Prince of the Jews, with whom they could formally treat, and by whom they could manage a nation which, differing from all-others in its manners and customs, was scattered all over the world, and often gave much trouble. Julius Caesar laid down the lines on which Jewish privileges and Roman policy were based, and that half a century before the Christian era. Julius Caesar had been greatly assisted in his Alexandrian war by the Jewish high priest Hyrcanus, so he issued an edict in the year 47 B.C., which, after reciting the services of Hyrcanus, proceeds thus, "I command that Hyrcanus and his children do retain all the rights of the high priest, whether established by law or accorded by courtesy; and if hereafter any question arise touching the Jewish polity, I desire that the determination thereof be referred to him"; an edict which, confirmed as it was again and again, not only by Julius Caesar, but by several subsequent emperors, gave the high priest the fullest jurisdiction over the Jews, wherever they dwelt, in things pertaining to their own religion. It was therefore in strictest accord with Roman law and custom that, when Saul wished to arrest members of the synagogue at Damascus, he should make application to the high priest Theophilus for a warrant enabling him to effect his purpose.
The description, too, given of the disciples in this passage is very noteworthy and a striking evidence of the truthfulness of the narrative. The disciples were the men of "the Way." Saul desired to bring any of "the Way" found at Damascus to be judged at Jerusalem, because the Sanhedrin alone possessed the right to pass capital sentences in matters of religion. The synagogues at Damascus or anywhere else could flog culprits, and a Jew could get no redress for any such ill-treatment even if he sought it, which would have not been at all likely; but if the final sentence of death were to be passed, the Jerusalem Sanhedrin was the only tribunal competent to entertain such questions. And the persons he desired to hale before this awful tribunal were the men of the Way. This was the name by which, in its earliest and purest day, the Church called itself. In the nineteenth chapter and ninth verse we read of St. Pauls labours at Ephesus and the opposition he endured: "But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the multitude"; while again, in his defence before Felix, {Act_24:14} we read, "But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a sect, so serve I the God of our fathers." The Revised translation of the New Testament has well brought out the force of the original in a manner that was utterly missed in the Authorised Version, and has emphasised for us a great truth concerning the early Christians. There was a certain holy intolerance even about the very name they imposed upon the earliest Church. It was the Way, the only Way, the Way of Life. The earliest Christians had a lively recollection of what the Apostles had heard from the mouth of the Master Himself, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one cometh unto the Father but by Me"; and so, realising the identity of Christ and His people, realising the continued presence of Christ in His Church, they designated that Church by a term which expressed their belief that in it alone was the road to peace, the sole path of access to God. This name, "the Way," expressed their sense of the importance of the truth. Theirs was no easy-going religion which thought that it made not the slightest matter what form of belief a man professed. They were awfully in earnest, because they knew of only one way to God, and that was the religion and Church of Jesus Christ. Therefore it was that they were willing to suffer all things rather than that they should lose this Way, or that others should miss it through their default. The marvellous, the intense missionary efforts of the primitive Church find their explanation in this expression, the Way. God had revealed the Way and had called themselves into it, and their great duty in life was to make others know the greatness of this salvation; or, as St. Paul puts it, "Necessity is laid upon me; woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel."
The exclusive claims of Christianity are thus early set forth; and it was these same exclusive claims which caused Christianity to be so hated and persecuted by the pagans. The Roman Empire would not have so bitterly resented the preaching of Christ, if His followers would have accepted the position with which other religions were contented. The Roman Empire was not intolerant of new ideas in matters of religion. Previous to the coming of our Lord the pagans had welcomed the strange, mystic rites and teaching of Egypt. They accepted from Persia the curious system and worship of Mithras within the first century after Christs crucifixion. And tradition tells that at least two of the emperors were willing to admit the image of Christ into the Pantheon, which they had consecrated to the memory of the great and good. But the Christians would have nothing to say or do with such partial honours for their Master. Religion for them was Christ alone or else it was nothing, and that because He alone was the Way. As there was but one God for them, so there was but one Mediator, Christ Jesus.
III. Sauls Journey. "As he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus." This is the simple record left us in Holy Writ of this momentous event. A comparison of the sacred record with any of the numerous lives of St. Paul which have been published will show us how very different their points of view. The mere human narratives dwell upon the external features of the scene, enlarge upon the light which modern discoveries have thrown upon the lines of road which connected Jerusalem with Southern Syria, become enthusiastic over the beauty of Damascus as seen by the traveller from Jerusalem, over the eternal green of the groves and gardens which are still, as of old, made glad by the waters of Abana and of Pharpar; while the sacred narrative passes over all external details and marches straight to the great central fact of the persecutors conversion. And we find no fault with this. It is well that the human narratives should enlarge as they do upon the outward features and circumstances of the journey, because they thus help us to realise the Acts as a veritable history that was lived and acted. We are too apt to idealise the Bible, to think of it as dealing with an unreal world, and to regard the men and women thereof as beings of another type from ourselves. Books like Farrars and Lewins and Conybeare and Howsons "Lives of St. Paul" correct this tendency, and make the Acts of the Apostles infinitely more interesting by rendering St. Pauls career human and lifelike and clothing it with the charm of local detail. It is thus that we can guess at the very road by which the enthusiastic Saul travelled. The caravans from Egypt to Damascus are intensely conservative in their routes. In fact, even m our own revolutionary West trade and commerce preserve in large measure the same routes to-day as they used two thousand years ago. The great railways of England, and much more the great main roads, preserve in a large degree the same directions which the ancient Roman roads observed. In Ireland, with which I am still better acquainted, I know that the great roads starting from Dublin preserve in the main the same lines as in the days of St. Patrick. And so it is, but only to a much greater degree, in Palestine and throughout the East. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho preserved in St. Jeromes time, four centuries later, the same direction and the same character an in our Lords day, so that it was then called the Bloody Road, from the frequent robberies; and thus it is still, for the pilgrims who now go to visit the Jordan are furnished with a guard of Turkish soldiers to protect them from the Arab bandits. And to-day, as in the first century, the caravans from Egypt and Jerusalem, to Damascus follow either of two roads: one which proceeds through Gaza and Ramleh, along the coast, and then, turning eastward about the borders of Samaria and Galilee, crosses the Jordan and proceeds through the desert to Damascus-that is the Egyptian road; while the other, which serves for travellers from Jerusalem, runs due north from that city and joins the other road at the entrance to Galilee. This latter was probably the road which St. Paul took. The distance which he had to traverse is not very great. One hundred and thirty-six miles separate Jerusalem from Damascus, a journey which is performed in five or six days by such a company as Saul had with him. We get a hint, too, of the manner in which he travelled. He rode probably on a horse or a mule, like modern travellers on the same road, as we gather from Act_9:4 compared with Act_22:7, passages which represent Saul and his companions as falling to the earth when the supernatural light flashed upon their astonished vision.
The exact spot where Saul was arrested in his mad career is a matter of some debate; some fix it close to the city of Damascus, half a mile or so from the south gate on the high road to Jerusalem. Dr. Porter, whose long residence at Damascus made him an authority on the locality, places the scene of the conversion at the village of Caucabe, ten miles away, where the traveller from Jerusalem gets his first glimpse of the towers and groves of Damascus. We are not anxious to determine this point. The great spiritual truth which is the centre and core of the whole matter remains, and that central truth is this, that it was-when he drew near to Damascus and the crowning act of violence seemed at hand, then the Lord put forth His power-as He so often still does just when men are about to commit some dire offence-arrested the persecutor, and then, amid the darkness of that abounding light, there rose upon the vision of the astonished Saul at Caucabe, "the place of the star," that true Star of Bethlehem which never ceased its clear shining for him till he came unto the perfect day.
IV. Lastly we have the actual conversion of the Apostle and the circumstances of it. We have mention made in this connection of the light, the voice, and the conversation. These leading circumstances are described in exactly the same way in the three great accounts in the ninth, in the twenty-second, and in the twenty-sixth chapters. There are minute differences between them, but only such differences as are natural between the verbal descriptions given at different times by a truthful and vigorous speaker, who, conscious of honest purpose, did not stop to weigh his every word. All three accounts tell of the light; they all agree on that. St. Paul in his speeches at Jerusalem unhesitatingly declares that the light which he beheld was a supernatural one, above the brightness, the fierce, intolerable brightness of a Syrian sun at midday; and boldly asserts that the attendants and escort who were with him saw the light. Those who disbelieve in the supernatural reject, of course, this assertion, and resolve the light into a fainting fit brought upon Saul by the burning heat, or into a passing sirocco blast from the Arabian desert. But the sincere and humble believer may fairly ask, Could a fainting fit or a breath of hot wind change a man who had stood out against Stephens eloquence and Stephens death and the witnessed sufferings and patience displayed by the multitudes of men and women whom he had pursued unto the death? But it is not our purpose to discuss these questions in any controversial spirit. Time and space would fail to treat of them aright, specially as they have been fully discussed already in works like Lord Lyttelton on the conversion of St. Paul, wholly devoted to such aspects of these events. But, looking at them from a believers point of view, we can see good reasons why the supernatural light should have been granted. Next to the life and death and resurrection of our Lord, the conversion of St. Paul was the most important event the world, ever saw. Our Lord made to the fiery persecutor a special revelation of Himself in the mode of His existence in the unseen world, in the reality, truth, and fulness of His humanity, such as He never made to any other human being. The special character of the revelation shows the importance that Christ attached to the person and the personal character of him who was the object of that revelation. Just, then, as we maintain that there was a fitness when there was an Incarnation of God that miracles should attend it; so, too, when the greatest instrument and agent in propagating a knowledge of that Incarnation was to be converted, it was natural that a supernatural agency should have been employed. And then, when the devout mind surveys the records of Scripture, how similar we see St. Pauls conversion to have been to other great conversions. Moses is converted from mere worldly thoughts and pastoral labours on which his soul is bent, and sent back to tasks which he had abandoned for forty years, to the great work of freeing the people of God and leading them to the Land of Promise; and then a vision is granted, where light, a supernatural light, the light of the burning bush, is manifested. Isaiah and Daniel had visions granted to them when a great work was to be done and a great witness had to be borne, and supernatural light and glory played a great part in their cases. {See Ex. 3, Isa. 6, and Dan. 10}
When the Lord was born in Bethlehem, and the revelation of the Incarnate God had to be made to humble faith and lowly piety, then the glory of the Lord, a light from out Gods secret temple, shone forth to lead the worshippers to Bethlehem. And so, too, in St. Pauls case; a worlds spiritual welfare was at stake, a crisis in the worlds spiritual history, a great turning-point in the Divine plan of salvation had arrived, and it was most fitting that the veil which shrouds the unseen from mortal gaze should be drawn back for a moment, and that not Saul alone but his attendants should stand astonished at the glory of the light above the brightness of the sun which accompanied Christs manifestation.
Then, again, we have the voice that was heard. Difficulties have been also raised in this direction. In the ninth chapter St. Luke states that the attendant escort "heard a voice"; in the twenty-second chapter St. Paul states "they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they beard not the voice of Him that spake to me." This inconsistency is, however, a mere surface one. Just as it was in the case of our Lord Himself reported in Joh_12:28-29, where the multitude heard a voice but understood not its meaning, some saying that it thundered, others that an angel had spoken, while Christ alone understood and interpreted it; so it was in St. Pauls case; the escort heard a noise, but the Apostle alone understood the sounds, and for him alone they formed articulate words, by him alone was heard the voice of Him that spake, And the cause of this is explained by St. Paul himself in Act_26:14, where he tells King Agrippa that the voice spake to him in the Hebrew tongue, the ancient Hebrew that is, which St. Paul as a learned rabbinical scholar could understand, but which conveyed no meaning to the members of the temple-police, the servants, and constables of the Sanhedrin who accompanied him. Many other questions have here been raised and difficulties without end propounded, because we are dealing with a region of mans nature and of Gods domain, wherewith we have but little acquaintance and to which the laws of ordinary philosophy do not apply. Was the voice which Paul heard, was the vision of Christ granted to him, subjective or objective? is, for instance, one of such idle queries. We know, indeed, that these terms, subjective and objective, have a meaning for ordinary life. Subjective in such a connection means that which has its origin, its rise, its existence wholly within mans soul; objective that which comes from without and has its origin outside mans nature. Objective, doubtless, St. Pauls revelation was in this sense. His revelation must have come from outside, or else how do we account for the conversion of the persecuting Sanhedrist, and that in a moment? He had withstood every other influence, and now he yields himself in a moment the lifelong willing captive of Christ when no human voice or argument or presence is near. But then, if asked, how did he gee Christ when he was blinded with the heavenly glory? how did he speak to Christ when even the escort stood speechless? we confess then that we are landed in a region of which we are totally ignorant and are merely striving to intrude into the things unseen. But who is there that will now assert that the human eye is the only organ by which man can see? that the human tongue is the only organ by which the spirit can converse? The investigations of modern psychology have taught men to be somewhat more modest than they were a generation or two ago, when man in his conceit thought that he had gained the very utmost limits of science and of knowledge. These investigations have led men to realise that there are vast tracts of an unknown country, mans spiritual and mental nature, yet to be explored, and even then there must always remain regions where no human student can ever venture and whence no traveller can ever return to tell the tale. But all these regions are subject to Gods absolute sway, and vain will be our efforts to determine the methods of His actions in a sphere of which we are well-nigh completely ignorant. For the Christian it will be sufficient to accept on the testimony of St. Paul, confirmed by Ananias, his earliest Christian teacher, that Jesus Christ was seen by him, and that a voice was heard for the first time in the silence Of his soul which never ceased to speak until the things of time and sense were exchanged for the full fruition of Christs glorious presence.
And then, lastly, we have the conversation held with the trembling penitent. St. Lukes account of it in the ninth chapter is much briefer than St. Pauls own fuller statement in the twenty-sixth chapter, and much of it will most naturally come under our notice at a subsequent period. Here, however, we note the expressive fact that the very name by which the future apostle was addressed by the Lord was Hebrew: "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me." It is a point that our English translation cannot bring out, no matter how accurate. In the narrative, hitherto the name used has been the Greek form, and he has been regularly called Σαῦλος. But now the Lord appeals to the very foundations of his religious life, and throws him back upon the thought and manifestation of God as revealed of old time to His greatest leader and champion under the old covenant, to Moses in the bush; and so Christ uses not his Greek name but the Hebrew, Σαούλ, Σαούλ. Then we have St. Pauls query, "Who art Thou, Lord?" coupled with our Lords reply, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest," or, as St. Paul himself puts it in Act_22:8, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest." Ancient expositors have Well noted the import of this language. Saul asks who is speaking to him, and the answer is not, The Eternal Word who is from everlasting, the Son of the Infinite One who ruleth in the heavens. Saul would have acknowledged at once that his efforts were not aimed at Him. But the speaker cuts right across the line of Sauls prejudices and feelings, for He says, "I am Jesus of Nazareth," whom you hate so intensely and against whom all your efforts are aimed, emphasising those points against which his Pharisaic prejudices must have most of all revolted. As an ancient English commentator who lived more than a thousand years ago, treating of this passage, remarks with profound spiritual insight, Saul is called in these words to view the depths of Christs humiliation that he may lay aside the scales of his own spiritual pride. And then finally we have Christ identifying Himself with His people, and echoing for us from heaven the language and teaching He had used upon earth. "I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest are words embodying exactly the same teaching as the solemn language in the parable of the Judgment scene contained in Mat_25:31-46 : "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these My brethren, ye did it unto Me." Christ and His people are evermore one; their trials are His trials, their sorrows are His sorrows, their strength is His strength. What marvellous power to sustain the soul, to confirm the weakness, to support and quicken the fainting courage of Christs people, we find in this expression, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest"! They enable us to understand the undaunted spirit which henceforth animated the new convert, and declare the secret spring of those triumphant expressions, "In all these things we are more than conquerors," "Thanks be to God which giveth, us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. If Christ in the supra-sensuous world and we in the world of time are eternally one, what matter the changes arid chances of earth, the persecutions and trials of time? They may inflict upon us a little temporary inconvenience, but they are all shared by One whose love makes them His own and whose grace amply sustains us beneath their burden. Christs people faint not therefore, for they are looking not at the things seen, which are temporal, but at the things unseen, which are eternal.
William Robertson Nicoll, ed., The Expositor's Bible (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1887–1910) — public domain. 65 of 66 books (1 Corinthians is not separately keyed, as that volume carries no machine-parseable verse references); section-level commentary keyed to the opening verse. Introductory and overview sections not keyed to a specific passage are excluded.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On vv1–3 1. Saul was consenting unto his death. The first…
1. Saul was consenting unto his death. The first three verses of this chapter ought to be attached to the one preceding. Saul consented, that is, approved and gave his voice to the death of Stephen. He did not actively take part in the stoning, but aided and abetted. The memory of this sad event clung to him painfully even to old age. See Acts 22:20. Luke no doubt here records the facts given him by the apostle himself. At that time. “On that day.” See Revision. Not satisfied with the blood of Stephen, their persecutors turned their rage at once on the whole church. They were all scattered. The meetings of the saints were for the time broken up, and the disciples generally fled from the storm, into the country portions of Judea and the adjoining district of Samaria. The apostles, in some way not explained, shielded from the destruction, remained, and many of the scattered brethren, residents of Jerusalem, soon afterwards returned, while others that were foreign Jews went to other regions, carrying the gospel.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary 1892 · Public Domain On v1 Act_8:1. Consenting.—Compare Act_22:20; Luk_11:48; Rom_1:32. Luke had probably often…
CRITICAL REMARKS
Act_8:1. Consenting.—Compare Act_22:20; Luk_11:48; Rom_1:32. Luke had probably often heard this remark from Paul. At that time.—Lit., on that day—viz., of Stephen’s murder, which had been the signal for an outbreak of hostility against the Christians. All.—Not to be taken as if none but the Twelve remained in Jerusalem.
Read full note →
Act_8:2. Devout men.—Pious Jews (compare Joh_19:38-39), not Christians, who would have been designated “disciples” or “brethren” (see on Act_2:5).
Act_8:3. Made havoc of.—Or, kept on laying waste; the imperfect denoting continuous action.
Act_8:4. Went everywhere.—Should be “went about”—i.e., from place to place (compare Act_11:19).
HOMILETICAL ANALYSIS.—Act_8:1-4
The Fires of Persecution rekindled; or, Evil overruled for Good
I. The torch that lighted the flame.—This was undoubtedly Stephen’s murder. Like a spark falling into a powder magazine it kindled a fierce conflagration. Like the first taste of blood to a tiger, it awoke the dormant appetite for persecution which until now had slumbered in the bosoms of the high-priest and his confederates. The words “on that day” indicate that Stephen’s executioners proceeded straight from the scene of his martyrdom and commenced their diabolical work of persecuting Stephen’s friends.
II. The miscreant who carried the torch.—There can be little room for question that the person to whom this notoriety belonged was Saul, who at that time was consenting unto Stephen’s death (Act_8:1; compare Act_22:20), who, in fact, had been a prominent actor in carrying out the murder of the good deacon (Act_7:58), and who, though not acting without the authority, or, at least, connivance, of the Sanhedrim, was, on his own confession afterwards made (Act_26:9-10), the moving spirit in this anti-Christian crusade.
III. The fury with which the flame blazed.—It entered into every house where a “disciple” or “brother” resided. It spared neither man nor woman who bore the hated name of Christian. It stopped not at the spoiling of their goods, when they had any, but attacked their persons, violently dragging them from their homes and consigning them to prison (Act_8:3; Act_26:10; compare Heb_10:33-34; Jas_2:6-7). How it happened that the apostles were excepted from this persecution is not explained, and this has been regarded by some expositors (Zeller, Schneckenburger, and others) as a difficulty; but it need not be assumed either that they had dropped into temporary obscurity through having been eclipsed by the brilliant deacon, or that they were not harassed like their humbler brethren, though probably the veneration in which they were still held by the populace in general prevented the Sanhedrim from resorting to extreme measures against them.
IV. The alarm which the fire created.—It scattered the disciples from the city; caused, if not all at least a considerable number, perhaps the majority of those against whom the persecution was directed, to flee for safety beyond the bounds of Jerusalem and even of Judæa (see Act_11:19). This statement, however, has, like the former, been challenged as improbable (Zeller) on the ground that so long as the apostles remained in the city it is not likely that all their followers would flee. And assuredly if all fled, what is stated in Act_8:3 about Saul would be impossible. The probability, therefore, is that “all” in Act_8:1 refers principally to the leading personages in the Christian community like Philip (Act_8:5), or to the breaking up of the Christian congregations and the dispersion of their members. That the apostles did not retire from their posts in the metropolis, though they might have done so without sin (Mat_10:23), was only what might have been expected. They were men of a different make from what they had been when they all forsook the Master and fled (Mat_26:56). That the Spirit directed them to remain in the city and comfort the persecuted Christians who were left (Stier) is not improbable, but cannot be proved. That our Lord before His ascension had commanded them to remain in Jerusalem twelve years, though supported by ancient tradition (Clem. Alex., Strom. VI. v. 3), is most likely imagination.
V. The unexpected good in which it resulted.—It led to the extension of the Church. “They that were scattered abroad went about preaching the word.” Thus it paved the way for the transition of the gospel to the Gentiles. As it were the missionary activity that was carried on in the Judæan provinces and in Samaria formed a bridge for the passage of the heralds of salvation to cross over into regions beyond. So the highest good is oftentimes evolved out of the greatest evil. God can make man’s wrath to praise Him (Psa_76:10) and cause “all things to work together for good to them that love Him (Rom_8:28).
Learn.—
1. That one sin commonly leads to another. The murder of Stephen to the persecution of the Church. 2. That they who will live godly must suffer persecution. “The servant is not greater than his Master.”
3. That it is not always wrong to flee from persecution. Otherwise Christ would not have counselled His disciples, “When persecuted in one city to flee into another” (Mat_10:23).
4. That more is expected of the Church’s leaders than of their followers. A higher degree of Christian virtue should be exhibited by them who are set to rule in the Church. 5. That persecution cannot kill religion. It may destroy those who are religious, but others will arise in their stead. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church” (Tertullian).
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Act_8:1. The Church which was in Jerusalem.
I. Living.—A dead Church a misnomer.
II. Growing.—Wherever life is there must be progress.
III. Organised.—It had apostles, deacons, and private members.
IV. Persecuted.—This inevitable if a Church is alive and active.
V. Missionary.—The Church that does not propagate the faith is dead.
Act_8:2. The Burial of Stephen.
I. The lifeless body.—That of Stephen.
1. A good man.
2. An eloquent preacher.
3. A faithful witness.
4. A noble martyr.
II. The devout pall-bearers.—Pious Jews, perhaps, rather than Christians, who would probably have been called “brethren” or “disciples,” and would not have been permitted to inter their fallen leader. That devout men buried Stephen testified to:
1. Their own goodness.
2. Stephen’s innocence.
3. The Sanhedrim’s guilt.
III. The solemn interment.—No doubt.
1. Hastily, without unnecessary delay; and
2. Plainly, without ostentation or display; but also
3. Reverentially, as was due to the dust of a saint; and
4. Hopefully, in anticipation of a glorious resurrection.
IV. The sorrowful lamentation.—“Great.” Because of, either:
1. Its outward vehemence;
2. Its inward intensity; or
3. Its wide prevalence.
Act_8:2-3. Stephen and Saul.
I. The end of Stephen.—
1. In the world’s eyes sad.
2. In God’s eyes glorious.
II. The beginning of Saul.—
1. In the world’s eyes glorious.
2. In God’s eyes sad.
Lesson.—God seeth not as man seeth.
Act_8:3. The Wolf and his Prey.
I. The wolf.—
1. His name, Saul.
2. His race, of the tribe of Benjamin (Gen_49:27).
3. His ferocity, “Haling men and women he committed them to prison.”
4. His diligence, “entering into every house.”
II. His prey.—Christ’s sheep, “the Church” (Act_20:28).
1. A little flock (Luk_12:32).
2. A feeble flock (1Pe_5:10).
3. A purchased flock (Act_20:28).
Saul and Paul.—The Saul who made havoc of the Church became the Paul who said, “Feed the Church of God.” Remember well the identity of the man, if you would understand fully the import of the doctrine. This change in the heart and life of Paul shows—
I. The marvellous power of the grace of God.—The marvellousness of this power is not always so conspicuous. Every operation of grace is beautiful, but in some cases it is startling and most sublime. Herein let us magnify the grace of God. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” “Ye who sometime were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” “You that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled.” This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. The occurrence of such marvellous instances is most valuable on two grounds:
1. It inspires hope even for the worst. Pray on! Hope on! The hardest rocks have been broken.
2. It renews our sense of the sufficiency of Divine grace. Great victories gladden nations. Great conversions make the Church joyful. This change in the heart and life of Paul shows—
II. The difference between sanctifying human energies and destroying them.—Saul was undoubtedly characterised by peculiar energy; what will Paul be? You will find that the Christian apostle retained every natural characteristic of the anti-Christian persecutor. Who so ardent in love, who so unswerving in service, as the apostle Paul? Was he an active sinner, but an indolent saint? How did he himself bear the treatment which he had inflicted upon others? Hear his words, and feel if they do not quicken the flow of your blood: “Are they ministers of Christ? I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft,” etc. How a man’s sins come back upon him! How sure is the discipline, and how terrible is the judgment of God! Can a man step easily from the rank of persecutor to the honour of apostle? Never! Hear Paul: “Even this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place; being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things,” etc. We feel in reading such words how inexorable is the law—“With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again.” But notice the energy of the apostle as being the same as the energy of the persecutor. Christianity does not destroy our natural temperament. We become sanctified, not deadened.
1. Christians will differ in the tone and measure of their service. He who has had much forgiven will love much. How does an escaped slave talk about liberty? So with preachers. The memory of their past lives will determine their preaching. Do not bind down all men to the same style.
2. Is our Christian energy equal to the energy with which we entered upon the service of the world? When were you kept back from gay engagements by wet, damp, or foggy nights? When did you complain that you could never go to the theatre without paying, or tell the devil that his service was costly? In the light of such inquiries let us examine our Christian temper and service. This change in the heart and life of Paul suggests—
III. The possible greatness of the change which awaits even those who are now in Christ.—The moral distance between Saul and Paul is immense, but what of the spiritual distance between Paul the warrior and Paul the crowned saint? It is the distance between earth and heaven.—J. Parker, D.D.
The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain On vv1, 3 1, 2. Pursuant to the time-honored custom of the…
1, 2. Pursuant to the time-honored custom of the Jews, to mourn over the dead seven days, “devout men buried Stephen and made great mourning over him.”
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Sermon Bible 1900 · Public Domain On v1 (with Act 14:19; Act 9:1; Act 23:12, etc.)
Act 8:3
(with Act 14:19; Act 9:1; Act 23:12, etc.)
Read full note →
The Smiter Smitten.
We learn from these texts:—
I. That a man’s life comes back upon him.
II. That a man’s Christian experience must be affected by the unchristian life he has lived. In reviewing these statements in the light of history and revelation we see (1) that the distribution of penalties is God’s work and not man’s; (2) that under all the apparent confusion of human life there is a principle of justice; (3) that the greatest sufferings may be borne with patience and hopefulness.
Parker, City Temple, vol. ii., p. 113.
Act 8:3
(with Act 20:28)
Saul and Paul.
The change in the heart and life of Paul shows:—
I. The marvellous power of the grace of God.
II. The difference between sanctifying human energies and destroying them.
III. The possible greatness of the change which awaits even those who are now in Christ.
Parker, City Temple, vol. ii., p. 173.
References: Act 8:5-8.—New Outlines on the New Testament, p. 84. Act 8:5-13.—E. M. Goulburn, Acts of the Deacons, p. 234.
Act 8:8
A Christian City.
It is manifestly true that an aggregate of individuals may possess, in its own peculiar way, the spiritual character which the individual possesses, and a city, like a man, have and exhibit Christian faith and Christian righteousness and Christian love.
I. Look first at faith, then. Perhaps this seems hardest to establish. Look at this city where you live. It is a Christian city, a believing city, and why? How do you know it? It is not because an occasional document is solemnised with the name of God, it is not because a few verses of your Bible are read in your public schools; it is because that spirit which has never been in the world save as the fruit of Christian faith prevails in and pervades its government and social life—the spirit of responsibility, of trust in man, and of hopefulness for the great human future. Those are the real spiritual results of Christian believing. They are not found in heathenism. It does not come by accident; it has entered into us through the long belief of our fathers, which we ourselves do still keep, in spite of all our ecclesiasticisms and disputes,—the believing in a humanity created by God, redeemed by Jesus Christ, inspired by the Holy Spirit. If we doubt this, we doubt whether a city can have and show a Christian faith.
II. Righteousness. Every city has a moral character distinguishable from, however it may be made up of, the individual character of its inhabitants. This is seen in two ways: first, in the official acts which it must do—acts of justice or injustice, of deceit or candour, by which it appears as a person acting with official unity among its sister cities. But even more, its moral character appears in its power and influence, in the moral atmosphere which pervades it, and exercises its power upon all who come within it. A Christian city is not all a dream. Already we have a city with enough of Christ in it feebly to turn away from its gates some vices which once came freely into the old city. Very far off, but still in the same direction, we can see the city so completely filled with Christ, that no sin can come in, nothing can defile it, "neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie."
III. Love. The charity of a city is a distinct testimony to one thing which has been wrought into the convictions of that city, and that one thing is the value of a man, and that conviction has come nowhere except out of Christian faith. Deepen a city’s Christianity, and the city’s charity must deepen and widen too.
Phillips Brooks, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxiii., p. 369.
References: Act 8:8.—C. J. Vaughan, Church of the First Days, vol. i., p. 280. Act 8:9-25.—Preacher’s Monthly, vol. i., p. 429. Act 8:14-17.—Bishop Barry, Cheltenham College Sermons, p. 24. Act 8:14-26.—E. M. Goulburn, Acts of the Deacons, p. 254. Act 8:17.—Clergyman’s Magazine, vol. iv., p. 225; R. D. B. Rawnsley, Village Sermons, 2nd series, p. 131. Act 8:21.—G. Brooks, Five Hundred Outlines, p. 424. Act 8:22.—Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vii., p. 39; C. J. Vaughan, Church of the First Days, vol. i., p. 298. Act 8:26.—G. Matheson, Moments on the Mount, p. 55. Act 8:26-30.—E. M. Goulburn, Acts of the Deacons, p. 276. Act 8:26-39.—E. Bersier, Sermons, 2nd series, p. 98. Act 8:30.—Outline Sermons to Children, p. 218; Christian World Pulpit, vol. xxv., p. 305; Contemporary Pulpit, vol. ix., p. 27; Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 52; C. J. Vaughan, Church of the First Days, vol. i., p. 316. Act 8:30, Act 8:31.—J. Baines, Sermons, p. 241; E. M. Goulburn, Acts of the Deacons, pp. 295, 313. Act 8:30-33.—Spurgeon, Sermons, vol. xxx., No. 1792. Act 8:31-36.—E. M. Goulburn, Acts of the Deacons, p. 336. Act 8:32, Act 8:33.—E. M. Plumptre, Church Sermons, vol. i., p. 337. Act 8:35.—E. Cooper, Practical Sermons, vol. iii., p. 17; W. Hay Aitken, Mission Sermons, vol. i., p. 87. Act 8:36.—T. Thain Davidson, Sure to Succeed, p. 147; Preacher’s Monthly, vol. vi., p. 56. Act 8:37.—Spurgeon, Evening by Evening, p. 240. Act 8:39.—Plain Sermons by Contributors to "Tracts for the Times," vol. viii., p. 220; J. H. Evans, Thursday Penny Pulpit, vol. ii., p. 13; J. Vaughan, Fifty Sermons, 10th series, p. 186. Act 8:39, Act 8:40.—E. M. Goulburn, Acts of the Deacons, p. 361.
The Sermon Bible, ed. William Robertson Nicoll (1888–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
F. W. Grant 1903 · Public Domain On v1 Subdivision 1. (Act 8:1-25.)
Subdivision 1. (Act 8:1-25.)
The free choice of the Spirit: individuality and independence.
Read full note →
The Spirit, as we know, has come, and in signs and miracles of power is testifying to the Risen Christ. But until Stephen, and apart from speaking with tongues and prophesying, these seem to have been confined to the apostles themselves (Act 2:43; Act 5:12). With Stephen, who is used of God to give the final testimony to the rulers of the Jews, and in whom appears the anticipation of the impending change, the "wonders and great signs" seem more the fruit of faith and grace with which he is filled. Yet even in Stephen there might appear to be a connection of these with the office given to him, to which he had been set apart by apostolic hands. Now this is to be quite manifestly altered; the time for the free action of the Spirit has come; and He is to be seen as the true Vicar of Christ upon earth, not only energizing, but disposing and directing. Although there has been no doctrine of it yet, the Body of Christ is formed; and the various gifts which this implies manifest themselves under the constraint of divine love, in the various ability of which their possessors become conscious in the ministry to which love moves. For the possession of the gift brings the responsibility to use it; -a responsibility which is, first of all, to God. The gift is a "manifestation;" and "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal" (1Co 12:7). The simple rule, intelligible to all, of imparting for the need anywhere what each might have to supply it with, -the adaptation in spiritual things of the rule with which they began in temporal things, -this they found amply sufficient, under the Spirit’s guidance, as the general principle of service; which the apostle formulates for them afterwards in the exhortation that "as every one has received the gift," they were "so to minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1Pe 4:10). This is the principle of a "body," -a living organism; in which there is no useless member, but the individuality of each one is maintained; individuality without independency, -things which are contradictory of one another: to affirm the latter, as to deny the former, is equally to destroy the thought of the body altogether.
There was no doctrine of the body of Christ as yet. The love that united these disciples to one another taught them the practice doubtless; just as it taught them in temporal things not to say that anything was their own. There was no law to prohibit such ministry as any one was capable of; and they would no doubt have thought such a law as unreasonable in one case as in the other.
While all were thus free to minister, there was of course an inspired teaching which was carefully distinguished from all other. "They continued," it was said of these early disciples, "in the apostles’ doctrine." There were men accredited as appointed and qualified of the Lord to lay the foundations on which, and according to which, all the building was to be. As yet there were probably not even the rudiments of any New Testament Scriptures; although one could not say that there was no beginning of such attempts at relation of things most surely believed as Luke afterwards refers to, encouraging his more perfect account. Who can say when Matthew began to write? But all must be the merest conjecture as to this. While yet at Jerusalem, with so many living witnesses as were around them, the need for written records would not be felt as afterwards; and yet it is hard to think that with the intense interest attaching to events then fresh in so many memories, there would be even then no effort to preserve these with the accuracy that writing alone could ensure.
But God had taken care that "scriptures" the infant Church should possess from the beginning; scriptures by which the words of the primitive evangelists would be, and were (with the emphatic approbation of the inspired historian) carefully tested. These Old Testament Scriptures had, as we know, been opened by the Lord Himself after His resurrection to others beside the apostles, and their understandings also opened to understand them. Under such teaching, and with this divine assistance, how much of New Testament truth would they be able to anticipate in those "living oracles" of which Stephen speaks, and which, all through His life on earth, the Lord so constantly referred to and upheld. It is not even yet needless to insist upon the honor which God has always put upon His written Word, even in days in which there were inspired teachers in the Church; who themselves, as we see, constantly referred to it. The Church never taught: it was rather that which was to be profited by teaching. It was at all times in subjection to Scripture, not above it; as were also its inspired teachers. What cause have we for thanksgiving for that which puts into every hand that by which alone the apostolic rule can be observed, to "prove all things, hold fast that which is good!"
1. At this juncture, when the Church is beginning, (as yet, one may say, unconsciously,) her exodus from the Jewish limitations in which, as yet, she had been held, God manifests His overruling power in a very striking way. The tiger-spirit in people and rulers, which had been restrained hitherto, that the new-born child might gather strength, is permitted now to manifest itself; and having tasted blood in Stephen’s martyrdom, rages against the followers of the Lord. The Church at Jerusalem is scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, with the notable exception of those whom the priests and rulers had most cause to dread! The apostles, guided of God, no doubt, alone remain. The seed of the gospel is thus scattered abroad, presently to spring up with plentiful fruit; while the absence of the apostles necessitates the rising up of new leaders in these various movements. All are cast with more simplicity upon God alone, to learn as the unfailing consequence, each for himself, the resources that are in Him. The weaning-time of Isaac is fairly begun; though unbelieving Ishmael may mock the more; all which will only hasten the casting out of the bondwoman and her seed.
On the other hand Saul is seen in the very forefront of the persecution, ravaging the flock. Who could have foreseen that here the great apostle of the Gentiles was also getting his education in the omnipotent wisdom of God? But so it was. A Pharisee of the Pharisees was learning in himself, in the most effectual way possible, the spirit of Pharisaism; while he was sharpening the axe which was to smite his self-righteousness to the ground, and prepare him as the chief of sinners to be the humblest of scholars in Christ’s school of grace. Thus God works! How marvelous are His workings! How well we may trust Him to carry out His purposes for the glory of Christ! Saul is already helping to scatter the seed which by and by he will be foremost in sowing. Now he is in agreement with Stephen’s being taken away; yet the glory in Stephen’s face is to have its part in his own transformation into another witness to the Son of man at the right hand of God; himself converted by the gospel of that glory!
The martyr too is buried by devout men, who without being as yet Christians, are penetrated with the sense of the mockery of all justice in his cruel death, and are thus brought into indignant opposition to the heads of their own nation. We may see in them how the blood of the martyrs will be the seed of the Church, as after-generations have proved abundantly. Here too God is working: defeat is victory, and the dead are workers still. They have not failed, who have fertilized the soil of the gospel with their life-blood. The Church is scattered; and those who are thus sent abroad proclaim, with all the emphasis of their suffering undergone for Him, the value to them of the Christ to whom they testify. Who could bribe these tongues to silence, when the Spirit of glory and of God rested upon the confessors of His Name, the more endeared to them? How could the "glad tidings of the Word" find better evangelists?
2. It is in this connection that another of the Seven comes before us, Philip, next named after Stephen, whom we find now, his office at Jerusalem having come to an end by reason of the persecution, preaching Christ in Samaria, among a people with whom (as another has said) law had failed utterly as always. The Gospel of John has shown us the Lord already there, and many believing through His word; while in the beginning of the Acts itself He names distinctly, after Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria as a place in which the apostles were to be His witnesses (Act 1:8). Hitherto, however, it had not been visited by them; and we can understand how the reception of disciples from that schismatic region, with which the Jews had not even ordinary dealings, as the woman of Sychar reminded the Lord, would have created difficulty which it might have been hard for Jews to meet. Now, when driven out from Jerusalem, the opposition there seemingly hopeless to be surmounted, these circumcised worshippers of the One God could hardly fail to be among the first thought of, with the Lord’s example and His word before them. Samaria accordingly is the first place now to be evangelized.
"The opinion," says Lechler, "that this Philip was one of the twelve, was entertained already by Polycrates in the second century, by the authors of the Apostolical Constitutions, in the third century, and by others; it was suggested not only by the sameness of the name, but probably also by the special character of the labors of Philip, since these appear to be such as the apostles exclusively performed. This latter view seems, indeed, to be sustained by the expression, he preached (ekerusse) the Christ; inasmuch as it was originally applied to the proclamation of a herald, and denotes therefore here that a public declaration was made in a more than ordinarily solemn manner, and by special authority, while in the case of others, merely the terms euangelizesthai [evangelizing] (Act 8:4; Act 11:20) and lalein ton logon [speaking the word] were employed. The evangelizing labors of Philip, therefore, undoubtedly seem to be of a different kind from those of the latter. But they do not on this account assume a decidedly apostolical character, in which case didaskein or didache [teach, teaching] would have been the term employed, as in 4: 2, 18; 5: 25, 28, 42; comp. 2: 42. The word kerussein, in the present verse, constitutes, as it were, an intermediate grade, or occupies a position between the specifically apostolical didaskein and the general Christian euangelizesthai, or lalein ton logon. This view is in the strictest accordance with the opinion that Philip was one of the Seven, as these men really did occupy an intermediate position in their respective relations to the apostles, and to the disciples in general." (See Lange’s Commentary the Acts).
If such, indeed, is the language of the Word, it is right that we all should understand it. We must agree with Lechler that the Philip here spoken of is not the apostle, and for the double reason that the connection shows that the apostles were at this time all at Jerusalem, and because the visit of Peter and John to Samaria afterwards is inexplicable if Philip were of the same standing with themselves. As to the rest, there is no ground for the attempted distinction. Apostles "taught" indeed, and with peculiar authority; but they also "preached" (Act 9:20; Act 10:42; Act 20:25, etc.), "evangelized" (Act 8:25; Act 14:7; Act 14:15; Act 14:21, etc.), and "spoke the Word" (Act 8:25; Act 14:25, etc). The word used with regard to Philip here, and which means "to publish, or proclaim," is used with regard to those who preached Christ of envy and strife, supposing to add affliction to Paul’s bonds (Php 1:16); and also with regard to the leper’s publication of his leprosy which the Lord had healed, but where assuredly he had no "special authority" to do so, but on the contrary, was expressly forbidden by the Lord (Mar 1:45). While as for the "teaching," said to be "specifically apostolical," it is the word used when Christians generally are exhorted to be "teaching and admonishing one another" (Col 3:16). It seems even impossible to believe that Lechler means to assure us that there were no rightful teachers except the apostles! Yet his words seem to have no meaning, if they do not mean this.
The whole interest of such arguments clearly is in support of the claim which used to be more openly advocated than at present, that all preaching should be in the hands of a special class of men ordained for this, to which Philip could be then assigned, because of apostolic hands laid upon him; ignoring the fact which is so plain in the history here, that Philip was set apart, with the rest of the Seven, to "serve tables," and that there is no such thought as that of ordaining to preach or teach, -by apostles or any other, -in all the New Testament. We are not going out of our way now, to take this up; but we must not shun what purport to be arguments from the word of God, as to this or any other matter.
The signs which accompanied Philip’s preaching were never granted to all; and as intended to bear witness to the Risen. Lord, naturally would go with the proclamation of the Word. At first, they seem, for the same reason doubtless, to have been confined to the apostles, to whom was confided a special testimony to the Resurrection. The wider sphere in which now this testimony was going out would imply a corresponding enlargement in the range of such conferments. There is nothing apparently in this which demands very special explanation. God was acting in all this for the glory of Christ, and in behalf of the gospel of His grace which was now about to shine out in deeper, fuller, sweeter significance than it had ever exhibited before.
The miracles at once gain the attention of the people; but only as making way for the Word, which holds them. The power over unclean spirits is marked; and Samaria appears in more than this respect as largely under the power of the enemy, spite of its professed worship of the true God. It may well be that the truth which had begun to work among them had stirred up special resistance on the part of one who knew its power; and Simon the sorcerer had been his special agent to distract and turn away the minds of the Samaritans from the truth. He had dazzled them with a wonder-working, the source of which he was content mysteriously to hint at as some preternatural greatness in himself, which left their imaginations to go further than his cautious claim. For them he came to be "The power of God which is called great;" but before the true power of God all this collapsed, and a great mass of the people followed Christ, and were baptized, both men and women.
A more notable thing follows. The stronghold of Satan’s power is itself shaken, and Simon the sorcerer becomes by conviction and profession a disciple of Christ! Simon also himself believed, and having been baptized, remains constantly with Philip, as much astonished as he had astonished others, beholding the signs and great works of power taking place. So, apparently, the gospel had triumphed everywhere; in a sense, had done so; but it had to be realized that even victories of the truth in a world fallen away from God, are not always or wholly the triumphs that they seem.
3. Spite of the power manifested, and the joyful reception of the gospel in so many hearts, there was still a lack among these baptized believers which must have been felt greatly. The testimony at Jerusalem had been, "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." And so it came to pass. But at Samaria, where the conditions then announced had been evidently fulfilled, the effect did not follow: "as yet the Spirit was not fallen upon any of them." It was not simply an absence of the signs that then followed those who believed. It was not only that the gifts failed, but the "Gift." Manifestations of the Spirit regularly declared the Spirit’s presence; but here they were absent; and the inconceivably greater Gift -that of the Spirit itself, -had not been conferred.
That this was the Pentecostal gift none can surely doubt; and the Lord Himself defines this as the Baptism of the Spirit (Act 1:5). The apostle Paul assures us that by this we are brought into the Body of Christ (1Co 12:13). This is certainly neither the effect nor the accompaniment of water baptism, as with the ritualists: for at Pentecost the hundred and twenty were not baptized with water, and the converts here in Samaria had all both faith and baptism, yet had not the Spirit. Moreover, while in Jerusalem baptism was a prerequisite, in the case of the Gentiles afterwards the Spirit fell on them before the baptism (Act 10:47). Thus every way there have been distinguished for us things which should never have been confounded. The analogy between them manifestly is, that as water-baptism introduces into the outer sphere of profession, so that of the Spirit introduces into the inner circle of the Church of God.
With new birth or conversion it would again seem almost impossible to confound the Pentecostal Gift. The apostles were neither converted nor born again at Pentecost, but long before; and the Samaritan believers were likewise, as in every other case, converted first.
Finally, the gifts received for testimony were quite distinct from that indwelling of the Spirit personally which the Lord emphasizes for us in the Gospel of John as that which would be the result of His going to the Father (Joh 14:20; Joh 16:7). Signs and works of power the disciples had been commissioned to do before (Mat 10:8), and many others had done them in Old Testament times.
It only remains to enquire why the gift of the Spirit should be delayed in the case of the Samaritans, and why it should have been communicated by means of the apostles. We have not heard of the latter at Jerusalem, nor do we in the case of Cornelius and his friends; a thing which again quite overthrows the ideas which ritualism has associated with it. We find nothing like an ordinance which could only thus be administered, but on the contrary, a quite exceptional dealing with the Samaritans, repeated, as far as we know, but in one case (Act 19:6). The rule among Gentiles seems to have been different (Gal 3:5). And if apostles’ hands were indeed necessary for such a communication, where are the apostles, authenticated as the early apostles were, by whose hands alone it can be effected? Thank God that He has not tied His grace to anything of this kind!
With regard to Gentiles also, the necessity of baptism as a prerequisite is done away. Who will assert that in the very first case of their admission to the Church the link between things which God intended to be kept united could be thus broken through? Baptism for those who had openly rejected the Lord as come to them would be there an open reception of Him, -the fit accompaniment of that repentance which was now preached to them in His Name. Here also, where there had been a long schismatic denial of the city and house of God at Jerusalem, that this should be ended by the acknowledgment on their part of Jerusalem in those who had to come from Jerusalem to communicate the Gift which they so imperatively needed, seems in keeping with His ways. For, as the Law pointed forward to the gospel, the necessity of which it so distinctly showed, so does the gospel in its turn confirm the Law. God’s dispensations have one common Author, who is to be acknowledged in them all. The Gentiles were a people "without God in the world" (Eph 2:12), but a circumcised and orthodox nation must own the institutions of the God they worshiped. All seems here consistent and in place.
4. But the wondrous Gift, while perfecting the true disciples in what they lacked, unveils the unhappy Simon as still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity. Wondering at this new power displayed, he covets for himself the ability to bestow it, and would make merchandise of the divine vouchsafement; it was in full reality, -even in the extremest form of it, -the "trader in the House of the Lord" (Zec 14:21), -the sin of which Christ had indignantly purged His Father’s House, and of which Judas himself was but the highest expression. What was afterwards called "simony" was necessarily a feebler manifestation of the same spirit, which may take forms, moreover, not covered by this word. The carnal mind intruding into divine things will necessarily seek to use them for fleshly advantage; -necessarily, for it knows nothing better: the only full victory over it is with him who has found in Christ Himself the satisfaction which frees him from self-enslavement, and makes it a delight henceforth to pour out upon His feet its most precious ointment.
The fervid heart of Peter bursts forth at this offer on the part of a professed disciple, and he denounces it with terrible severity, as if to prevent the possibility of any recurrence of so great a crime. "Thy money go with thee to destruction," he says, "because thou hast thought that the Gift of God might be obtained with money." It was indeed a bold attempt on the part of Satan, if it were not too foolish to be taken as one of his, to regain the ground that he had lost in Samaria. He had in fact insulted the Lord in as evil a fashion in the temptation in the wilderness; and in his worst malice his utter folly is most manifested too. And this poor tool of his, who had seemed to have escaped from his hand, had only demonstrated now how near it was possible to come to the Saviour and His salvation without ever having really "part or lot in the matter" of the Holy Spirit at all. The apostle urges upon him, therefore, repentance and supplication to God, if perhaps the thought of his heart might be forgiven. The doubt arises, not from the limitation of divine mercy, but rather from the hardened condition of the man himself, whom he cannot but regard as in the bitterness of gall itself, and as in the bond (some would say, "bundle") of iniquity. Nothing of all that he had seen and owned as to the power of God manifest there, and bowing so many souls before God, had changed him from the sorcerer he had been before, who would now but use the wondrous power he was witness to, to bring men under his own control and make himself to others the centre which he was to himself! This is man still, with the devil’s deceit clinging to him, "Ye shall be as God;" -which was in this way, that, as there cannot be two Gods, man must displace God, and feign himself in the empty throne! Antichrist at the end will be the full exemplification of this; and, as the Lord intimated to the Jews, for those who refuse Him who comes in His Father’s Name, the alternative must be that they will receive Antichrist. He is only the incarnation of their own desires, although like Saul of old he may be a head and shoulders taller than any of his followers.
Simon’s answer to the apostle shows that, though alarmed, there is no repentance with him. He asks that they would supplicate the Lord that nothing of the things of which they have spoken may come upon him. He is alarmed as to what may come, and that is all; there is no consciousness of his great inward need, no confession that we read of Like the devils, he believes and trembles, but he does not turn to God on his own account. And so he passes out of the inspired history. There is a legendary one about him, which speaks of him as returning to his old arts as a magician, but with inveterate hatred of that from which he has turned; but there is no certainty about anything beyond what is written here.
The apostles help on the work in Samaria with their own testimony, and themselves evangelize many other villages; but there is no record given as to the success of their labors. The work is confirmed by their visit to Samaria, and fellowship established between this and what has been the headquarters of the Jewish work. A great step forward has plainly been accomplished.
F. W. Grant, The Numerical Bible (4th ed., 1903) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain On v1 Act 8:1 - Act 8:17.
Acts
SEED SCATTERED AND TAKING ROOT
Read full note →
Act 8:1 - Act 8:17.
The note of time in Act 8:1 is probably to be rendered as in the Revised Version, ‘on that day.’ The appetite for blood roused by Stephen’s martyrdom at once sought for further victims. Thus far the persecutors had been the rulers, and the persecuted the Church’s leaders; but now the populace are the hunters, and the whole Church the prey. The change marks an epoch. Luke does not care to make much of the persecution, which is important to him chiefly for its bearing on the spread of the Church’s message. It helped to diffuse the Gospel, and that is why he tells of it. But before proceeding to narrate how it did so, he gives us a picture of things as they stood at the beginning of the assault.
Three points are noted: the flight of the Church except the Apostles, the funeral of Stephen, and Saul’s eager search for the disciples. We need not press ‘all,’ as if it were to be taken with mathematical accuracy. Some others besides the Apostles may have remained, but the community was broken up. They fled, as Christ had bid them do, if persecuted in one city. Brave faithfulness goes with prudent self-preservation, and a valuable ‘part of valour is discretion.’ But the disciples who fled were not necessarily less courageous than the Apostles who remained, nor were the latter less prudent than the brethren who fled. For noblesse oblige; high position demands high virtues, and the officers should be the last to leave a wreck. The Apostles, no doubt, felt it right to hold together, and preserve a centre to which the others might return when the storm had blown itself out.
In remarkable contrast with the scattering Church are the ‘devout men’ who reverently buried the martyr. They were not disciples, but probably Hellenistic Jews {Act 2:5}; perhaps from the synagogue whose members had disputed with Stephen and had dragged him to the council. His words or death may have touched them, as many a time the martyr’s fire has lighted others to the martyr’s faith. Stephen was like Jesus in his burial by non-disciples, as he had been in his death.
The eager zeal of the young Pharisee brought new severity into the persecution, in his hunting out his victims in their homes, and in his including women among his prisoners. There is nothing so cruel as so-called religious zeal. So Luke lifts the curtain for a moment, and in that glimpse of the whirling tumult of the city we see the three classes, of the brave and prudent disciples, ready to flee or to stand and suffer as duty called; the good men who shrunk from complicity with a bloodthirsty mob, and were stirred to sympathy with his victims; and the zealot, who with headlong rage hated his brother for the love of God. But the curtain drops, and Luke turns to his true theme. He picks up the threads again in Act 8:4, telling of the dispersal of the disciples, with the significant addition of their occupation when scattered,-’preaching the word.’
The violent hand of the persecutor acted as the scattering hand of the sower. It flung the seeds broadcast, and wherever they fell they sprouted. These fugitives were not officials, nor were they commissioned by the Apostles to preach. Without any special command or position, they followed the instincts of believing hearts, and, as they carried their faith with them, they spoke of it wherever they found themselves. A Christian will be impelled to speak of Christ if his personal hold of Him is vital. He should need no ecclesiastical authorisation for that. It is riot every believer’s duty to get into a pulpit, but it is his duty to ‘preach Christ.’ The scattering of the disciples was meant by men to put out the fire, but, by Christ, to spread it. A volcanic explosion flings burning matter over a wide area.
Luke takes up one of the lines of expansion, in his narrative of Philip’s doings in Samaria, which he puts first because Jesus had indicated Samaria first among the regions beyond Judaea {Act 1:8}. Philip’s name comes second in the list of deacons {Act 6:5}, probably in anticipation of his work in Samaria. How unlike the forecast by the Apostles was the actual course of things! They had destined the seven for purely ‘secular’ work, and regarded preaching the word as their own special engagement. But Stephen saw and proclaimed more clearly than they did the passing away of Temple and ritual; and Philip, on his own initiative, and apparently quite unconscious of the great stride forward that he was taking, was the first to carry the gospel torch into the regions beyond. The Church made Philip a ‘deacon,’ but Christ made him an ‘evangelist’; and an evangelist he continued, long after he had ceased to be a deacon in Jerusalem {Act 21:8}.
Observe, too, that, as soon as Stephen is taken away, Philip rises up to take his place. The noble army of witnesses never wants recruits. Its Captain sends men to the front in unbroken succession, and they are willing to occupy posts of danger because He bids them. Probably Philip fled to Samaria for convenience’ sake, but, being there, he probably recalled Christ’s instructions in Act 1:8, repealing His prohibition in Mat 10:5. What a different world it would be, if it was true of Christians now that they ‘went down into the city of So-and-So and proclaimed Christ’! Many run to and fro, but some of them leave their Christianity at home, or lock it up safely in their travelling trunks.
Jerusalem had just expelled the disciples, and would fain have crushed the Gospel; despised Samaria received it with joy. ‘A foolish nation’ was setting Israel an example {Deu 32:21; Rom 10:19}. The Samaritan woman had a more spiritual conception of the Messiah than the run of Jews had, and her countrymen seem to have been ready to receive the word. Is not the faith of our mission converts often a rebuke to us?
But the Gospel met new foes as well as new friends on the new soil. Simon the sorcerer, probably a Jew or a Samaritan, would have been impossible on Jewish ground, but was a characteristic product of that age in the other parts of the Roman empire. Just as, to-day, people who are weary of Christianity are playing with Buddhism, it was fashionable in that day of unrest to trifle with Eastern magic-mongers; and, of course, demand created supply, and where there was a crowd of willing dupes, there soon came to be a crop of profit-seeking deceivers. Very characteristically, the dupes claimed more for the deceiver than he did for himself. He probably could perform some simple chemical experiments and conjuring tricks, and had a store of what sounded to ignorant people profound teaching about deep mysteries, and gave forth enigmatical utterances about his own greatness. An accomplished charlatan will leave much to be inferred from nods and hints, and his admirers will generally spin even more out of them than he meant. So the Samaritans bettered Simon’s ‘some great one’ into ‘that power of God which is called great,’ and saw in him some kind of emanation of divinity.
The quack is great till the true teacher comes, and then he dwindles. Simon had a bitter pill to swallow when he saw this new man stealing his audience, and doing things which he, with his sorceries, knew that he only pretended to do. Luke points very clearly to the likeness and difference between Simon and Philip by using the same word {‘gave heed’} in regard to the Samaritan’s attitude to both, while in reference to Philip it was ‘the things spoken by’ him, and in reference to Simon it was himself to which they attended. The one preached Christ, the other himself; the one ‘amazed’ with ‘sorceries,’ the other brought good tidings and hid himself, and his message called, not for stupid, open-mouthed astonishment, but for belief and obedience to the name of Jesus. The whole difference between the religion of Jesus and the superstitions which the world calls religions, is involved in the significant contrast, so inartificially drawn.
‘Simon also himself believed.’ Probably there was in his action a good deal of swimming with the stream, in the hope of being able to divert it; but, also, he may have been all the more struck by Philip’s miracles, because he knew a real one, by reason of his experience of sham ones. At any rate, neither Philip nor Luke drew a distinction between his belief and that of the Samaritans; and, as in their cases, his baptism followed on his profession of belief. But he seems not to have got beyond the point of wondering at the miracles, as it is emphatically said that he did even after his baptism. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but was more interested in studying Philip to find out how he did the miracles than in listening to his teaching. Such an imperfect belief had no transforming power, and left him the same man as before, as was soon miserably manifest.
The news of Philip’s great step forward reached the Apostles by some unrecorded means. It is not stated that Philip reported his action, as if to superiors whose authorisation was necessary. More probably the information filtered through other channels. At all events, sending a deputation was natural, and needs not to be regarded as either a sign of suspicion or an act necessary in order to supplement imperfections inherent in the fact that Philip was not an Apostle. The latter meaning has been read-not to say forced-into the incident; but Luke’s language does not support it. It was not because they thought that the Samaritans were not admissible to the full privileges of Christians without Apostolic acts, but because they ‘heard that Samaria had received the word,’ that the Apostles sent Peter and John.
The Samaritans had not yet received the Holy Ghost-that is, the special gifts, such as those of Pentecost. That fact proves that baptism is not necessarily and inseparably connected with the gift of the Spirit; and Act 10:44, Act 10:47, proves that the Spirit may be given before baptism. As little does this incident prove that the imposition of Apostolic hands was necessary in order to the impartation of the Spirit. Luke, at any rate, did not think so; for he tells how Ananias’ hand laid on the blind Saul conveyed the gift to him. The laying on of hands is a natural, eloquent symbol, but it was no prerogative of the Apostles {Act 10:17; 1Ti 4:14}.
The Apostles came down to Samaria to rejoice in the work which their Lord had commanded, and which had been begun without their help, to welcome the new brethren, to give them further instruction, and to knit closely the bonds of unity between the new converts and the earlier ones. But that they came to bestow spiritual gifts which, without them, could not have been imparted, is imported into, not deduced from, the simple narrative of Luke.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. R. Dummelow 1909 · Public Domain On v1 Philip in Samaria. Simon Magus
Philip in Samaria. Simon Magus
The graphic details of the ministry of Philip which follow, were doubtless obtained from Philip himself. St. Luke stayed at his house at Cæsarea, and made the acquaintance of his four virgin daughters, prophetesses (Act_21:8). During St. Paul's three years' imprisonment at Caesarea, St. Luke doubtless had much intercourse with Philip, with whose liberal views he was in sympathy. The historical character of the following narratives stands upon a firm basis. In later years Philip migrated with his daughters to Tralles, in Asia Minor, of which he became the first bishop. Philip the Deacon and Evangelist is confused by some early writers with Philip the Apostle, who in his later years migrated to Hierapolis, and who also had daughters.
Read full note →
5. Philip] The deacon and evangelist, not the Apostle (see Act_8:1 and Act_8:14). The city of Samaria] doubtless the capital, called (like the district) Samaria, and also (since the time of Herod the Great) Sebaste, in honour of Augustus (Sebastos).
7. Unclean spirits] Whether the NT. demoniacs were really possessed, or were insane persons whose delusion took the form of a belief that they were possessed, is an open question. In either case the miracles of healing performed on them are remarkable (see on Mat_4:24-25).
9. Simon] Justin Martyr (150 a.d.), himself a Samaritan, says that Simon belonged to the Samaritan village of Gitto. He is regarded as the father of heresy, and is the reputed author of a Gnostic work called 'The Great Revelation,' of which fragments remain. Bewitched] 'astounded' (also Act_8:11).
10. The great power of God] RV 'that power of God which is called Great,' i.e. the chief emanation from the Deity, and so entitled to divine worship. According to Justin, he went even further, claiming to be the first or supreme God.
13. Believed] i.e. believed in the genuineness of Philip's miracles, but did not believe in God with a spiritual and saving faith. Simon as a sorcerer and conjurer was an excellent judge of alleged miracles.
14. By sending Peter and John the apostles formally sanctioned the reception of the Samaritans into the Church. The Samaritans, though observing the Law, were almost entirely heathen in origin, so that the incident marks an important step towards admitting pure Gentiles.
15-17. This is the fullest account of the apostolic laying on of hands after baptism, which is more briefly described, Act_19:6, and alluded to, Heb_6:2. In later times the ordinance was administered by bishops, and was called Confirmation, the Seal, and the Chrism. The author of Hebrews speaks of it as one of the first principles of the doctrine of Christ (Heb_6:2).
18. Saw] It is probable that many upon whom the Apostles laid hands received miraculous gifts. That Simon, who made his living by working lying wonders, should have desired the power of working genuine ones, was natural enough.
26-40. Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. The eunuch, though a believer in the God of Israel, was a Gentile. Luke the universalist delights to record his admission into that wider communion in which all races and all conditions stand on an equality. This is the first example of a Gentile baptism. That it did not lead to the same disputes as the baptism of Cornelius, is due to the fact that it was private.
26. Toward the south] or, about midday. Gaza] The town is called desert, or deserted, because it had been destroyed, 96 b.c.
27. Candace] The Ethiopian kingdom of Meroë lay to the S. of Egypt, and was governed by queens, whose dynastic title was 'Candace.'
32. See Isa_53:7-8; (LXX). Isaiah is speaking of the suffering Servant of Jehovah, whom the Apostolic Church rightly identified with Jesus the Messiah.
33. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away] i.e. in the humiliation of His Passion, justice was denied Him by the Sanhedrin and by Pilate. And who shall declare his generation?] i.e. and what language is adequate to describe the wickedness of His contemporaries who unjustly crucified Him? For his life is taken from the earth] This refers not to the Ascension of Jesus (as some have thought), but to His violent death.
36. Baptized] 'Preaching Jesus' had clearly included instruction upon the nature and necessity of the Christian sacraments.
37. which the RV omits, is a very early and trustworthy marginal addition, which was ultimately incorporated into the text. The simplicity of the baptismal confession is a proof of its genuineness. 1Pe_3:21 alludes to the baptismal profession of faith.
38. The eunuch was probably baptised by immersion, the usual practice of the early Church, though not held to be absolutely essential.
39. Caught away Philip] Probably the Holy Spirit prompted Philip to depart abruptly for Azotus (Ashdod). Rejoicing] According to Eusebius, the eunuch, on his arrival home, evangelised his countrymen. In his conversion was fulfilled Psa_68:31, 'Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.'
40. Was found at Azotus] Azotus or Ashdod was one of the five Philistine cities, whose inhabitants were enemies of the Jews after the captivity (Neh_4:7). It was distant over 20 m. (northwards) from Gaza.
All the cities] These would include Jamnia, Joppa and Lydda. Caesarea] see on Act_10:1
J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (Macmillan, 1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain On vv1–3 VIII: 1 4. The enemies of the disciples had…
VIII: 1 4. The enemies of the disciples had now tried and exhausted all the ordinary methods of opposing the truth. Under the leadership of the Sadducees they had tried, first threatening, then imprisonment, and then stripes. They were about to follow this with the death of the twelve, when the milder counsels of the yet unexasperated Pharisees had prevailed, and resort was had to discussion. But the cause which had prospered under the imprisonment and scourging of its chief advocates bounded forward with astonishing rapidity when the strength of its plea was brought before the people in open discussion. Its learned opponents were completely discomfited. Foiled in their efforts, the Pharisees were now ready to unite with the Sadducees in a common persecution. They selected Stephen as the first victim, because he had been their most formidable opponent in the discussion. They had determined to proceed in their bloody purpose with the forms of law; but, in a moment of frenzy, they had broken loose from all restraint, and dispatched their victim with the violence of a mob. Once embarked in this mad career, nothing less than the utter extermination of the Church could satisfy them. Hence the historian proceeds to inform us that, (1) “ On that day there arose a great persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (2) Yet devout men carried Stephen to burial, and made great lamentation over him. (3) But Saul wasted the Church; entering into the houses, and dragging forth both men and women, he committed them to prison. (4) Nevertheless, they who were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.”
The grief of a community at the loss of a good man is more intense when he falls in the performance of some part characteristic of his life. But it is most intense when death, at such a moment, is precipitated by injustice and violence. It is not surprising, therefore, that the burial of Stephen should have been attended with “great lamentation.” The perilous condition of the congregation some of whom were being hourly cast into prison, and most of whom were contemplating flight could but deepen their grief. The funeral services were soon followed by a general dispersion of the disciples. With much bitterness of heart, they left behind them their native city and their individual homes, to seek refuge among strangers. But the bitterness of their temporal loss must have been slight, to the truly devoted among them, compared with the disappointment of their brightening hopes concerning the speedy triumph of the gospel. How bitter, too, must have been the disappointment of the twelve, at suddenly finding themselves left alone in the great city, the congregation of many thousand disciples whom they had collected all scattered and gone! While the thought of the brethren and sisters fleeing for life, and of the many already languishing in prison, they could have but regarded their own lives as in imminent danger. But, supposing that the time for which Jesus had limited their stay in Jerusalem had not yet expired, they courageously stood at their post, regardless of consequences.
Read full note →
The present distress and flight of the disciples had resulted, not from the mere fact that they believed in Jesus, but more especially from the zeal and persistency with which they pushed his claims upon the attention of others. Seeing that they had now lost everything, by this course, a worldly prudence would have taught them to be, thenceforward, more quiet and unobtrusive in the propagation of their faith. Even the interests of the cause itself, which had been jeopardized by the boldness with which Stephen had attacked the prevailing iniquity, might have been urged in favor of a change of policy. But this time-serving expediency was reserved for the disgrace of a later age. It never took large possession of the heroic hearts of the early disciples. On the contrary, the scattered disciples “ went everywhere preaching the word.” The result was the rapid spread of the gospel into the cities of Judea, and even into Samaria. Thus, the apparent ruin of the single Church in Jerusalem resulted in the springing up of many Churches throughout the province proving, for the thousandth time in the world's history, how impotent is the hand of man when fighting against God. As the blows of the blacksmith's hammer upon the heated iron scatter the scintillations in every direction, so the effort of wicked Jews to crush the Church of Christ only scattered its light more widely abroad.
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain On v1 Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23").
sin
Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23").
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Arno C. Gaebelein 1922 · Public Domain On v1 Part II
Part II
The Witness to Samaria.
Read full note →
Saul’s Conversion and Peter’s Witness in Caesarea.
Chapters 8-12
CHAPTER 8
1. The first great persecution (Act 8:1-3).
2. The preaching of the scattered believers. Philip in Samaria (Act 8:4-8).
3. Events in Samaria (Act 8:9-24).
4. The Gospel in many villages of Samaria (Act 8:25).
5. Philip and the Eunuch (Act 8:26-40).
The final testimony to the rulers of the people had been given. It was rejected, and the Spirit filled messenger killed. The last offer had therefore been completely rejected. The Gospel is now to be sent to the Gentiles. The eighth chapter gives the record how Samaria heard the Gospel.
Saul, the young Pharisee, was consenting unto Stephen’s death. Later he refers to the scene, which must have been impossible for him to erase from his memory. “When the blood of Stephen was shed, I was standing by and keeping the garments of them that slew him” (Act 22:20). Concerning Saul the Lord said to Ananias, “I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (9:16). What was done unto Stephen was done unto Saul. The Jews and Saul with them, as we believe, disputed and resisted Stephen in the synagogue. The Jews disputed with Paul, resisted him, and rejected his testimony. Stephen was accused of blasphemy; so was Paul (Act 19:37). Stephen was accused of speaking against Moses, the holy place and the customs; so was Paul (Act 21:28; Act 24:6; Act 25:8; Act 28:17). They rushed upon Stephen with one accord and seized him. The same happened to Paul (Act 19:29). Stephen was dragged out of the city. So was Paul (Act 14:19). Stephen was tried before the Sanhedrin; so did Paul appear before the Sanhedrin. Stephen was stoned and Paul was stoned at Lystra. Stephen suffered martyrdom; so did Paul in Rome. And yet, with all the sufferings that Paul had to undergo, he rejoiced. His eyes rested constantly upon that glorious One, whom Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, beheld in Glory. Later we hear him crying out from the prison in Rome, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death” (Php 3:10).
The first great persecution then broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Saul was evidently the leader (Act 26:10-11; 1Co 15:9; Gal 1:13). But “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” God permitted this persecution that His Word might now be scattered abroad by the suffering saints. Philip, the Grecian Jew, one of the chosen seven, not an Apostle, is mightily used in preaching the Gospel in Samaria. The first missionary move to extend the Gospel was, therefore, not brought about under apostolic leadership, nor by the decree of an apostolic council, but by the Lord Himself. He led Philip to Samaria, where He Himself had been, yea to the very city of Samaria, Sychar (Joh 4:1-54). Great results followed the preaching of the Gospel. Miracles took place. Unclean spirits were driven out, many taken with palsies, and those who were lame were healed, so that there was great joy in that city. Simon Magus was a sinister instrument of Satan. He bewitched the people of Samaria, claiming to be some great one.
The hour of deliverance came for the Samaritans when Philip preached the Word, concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. Signs and great miracles followed, and the Samaritans believed and were baptized. The miracles were done to show the power of God, to attest the preaching of the Gospel by Philip, and to expose the counterfeit powers of Simon. And he, like the sorcerers of Egypt, had to own that this was the power of God. He was amazed when he beheld the great miracles. But more than that, he also believed, was baptized, and then continued with Philip. But his faith was not through the Word of God. God’s Word alone can produce faith in man, for faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Simon was captivated by the miracles he had seen. Philip was deceived by him, but not Peter, who uncovered his Wickedness.
That the Holy Spirit had not been given to the Samaritans and that He was received by them after Peter and John had come from Jerusalem and laid hands on them, has puzzled many earnest students of the Word. It has also led to erroneous teachings, as if the Holy Spirit must be received in a special manner after conversion.
The Samaritan believers had to be identified with those in Jerusalem, so much the more because there was a schism between Samaria and Jerusalem. Samaria had denied both the city of Jerusalem and the temple. This had to be ended and could no longer be tolerated. It was therefore divinely ordered that the gift of the Spirit in their case should be withheld till the two apostles came from Jerusalem. This meant an acknowledgment of Jerusalem; if the Holy Spirit had been imparted unto them at once it might have resulted in a continuance of the existing rivalry. And Peter is in the foreground and uses the keys of the kingdom of heaven here with the Samaritans as he did on the day of Pentecost with the Jews, and later with the Gentiles. Nowhere in the church epistles, in which the great salvation truths and blessings in Christ Jesus are revealed, is there a word said about receiving the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, or that one who has trusted in Christ and is born again should seek the gift of the Holy Spirit afterward.
The conversion of the Eunuch is full of blessed lessons. Philip was obedient to the call of the Lord and the Eunuch, the prominent Ethiopian, Queen Candace’s treasurer, who had returned from Jerusalem, an unsatisfied seeker, believed on the Lord Jesus and went on his way rejoicing. Act 8:37 is an interpolation and should be omitted. Philip was caught away and was found some twenty miles north of Gaza, at Azotus. From there he started out anew preaching the Gospel. In many cities his voice was heard. These coast cities were inhabited by many Gentiles and included larger places like Jamnia, Lydda, Joppa and Antipatris. The day of Christ will make known the labors and also the reward of this great Evangelist. Then he came to Caesarea. But did he stop with that? We do not know. Twenty years later we find him there and Paul was then his guest.
Arno C. Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible (1913–1922) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v1 The Gospel Planted in Samaria.
The Gospel Planted in Samaria.
The burial of Stephen and the hatred of Saul:
Read full note →
v. 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 Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
v. 2. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
v. 3. As for Saul, he made havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and, haling men and women, committed them to prison.
The young man Saul had been a witness of Stephen’s stoning, and had considered it an honor to watch the clothes of the men that began the stoning, chap. 7:58. It is here expressly stated that Saul consented to Stephen’s death; he felt great satisfaction, great pleasure over his death, he approved it with joy. And his feeling was shared by his fellow-Pharisees, who now started a persecution which involved the entire congregation, determined, if possible, to exterminate the Church of Jesus. The result was a general dispersal and scattering of the disciples from Jerusalem into the various Jewish provinces, especially Judea proper, the rural districts of the section about Jerusalem, but also to the regions of Samaria. See chap. 1:8. It was not the fear of martyrdom, of death, which caused these first disciples to flee, but the express command of Christ, Mat 10:23. "Had they fled through the fear of death, they would have taken care not to provoke persecution to follow them by continuing to proclaim the same truths that provoked it in the first instance. Only the apostles remained in Jerusalem. The small remnant of the congregation that was obliged to remain in Jerusalem very probably consisted of such as had the greatest need of the teaching and the comfort of the Word. For a pastor to leave his post in time of persecution, when the danger threatens his members as well as himself, in most cases amounts to plain unfaithfulness. Meanwhile, however, before the general scattering of the disciples took place, the burial of Stephen was attended to in a proper manner. Devout, pious men from among his fellow-believers carried him out to his last resting-place and attended to all the matters pertaining to his burial, They then made a great lamentation over him, probably beating their breasts and their heads in token of their deep grief. It is altogether pleasing to the Lord if Christians bury their dead in an honorable fashion, and the lamenting over the death of loved ones, if kept within proper bounds, has been hallowed by the tears of Jesus Himself at the grave of Lazarus. But all these facts, even if they were known to Saul and were, in part, intended in the nature of a protest against the murder of Stephen, made no impression upon him. If anything, he became all the more unreasonable and furious in his enmity toward Christ and the Church. Without ceasing, continually, he laid waste, devastated, the Church, like a hostile army spreading ruin and devastation in its wake, Psa 80:13. In so doing, he entered into every house which was known to belong to a Christian, particularly into those which served as places for Christian assembly. And both men and women whom he found at such times he dragged forth, he haled them out as though preparing them for trial, and committed them to prison, with the consent of the authorities gave them into the charge of the keepers of the prison. This persecution was the first real test to which the members of the congregation at Jerusalem were subjected. Till now it had all been peaceful growth; but now the storm was to test the strength of the young plant, and of every branch and shoot on the tender stem.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v1 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
The story shifts from Stephen to Saul in these verses.
Read full note →
General Information:
It may be helpful to your audience to move these parts of the story about Stephen together by using a verse bridge as the UDB does. (See: Verse Bridges)
So there began ... except the apostles
This part of verse 1 is background information about the persecution that began after Stephen's death. This explains why Saul was persecuting the believers in verse 3. (See: Background Information)
that day
This refers to the day that Stephen died. (See: Acts 7:59-60)
the believers were all scattered
The word "all" is a generalization to express that a large number of the believers left Jerusalem because of the persecution. (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)
except the apostles
This statement implies that the apostles remained in Jerusalem even though they also experienced this great persecution. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
Devout men
"God-fearing men" or "Men who feared God"
made great lamentation over him
"greatly mourned his death"
dragged out men and women
Saul forcefully took Jewish believers out of their home and put them into prison.
house after house
"houses one by one"
dragged out men and women
"took away men and women by force"
men and women
This refers to men and women who believed in Jesus. (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
translationWords
Paul
persecute
church
Jerusalem
believe
Judea
Samaria
apostle
church
prison
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v1 8:1-4 Saul: Cp. 9:1-2; 22:4; 26:9-11; Gal 1:13-14. The…
8:1-4 Saul: Cp. 9:1-2; 22:4; 26:9-11; Gal 1:13-14. The result of this great wave of persecution was that all the believers . . . were scattered. Rather than having their enthusiasm dampened, however, they simply spread the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.